Perfect Love

by Trina Lane

  Clay growled orders in a hoarse voice before realising Logan would never hear them. It didn’t matter. Logan knew what he needed; Logan always knew. Clay’s eyes rolled back into his head and his chest billowed as Logan stimulated Clay’s nipples the way he loved. Yes, Logan always knew.

  Logan’s hard cock waved back and forth as their bodies met in a frenzy of need. Clay couldn’t take it anymore. He had to come. Lifting Logan several inches in the air, he began to jack-knife in and out of Logan’s body at such a rapid pace all Logan could do was hold on. Each thrust was deeper and harder than the one before.

  Mindless cries sang from Logan’s lips. Clay prayed for release. Lights flashed behind his eyes, and his orgasm boiled up from core of his body. He watched the tendons in Logan’s neck pull taut, his eyes shot open and Logan’s cock erupted in a torrent of seed.

  Clay plunged, fucking Logan through his orgasm. Heat raced through his veins plunging him into convulsions, and with one final surge, he exploded. Jets of cum spewed from his shaft into Logan’s ass. Waves of pleasure crashed over him and swept him out into mind numbing ecstasy.

  Logan’s body sank on top of his. Clay’s heart pounded, and Logan’s sweaty head nestled into the crook of his neck. Clay rubbed his hands up and down Logan’s back, soothing his lover in the aftermath of such an intense experience. Their bodies eventually separated, and Logan collapsed beside him. He pulled Logan close and tucked their bodies together, legs tangling on top of the covers, arms wrapped around each other’s waists. He pulled one half of the bedspread over their naked bodies, and Logan pulled the other. Cocooned in satiated bliss, they slept.

  Chapter Six

  Clay paced the surgical waiting room, cup of coffee in hand. Two hours had passed since Logan had been wheeled back. Since both devices were being implanted simultaneously, Logan would be under for about four hours total.

  Clay had been beside Logan throughout the surgical prep. They’d brought a dry erase board so Logan could communicate with the staff easier, but Clay still ended up having to answer some of their questions. Displays of affection were quashed since they were in a VA hospital.

  He didn’t know the policy on sexual discrimination post active duty, but neither of them had been willing to jeopardise Logan’s procedure by revealing their true relationship. When they’d transported Logan away, it had taken everything in him not to bend down and place a kiss on the man’s lips.

  They’d woken that morning with the night still heavy in the sky and made love slowly. Logan had taken him with such gentleness, it nearly brought tears to Clay’s eyes remembering each touch, each kiss. Now, he waited in a utilitarian room, filled with uncomfortable chairs and the noise of some news channel buzzing from the television in the corner. There was a sign on the desk warning against cell phone use so Clay took a walk to the entrance of the surgery centre and stepped outside the sliding glass doors. He scrolled through his contacts list until he found the name he wanted. Leaning against the side of the building, he waited for the call to be connected.

  “Hello?”

  “Ryan?”

  “Clay! What’s up buddy?”

  The sound of Ryan Ashton’s friendly voice did a lot to ease some of Clay’s antsiness. During the investigation into Ryan’s husband Ethan’s attack, the three of them had become good friends, and right now Clay could use a friend.

  “I’ve been pacing out of my skin, so I thought I’d give you a call.”

  “What’s wrong, Clay? Is it Logan? Has something happened? I thought he was doing better?”

  “Oh shit. I never told you. Things have been so crazy the past month. We haven’t talked, and I know you and Ethan are always so busy at work―”

  “Clay! Spit it out, man.”

  “We’re in West Haven. Logan was approved. He’s in surgery.”

  “Holy shit! I can’t believe you didn’t call us. We would have come with you. Been there for you both.”

  “I know…I know. I wouldn’t have asked anyway, but it’s nice to know.”

  “Clay, after everything you did for Ethan when he was attacked…we’d do anything for you, man.”

  “Who knew we’d end up here, given where we started?”

  “Are you talking about you and Logan or our friendship?”

  “Either…both, I don’t know.”

  “Well, I can’t speak for Logan, but Ethan and I consider our lives richer for having you in it. You and Logan have had a hard, long journey to get where you are. I can’t imagine the roller coaster of emotions the two of you have dealt with since you were teenagers. That’s your past. You’re together. You’re solid. Logan is healing, and today is one more step on that journey. Each new day is further from the pain of your past. The best piece of advice I can give you is when you wake in the morning, turn to each other and greet the new day in thanks. Then go live every moment you have together to the fullest.”

  Clay leaned his head back against the building and tried to prevent an errant tear from sliding down his face at Ryan’s heartfelt advice. He knew Ryan believed and lived every word. Ethan’s attack last winter had nearly killed him, and the two of them had used the experience to solidify their relationship. Instead of focusing on what could have happened, they celebrated each day and lived for the next.

  “Clay? You there, man?”

  “Yeah…how’d a G-man get to be so damn smart?”

  “While you gumshoes are making hourly stops at the nearest Krispy Kreme, us G-men are actually training.”

  “Hmm, in this training, do they let you talk to actual suspects or are you still role playing with dolls?”

  “You leave Ginger out of this. She could take your ass any day.”

  Clay laughed. “That image is disturbing on so many levels. Besides only one person has unlimited access to my ass. Thanks, Ryan.”

  “No problem, buddy. You call us the moment he’s out of surgery. When the two of you get home and things are settled, why don’t we all get together for a quiet dinner? Nothing crazy, just four friends.”

  “That sounds great. I’m gonna go. Tell Ethan I said hi.”

  “Will do.”

  Clay felt much better after talking to Ryan. He was calm in his skin once again, and vowed not to drink one more cup of coffee. The incessant cups of caffeine most likely hadn’t helped the situation. He chucked a still half-full cup in the nearest trashcan and headed back towards the waiting room. When he arrived he opened his laptop, connected to the internet through the hospital’s wireless connection, popped in his custom ear monitors, opened his iTunes then set about responding to the multitude of emails he’d received in the past several days. Once the email was taken care of, Clay browsed an ebook publisher website and selected the latest release from one of his favourite authors. He opened the file and set about escaping into the world of intrigue, espionage and sexy spies.

  He was about to click on the next page of the story—completely captivated by the drama unfolding before his eyes—but instead jumped when a hand tapped him on the shoulder from behind. He spun his head and saw a nurse standing there with a smile on her face.

  Clay removed the ear monitors.

  “Sorry. I was pretty engrossed in what I was doing.”

  “It’s fine. I can be pretty oblivious when I have my ear buds on. I wanted to let you know Mr. Callen is out of surgery, and the doctor will be calling you on the house phone on the wall over there in a few moments. After you’re done with the call, you can head back to the recovery area to see him.”

  Clay looked at his watch, surprised to see that two hours had passed. “Thank you very much.”

  He kept a vigilant eye on the beige wall phone, willing it to ring as he packed up his stuff. He walked over and stood in front of the phone. He noticed that there was no keypad, presumably so people couldn’t tie up the line making personal calls. His eyes bored into the cheap plastic, and when the shrill ring reverberated into the room, he nearly jerked the entire device off the wall as he quickly
picked up the handset.

  “Hello?”

  “Mr. Phillips?”

  Clay tried to make his voice sound far more firm and stable then he actually was. “Yes.”

  “This is Dr. Cleary. I was one of the otologists who performed Mr. Callen’s surgery. I wanted to let you know that he did beautifully. The procedures went as planned. He’s in recovery and should be waking up soon. I need to caution you that with his history of vestibular insult from the head injury, he may be very dizzy for the next couple of days. How he is when he wakes up will determine how long we keep him.”

  Clay let out a heavy breath. “Thank you, doctor.”

  “You’re welcome. I’ll be checking on Mr. Callen in a little while.”

  Clay hung up the phone, and for the first time all day, a huge smile crossed his face. The desk attendant gave him a smile and a wink then waved him forward.

  “Mr. Callen has been assigned to room five-hundred-fifty-one. If you go down the hall and take the purple coloured elevators to floor five, you’ll see the signs directing you. They’ll bring him to the room once he wakes up.”

  “Thank you.”

  Clay’s feet carried him swiftly in the direction the nurse instructed. He passed a gift shop on the way and stopped in. He investigated the offerings, searching for the right item. There were the usual flowers, but that might be a bit too much. He saw nauseatingly cute stuffed animals and balloons that said get well, but none of them called to him either.

  He was about to give up when he spied a book entitled Hospital War Games: How to capture that extra cup of pudding. He figured Logan would appreciate the humour. Once he paid for the souvenir, he returned to his original mission. He found Logan’s assigned room and was surprised to see him already there. Logan still had an IV attached to his right hand and his head was wrapped up like a mummy, but to Clay, he looked beautiful.

  Clay quietly walked up to the bed, and placed his hand on the lump of Logan’s foot ensconced under the covers. Logan’s eyes opened, meeting his. Clay squeezed the foot and soundlessly said, “Love you.”

  Logan smiled and crooked his finger at Clay.

  Clay crossed to the side of the bed and glanced out the door to check for any imminent intruders. It looked as if the coast was clear. He bent over Logan, placing a chaste kiss on his cool lips. Their hands threaded together on Logan’s mattress. Clay wanted to extend the kiss but felt they taken enough of a risk as it was. He pulled back and revealed his gift to Logan. He could tell Logan was trying to focus on the title of book. Clay turned Logan’s head so he could see him better.

  “Dizzy?” Clay asked.

  “Yeah. They said it would pass, but I feel like I’m on a never-ending carnival ride at the moment.”

  “Just rest. Before you know it, we’ll be on our way home.”

  Clay sat in the chair beside Logan’s bed. He was happy to see a little smile on Logan’s lips as he slipped into a restful sleep.

  * * * *

  The next morning when Clay woke in the hotel bed, he immediately reached for Logan only to find empty space beside him. They’d decided the previous day to keep the room so Clay wouldn’t have to sleep at the hospital. His back appreciated the extra cost, but his heart gave a pang of loneliness. Since he and Logan had confessed their love, four months ago, he’d never slept alone. It’d only taken a couple of days before Clay craved the warmth of Logan’s body curled up next to him during the night and slumberous early morning kisses as they greeted the new day.

  He jumped in the shower, eager to return to the hospital and check on his lover. When he went to the reception desk to check out, the kid who’d checked them in was there.

  “Morning, Mr. Phillips. How’s your partner?”

  “He’s doing great. Everything went as planned, and we’re headed back to Boston today.”

  “Congratulations! I don’t mean to be noisy, but may I ask what he had done?”

  “Logan is a veteran. He lost his hearing from a head injury while deployed in Afghanistan. The surgery was to give him cochlear implants in both ears, so he can hear again.”

  “Wow. I’ve heard of those. Saw an episode of House once where the kid ripped the implant out of his head because he didn’t want it.”

  “Yes, well, I bet there were some extenuating circumstances. Anyway, thanks for your help.”

  “Tell your partner I hope everything works out.”

  “I will.”

  Clay left the hotel with a smile on his face, shaking his head at how the youth of today relied on TV shows to teach them about life. He pulled into the hospital campus a few minutes later and jogged through the parking area, impatient to see Logan again.

  When he arrived at Logan’s room, he laughed at the mound of pudding cups on the wheelie table beside Logan’s bed. Logan sat up in bed, reading the book Clay had left. Clay sauntered over, intent on snagging one the cups for breakfast. However, his plan was foiled when Logan’s hand slapped his away before he could pick it up off the table.

  “Mine. I captured them fair and square.”

  Clay crossed his arms over his chest. He picked up the dry-erase board and wrote, “I gave you the guide to score your booty. That entitles me to a ten percent finder’s fee.”

  Logan swiped the board clean and responded, “Five and a good morning kiss.”

  Clay took a quick peek out the door. He bent and placed a kiss on Logan’s warm lips. Slipping his tongue inside the moist cavern, he tasted the flavours of previously devoured treats.

  “Seems to me like you’ve already imbibed on some of your stash. How many have you had?”

  “Only two.”

  Clay arched his eyebrow.

  “This morning.”

  He chuckled. Confiscating one of the cups, he sank into the lounge chair beside the bed. He removed the cellophane covering and took the first spoonful of creamy deliciousness. Moaning, he closed his eyes. When he opened them, he saw that Logan was watching him with fire in his blue eyes.

  Logan’s hand flew over the board then he flipped it around to show Clay. “You have the same look on your face when I’m sucking you.”

  Logan felt a blush creep up his cheeks. “This is yummy, but I can think of a couple of tastes that are better.”

  Clay was smug when he saw it was Logan’s turn to blush. He knew they’d better watch the banter but was happy to see the vitality in Logan’s cheeks. They were watching a rerun of Bones when the doctor came in to check on Logan.

  “How are you doing?” he asked, looking into Logan’s eyes.

  “Good.”

  “And the dizziness?”

  “Better.”

  Dr. Cleary looked through the nurse’s notes from overnight. “Well, everything looks good. I’ll tell the nurses to get your discharge papers ready, and you can be on your way home.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Cleary, for everything.”

  Cleary picked up the dry erase board and scribbled, “It’s my pleasure, Logan. I wish you the best of luck. It looks like you have a good partner here. I’m sure he’ll be with you each step of the way. Your world is about to open up again. Cherish it and each other.”

  Clay read the doctor’s note over Logan’s shoulder, and his eyes went wide. His head flew up and caught the doctor’s wink before the message was erased and the man walked out.

  He turned to see Logan’s eyes just as wide and fixed on the empty door. Their gazes met. “I’ll be damned.”

  “Yeah.” Logan picked up the now clear message board. “You think he’ll say anything?”

  Clay shook his head and picked up the marker. “No, he seemed happy for us. I bet that’s why he wrote it in erasable marker versus speaking. No incriminating evidence. Are you ready to go home?”

  Logan nodded his head enthusiastically.

  A few hours later, they had Logan’s discharge documents. Clay wheeled Logan out of the hospital and gingerly transferred his love to the front seat of their car. Logan was still a little unsteady on his f
eet but overall doing well considering the man’s head had been drilled into the day before. Clay thanked the nurses and ran to the driver side of the car, excited to get home and finally have Logan all to himself again.

  Chapter Seven

  The next three weeks were an exercise in patience. After about seven days of healing, the incisions on Logan’s head started to heal, and Clay continuously reminded him not to itch the shaved area where the implants had been inserted.

  One of the consequences of the surgery was that Logan had zero residual hearing, so his hearing aids became useless. They’d tried to preserve what hearing Logan had left, but in his case, the procedure made that impossible. Logan was literally stone deaf.

  They carried their smart-phones on them at all times and sent countless text messages back and forth. Everything from what they wanted for dinner to ‘hand me the remote’.

  The good thing was that the time allowed Logan to really concentrate and improve his lip reading skills. Clay sat with him at night and did exercises to strengthen the ability, so when hook-up day came, Logan would have every tool available to ease his transition back into a world of sound.

  Clay took a look at the calendar on the wall and was never happier to see the big red circle on tomorrow’s date. In the morning, they would head back to West Haven for Logan’s activation day.

  Only in moments of solitude would Clay admit he was just as anxious and nervous as Logan. Although he tried, he knew there was no way he could really understand what it was like for Logan. The silence, the isolation, the fervent hope he lived with daily that this would work. Logan continued to see Matt, and Clay knew the sessions provided Logan with an outlet he desperately needed some days.

  Clay dumped the steaming microwave popcorn in a bowl and picked up the DVD he’d rented off the counter. Tonight was a night for relaxation and pleasure. Logan lounged on the couch intently looking at the screen of his e-reader.