Page 2 of Coffee & Cuffs

“Let me help.”

He didn’t argue as the lieutenant gently put his arm around Sam’s shoulders and eased him into a sitting position. Sam slung his legs off the side of the narrow hospital bed then rose. Dizziness hit but the lieutenant was there for support.

“Hang on to me,” Lieutenant Cirillo demanded.

“Mm,” Sam murmured. “Boss me around, Daddy.”

Lieutenant Cirillo’s eyes widened and that was when Sam realized that he’d spoken out loud. Damn it, now the lieutenant was going to freak out. Instead, the lieutenant chuckled. “I think we’ll make sure that your brain is not scrambled before we come up with nicknames for each other.”

“I come up with the best nicknames,” Sam claimed. Even he could tell his words were slurring.

The walk from the hospital, the drive to his apartment, even getting inside was kind of a blur. It wasn’t until the lieutenant was undressing him that Sam realized that he’d sort of zoned out.

“Sam, you need to move your hands,” the lieutenant told him.

Lieutenant hottie. Cuddly Carson. No! Lieutenant Daddy. He was such a Daddy!

“Hands, Sam!”

Hands? He had two hands, didn’t he? Where were his hands? Sam looked down. Oh! There they were. Under Lieutenant Daddy’s shirt. How’d they get there?

* * * * *

His bed was so soft. Sam loved his bed. He rubbed his good cheek against his pillow. Not that he was feeling that much pain. God bless the meds that the hospital had given him. Sam had never had any pain meds prior to this incident. He didn’t like in drugs—at least anything stronger than over-the-counter—barely drank, and didn’t see that changing. Not after hearing Caden’s story about his mother and how drugs had affected Caden’s entire life.

As comfortable as he was, Sam needed to pee.

Gingerly, he sat up in bed. How he got into bed, Sam had no idea. He really didn’t remember much after arriving at the hospital. Sam kicked off his blankets and got off the bed. Huh, okay at least the room wasn’t spinning. He thought the room had been moving earlier. Maybe not. He wasn’t sure of anything.

Shuffling across the room as he slowly made his way to the bathroom Sam reached the toilet to relieve himself before looking down. He had on his favorite pink pair of silk pajama bottoms and a matching camisole top but couldn’t remember changing into them. There was so much about the night that Sam would have to think about later, including his poor face. Even as he washed his hands, Sam avoided looking in the mirror. He did not want to see what his cheek looked like.

Having a dry mouth, Sam decided to get some water then he’s head back to bed.

He shuffled his feet again out of the bathroom and across the room. His bedroom door was cracked open which was weird. Sam did not normally close his door at all. He pushed the door open and stuck his head out, but nothing appeared out of place.

Sam went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. As he closed the fridge, his gaze landed on the shape on the couch. The large shape on the couch. There was someone there. He walked cautiously to the back of the couch and leaned over it.

Why the hell was Lincoln’s lieutenant sleeping on his couch?

Suddenly more memories of the hospital came back as well as some from his apartment earlier. Well shit. Sam had totally been hitting on the attractive older man. And he looked really good sprawled out in front of Sam. Which of course gave Sam some naughty ideas.

He quietly uncapped the water and drank half of it as he watched Lieutenant Carson Cirillo. Sam knew about the lieutenant but hadn’t met him prior to that night. The night might have totally sucked but one good thing came from it. He’d met the lieutenant and Sam could not regret that.

Deciding that he would probably not get this chance again, Sam set the water on the side as he walked around the couch. He stood in front of the older man before climbing onto Carson’s lap.

The lieutenant jerked upright, but Sam had been prepared and pushed on Carson’s shoulders to lay his head down on Carson’s wide chest.

“What’s wrong?” Carson asked, his hand landing on Sam’s lower back.

“Needed a hug,” Sam told him. It wasn’t a lie.

“A hug, huh?”

“A big hug,” Sam confirmed.

“Okay, I guess you do deserve a big hug for everything you’ve been though.”

Oh, this poor, poor man. He had no idea that giving in to Sam would be the beginning of the end. Sam was high maintenance and until he got what he wanted, Sam did not give up on things. He was a precious princess and should always be treated accordingly.