1
He had the most beautiful green eyes Shayne had ever seen.
“What’s your middle name?”
Shayne groaned. “Why don’t you ask my weight too while you’re at it? That way, you’ll know all my dirty secrets.”
“I won’t laugh. Promise.” He stopped short of crossing his heart, but Shayne thought it was understood. There were flecks of gold in his gaze as well.
“Let’s not take any chances.”
“Mine is Hansel.”
That gave Shayne pause. If he was serious, that was bad, but still. “Mine’s worse.”
The gorgeous man drew in a hiss through his teeth, wincing. “What were your parents thinking? Worse is a terrible name.”
Shayne’s chuckle turned into a gasp as asharp pain shot through him. His savior sprang into action, inspecting his ribs for damage. He hit something. Shayne didn’t like it. “Fuck me. How bad is the other guy?” He didn’t look.
“Walking around as if nothing happened.”
“Bastard.”
Sirens rang in the distance. Still his sexy rescuer didn’t move away. “His truck is bigger than your car. He won. Does anything hurt other than your ribs?”
“Everything,” he admitted, attempting to sit up. Sexy savior pushed him back down.
“You could be hurt worse than you realize. The paramedics are almost here.” His gaze shifted down Shayne’s body. “Can I call someone for you?” Shayne’s mind went blank. If there was a God in heaven, this gorgeous man would stop asking him questions. Getting t-boned by a huge F150 on his way home frombeing released by the Blue Fire’s—the minor league hockey team he’d played for going on ten years now—was not the best start to a day he’d ever had. Even if he had every right to do so, he didn’t want to have a fit of dramatics in front of this man who was already seeing him at his worst. If he hadn’t pulled Shayne from the car, he’d be freaking out right now. “I can dig around in the wreckage for your phone if you need to let your…” he cast a glance around, obviously searching for the correct term. “… Significant other know you’re all right.”
“It’s Wayne,” Shayne said, cutting him off before he could dig further. “My middle name is Wayne.” Suddenly, answering the man’s first question seemed nowhere nearly as embarrassing as admitting he had no one to call.
“That’s not terrible.”
“My first name is Shayne.”
A smile exploded across the man’s face at Shayne’s confession. “Now I have to know. What’s your last name? Please tell me it rhymes.”
Shayne winced. “It’s Smith.”
Throwing back his head, he roared with laughter at Shayne’s answer. Even the way his throat moved fascinated Shayne. His brown hair looked soft. He wanted to touch it. It figured Shayne would meet this gorgeous man on the worst day of his life. He swiped at his eyes.
“I’m Lincoln, by the way.” An EMT appeared over his shoulder before Shayne had time to respond. Lincoln stood, switching his attention to the new arrival. “I’m pretty sure he has at least two broken ribs.”
The blond paramedic nodded, surprisingly accepting Lincoln’s appraisal. Of course, Lincoln sounded capable. It made him hard to ignore. “We’ll be careful lifting him.”
“I’m going to ride with him.”
The EMT nodded. “Let me grab a gurney and we’ll get him loaded.” Lincoln went down on his knees next to Shayne once more, meeting Shayne’s gaze. His eyes were so kind. Life was unfair.
“You don’t have to come with me.”
The sweetest smile Shayne had ever seen touched Lincoln’s lips. “Yes I do. I’m the bastard who hit you.”
Of course he was because… life.
“Your Cadillac has arrived,” the EMT announced, saving Shayne from making things more awkward. Between the massive pain, gritting his teeth, and sweating, Shayne couldn’t focus on anything until they were crammed into the back of the ambulance. It took him a minute to realize Lincoln hadn’t stopped holding his hand throughout the entire process. He held Shayne’s stare, silentlylending his strength. A portable monitor kept time with Shayne’s heart and was the only sound inside the vehicle. It seemed his injuries didn’t warrant a siren. Thank goodness. He didn’t think his head could handle the noise. The EMT finally broke the silence and called into question Lincoln’s presence. “Is this your man?”
Lincoln’s gorgeous eyes twinkled at the question. Shayne’s mouth went dry, and he responded without thought. “I have a feeling he’s about to see me with my clothes off.” A low chuckle rumbled from Lincoln’s chest. The heart monitor beeped in protest.Tattletale. He was so fucked.
