Duke closed his eyes when Vaughan’s lips touched his collarbone, then the bottom of his jaw, his soft lips making their way to his mouth. But Vaughan lingered around the edge of Duke’s lips, the corner of his mouth twitching persistently as his man continued to blow and talk against his skin. “I wouldn’t mind you staying right here with me, keeping me company. We can have breakfast. Do our therapy together. Talk. Exercise. Then I usually take a pill after exercising.”
“Me too,” Duke agreed.
Vaughan turned stunning, bright eyes on him. “Yeah. Then we can shower and take a long nap… naked.”
Duke groaned. “I’m gonna die of blue balls.”
“You’re so weak,” Vaughan said playfully, tugging on patches of hair across Duke’s chest. “I’ve waited for you far longer than you’ve waited for me, love.”
“I never said I had patience.” Duke folded his hand over Vaughan’s to stop him from yanking on more hair. “I’m glad it’s a quality you possess. But don’t expect me to have it.”
Vaughan’s laugh was sinful. “Sure thing, babe. Come on, then. Let’s rise and shine.”
Duke pushed at his insistent erection.
“That’s not what I meant by rise.”
Duke scowled at Vaughn. “It doesn’t seem to listen to me anymore when you’re around.”
Vaughan reached his hand out and Duke let himself be pulled to a sitting position. He let the covers pool between his legs while he waited for his cock to get under control. Which didn’t take long because aches and pains began to make themselves known everywhere. His incisions were pulling. His back was sore from having to sleep on it constantly and his arm itched like it had herpes. The cast was driving him insane, and unfortunately, he didn’t have the dissembled wire hanger that he’d been using to scratch beneath the hard plaster. Duke sat on the edge of the bed watching Vaughan rummage through the dresser for more clothes. After a minute, Vaughan threw him a soft pair of sweats and a tank top, but Duke was busy clawing at his skin above the cast, digging his finger in as deep as it could go.
“You itching, honey?” Vaughan smirked at him.
“This is shitty, Vaughan. You ever had an itch you couldn’t scratch?”
Vaughan gave him an “Are you for real?” stare.
“Never mind,” Duke mumbled, still assaulting his skin.
Vaughan kneeled in front of him, gently prying Duke’s finger from under his cast. “Trust me, okay?”
That was all he said before he disappeared into the bathroom. Duke hadn’t gone back to scratching, but was close, when Vaughan emerged with a hair dryer. He watched him plug it in and then sit next to Duke, placing the heavy, casted arm on his lap. He powered on the device and set it to cool air. Vaughan lifted his arm and begin to blow the cool air inside the very small opening at the edge of his cast. The air somehow reached the area that burned regularly from itching. Duke watched Vaughan focus on his task. Watched how intently he took care of him. The blow dryer was actually working. Immediately cooling Duke’s skin. So much that it wasn’t itching.
Three more weeks and this dang thing will be gone.
“Your skin is very sensitive and delicate under there right now, sweetheart. Scratching it like that, or with objects you shove between the cast and your skin, can cause open sores and abrasions to get infected beneath it. Blowing cool air on it helps a lot, but I have some other tricks, too. Just tell me when it starts to become too much and you need to scratch.”
Duke leaned in and placed a kiss on Vaughan’s cheek. He lingered there while Vaughan continued to work on making him comfortable. “You are amazing,” Duke confessed.
Vaughan smiled almost shyly and cut off the dryer. “Better?” he asked.
“Yes,” Duke whispered. He was so close to Vaughan’s mouth that his body vibrated. He wanted a kiss. He understood they couldn’t do more but he’d take anything… really, anything. “Vaughan.”
Duke’s moan was evidence of how much he needed Vaughan. There was no denying it. Duke was aching for affection. God knew how long it’d been since the man had felt appreciated and valued, but Vaughan would make sure he never felt the need again. He’d love Duke for as long as he could.
Duke’s plea against his lips as he whispered painfully for Vaughan to do something had him almost throwing them back onto the bed—surgery be damned—and healing Duke from the inside out. “Shh. I’m gonna give you everything you’ve ever needed, Duke. I promise you. But please don’t ask me to make love to you right now.” Vaughan squeezed his eyes shut, holding onto Duke’s hand like he’d wither away if he weren’t anchored. “I don’t know if I have the strength to deny you.”
Vaughan didn’t open his eyes until he felt Duke’s final kiss on his jaw before the bed dipped and Duke was closing himself into the bathroom. Thank you, lord. It’d be damn hard to explain to Dr. Chauncey that they both needed an emergency visit because they’d both needed to fuck and have kinky, rough sex. Claiming, violent, possessive sex.