"Luke…"
"Kyle, leave it be. Please."
I watched as he strode tentatively toward the office and passed through the glass door. By the time he reappeared, I was seated in his truck, stewing. The man was obviously hurt, why the fuck wouldn't he admit it? What the fuck was he hiding?
CHAPTER FOUR
KYLE
We sat in silence while Luke drove the few blocks to the supermarket, and after he parked the truck, I opened the door to climb out. Luke's hand landed on my arm, stilling my movement. Excited shivers raced through me and my cock twitched.
"Kyle, I'm healing after having three ribs broken a few days ago. It hurts like fuck because I can't seem to strap them like I was told to and I don't want to visit Doc every day to have it done. It's the reason I have six weeks off work, I'm supposed to be resting."
I turned in the seat to face him. "Six? You said you start your new job in three weeks."
"I do, but only to go into the office, check on what's happening and give my staff any directions they might need. Then I have to go home and rest. It's why I balked at the riding."
I nodded. "What happened?"
"I can't talk about it, so please don't keep asking."
I watched as tears welled in his eyes, there was no way I was going to push him. I hoped he would talk when he was ready.
"Fair enough. We'll buy a pile of bandages and I'll strap your ribs. I did it years ago for dad when he fell from a horse." It would be a pleasure to touch the bare skin on his chest for even a moment. "There's no chores or riding for you until you're healed."
"I need to contribute, Kyle."
"I'm sure you will once you're recovered. It's obvious anything physical causes you pain, you can't even stand up straight. I agree with the doctor, rest is what you need."
Luke grumbled. "I hate doing nothing."
"I'm sure you do but it's how it has to be until those ribs are healed."
Luke nodded. "I'll do all the cooking for the next few weeks. It doesn't take much of an effort and at least I'll be helping."
"Wendy will love that, but if I notice you're in pain, it stops."
"Agreed, let's go and get the groceries."
We left the truck and headed toward the store, my forearm continued to tingle where Luke's hand had been.
The former front row forward pushing a shopping cart was an interesting sight, one I thought I'd never bear witness to. Together we filled the cart with bathroom and laundry essentials and a myriad of healthy looking foods. It turned out Luke had maintained his healthy lifestyle from high school. I learned he'd never smoked, which was good because neither did Wendy or I. He also wasn't a big drinker, but enjoyed a beer now and again, a red wine and the occasional small glass of port. He fitted our household perfectly.
As we approached the checkout, I heard a loud, excited squeal, and Larissa, a girl we'd known at school, launched herself into Luke's arms. I watched as he doubled over and groaned, tamping down the urge to pull the stupid woman off him.
"Luke, when did you get back? Oh, I'll have to let the girls know. Where are you staying? Are you married? Single? Dating? Ooh, I can't wait to tell everyone. How long are you here for?" She glanced at me. "How about you and I go and have coffee and catch up, I'm sure your friend will take care of the shopping."
Her words tumbled over each other and I watched helplessly as Luke, in a great deal of pain now, struggled to free himself from her vice like grip.
"Larissa, enough." Luke growled. She finally let go, backed off, and stood watching him, a puzzled expression on her face.
"I'm back for good, staying with Kyle, single, and miles away from being interested in being otherwise. You're welcome to tell whoever the fuck you like, but make sure you also tell them, they are not welcome at Kyle's property without an invitation from me and that won't be happening. Now, if you'll excuse me, we have shopping to finish."
"You're going to be living with the geek!" Larissa's tone was snarky, she hadn't changed a bit from the nasty girl she'd been in school.
Luke took a step toward her; his voice was low and menacing. "His name is Kyle, and yes, I'm very happy to be sharing a home with him and Wendy."
"Well, wait until the girls hear this." She spun on her heel and left the store.
Luke groaned. "She hasn't changed at all, it'll be all over town in less than a nano second."
"I was thinking the same thing, she's no different to how she was at school. You should have expected this type of reaction though."