offer an explanation, but just stepped aside, Xavier took advantage of the offer and scooted past the nurse before he turned into a guard dog again.
His heart squeezed painfully when he saw Billy. He had been beaten, threatened and
scared for his life, yet when Xavier entered the room, Billy grinned despite his busted lips.
Billy’s eyes lit up and he just looked so happy to see him that Xavier wanted to weep. And he was most definitely
not
the weepy sort.
The happy look Billy wore changed to a stubborn pout shortly thereafter when Xavier
brought up the painful but necessary subject of pressing charges against Randy. Billy slumped back and stuck his swollen bottom lip out. “But I don’t
want
to press charges! And I don’t need to be here! I just fainted.”
Xavier glared back at him and shook his head. “That bottom lip thing isn’t going to
work this time. Randy’s gone too far. He could have killed you. He needs help, and he needs to be held accountable for his actions.” He leaned over and traced Billy’s bruised cheek.
“What if he does this to someone else, Billy? Could you live with yourself knowing you might have been able to stop him? I know I can’t, not easily.”
Xavier took one of Billy’s hands in both of his and rubbed gently. “Look, whatever it is you’re worried about, don’t be. Randy and I will either work this out or not, but whatever happens there isn’t your fault. He’s an ass, but he’s still my brother. I don’t want him going on like he has been; I want the man back he used to be. If it takes going to jail or whatever to www.total-e-bound.com
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get that, then so be it. It’s just one more thing I’ll have to be grateful to you for. Now”—
Xavier’s expression lightened and he grinned despite not really feeling up to it—“what’s this about a tall, dark and handsome FBI agent taking you home?”
The rest of the visit left Xavier feeling a little melancholy. He couldn’t shake the thought that Billy would be leaving, and Xavier would get to experience that syndrome—empty nest syndrome. How bizarre was that? He walked down the hall while he contemplated it and was almost picturing himself in high heels and pearls, waving goodbye to his ‘baby boy’
when a bright flash of colour down the hall to his right snagged his attention.
Xavier paused at the opening to the hallway, recognising Josh’s vibrant scrubs before he actually noticed the man himself. The nurse didn’t look happy at all as he glared down at a blond man in a wheelchair. Something about the blond’s posture sent a zing through Xavier.
There was a challenge in the way the man held himself, as if he didn’t have to answer to anyone. Xavier’s dick liked the idea of proving otherwise. It had been a long time since he’d been instantly attracted to someone like this. There was an internal pull towards him that threatened to make Xavier walk over and beg the blond to let Xavier fuck him.
Which was, admittedly, a stupid thing for him to be thinking. For all he knew, the guy wasn’t gay, and was as appealing visually as a mouldy turnip. Not that Xavier demanded his lovers be perfect specimens of male beauty. He could usually find at least one attractive aspect in anyone he played with—lush lips, a long thin nose—or even those sexy kinds with the bump from being broken a time or two—a chiselled jaw or sharp cheekbones, wide eyes, sexy eyes, or…
None of that thinking was helping to combat the erection now squeezed against his
thigh by his jeans. Xavier huffed quietly and untucked his shirt, hoping it was long enough to cover the evidence of his arousal. He didn’t want to seem like a perv if he approached the man.
Josh’s strained voice and the low tones of the blond man’s replies had Xavier shutting off his musings and hurrying towards the two men. Whatever was going on, Xavier just couldn’t stay away. He nodded to Josh as the man glanced at him from the corner of his eye, but even then Josh continued scolding the blond, something about tipping him out of his wheelchair if he gave the physical therapist shit again.
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Oh yes, Xavier thought as he stepped up beside the wheelchair, admiring the profile of the patient in it. Smooth, wide brow; large, slightly uptilted eyes; long straight nose with a slight bump on the bridge and lips that would look sinfully delicious wrapped around Xavier’s dick. Then there was the firm sharp jaw and the shadowed, stubbled cheek accented by the sharp blade of cheek bone. The stubborn tilt of his chin alone was enough to set fire to the ember of desire that had begun to stir when he’d first seen the man.
“…Don’t need to be in this fucking wheelchair!” the blond snarled in a low voice.
Xavier could almost see the anger rising off his body.
Josh stood up straight, then promptly bent back over and shoved his face right up to the blond’s. “So help me, Chase Murphy, you’re going to stay in the wheelchair until I get you to the car—which is protocol here since you almost passed out during your session. It’s not some malicious plan to emasculate you!”
Apparently, Chase Murphy got the message, because he promptly snapped his mouth
shut. Xavier even heard the man’s teeth click together. For some reason, the outburst just turned him on even more, and he wanted him—Chase Murphy—he wanted Chase’s
attention on him. Xavier stepped to Chase’s side but looked at Josh, not wanting to seem too eager. Aware he might well devour Chase on the spot if he didn’t get himself under control.
“Is there a problem here, Josh?”
In his peripheral vision, Xavier saw Chase’s head whip around so fast he was surprised it didn’t fly right off. “This isn’t your business,” Chase growled, and damn, if the sound didn’t spread over Xavier’s cock like a velvet touch.
He casually tipped his head at Chase and got his first full look at him. How he managed not to gasp or drool was beyond him, but somehow Xavier controlled the swell of lust that flooded his veins. “Maybe not, but there’s no reason why I can’t make sure Josh doesn’t need some help.”
Chase’s eyes were lit with a fury that made him appear dangerous, but it was the fear buried in their depths that drew Xavier closer.
That’s one aspect of Chase Murphy opened for
me—the man reacts with anger when he’s scared, and right now he’s very afraid, but of what?
Obviously not of Xavier.
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“I wouldn’t hurt Josh,” Chase grumbled, glaring so hard at Xavier he thought it had to make Chase’s head ache. “I just do
not
need to be in this wheelchair.”
Xavier nodded even though Chase had looked away. “Maybe not, but Josh has to
follow the rules, right?”
All of the fight seemed to drain out of Chase as he slumped in the chair. “No, no of course not. I’m being an asshole.” He looked at Josh and shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’ll apologise to Terry at my next appointment.”
Josh squatted so that he was now looking up at Chase. “Look, Chase, PT can be really tough, and Terry’s heard a lot worse than what you threw at him today. But you can’t get so upset just because you have to struggle with some of the exercises. You’ll get there, I promise, it just takes some work—and some patience.”
Chase turned a dark shade of red as he darted a glance at Xavier. As quick as it was, Xavier still saw that fear there, as well as shame, and he decided that he would pursue Chase unless he was straight—and Xavier didn’t think he was. His gaydar was pinging, especially since Chase’s gaze bounced right back to Xavier’s groin. Now Xavier kind of regretted untucking his shirt.
Josh just had to blurt that shit out in front of the big sexy stud beside him. Chase wanted to disappear, to get up and walk out and never look back. The only problem was, he wasn’t sure his legs would hold him. Terry had stopped the physical therapy session because Chase had almost passed out. The pain in his shoulder had exploded and streaked down his spine to the backs of his knees and had set off a volley of sparks flaring in front of Chase’s eyes. It’d been embarrassing—no, mortifying. Embarrassing was coming out of the bathroom with a square of toilet paper hanging off the sole of your shoe. Mortifying was having a trail of dirty toilet paper hanging out the back of your pants. He hadn’t been this weak or helpless in a very long time, and it infuriated and scared him. Josh had been an easy target for Chase’s temper, or at least Josh had appeared to be an easy target at first. In short order, Josh had given Chase back his shitty attitude in heaps.
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He didn’t doubt Josh would roll him to the staircase and tip the damned chair over.
And Chase would deserve it, even though he’d apologised. He wondered if it had made him appear weaker than he was, if a man like the huge one beside him would see an apology as a weakness. A big guy like that, he’d leap on Chase and take advantage, wouldn’t he? Chase always avoided men like him. He really needed the man to leave. He really didn’t want the man to leave. He was a goddamned indecisive wreck.
“Xavier Talbot,” the man said, offering his hand.
Chase took it gingerly, careful of his shoulder. Xavier did nothing more than squeeze his hand lightly, but it set Chase’s cock to full mast as he stared into Xavier’s cherry brown eyes. Flecks of amber could be seen around the iris, reminding Chase of budding flames.
Fuck!
Chase closed his eyes as his arousal increased, flooding his veins with a tingling sensation.
Fuckfuckfuck!
The man was a threat, whether he knew it or not. Maybe not physically, but certainly to a needy spot inside Chase that he always did his best to ignore.
Desperate to keep on ignoring it, Chase averted his gaze and found Josh smirking at him.
Before Chase could reel off something snarky, Josh’s attention shifted and he waved at someone behind Chase.
“Adam, hey, thank God you’re here right on time!”
Adam’s laughter had a musical quality to it that somehow drew a little of the tension from Chase’s body. He realised he was still holding Xavier’s hand and the tension returned full force as he jerked his arm back. Pain shot down his shoulder and up his neck, but Chase refused to make a sound. He didn’t want another scolding from Josh for one, but he really didn’t want Xavier to see him as weak.
Weaker, and I don’t want to think about why I give a shit
what this guy’s opinion of me is.
Desperate for a distraction from Xavier’s penetrating gaze, Chase tried to peer over his shoulder, only to stop when it hurt too much. He settled for turning his head as far as he could without causing much discomfort, and trying to
concentrate on what Adam was saying.
“Punctuality should be my middle name. You know my mom, Josh, she wouldn’t
tolerate me being late for anything.” Chase heard Adam’s footsteps coming closer and was surprised when he stopped several feet behind him. “Xavier, what brings you here?
Checking on Billy and…Randy?”
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Chase wondered about the hesitation before Adam said that latter name, but he’d have to wait to ask. If he asked. He really shouldn’t. In fact, he should try to erase Xavier Talbot completely from his mind. The last thing Chase needed now was to be attracted to anyone.
He just wasn’t in any shape to fuck, and that was all he’d want with the big, gorgeous man anyway.
“How’d the interview go with Agent Stone?” Adam asked, placing a hand on Chase’s
non-injured shoulder. “Did he have any information about your friend?”
Chase didn’t miss the way Xavier’s body tensed nor the way his eyes narrowed and
zoomed in on Chase’s.
Now would be the perfect opportunity to dissuade Xavier’s interest in me,
because I can see he wants me almost as bad as I want him.
All he had to do was add a little more emphasis to James’ name, toss in a couple of words that implied James was more to him than just his best friend. But looking in Xavier’s eyes, Chase found that he just couldn’t do it, not to James, nor Xavier.
“No,” Chase admitted, the bereft feeling returning stronger than it did when he’d first discovered the FBI was no closer to finding James than before. “His parents must be frantic.”
And blaming him, though the original idea of going after Mitch Rollins Jr had been James’
idea. Chase could have found a better way to nail the bastard. “I know how much I’m
worried about James, and he’s my best friend. It has to be even worse having your son go missing.” Chase told himself he wasn’t trying to subtly slip the message to Xavier that he was single, but his conscience called him a liar. Chase told his conscience to go fuck itself, then tried to keep his mouth shut even as he stole a few peeks at Xavier. He absolutely was
not
interested in the man beyond a quick and dirty fuck.
And if his conscience called him a liar one more time, he was going to reach inside his head and pull that nagging voice out, then stomp on it until every last squeak and nag was gone. Xavier’s gaze drilled into his, the interest there clear and pressing. Chase looked away, keeping a mask of disinterest in place. “Can we go now? I need to rest.” He hated making that admission, but if it would get him away from the tempting man beside him, then his pride could take another hit.
“Sure. Sorry, let’s get you home.”
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Home.
Adam’s words were laced with understanding, but that one word, home, scared Chase almost as much as the instant attraction he felt for Xavier Talbot. Chase made certain not to give the man so much as a glance as Adam wheeled him away. He didn’t acknowledge Xavier’s gruff goodbye.