Stubborn Heart (8 page)

“I don’t know where I’ll wind up,” Trevor said as he told Jeff about his program. “I have to find a ‘real’ job by the time my residency is up in July.”

Jasper continued to chase the ring every time Kyle threw it. He never seemed to run out of energy. After a while, the sun began to set and it started getting cooler. Jeff indicated that it was time for them to get home. Trevor and Mark agreed. They all exchanged contact information, promised to get together soon, then shook hands again. Kyle and Jeff left, Jasper still running and jumping in circles around the couple as they walked away. Mark and Trevor laughed at the sight, then gathered up their things and headed back toward Trevor’s car.

“This has been such a great day,” Trevor said as they walked up the hill toward his car. He placed his free hand on Mark’s shoulder and gave it a little squeeze.

Mark nodded his agreement and turned to meet Trevor’s eyes. “It doesn’t have to be over yet,” he replied. “I can make us dinner and we can watch a movie if you want.”

Trevor grinned widely and his eyes sparkled. “That would be great!” he responded enthusiastically. “Do we need to pick up anything from the store?”

“No, I have everything we’ll need,” Mark said. He looked at Trevor and smiled. It was funny to watch how excited he became over such a small thing as dinner. He wondered if Trevor was always this enthusiastic. Mark thought briefly about Jasper jumping around excitedly. He chuckled to himself at the comparison.

“What’s so funny?” Trevor asked, furrowing his brow as he searched Mark’s face.

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” Mark ran a hand down Trevor’s back. “I was just thinking about Jasper.”

“Yeah! Wasn’t he great?” Trevor said excitedly. “I would love to have a dog someday.”

“W
HAT
can I do to help?” Trevor asked. He had walked into the kitchen where Mark was busy slicing open chicken breasts and stuffing them with spinach and blue cheese. He came to stand behind Mark. He rested both hands on Mark’s hips and peeked over his shoulder to see what was going on.

Mark smiled and leaned so that his back rested against Trevor’s chest. He tilted his head back until his cheek rubbed against Trevor’s cheek briefly. “You can get out of the kitchen before I accidentally chop off a finger,” he teased.

“That would be bad,” Trevor said with a grin. He walked over and rested his backside against the counter. Trevor watched as the muscles in Mark’s shoulders flexed, his hands moving back and forth as he used baking twine to wrap each piece to prevent the contents from leaking out. He let his gaze drift down Mark’s back, noting the well-defined “V” as his shoulders tapered toward a slim waist. Mark’s jeans accentuated his taut, round buttocks and his long, lean legs. Trevor smiled as he felt himself begin to harden in response.

As if he could sense Trevor’s thoughts, Mark turned and shooed him out of the kitchen. “Stop staring at me,” he scolded jokingly. “Why don’t you go pick out a movie?”

Trevor conceded and went out to the living area. He turned on the television and began looking at the available options. He chose a movie and then sat on the sofa. He couldn’t see Mark from where he sat, but he could hear him still bustling around in the kitchen.

“
Spider-Man
?” Mark asked in mock disbelief as he dropped onto the sofa next to Trevor. He placed two glasses of white wine on the table in front of them.

“Hey! It’s a great movie,” Trevor protested as he took one of Mark’s hands in his own.

Mark laughed and leaned over, resting his shoulder against Trevor’s shoulder. He shifted his arm and interlaced Trevor’s fingers with his own. As they watched the movie, a radioactive spider bit the main character.

“That feels really good,” Mark said in a soft voice, almost a purr. Trevor had been running his thumb up and down Mark’s thumb, gently caressing while they held hands.

“
You
feel really good,” Trevor answered. He lifted his hand away and reached up to slide his arm around Mark’s back and pulled him closer. He reached across with his other hand, cupped Mark’s face, and turned it toward his own. He tentatively pressed his lips to Mark’s, softly at first. Feeling Mark respond to the kiss, he drew him closer and deepened the kiss.

Mark shifted so that he leaned across Trevor and placed one hand on each of Trevor’s biceps to steady himself. He parted his lips and let his tongue probe over Trevor’s lips, searching for entry. Hungry for contact, Trevor opened his mouth and accepted Mark eagerly. He reached down and cupped Mark’s ass with one hand, twisting until Mark was situated between his open legs. He tilted his head slightly. Their lips remained locked, their tongues dueling, both vying for control.

Abruptly, Mark’s tongue retreated. Before Trevor could react, Mark sucked in his lower lip and bit down lightly. Trevor felt the shockwaves all over his body and groaned in pleasure. He shifted his legs and moved them both until Mark was lying on his back on the sofa with Trevor leaning over him. He covered Mark’s lips with his own, his tongue grazing Mark’s teeth as it explored his mouth. After what seemed like an eternity, he broke off the kiss and raised his head to look at Mark.

“That was amazing,” he gasped as he looked down at Mark. Mark was panting as well, his chest heaving from the exertion. His skin was flushed, eyes glazed, and his lips swollen from kissing. Trevor leaned in on one elbow and pulled Mark toward him with the other hand.

“Hold on, big boy,” Mark said huskily as he placed a hand on Trevor’s chest to gently push him away. “This might be a good time for a break.”

“Are you kidding me?” Trevor asked incredulously. He cupped Mark’s face in one hand, running his thumb up and down his cheek.

“Just for a little while,” Mark soothed. “I need to check on dinner. This won’t be a very fun evening if we burn the building down.” He turned to kiss the hand caressing his cheek, and then lifted up to place one more kiss on Trevor’s lips.

“Well, if you put it like that.” Trevor huffed with a mock pout.

Laughing, Mark got up from the sofa and went into the kitchen with Trevor following behind. He pulled the dish with the chicken from the oven and placed it on the range top. He inserted a thermometer to make certain it was done on the inside. Trevor reached around from behind and placed both hands on Mark’s abdomen, pulling him close. He rested his head on Mark’s shoulder, leaned forward, and sniffed.

“It smells really good,” Trevor remarked. He turned and lightly nibbled at Mark’s ear.

Mark shuddered and smiled. “Maybe we should go ahead and eat,” he said softly. “Keep that up and you’re going to need your energy later.”

“That sounds really good to me,” Trevor growled.

Together, they set the table and brought over the food. Mark made a salad and sliced garlic bread to accompany the stuffed chicken breasts. Dinner was quiet. They mostly ate in silence, trying to focus on the food. Occasionally Trevor would grasp and gently squeeze Mark’s hand. Once they had finished eating, Mark began clearing the dishes and putting things away. He refused offers for help, so Trevor amused himself by watching Mark as he moved around the kitchen.

Mark placed all the used dishes and utensils in the sink to be dealt with later. Leftover food was stored in the refrigerator. He worked quickly, mindful of Trevor watching him as he worked. Mark felt goose bumps on the back of his neck. Mark walked over to where Trevor was propped against a counter, then stepped in between Trevor’s legs and wrapped both arms around the taller man’s shoulders. Trevor drew him close, running his hands up and down Mark’s back. He leaned down and covered Mark’s lips with his own. Mark pulled Trevor until they were touching completely. He moaned and rocked his hips as he felt Trevor’s hardness against his own.

In one fluid movement, Trevor lifted Mark, swung around, and sat him on the counter. He locked both arms around Mark, crushing him to his chest. Both men’s chests were heaving as Trevor broke off the contact and began kissing his way down Mark’s neck, making slight sucking sounds. Mark inhaled sharply and turned to allow him better access. Mark moved both hands from Trevor’s shoulders down to his chest and began rubbing in a circular motion over each hard, round pectoral muscle. He smiled as he felt the rock-hard nipples through the shirt. He heard the soft rustle from the friction of the silky material against the hairs on Trevor’s chest. He locked his legs around Trevor’s buttocks and pulled him closer.

The pager on the end table began to beep loudly.

“Damn!” Trevor gasped as he moved away. “I wonder what that could that be about?”

“Maybe it’s a wrong number,” Mark said jokingly as his breathing returned to normal. “Go and get rid of them.”

Trevor walked over and picked up the pager. He recognized the number displayed and dialed it on his cell phone. “It’s your unit,” he explained as he listened for the other party to pick up. Trevor identified himself to the person who answered the call and was briefly placed on hold.

“What is it?” Mark asked. He walked over and sat on the arm of the sofa.

“I don’t know. She put me on hold,” Trevor said with a shrug.

He held up his hand to signal for Mark to be quiet as he listened intently. After a few moments, he took a deep breath and sighed. “Give him two liters of normal saline intravenously and prep him for surgery. I’ll be there within half an hour.”

He disconnected the call and looked over at Mark. “I have to go in,” he explained dejectedly. “It sounds like Mr. Murdock is having some bleeding, so I have to take him back to surgery.”

“I’m sorry, really sorry,” Mark said as he got up and walked over to Trevor. He placed his arms around Trevor’s shoulders and kissed him softly. “Call me later and let me know how things go.”

Chapter 9

T
REVOR
left a text message at 2:30 a.m. stating that he was finally out of the operating room, so Mark was surprised when his phone rang at eight o’clock and he saw that it was Trevor. “I can’t believe you are up this early,” Mark said as he answered the phone. He grabbed his coffee and walked into the living area. He sat on the sofa with one leg crossed under him.

“I slept for a couple of hours,” Trevor told him. “I find that if I sleep too long it throws off my cycle too much. Better to try and keep my routine as normal as possible. I’m just getting ready to go to the gym, but I wanted to see what you are up to later.”

“Nothing too much,” Mark said. “I have to go back to work tomorrow for a three-day stretch. Did you have something in mind?”

“If you want to come over here, I can make dinner for you. Maybe come over around six o’clock?”

“That sounds good. Let me know if I can bring anything.”

“Just your handsome self,” Trevor said. “See you later.”

M
ARK
pulled into the parking lot of Trevor’s apartment complex at 5:50 p.m. The complex was a series of three-story brick buildings situated around large parking areas. He located the correct building and walked up the stairs. The man who answered the door was about Mark’s height, with closely cropped red hair and emerald-green eyes. His square-shaped face was ruggedly handsome. A tight blue T-shirt accentuated his muscular body.

“You must be Mark,” he noted as he smiled and extended his hand. His grip was fast and firm. “I’m Derrick Rogers. Come on in.” Derrick stepped to one side, holding the door for Mark to enter.

Mark returned the handshake enthusiastically and walked past him. The living area was comfortably furnished with an overstuffed brown sofa and two matching chairs. The focal point of the room was a large television mounted on one wall. Floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with books, movies, and other media occupied one entire wall of the room. A wooden table with four chairs placed near the kitchen served as the dining area. There was little in the way of decorations or artwork. The overall effect was masculine.

“I like to watch movies a lot,” Derrick said with a grin as he watched Mark looking over the shelves.

Mark laughed. “Now I know who to come and borrow movies from.”

Trevor walked from the kitchen, drying his hands on a towel. “Hello, hot and handsome!” he said as he scooped Mark up for a big hug and a kiss.

“Right back at you,” Mark said as he returned the kiss. “I like your apartment.”

“Not mine,” Trevor said with a smile. “Everything here belongs to Derrick. I literally moved in with nothing but the clothes on my back.”

“That’s pretty much true,” Derrick agreed. “I guess he thinks it’s too much trouble to accumulate stuff.”

“I have everything I need right now,” Trevor protested. “Besides, I’ve only been here a couple of months. When I left Boston, I shipped everything back home.”

“You know he’s just saying that,” Derrick said in a mock aside to Mark. “He didn’t have anything in Boston either. What he shipped home most likely fit into one small box.” He and Mark both laughed at the joke.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Trevor asked with a scowl.

“Nope. Not right now,” Derrick replied smugly. “Come on, Mark. Let me show you the rest of the place.” He reached out and hooked his arm in Mark’s, leading him further into the apartment. Mark noted that Trevor and Derrick seemed to exchange a look at one another as they walked by, saying a great deal without actually speaking any words.