Quick
“Uh-oh.” Duke pointed at Cayson’s retreating back and Quick spun around, his laughter dying fast, replaced with confusion. He wondered where his handsome doctor was rushing off too, and without him. He told Duke to get in the truck, while he jogged up the sidewalk and caught up with Cayson.
Quick hooked Cayson’s arm and spun him around to talk to him. The look he got felt like a slap across his face. Lowering his head, he knew already why Cayson was mad, and decided to let him have it.
“If you are going to humiliate me in my place of business, then I’d prefer you not visit, Roman.” Cayson put one hand on his hip, the other he pointed back towards the ER’s doors. “What was that in there?”
“I wasn’t trying to humiliate you, babe. I was giving the good ole doctor there a dose of his own medicine. I’m sure it was a very hard pill for him to swallow.” Quick rubbed Cayson’s shoulder, inching in closer to him. He lowered his voice, hoping to hurry up and diffuse this bomb before it exploded and got out of hand. “Cays, I sure don’t recall Dr. Joe, or whatever, feeling this bad when he yelled out your secrets to your entire street. Did he even bother to apologize? No. Instead, he treated you like nothing again today.”
“None of that concerns you. That’s my business. Not yours. I didn’t ask you to fix this, Rome. I don’t need you to!” Cayson argued.
“I apologize. It was juvenile and unnecessary. I was only thinking of you, and that makes me do crazy things. It makes me overprotective. Makes me want to right all the wrongs done to you.” Quick chuckled mirthlessly. “I thought you’d want to see him squirm a bit, for a change.”
Cayson turned his head, but Quick caught a glimpse of that lopsided grin. He’d only wanted to show Cayson he was on his side and he’d pay back anyone who hurt him. But, Cayson was right. He was a well-liked and respected man at work. He would never want him to lose any of his colleagues’ admiration. Next time he encountered Dr. Joe, he’d make sure it was in a territory he controlled. Revenge is a dish best served cold. Meaning completely unexpected and not so much immediate. He’d speak with Duke and Ford about this later. Surely they’d come up with something fitting for Joe’s crime against someone they admired.
“Come on. Don’t walk. Let me drive you home, okay?”
Cayson looked reluctant to agree until Quick gripped the back of Cayson’s head and pulled him in for a kiss that showed him just how truly sorry he was for upsetting him. He felt the doctor’s hands on his waist, drawing him in even closer until their stomachs and chests were flush together. Quick heard Cayson’s moan and it went straight to his nuts. He regretfully released Cayson, not wanting to start anything lewd in a surveillance-monitored parking lot. “Unless you really want some admin problems, I think we should continue this kiss later, too.”
“You know, kissing me isn’t going to get you out of hot water every time,” Cayson said defiantly, leading them back towards the truck.
Quick smirked smugly. Loving that Cayson was speaking of them in the future tense. “But did it work this time?”
“Yes.”
Duke was already in the driver seat, so Quick opened the passenger doors, helping Cayson into the back of the large cab. After they fastened their belts, Duke took off in the direction of the main road. Quick could see an impish grin on his best friend’s face out of the corner of his eye and knew he was ready to start in on him with some good-natured ribbing. “Should we stop by the florist on the way, Rome?”
“Fuck off,” Quick snarled, turning and giving Cayson a look that promised payback, since he thought Duke’s joke was so hysterical. Duke was laughing so hard, Cayson right along with him; he could barely give Duke the directions to his house in Inman.
When they pulled up to Cayson’s fence, Quick was the first one to see the large gold box on Cayson’s doorstep with a huge yellow bow tied around it. “What the hell?” Quick and Duke were out of the truck at the same time. It was amazing how tuned in to each other they were. Years of a partnership, devoid of any romance, only pure trust and loyalty to a brother, made them a dangerous duo.
“From him, you think?” Duke asked, hopping the locked gate just as easily as Quick did.
“Why do you keep doing that?” Cayson wondered. Pulling his keys out of his messenger bag and unlocking his gate. “It does open, ya know.”
Quick picked up the box, ripping the card from where it was tucked inside the ribbon.