Page 7

Kicked back on the couch with Eric’s head in his lap while watching a movie was Oakley’s happy place. He was completely at peace. His hands trembled a bit tonight, but he kept them busy, running his fingers through Eric’s hair.

“You’re putting me to sleep.”

Eric’s groggy voice made him smile. “That’s okay.”

Eric rolled and stared up at Oakley. “Do you want to move to the bedroom and finish the movie in there? That way, we can cuddle, and if I fall asleep, then I’m already in bed.”

“Sure.” Oakley loved the cuddling suggestion. “I just need a quick shower.”

With a nod, Eric rolled from the couch. Oakley pushed the button to lower the footrest. His leg felt stiff, but the slow movement gave him time to adjust. It hurt like hell when he pushed to his feet. He didn’t do a good job of hiding his wince or the stumble that followed.

Eric’s arm shot out, steadying him. The concern etched on his face made Oakley feel sick. “Are you okay?”

Oakley worked up a fake smile. “Yeah. I guess I didn’t realize how hard I went during this morning’s workout.” He tried to laugh it off. If Eric believed, Oakley would never know. Eric had looked away before Oakley got a read on him.

“Okay.” Eric headed for the bedroom like nothing happened.

Oakley bit back a sigh of relief and followed. He fought not to limp. Tonight was bad. It was a good thing he had a doctor’s appointment tomorrow.

While Eric turned back the covers and turned on the TV, Oakley headed for the safety of the bathroom. He needed to get out of sight. Hopefully, the hot water would loosen up his body. Oakley stood under the scalding water for much longer than usual. He even turned on the steam feature he never used. It was hard as hell, keeping Eric in the dark. He didn’t know how long he could. Eric wasn’t dumb. Eventually, he would have questions.

Oakley reluctantly turned off the water. He had already spent a suspiciously long time in the bathroom. He didn’t want Eric to worry. Of course, it was equally possible Eric had already gone to sleep. Cold air washed over Oakley’s overheated skin when he stepped from the shower. His leg immediately locked, knocking him off balance. He was too wet to catch himself on anything and smacked face down on the bathroom floor. It hurt. Every inch of the front side of his body had taken the full impact.

To his horror, the bathroom door flew open. “Holy shit, Oakley.”

“I’m okay.”

Eric looked ready to call an ambulance as he pulled Oakley to his feet. He shuffled him back into the shower to the bench inside. “Sit. Fuck. Are you hurt?”

A nervous chuckle escaped Oakley. “Just my pride.” Truthfully, everything hurt. Bruises were already forming.

Eric turned on the water again, obviously uncaring of the shorts he still wore. He grabbed the body wash. “Come on. I know if I found myself on the bathroom floor, I’d definitely want a shower repeat. No matter how clean the floor is.”

Oakley sat there, feeling like an idiot while Eric washed him, soaking his shorts and looking scared as hell. He felt like shit. Truthfully, he felt like crying. His mood turned black so fast, there was no stopping it. “I’m sorry.”

Eric’s gaze shot to his face. “Why are you sorry?”

Defeat fell heavily on Oakley’s shoulders. “For making you take care of me. You shouldn’t have to be doing this. I can do it myself.”

A bright smile lit Eric’s face. “This is my job, remember? It’s what I signed on for when we got married. Plus, it’s not like I mind getting to touch your sexy body.”

Oakley wanted to feel better. He really did, but he didn’t want this for Eric. Oakley hadn’t expected things to go downhill this rapidly.

At his silence, Eric’s smile slipped away. “Seriously, Oakley. I love you. You could’ve been really hurt. I’m surprised you didn’t hit your head on the way down. You’re all I have. So let me take care of you for my peace of mind.”

With his back teeth locked, Oakley gave him a sharp nod. Fuck. This was a mess. He was all Eric had. Why had Oakley been so stupid? He hadn’t thought this through. All Oakley had cared about was making his dream come true for a little while before he lost his chance. Now he had trapped Eric with him, because he knew damn well Eric wouldn’t leave him. He was a bastard. Eric deserved so much better than him.

It took everything Eric possessed not to demand Oakley be real with him. This was worse than he realized. His insides shook. He hadn’t been talking shit. Oakley could have been seriously hurt. If he had hit his head on the way down, he could have died. A huge bruise was already forming on his chest. Eric felt sick. If Oakley would just tell him the truth, they could create a care plan together. They could put some safety bars in the bathroom. Eric could start showering with him. This silence was stupid, but he couldn’t force Oakley. Well, he could, but Eric was scared as hell of Oakley’s reaction. Oakley had more pride than anyone he had ever met. It was maddening.

Eric peeled off his wet clothes and tossed them in the hamper before drying Oakley’s skin. Oakley let it happen, but he didn’t look happy about it. Eric had to fix this and somehow save Oakley’s pride. He wrapped the thick towel around Oakley, trapping his arms inside. Eric shuffled close and stole a kiss.

“I have you now, my little burrito.” He brushed his lips across Oakley’s again. “There’s no escape.” He moved toward the bedroom, herding Oakley toward the bed.

Oakley smiled at Eric’s ridiculousness. “Oh no. What will you do with me?”

A wicked smile tugged at Eric’s lips as he got Oakley settled on the bed and followed him down. “The same thing I do with every burrito I run across. Eat you.” He playfully gnawed at Oakley’s skin while keeping his weight off him. Oakley squirmed and laughed beneath him. Eric smiled against his skin.

“I love you so much.”

Eric’s eyes fell closed at Oakley’s confession. He savored the words. “I love you too and don’t you ever forget it.” He rolled to his side and tucked Oakley against him. Eric didn’t know how to coax him into being honest. He just wanted to talk this through. Eric needed Oakley to understand he could tell him anything and count on him. “I fell getting out of the shower at my aunt’s place not long before we got married. I hit my elbow on the counter and slid like two feet.” Eric chuckled. “Thought I’d taken my dick off and ended up with one hell of a knot on my arm. The older I get, the more it hurts to fall. In fact, I just stayed down for a few minutes to assess.” Eric couldn’t stop smiling because he felt stupid. Everyone did when they did something humiliating, even when no one saw.

Oakley chuckled. “Yeah. If you hadn’t come in and pulled me off the floor, I probably would have chosen to stay down for a minute. It looks like I’ll have some bruises to explain at my doctor’s appointment tomorrow.”

“You have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow? Would you like me to come with you?”

Oakley never stopped smiling after his laugh. “Nah. It’s just a six-month follow-up.”

Goddamn it. He didn’t know how much longer he could stay silent. “All right. Do you want to finish our movie, or are you ready to get some sleep?”

“I vote we make out.”

Eric laughed, but he let himself get pulled into a kiss. Despite the secrets, Eric was still happier than he could recall ever being. He would take Oakley’s half-truths over anything else in the world. When Eric fell, he always fell hard. In fact, some might say he was a little bit psycho. He had acted crazy as hell, trying to keep Jakk. Eric couldn’t imagine how far he would go for the man who had unabashedly married him as quickly as possible. He would do anything. Honestly, he was a little terrified of himself.