lot of blood. He closed his eyes as he remembered Max lifting his hand that
had been tipped scarlet. Fuck. He felt sick and a wave of shock hit him. He was pretty ticked
off with being injured and in hospital, and what the hell was wrong with his truck? “Finn?” Torture nurse was saying his name. This time, though, her voice sounded
different—like she was talking from a distance. “Finn.” She poked him hard in his stomach
and Finn snapped his eyes open.
“Ouch,” he said with an awful lot of force behind the words.
He wanted to tell her to leave him along, but then he was a polite, well brought up boy
who respected his elders. She poked him again. He very nearly poked her back. Someone
knocked on the door and Fin groaned. He’d already had his mom in, his brother on the
phone, and the entire cop staff in asking questions. No, he didn’t remember anyone near his
truck. No, he couldn’t remember feeling the brakes as being bad yesterday. What did they
want him to say?
The door opened and six-whatever of Max Harrison, in jeans and a T-shirt, filled the
entrance.
“There,” his torturer said cheerfully. “All bandaged and you have a visitor.” Finn
glared up at her but when she bent over and dropped a kiss on his forehead he kind of
melted inside. “He’s been making a nuisance of himself wanting to get in. I like him, Finn,”
she whispered. Then, collecting her things, she left the room and very deliberately pulled the
door shut behind her.
“Hey,” Max said from the door. “Heard you’re okay.”
“The vastus medialus or something like that, both sides, bruised, and the skin is cut
quite deep but I’ll live.” Finn shrugged off the damage and the pain and upped the positive
spin on things that he would likely be using crutches for a week then need physical therapy
for some time after.
“Jesus, Finn,” Max said simply. “How many more times have I got to pull your ass out
the fire?”
Finn hesitated. Max was clearly trying for lighthearted but there was an edge to what
he was saying.
“Or water,” Finn said. Keep it light. All we’ve done is kiss and had one meet up for hot sex.
Nice but nothing serious.
“Don’t joke about this. Someone is clearly trying to hurt you.”
Max took a step closer then stopped. He looked way past uncomfortable and Finn
immediately got it. Max wasn’t sure what the hell to say.
That was the moment that Finn saw could start something or finish something. What
would he do? Laugh it off, pull back, do his normal avoidance thing? Or should he just break
through years of male conditioning and actually be honest?
“Thank you for attending the scene. I know they didn’t call the volunteers in.” He
paused. How did he phrase this? “I wanted you there.”
Christ. Now he sounded like a girl. But he was only being honest. He had wanted Max
there.
Max closed his eyes and Finn’s heart sank. That was not the reaction he had wanted,
but to be fair, was probably what he’d expected.
Max opened his eyes again, their blue depths troubled and sparking with emotion. He
took the final two steps to the side of Finn’s bed then perched himself on the edge. Finn
scooted over a little and didn’t feel a thing since the meds had kicked in and dulled everything to a pleasurable nothingness. Max placed a hand flat on Finn’s chest and nodded.
He was evidently having some kind of internal conversation with himself.
“When I heard your name on the call…” He paused. “This is stupid. I’ve only known
you a week…”
“Uh huh,” Finn encouraged. There was still no real indication of what was going on in
Max’s head.
“I didn’t like it,” Max finished on a sigh.
Finn cautiously placed his own hand over Max’s and was rewarded when Max held his
hand palm up and entwined his fingers with Finn’s. There were no more words and for a
short while Finn contemplated what to do or say. He didn’t want to break the intensity of
Max’s blue gaze or scare him away. What he really
had been tipped scarlet. Fuck. He felt sick and a wave of shock hit him. He was pretty ticked
off with being injured and in hospital, and what the hell was wrong with his truck? “Finn?” Torture nurse was saying his name. This time, though, her voice sounded
different—like she was talking from a distance. “Finn.” She poked him hard in his stomach
and Finn snapped his eyes open.
“Ouch,” he said with an awful lot of force behind the words.
He wanted to tell her to leave him along, but then he was a polite, well brought up boy
who respected his elders. She poked him again. He very nearly poked her back. Someone
knocked on the door and Fin groaned. He’d already had his mom in, his brother on the
phone, and the entire cop staff in asking questions. No, he didn’t remember anyone near his
truck. No, he couldn’t remember feeling the brakes as being bad yesterday. What did they
want him to say?
The door opened and six-whatever of Max Harrison, in jeans and a T-shirt, filled the
entrance.
“There,” his torturer said cheerfully. “All bandaged and you have a visitor.” Finn
glared up at her but when she bent over and dropped a kiss on his forehead he kind of
melted inside. “He’s been making a nuisance of himself wanting to get in. I like him, Finn,”
she whispered. Then, collecting her things, she left the room and very deliberately pulled the
door shut behind her.
“Hey,” Max said from the door. “Heard you’re okay.”
“The vastus medialus or something like that, both sides, bruised, and the skin is cut
quite deep but I’ll live.” Finn shrugged off the damage and the pain and upped the positive
spin on things that he would likely be using crutches for a week then need physical therapy
for some time after.
“Jesus, Finn,” Max said simply. “How many more times have I got to pull your ass out
the fire?”
Finn hesitated. Max was clearly trying for lighthearted but there was an edge to what
he was saying.
“Or water,” Finn said. Keep it light. All we’ve done is kiss and had one meet up for hot sex.
Nice but nothing serious.
“Don’t joke about this. Someone is clearly trying to hurt you.”
Max took a step closer then stopped. He looked way past uncomfortable and Finn
immediately got it. Max wasn’t sure what the hell to say.
That was the moment that Finn saw could start something or finish something. What
would he do? Laugh it off, pull back, do his normal avoidance thing? Or should he just break
through years of male conditioning and actually be honest?
“Thank you for attending the scene. I know they didn’t call the volunteers in.” He
paused. How did he phrase this? “I wanted you there.”
Christ. Now he sounded like a girl. But he was only being honest. He had wanted Max
there.
Max closed his eyes and Finn’s heart sank. That was not the reaction he had wanted,
but to be fair, was probably what he’d expected.
Max opened his eyes again, their blue depths troubled and sparking with emotion. He
took the final two steps to the side of Finn’s bed then perched himself on the edge. Finn
scooted over a little and didn’t feel a thing since the meds had kicked in and dulled everything to a pleasurable nothingness. Max placed a hand flat on Finn’s chest and nodded.
He was evidently having some kind of internal conversation with himself.
“When I heard your name on the call…” He paused. “This is stupid. I’ve only known
you a week…”
“Uh huh,” Finn encouraged. There was still no real indication of what was going on in
Max’s head.
“I didn’t like it,” Max finished on a sigh.
Finn cautiously placed his own hand over Max’s and was rewarded when Max held his
hand palm up and entwined his fingers with Finn’s. There were no more words and for a
short while Finn contemplated what to do or say. He didn’t want to break the intensity of
Max’s blue gaze or scare him away. What he really
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