Promises Part 1 (Bounty Hunters #1)(42)
“Okay.” Duke blushed. He was actually flushed like a schoolgirl.
Vaughan watched the deep rouge color creep up Duke’s face, his ears turning bright red under Vaughan’s attention. Perfect. It did amazing things to Vaughan’s heart and his ego. He wished he could take his man right away, but Duke already looked tired as hell and if his grimacing was any indication, he was in significant pain, too. He’d take care of his love. He could do nothing else.
“Sit, sweetheart. I’m going to get you one of my pain pills, okay, then we’ll get your other stuff.”
“Yeah. It’s been a long day.”
“I can’t believe you came over here. I don’t think you should be exerting yourself like this.” Vaughan went over to the credenza and shook a Vicodin into his palm and took it back over to the couch. Duke quickly took the pill with Vaughan’s glass of water and sat back.
“I had to see for myself. I had to look at you.” Duke didn’t bother mentioning he’d called Vaughan’s job too. There was no need.
Vaughan sat next to him, releasing his own weary sigh as he did. “I’m sorry. I just… I couldn’t risk you saying no. And after the conversation you just had with my ?old man’ as you so eloquently put it, it appears I made the right decision. You would’ve denied me.”
Duke’s eyes were getting heavy. “I don’t know. Maybe. I can’t say for sure. I wasn’t scared of dying; I was just disappointed as hell. Before you came, I might’ve been able to make my peace with it. But since I’d got a brief taste of you, I felt like dying before I really got a chance to be loved by you was pretty shitty.”
Vaughan made to turn and kiss Duke, but yelped at the pull on his incision. Duke’s eyes flew open and he sat up too fast, releasing his own cry of pain. They both looked at each other and chuckled. This is going to be interesting.
“Freakin’ dumb and dumber over here. You two are gonna be the death of me. Tell me. Who’s going to donate me a new heart when you both give me a goddamn heart attack?” Quick barked, a deep frown on his face. He placed the tray on the coffee table and Duke’s mouth watered at the delicious-looking salads. “From the sounds of it, there’ll be no movie tonight. I’ll go get Duke’s other meds from his place and we can watch the flick tomorrow.” Vaughan put Duke’s plate on one of the TV trays and pulled it close to him before taking his own and placing it on his lap. He ate quietly because Quick was updating Duke on the business. When he came back in with his homemade banana pudding, Vaughan had to control his eagerness. Oh, how he loved it when his dad made that for him. Obviously it had been a special treat that he’d wanted to surprise him with, but he was glad he’d shared it with Duke.
“I’m gonna go and get the room ready. Come up in a few minutes, okay?”
********
“Sure.” Duke smiled slightly, then turning to gauge his friend’s reaction.
Quick paid them little attention as he put the dishes in the sink for the morning, locked up the house, and closed all the shades. Vaughan winked at Duke right before he disappeared up the stairs.
“You going to the office tomorrow?” Quick asked after everything was done.
“Hadn’t planned on it.”
“Good.”
“Excuse me?”
Quick gave him a stern look. “You heard me… Good. I need you to get better, man. Stay here and rest. Make sure my son doesn’t overdo it on the exercising again. You watch him and he can watch you. I know it’s the blind leading the blind, but I have work to get done now that I’m not playing you two monkeys’ game anymore.”
“Okaaay,” Duke drawled. “I’ll leave you to it.”
“Are you going upstairs to sleep with my son now?”
“Oh, god. Come on, Roman. You know I’m not—”
Quick put up his hands in surrender. “I’m just fuckin’ with you. Go on up and rest, dude. I’ll run over and get your stuff and be back in a few.” Before Quick could get out the door he added, “I got an early bond hearing tomorrow, then I’m going to the office. I’ll see y’all tomorrow night. I’ll call before I walk in the door though,” Quick said mockingly.
“Rome,” Duke griped tiredly.
“Okay. Okay, I’m done for real now.”
“Good,” Duke mumbled, walking towards the landing for the stairs.
“Son, a man’s coming up to your room,” Quick bellowed loud enough to wake the dead. Duke rolled his eyes so hard he thought he’d never see his irises again.
“Oh happy day, Father,” Vaughan crooned from somewhere upstairs. His voice way too sexy and deep to pull off a fair maiden’s tone. “A gentlemen caller of my very own.”
“You two are idiots,” Duke murmured, taking each step carefully.
“Night.” Quick laughed. “Hey! Remember, these walls are thin. Just to let you know.”
“Then keep your porn on mute and jerk off quietly, I need to sleep,” Duke bitched back right before he reached the top of the stairs. But he heard his best friend’s grumbled “Fucker,” before he got down the hall.
He chanted over and over in his mind. I’m gonna sleep with Duke, I’m gonna sleep with Duke. Despite the fact that he couldn’t fuck him yet, it was still going to be heady lying with him. Touching him, smelling him, caressing. Those weren’t off limits.