Cade knelt in front of him and lightly dabbed at the burn, applied ointment, and covered the wound with a small bandage, pressing gingerly against the skin to secure it.
His gentleness made Tristan's heart flip-flop and called to mind a similar scene from several years ago when he had been babysitting Natalie, and she had cut her finger while slicing an apple. She had been maybe eight and had shrieked hysterically, and Tristan had bolted from the other room, expecting to find a spider or a mouse. She had tried to hold back tears as he looked and found the cut was thankfully not bad. He had sat her down at the kitchen table and cleaned and bandaged the cut, much like Cade was doing right now. He remembered Natalie's hiccups as she calmed, and how she had quietly thanked him. He had tousled her hair and reassured her he would always take care of her when their mom wasn't around.
He hadn't thought about that day in a long time, but in retrospect, it had foreshadowed the last couple of years. Ever since his mom had gotten sick, he'd been the caretaker, looking out for both her and Natalie. He'd been the strong one, making decisions and doing what needed to be done.
It had been a long time since someone had taken care of him, and it felt both strange and comforting to be on the other side, more so because it was Cade who was tending to him. He struggled to process the information, to make sense of this objectively violent person treating him with such gentleness.
He peered down past the top of Cade's head to where his calloused fingertips softly pressed against his skin to apply the bandage, and croaked out a soft, "Thanks."
The other man looked up and met his gaze, and for a moment, Tristan was lost in the depths of his deep brown eyes, searching for a clue to the puzzle, trying to see into the soul of this man who was full of contradictions.
"Be more careful next time."
He expected him to stand, to run, but Cade didn't move.
"I will. But you didn't have to do all that."
Time stood still as Tristan watched some unnamed emotion flash in those dark eyes, but then, as if a switch flipped, they turned cold, and Cade stood.
"Just doing my job."
As Tristan watched him walk from the room, he questioned whether that was true.
Chapter 7: Temptation
Cade
When Cade returned the first aid kit to the medicine cabinet, he stood frozen for a moment, hands braced on the sink, trying to clear his head of his tangled emotions. What the fuck had just happened back there? Keeping Tristan safe was his responsibility, but he had lost it over a minor injury, and he had no clue why.
The only thing he was sure of was that the last couple of days left him feeling off-balance, and this flustered state he lived in whenever Tristan was near was getting old fast.
He needed to get a grip.
Tristan was a job, nothing more. It didn't matter that Cade somewhat enjoyed his company, that he was marginally funny, that Cade didn't hate the sound of his voice.
That he wanted to fuck him.
Because Tristan was dangerous. He asked too many questions, poked at demons Cade didn't want to rouse, looked at him with big, amber eyes that pleaded for … something. Everything.
Fucking hell.
Tristan was only a temporary distraction, Cade reminded himself. Soon, Annabeth would crack the encryption, and they would find these piece-of-shit traffickers and get his sister back. Then Tristan would go home and resume his life.
But damn, when Cade had seen him this morning, starfished on the bed, half-naked like a fucking buffet laid out just for him, it had been too much for even his strong will to handle.
After that, he had to channel that energy and frustration in some way because the alternative — taking what he wanted — was unacceptable. So he chopped wood till his muscles ached and he could hardly lift the ax anymore.
It had done the job for a while, but when he and Tristan had locked eyes, the other man's desire had been unmistakable, and he had almost caved. By some miracle, he had gathered the strength to turn his back, but those indecent thoughts were enticing him again, and Cade wouldn't last in this tiny house for much longer.
He was a strong man, a disciplined man. But he was only a man.
Even if he gave in to these obscene urges and made a move, he would likely scare Tristan away with his sexual tastes. Tristan was smart and decent and beautiful, and Cade couldn't imagine him wanting the things his hookups got when they connected with him on an app.
But son of a bitch, the temptation was nearly irresistible.
Cade shook his head as if the physical act could ward off his unwelcome thoughts. He straightened his spine and reminded himself he had endured much worse trials. He took a deep breath as he headed back to the kitchen.
He found Tristan at the stove again and shooed him off. The other man allowed him to take over, and when Cade served them both, Tristan mumbled his thanks. They ate in silence until Cade commented, "You have sauce on your lip."
