“Or I could bring myself,” Joshua said. Colin shot him a sharp glance, but Joshua was licking his spoon, gazing past Colin to the people passing by, pretending not to notice his husband’s dagger glance.
“Josh,” Colin murmured. “I can tell you’re warming up tosomething.”
Joshua took another bite of chocolate ice cream, then made a great show of licking the spoon clean. He tongued it with lavish, deliberate relish in a manner guaranteed to gain his husband’s attention...and approval.
Colin husked out a noisy breath. “Yes, yes. I admit that your tongue is second to none. I confess to being more than a little turned on. But I still want to know what the fuck you’re getting at.”
“It’s time I went back to work,” Joshua told him. “It’s time our life got back to normal.”
“You just got out of surgery fifteen minutes ago!”
“Honey, it’s been almost four weeks since I was attacked.
“Josh, it’s too soon. You’re trying to rush—”
“Adam said I’m fine to go back to work. Deena said the same thing. I’m not rushing it. I’m ready.” He dipped his spoon back into the lush, decedent chocolate confection and once again made a great show of licking the spoon spotlessly clean.
“You think that’s going to convince me?” Colin asked.
“Thought it might soften you up a bit.”
“It’s more apt to get mehardthan soft,” Colin muttered, then stood. “Let’s go.”
They moved onto the sidewalk and stepped toward the lot where they’d left Colin’s car. Joshua’s knee was in a brace, and he still leaned on Colin’s cane for balance, but his stride was strong and steady. His arm was linked with Colin’s, and they walked in step without speaking until they reached the spot where the car waited.
Colin’s lips were a taut thin line, and his brows were furrowed. Reading that expression wasn’t difficult, and Joshua sighed as he buckled his seatbelt. “Colin, I don’t want us to fight over this.”
“We’re not going to fight.”
“I haven’t had a memory lapse for two weeks,” Joshua said. “Even Adam says that my neurological symptoms have all but disappeared.” He once again he touched Colin’s arm. “Baby, I have patients whoneedme.”
“First off, ‘all but disappeared’? It’s the ‘all but’ that turns your argument into rubbish.And youarestill having emotional...moments,” Colin told him. “You get upset too easily at times. And there are other things that—”
“Maybe Nate’s right,” Joshua interrupted, “and I’m just a gay, screaming drama queen.”
“Sometimes, yeah. But that’s not what’s been happening lately.”
“Hey!”
“Well,yousaid it! Not me!”
“Colin, c’mon, love. Be reasonable.”
“I don’t think I’m beingun-reasonable! And youdooverdo. You overdo all the time.”
Joshua unlinked their arms and sighed. “Wearegoing to fight about this aren’t we.”
“Nope.”
“You gonna go all silent and broody on me?”
“Could be.”
“Goddammit, Colin!”
“Please remember when we discuss this later thatyouwere the first one to say, ‘goddammit’.”
“Idon’toverdo!”
