“To the hospital.” His bland tone makes me feel as though this should be obvious. “You can ride in the back with him.”
I inch forward. “O-okay.”
He nods and walks off to the driver’s side. I climb into the ambulance on trembling legs. My knees knock together as I sit on the cold metal bench. Everything is so clinical and sterile, except for the man laid out in the center. There’s a cuff around his bicep. A single tube is attached to his uninjured forearm. They slam the doors behind me and the sound is deafening. It’s just the two of us, one awake and the other zonked out. I’ve imagined us in countless positions. This was never on the list.
I reach for Grady’s hand, clutching him in a tight grip. He’s not aware of his surroundings. I doubt he can feel me sitting right beside him. I’m a mess, jittery and fidgeting from the inside out. There are probably unwritten rules about proper bedside behavior. I should be comforting him. But he keeps me grounded even during sleep.
The slightest pressure against my palm has me looking down. My heart leaps into the sky when I realize he’s holding me in return.
10
Sutton
Happy something #73: Spending time with my brother’s best friend, also known as the love of my life.
Ishut the heavy wooden door, closing off any further disruptions from the opposite side. Grady’s discharge instructions run on a loop through my mind. This needs to be a stress-free environment. He’s under strict orders to rest and stay off his feet for at least twenty-four hours. Keeping him still will be a challenge. He isn’t allowed to do anything that will cause harm to the injury site. Strenuous activities are his livelihood. He won’t stay put for long. But I plan to use the not-so-subtle art of persuasion.
Grady’s soft snores draw me deeper into the room. I perch on the edge of his mattress and watch him sleep. Thankfully, he didn’t have to stay overnight in the hospital. Once he regained consciousness, Grady immediately started bitching about being there in the first place. At that point, another dose of morphine had kicked in and he wasn’t feeling any pain. Much like now. The doctors gave him a tetanus shot, stitched up his arm, and sent us on our way with a few prescriptions to fill. Whatever horse pill he was directed to take first knocked his ass out. And here he lies.
I brush the wispy hair off his forehead. He looks so serene without the stone mask. I could almost trick myself into believing he’s at peace. But the deep purple smudges underneath his eyes appear worse. Maybe he’ll be able to sleep easy for a bit.
His forearm is heavily bandaged from wrist to elbow. The gory sight hidden below threatens to turn my stomach all over again. I choose to focus my wandering attention on more appetizing sights. The dark scruff lining his angular jaw is a glorious distraction. I bet that stubble offers a tantalizing burn against sensitive skin. The soft area between my neck and shoulder tingle from that visual tease. A plain white tee does little to disguise his sculpted pecs and torso. The bumps and ridges are meant to be traced with a slow drift of fingers.
A slight shift of his hips lowers the sheet. That glorious happy trail leads to the promise of ecstasy. I’m privy to the fact that he’s only wearing a pair of boxer briefs under there. A wicked infusion of heat enters my bloodstream. I curl my fingers into the blanket, wishing for something more solid. A thick steel rod encased in velvet would fit just right. I blink the image away. My creeper meter has officially reached new levels.
Maybe he needs some privacy.
Grady’s voice stops me before I can move off the bed. A single garbled word drips off his lips and I nearly choke. There’s no way he said what I think—
“Sutton.”
Well, that settles any doubt. Holy shit. My gaze scours his face, searching for any sign of alertness. I find none. It’s fairly obvious that he’s not lucid. But he’s saying my name. Very clearly. The sultry tune is more of a moan, in a seductive way. Those two syllables strum off his tongue in a song that leaves me stunned. That delectable purr reels me in. I’m helpless against the pull. I want him to keep whispering it, over and again, like a chant.
The bed squeaks with my slight movement. Grady’s lashes flutter open, those emerald eyes cloudy and sluggish. I curse a blue streak for waking him. His lazy stare finds me hovering at an inappropriately close distance. This alone could be considered crossing a line. A few pesky inches between our bodies isn’t suitable for friends. But maybe we’re about to be more than that.
Does Grady remember dreaming of me? The green fire that’s now illuminating his gaze suggests so. His languid perusal carves a path up my body. I can feel that trail, a hot brand covering every inch. Lust. Need. I cross my legs in an attempt to alleviate the ache. It doesn’t work. The desire begins to boil in my veins. Soon it will hijack my entire system. From the looks of it, Grady is having a similar issue. The paper-thin sheet does a horrible job concealing his reaction to my proximity.
I clear my throat. My front row viewing party had to end eventually. Might as well get this over with. “Hey, Gray.”
Grady lifts that fiery gaze to mine. Beyond the shimmer of lust, there’s a smoky veil diluting the usually vibrant green. His lids are heavy, barely at half-mast. He slaps a sloppy palm onto my thigh. His fingers dig into me with the slightest amount of pressure. The movement is disjointed, and extremely unexpected. That’s the only proof I need to determine that he’s fucked up. The evidence is damning.
“Hi, Sutt.” His voice is rough gravel, as if he’s been sleeping for days instead of hours.
“How are you feeling?”
His fuck-hot gaze remains on mine. “Damn good.”
I almost scoff. “Those pain meds must be powerful. You were stuck in a baler. There are over thirty stitches in your arm.”
Grady doesn’t spare his injured limb a glance. “It’ll heal.”
I flatten my lips. “That’s not the point.”
“No? Tell me what is.”
“You’re hurt, badly. Seeing you that way was petrifying.” My voice trembles, revealing the fear. I’ve managed to tamp down the hysteria, but that crazy bitch is simmering just below the surface. My hackles would rise every time a doctor or nurse would enter the room. Unreasonable? Absolutely. Did that stop me? Not a chance. That fierce level of protectiveness was new to me, yet held a glimmer of familiarity. I’ve always wanted to shelter Grady from impending storms. Offering him a safe space came naturally. Those glaring facts will keep my ass parked in his house until he kicks me out.
His brows slowly crease, as though the thoughts are sluggish. “But I’m all right, Sutt.”
