Deliver Me (2 page)

Erik’s
steady footsteps on the asphalt coupled with Duke’s tag clanking against his
leash were the only sounds in the early morning air. The run was good for his
body, but it was doing nothing to clear his mind. Images of his ex getting
blown by some random twink wouldn’t leave him alone. Bradley was leaning
against the wall with his head thrown back while some skinny kid sucked him off
in the alley behind Primus, Nashville’s premier gay nightclub. Erik had gotten
off work early and wanted to surprise his boyfriend. He was the one who was
surprised.  He knew his job was demanding, but Bradley swore he understood. He
promised to be faithful and wait at home like a good, dutiful boyfriend while
Erik worked his long hours. Bradley lied.

A
year later, Erik still hurt from the betrayal. Most of the time he did well to
forget about the past, but his ex had called last night, begging Erik to give
him another chance.

Duke
pulled on his leash, whining. “What is it, boy?” It didn’t take long until he
heard what had his golden lab upset. A baby’s cries rent the air, cutting
through the peacefulness. When Erik and Duke rounded the corner, he saw the
disturbance. A man wearing a sweat jacket with the hood pulled up over his head
was sitting on a bench, rocking a screaming infant. Erik allowed Duke to lead
him to where the father was frantically trying to soothe the child in his arms.
Erik didn’t ask before he sat down next to him.

The
most beautiful bright green eyes Erik had ever seen looked over at him. The man
they belonged to looked vaguely familiar. “I’ve tried everything. I don’t know
what she wants,” he told Erik as if he had asked for an explanation. Long black
hair was creeping over his shoulders. Bright ink peeked out from the sleeves of
his jacket.

“May
I?” Erik held out his hands. Obviously at his wit’s end, the man only hesitated
a few seconds before handing over the distressed bundle. Erik cradled the
little girl against his chest, rocking her gently. Duke sniffed the baby and
placed his snout against her side. Within a few seconds, she quieted.

“How
the fuck did you do that?” the man asked, his eyes wide.

“Babies
are like animals. They can sense what you’re feeling. You’re tense, so she’s
tense. And, I have Duke. He has a way about him,” Erik said, winking. The other
man frowned.
Great. You had to wink, and he’s probably some homophobic
asshole who took it the wrong way.
Hoping to diffuse the situation, Erik
asked, “What’s her name?” He looked at the now sleeping bundle of cuteness so
he didn’t have to see the man’s eyes.

“Delilah,
after her mom.” Erik didn’t miss the tenderness in his voice when he spoke of
the mother.

So,
Mr. Green Eyes had a woman. Erik nonchalantly looked at his left hand, not
seeing a wedding band or the untanned skin where one should be. Maybe they
weren’t married.  It didn’t matter. Even if the first man to make Erik’s cock
stand up and take notice in over a year were single, he still wasn’t
interested. He had his work and Duke. That was enough. As much as he would love
to sit and snuggle the baby girl, he had to get showered and to the clinic. He
placed his hand under Delilah’s small head and passed her back to her father.

“My
best guess is she has GERD.” The man frowned at the term, so Erik elaborated.
“It’s kind of like acid reflux. Try keeping her upright against your chest as
much as possible instead of on her back. They make these really cool snuggies that
cradle the baby to your chest. If she becomes distressed again, I would suggest
taking her to her doctor. It’s probably her formula not agreeing with her, but
you never know.”

When
the man didn’t speak, Erik stood and watched Delilah sleep for a moment before moving
toward the path. Before he could take a step, the man grabbed his wrist. Erik
felt like he was being burned. Not in a bad way necessarily, more like the
sweet pain of being stretched with a cock. He looked into those emerald eyes as
the man whispered, “Thank you.”

Erik
nodded, and the man released his arm. As he and Duke took off jogging, he heard
the guy mutter, “Fuck me.”

Normally
shower time was rushed. Erik washed his body and shampooed his hair in under
five minutes. No need to linger. This morning was different. He couldn’t get
those green eyes out of his mind. His cock definitely thought highly of the man
from the park. It had been standing at attention for the last half hour. Erik
soaped his body and as soon as he got close to his dick, it decided it was time
to play. “Fuck,” Erik husked. He was surprised at his body’s reaction to the
inked man. The
straight
inked man. Normally when he pulled one off, his
go-to image was someone taller, built, more powerful than he was. He wanted
someone to take control in the bedroom; grab him by the throat with just enough
pressure to get his attention. Now, he couldn’t get the lean man out of his
head.

Erik
grabbed his erection, stroking slowly, twisting when he got to the head. He imagined
the stranger on his knees with those fuckable lips closed around his cock, sucking
so hard his cheeks hollowed out. He took all eight inches to the back of his
throat with no gag reflex before swallowing the load that was now shooting
against the tile wall of the shower. Erik groaned through his release. He had
no doubt he’d have shouted the man’s name had he known it. Not wanting to think
too hard on what just happened, he dried off, slathered on deodorant, and
pulled on his clothes. He had a full schedule today and didn’t need to be late.

Erik
was one of the few doctors who didn’t like to keep patients waiting. He knew
their time was just as valuable as his, if not more so. Most of the mothers who
brought their children to his clinic were single or barely scraping by. They
didn’t need to sit in a lobby full of screaming kids all day when they had
their own child to look after. He slicked a little gel through his blond hair
to keep it out of his eyes and was ready to go.

Duke
was sitting by the back door, waiting patiently. The sweet animal had belonged
to Erik’s brother, Torfinn. Tor was a highly decorated Marine. When he lost one
of his legs to a landmine, he was no longer able to serve. His PTSD set in as
did depression. Duke had been assigned to Tor, and the love the dog showed him
worked for a while. When Tor tried to get back into the real world… dating,
working, basically being a man… he slipped further into his depression. Tor
left a message on Erik’s answering machine asking if he could come take Duke
for a while. When Erik arrived at his brother’s home, he found the once strong
man lying on the floor next to his Glock. Duke came home with Erik and had been
his constant companion ever since.

Erik
and Duke arrived at the clinic. He said good morning to the receptionist and
grabbed a cup of coffee from the kitchen before going to his office. He hoped
the busy schedule would keep his mind off one set of green eyes.

Tag
placed his niece in the deluxe stroller, praying she wouldn’t wake up. He had
only brought Delilah home from the hospital a couple of days ago and was
already pulling his long hair out. He knew nothing about babies. Hell, he’d
never even thought about having kids. What the fuck was his sister thinking
leaving her baby in his care? Sure, she didn’t want her child to go into the
foster system, but Tag was a rock star. He lived his life on the road. 7’s
Mistress had already postponed the second leg of their tour indefinitely while
he got little Delilah home and settled. Had she been born when she was supposed
to, she wouldn’t have stayed in NICU for over two months. Had she been born
when she was supposed to, his sister would more than likely be the one raising
her.

In
those two months, Tag had buried his sister, mourned her death, and stayed
drunk the first month. When Echo came to visit, she kicked his ass into gear
and helped him get his house ready for a baby.

As
usual, their manager had done damage control while keeping the media from knowing
the truth of why the band was not on tour as they should be. The guys had been
great. Nobody bitched about not hitting the road as scheduled. If anything,
they had breathed a sigh of relief at getting an extended break. While most of
them made home in Los Angeles, Tag had a home on the outskirts of Nashville so
he could remain close to his roots. Roots that now consisted of one little blue
eyed baby girl.

Tag
pushed the stroller along the same path the man and his dog had taken off on. The
blond haired god had taken Delilah in his arms as naturally as if it was
something he did every day. The sight had Tag’s heart skipping a beat and his
cock coming to life. It had been a long time since just being in someone’s
presence caused his body to stir the way it had earlier. Of course he would
want someone who was probably married with kids of his own.

Being
famous meant he could have most any woman or man he wanted. At thirty-four, the
after show scene had become a chore. Bleached blondes with fake tits lined up
to get their chance at fifteen minutes with one of the band members. Twinks
waited outside the venue to get a glimpse of the four larger than life men who
rocked the biggest stages in the world. In the early days of 7’s Mistress, the
guys would take their pick of fucks back to the bus where they would indulge in
sex and drugs after the rock n roll. All four of the men had, at some point,
shared sex partners. As they got older and wiser, the drugs disappeared as did
most of the women.

As
far as Tag knew, he and Cade were the only ones who had indulged in each other.
Then again, Sloane and Pauly seemed like more than friends at times, but what
the fuck did he know. He could care less if they were married to one another as
long as the music remained at the level they were accustomed to bestowing on
the world. He was holding them back on their touring, on their music, and it
was driving him batshit crazy. He loved his niece, but he wasn’t father
material. If he didn’t think his sister would haunt him from the grave, he
would put Delilah up for adoption. Tag hadn’t mentioned that idea to anyone. He
didn’t want his bandmates to think he was a piece of shit. But seriously?
Wouldn’t she be better off with a mother and father who could provide for her
twenty-four seven, three hundred sixty-five days a year?

His
sister had lived in their parents’ house after they passed away. Now that she
was gone, it was his. Even if it was the house he grew up in, he didn’t need it,
so he put it on the market. He would take the money from the sale and put it
into a college fund for his niece. Not that he couldn’t afford to pay for her
education in cash. Tag had more money than his grandkids would ever be able to
spend.

To
the world, he was Taggart Lee, rock god. Back home in Tennessee, he was just
Lee Holloway. All his neighbors knew who he really was, but they didn’t give a
fuck. Most of them were big deals in their own right. Whether they were country
music stars, song writers, or healthcare industry moguls, Tag was surrounded on
all sides by people who had as much money as he did.

Tag
reached his SUV and gently picked up his sleeping girl. He secured her in the
car seat then folded up the stroller and stowed it in the back. He eased out of
the parking lot of the park and headed home. Hopefully Delilah was settled down
enough for him to get some peace. When he drove down his driveway, he spotted
Cade’s Ferrari parked in front of the garage. Tag smiled and sighed at the same
time. Hopefully his best friend was there to offer support of the babysitting
kind and not the blowjob kind.

Erik
closed his clinic early on Fridays so he could volunteer at the V.A. Center. He
did come in for emergencies, but those were few and far between. Most people
had the good sense to go to the emergency room. He had just finished with his
last appointment when Duke started whining. The dog stood by the door to his
office and pawed at the carpet. Erik knew there was a distressed child in the
waiting room whether or not he had another one scheduled.

Erik
opened his door, and Duke took off toward the lobby. He followed closely behind
his canine companion and heard the wails of a baby. “I’m sorry, but we’re
closed,” the receptionist said to whoever had brought the baby in. This girl
was a temporary, filling in for his regular receptionist who was out on
maternity leave. She would learn quickly that Erik never turned away a child
who needed help.

“It’s
okay, Laura, I’ve got this,” he told the girl. By the time he turned the
corner, Duke had worked his magic, and the baby was quiet. As soon as Erik stepped
through the waiting room door, he stopped. Green eyes looked up at him from a
kneeling position. If the man from the park was surprised to see Erik, he
didn’t show it.

The
father asked “What’s up with your dog? Is he like the fucking baby whisperer?”

Erik
couldn’t help the stark laugh that escaped. He walked over to where the man was
kneeling so Duke could “take care of” the infant. “No, he’s a former service
dog. He helped PTSD patients after the war. He’s retired now, but he hasn’t
forgotten his training.” Erik stroked Duke on the head, a motion that was as
automatic as breathing. Erik held out his hand. “I’m Dr. Henrikson.”

Green
eyes stood and shook his hand. “Lee Holloway. I would say it’s a pleasure, but
man, I can’t handle much more of this. Maybe I should get a dog.”

Erik
took in the man before him.
Lee
pushed back his hood, and Erik could see
the long, dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail.  His receptionist let out
a gasp, her eyes wide. Erik raised his eyebrows, but her attention was fully on
the tattooed man. Erik turned back to the father. His sleeves were pushed up to
his elbows, showing off more of the ink Erik had noticed earlier. He was taller
than Erik imagined. Erik stood at just over six foot. This man had a couple
inches on him. Pulling himself out of his once-over, he gestured to the door.
“Why don’t we take our girl back here and have a look?”

Lee
cocked a curious eyebrow at him. Was it because he called Delilah
our girl
?
Erik had a habit of referring to all his patients as ours. When they were under
his care, he treated them as if they were his own children. Children he would
never have. He held the door open, and Lee followed closely behind. The nurse,
Jeannie, had left minutes earlier, so Lee and the baby were completely in Erik’s
care. Before the door closed, Erik told Laura, “You can go on home. Please lock
the lobby door on your way out.”

“I
need him to fill out the paperwork,” she groaned, staring at Lee. Erik would
have to talk to her about professionalism, but that could wait.

He
took the clipboard from the girl. “That’s okay. I’ll have him fill it out, and
you can enter it Monday. Have a good weekend.” Erik wasn’t sure why he wanted
the temp to leave so soon.
Liar.

He
turned to his patient and said, “We’ll be in Room 3.” Duke led the way, turning
down the hall on the left before walking into the third door on the right. Lee
followed the dog without question. Most people did. Erik couldn’t take his eyes
off the tight ass encased in blue jeans walking ahead of him. Fuck, he needed
to get laid if he was jonesing over a straight man’s ass.

“Why
didn’t you tell me you’re a doctor?” Lee asked when they were in the room.

Erik
took Delilah from Lee and handed him the paperwork to fill out. “Most people
have their own pediatrician whom they trust. I didn’t want to give you
misinformation and you not follow up with Delilah’s doctor. I have to ask, why
did you bring her here and not to her physician?” Erik asked as he laid the
baby down on the soft table. Duke settled himself out of the way now that the
baby had calmed down.

“She
doesn’t have a doctor except the one who delivered her in the hospital, and I
really didn’t like that bitch. I searched emergency pediatricians on the
internet, and yours was the first name on the list.”

Erik
wasn’t used to his parents being so outspoken, but this was no ordinary parent.
This man was larger than life with an
I don’t give a fuck
attitude. He
shot a sideways glance at Lee.

“What
does your wife think about the doctor?” The mother must still be recovering if
Lee was doing all the caretaking.

Lee
sighed. “I’m not married. Delilah’s not my daughter; she’s my niece.” His voice
lowered, saddened. “My sister died right after she had her.”

Erik
froze. No wonder this man was overwhelmed. His sister had passed away, and now
he was raising her child. He pulled out his stethoscope and breathed on it to
help warm it up before placing it on the baby’s body. “I’m truly sorry for your
loss.”

“Yeah,
that’s fucking life, man.” Lee leaned against the wall as he watched Erik tend
to his niece.

Without
waiting to see the paperwork, Erik asked, “How old is Delilah? Is she a
preemie?”

“Yeah,
she was two months premature, and she’s just over two months old.”

 “If
I might ask, do you have anyone to help you with Delilah? What about your
parents?” Erik could tell Lee was close to losing his mind. The dark circles
under his eyes were a very good indication he wasn’t getting enough rest.

“I
have a few friends helping out, but all my family’s dead now.” Lee pulled up
Erik’s rolling stool and sat down. “I’m not equipped for a baby. I’m not even
supposed to be in Nashville.”

“Does
your job take you away from home?” Erik had no idea what the inked man could
possibly do for a living.

Erik
felt Lee’s eyes on him. Was he some kind of criminal and couldn’t tell Erik
what he did? He looked over into the green eyes, searching for the words Lee
wouldn’t say. After a moment he responded, “I’m a musician. You like music,
Doc?”

Erik
bristled at the nickname. Bradley had called him that when he was irritated. “I
prefer you not call me Doc. Please call me Erik. And yes, I like music.”

If
he offended Lee with his admonishment, the musician didn’t let on. Now that he
mentioned it, Erik could see the man with a guitar strung around his shoulders,
strumming away at some chords. Lee didn’t elaborate on the type of music he
played. He leaned back against the wall and focused on Delilah.

Erik
was still waiting on the paperwork Lee was supposed to be filling out. “What
type of formula did they give you at the hospital?”

“The
kind that comes in a can.” Lee shrugged his shoulders. “The nurse gave me a bag
full of baby stuff and instructions on how to use it. Look man, like I said,
I’m not good at this. I think she’d be better off if I gave her up for
adoption.”

Erik
felt as if he’d been slapped. He knew not everyone was cut out to be a parent,
but this man had been given a gift. What could be more important than making a
life for his niece who’d lost her mother?

Tag
regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. The doctor’s demeanor went
from concerned and almost flirty to downright arctic. He had a hard time
focusing on the papers he had to fill out. He kept getting a whiff of the
Viking’s shower gel, or shampoo, or something that smelled so fucking good. If
they had been anywhere else, Tag would have taken a chance on getting punched.
He wanted to take a deep breath of the man tending to the baby. The doctor had
called her
our girl
. Why did that make Tag’s heart beat just a little
faster? He wasn’t father material, and he sure wasn’t the type of man the
gorgeous doctor would date, if he was even gay. It was hard to tell nowadays.

He
backpedaled fast. “I’m not saying I am giving her up. But don’t you think she’d
be better off with a loving couple who could give her a stable home?” Before
the doctor could answer, Delilah threw up all over herself and the table she
was lying on and proceeded to cry loudly. The dog was immediately on his feet,
but the doctor remained calm.

“Do
you have a change of clothes for her?” Erik asked without looking Tag’s way. He
opened the backpack and pulled out several clean outfits. He refused to carry a
diaper bag, even if he was now a father. He watched in awe as Doc,
Erik
,
cleaned up the puke and redressed the screaming infant. Once she was changed,
Erik picked her up and placed her on his shoulder. “Did you get a snuggie like
I suggested?”

Tag
felt like an idiot. Not only had he not bought one, he had gone all week
without taking Delilah to the doctor. He only brought her today, because Cade
threatened to call child services if he didn’t. He shook his head in the
negative. Erik sighed, walking around the small space, singing softly to the
bundle in his arms. Tag listened in amazement at the smooth tone of the
doctor’s voice. It was nice. He could see the doc up on stage in a lounge, belting
out jazz hits.

“No,
I haven’t had a chance to get to the store. But I did order one online,” he
lied. Why did he care what this man thought about him?
Because he rocks your
cock.
“So, do you know what’s wrong with her?”

“Like
I said at the park, I believe her body isn’t tolerating her formula. I am going
to give you some samples to take home. If she calms down after the switch,
we’ll know I’m right. I also want to show you the proper way to care for her.
If she does indeed have GERD, she needs to be held upright as much as possible,
especially during and after feeding.”

The
doctor’s mouth was mesmerizing as he explained how to care for Delilah. When he
heard his name being called, Tag looked up into the doctor’s face. A face that
was a cross between confused, amused, and annoyed. He had been staring at
Erik’s lips imagining them around his cock instead of listening to his
instructions. Hell, it wasn’t his fault the doc’s lips were ripe and plump. For
once in his life, he felt like a teenage kid who’d been caught jerking off. He
felt the heat flush his skin. Instead of apologizing, he hauled the backpack
over his arms and reached for his niece.

“Keep
her upright, got it.” He kissed her on the cheek and placed her on his chest
the way the doctor had been holding her. “How much do I owe you?”

“I
just need a copy of your insurance card so I’ll know how much the copay is,”
Erik said as he walked past Tag.

“I’ll
just pay cash. I have no idea where my insurance card is,” he told him
honestly. Echo would probably kick his ass for losing another card, but she was
always around when one of them needed to go to the doctor, which was rarely.
And honestly, he didn’t know if Delilah was on his policy or not. Just another
thing he needed to take care of. The doctor stopped abruptly, and Tag almost
ran into his back. Erik was now frowning again, and he didn’t like it.

The
doctor shook his head, frowning, and led Tag to the lobby. Erik walked behind
the counter to where the receptionist had been sitting earlier. He placed the
bag of formula samples on the ledge and told him, “It’ll be one-fifty.”

Tag
wanted to smart off and say he was in the wrong profession, but when he pulled
a wad of hundreds out of his pocket, he remembered what he did for a living.
There was no way he would want the responsibility of someone else’s well-being
in his hands. When he realized what he just thought and looked at the bundle in
his arms, he laughed out loud. Holding on to Delilah’s bottom with one hand, he
laid the roll of bills on the counter. He pulled off two Ben Franklins and held
them out to Erik whose mouth was gaped at the wad of cash. “Here you go, Doc.
Keep the change.”

Tag
remembered Erik asking him not to call him that, but fuck it. He was going on
the road as soon as he figured out what to do with Delilah and would probably
never see the man again. He shoved the money back in his pocket, grabbed the
plastic bag of samples, and walked out the door. He didn’t stop until he got to
his car and had Delilah buckled in. He closed her door then settled himself in
the driver’s seat. It took three tries to get the key in the ignition. What the
fuck was wrong with him? Adjusting his half hard cock, he knew exactly what his
problem was - the most beautiful man he’d ever seen. Tag needed to get home,
put the baby down for a nap, and find someone to fuck until he saw a color
besides blue.