Page 32 of Man of Honor
Next thing I knew, his arms were underneath me, and he was lifting me off the couch like I weighed nothing.
“Easy now,” I managed, too woozy to do anything but rest my head on his shoulder.It wounded my pride a little, how easily he carried me, but it felt too good to argue.Being held and cared for was surreal for a man like me.I'd never experienced it in my life, not even when I was a baby.Not that I could remember, anyway.If my mother had ever cared, she'd already been long gone before memories started forming.
"You don't get to be reckless like this anymore," Wyatt whispered as he carried me toward the bathroom.His breath was warm against my hair, and I closed my eyes, surrendering to the comfort.It sounded like he was talking more to himself than to me, so I didn’t bother answering.
Moist air hit me like a wave as soon as we entered the bathroom.An iron wall sconce leaked golden light, and soapy,eucalyptus-scented steam wafted from the deepest cast-iron soaker tub I'd ever seen.
I could feel Wyatt's muscles straining from my weight, but he held me steady and gently set me on my feet in the tub.We both fumbled trying to lower me into the water, and I almost fell twice.My ribs felt like they were splintering under my own weight, and I found myself frozen halfway, unable to lean back against the tub.
“I can’t,” I gasped, clutching at the sides of the tub while warm water lapped against my thighs.
Wyatt examined me for a moment, then began quickly stripping off his own clothes without a moment's hesitation.I stared, frozen awkwardly, and yet helplessly transfixed as he peeled his shirt over his head.His shoulders seemed to fill the small room, and the curve of his biceps alone explained how he’d managed to carry me so easily.Every inch of him was packed with solid muscle.I’d gotten a good look at his body that night by the pool, but it was something else to see it beneath the electric lights.Even in my condition, it was impossible not to appreciate the dark trail of hair that tapered down his stomach.
Brusquely, he stepped into the tub and settled behind me, cradling me between his thighs.His body was radiating heat as he wrapped his arms around me, guiding me back, until I was leaning fully against his chest.
“Easy,” he whispered, supporting me within the framework of his impossibly strong arms.“I've got you. Just relax now.”
Water lapped around us, hot enough to begin sapping the tension from my aching muscles.I could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat between my shoulder blades.His hands neverleft me. One arm stayed wrapped securely around my chest, just beneath my broken ribs, while the other poured handfuls of warm water over my battered skin.
With every shuddering breath I took, he murmured wordlessly into my ear.“You’re safe here,” he whispered, brushing his lips over the shell of my ear, “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”
It felt like he was trying to push all the pain and all the hurt out of me with nothing but his words.For the first time in years, maybe since the night we met, I dared to believe he could.I sank against him and let every broken piece of me find a place to rest.My worries slipped away—the fight, the pain, the loneliness, the years of trying to prove myself and feeling like I was never enough.All that remained was the quiet, steady pace of Wyatt’s breathing and the heat of his skin against mine.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” I asked before I could think better of it.My voice sounded strange, rougher than usual, like I’d been shouting without even realizing.
Wyatt’s hand drifted over me, tracing a slow, grounding line along my collarbone.“Because I care about you, Gage.Always have.” He made it sound like it should be obvious, and then added playfully, “That means caring even when you’re being a complete dickhead.”
I chuckled weakly but stopped with a hiss when the vibrations hurt.“I’m not exactly easy to care about.”
“You’re the strongest, most pure-hearted man I’ve ever known,” Wyatt said fiercely.“You love so hard, Gage. You don’t even think about the repercussions.That’s probably the reason you’re in this mess right now.”
“Not sure that outweighs the fuck-ups,” I muttered.
He cupped my jaw, his thumb brushing over the bruise on my cheek with heartbreaking gentleness.“You don’t need to make yourself perfect to deserve care.You already have it. All of it.”
It sounded nice, but I couldn’t bring myself to believe it.Old habits die hard. “That’s…hard to believe,” I admitted.
In answer, Wyatt leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to the side of my neck.“I know.” His breath was soft on my wet skin.“But stick with me long enough, and you will.”
My chest was aching, but I couldn’t be sure if it was from my injuries or from the sweetness of his words.I relaxed and closed my eyes, drifting in the soothing warmth, letting the gentle stroking of his hands pull the pain from me.
After a few quiet minutes, I became aware of something hard pressing into the small of my back.I shifted experimentally, shocked that his body could respond while he was staring down at my swollen nose and raccoon eyes.But a naked man was still a naked man, mangled or not, I supposed.I couldn't swear I'd never been so desperate.Tipping my head back, I cracked one eye to look up at him.
A deep chuckle rumbled through his chest.“Ignore it, and it’ll go away,” he said ruefully.
My lips twitched into a half-smile, but all I felt was sudden, powerful regret.“I ignored it last time,” I said awkwardly.“By the pool, I mean. I took what I needed and gave you nothing back.It was selfish.”
Wyatt’s silence was heavy. It hurt to look up at him, but I managed, only to discover he wasn't looking at me.His eyeswere unfocused and turned inward as he traced gentle patterns along the parts of my chest that weren't bruised.After a moment, he let out a long, quiet breath.
"You want to make it up to me?" he asked, meeting my eyes.“Let me take care of you now.That’s all I’m asking.”
I couldn’t hold that warm, direct gaze for long, so I looked away, staring down at our tangled limbs beneath the water.I shook my head. “That’s a lousy deal for you, Wyatt.”
“It’s all I want.”
I didn’t know how to answer that, so I kept my mouth shut, but I was acutely aware of his hands as they began to drift over my body.Slow and gentle, soothing my aches, tracing the undamaged parts of me with feather-light fingertips.My face throbbed and I could barely breathe through my nose, and my back was a living hell of agony.The pain was impossible to ignore, and yet...Wyatt's touch felt so good.A brief respite from the unending waves of pain.
“Endorphins are the best painkiller, you know.” His whisper was warm and smoky against my neck as his hand dipped lower, slipping beneath the water and stroking me with excruciating care.His pace was so languid, so unhurried, I could almost believe his goal wasn't to get me off at all.Warmth spread through my raw nerves, flooding the parts of me that ached and filling them with something new,something deeper than pleasure—a sense of being cared for in a way that had no conditions or expectations.