Shiver (Unbreakable Bonds 1)

“Here,” Lucas said, standing in front of him with his palm outstretched.

Andrei looked up and grimaced. “I can’t take it. I need to be sharp.”

“You think the pain is making you sharp?” Lucas mocked. “I need you mobile and not lost in pain. Take the damned pill. I already took my half.”

Andrei grumbled, but took the pill, then accepted the bottle of water from Lucas a second later. “What the hell is that?” he demanded when he put the water on the floor, his gaze catching on the bottle in Lucas’s other hand.

“To help with the burn.”

Moving around Andrei, Lucas put his knee in the center of the bed and sat behind him. He kept one leg extended off the edge, running along Andrei’s without actually touching him while his other was bent behind the man’s lower back. A little tremor ran through Lucas and he finally stopped to wonder how this could possibly be a good idea. Heat poured off of Andrei and it wasn’t all due to the burn. The man before him was all lean, sinewy muscle wrapped around a tall frame. Only the occasional scar marred his perfect skin, which was this rich, swarthy tone. Lucas couldn’t begin to guess his family’s heritage. Something Mediterranean maybe.

Pouring the gel into his right hand, Lucas barely touched Andrei’s shoulder when the man completely came off the edge of the bed, cursing. Andrei lurched around, glaring at Lucas. “What the hell! It’s fucking cold!”

“Of course. It’s kept in the fridge.”

“And you weren’t going to tell me? What the fuck is that shit?”

Lucas gave a dramatic sigh and held up the bottle. “It’s sunburn treatment. It’s got aloe, moisturizers, and other shit that helps leach out the heat. Now sit your pansy ass back down. Or would you rather not sleep tonight?”

Andrei hesitated, frowning at Lucas before he returned to the edge of the bed with a huff.

Lucas had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He really should have warned Andrei that the gel was cold, but the man’s reaction had been worth it. He continued applying the gel to the burned area in a slow circular motion. Andrei’s curses and twitches eased after a minute and a low sigh slipped past his lips as his head dipped forward.

“Better?” Lucas asked.

A grudging grunt was his only reply and Lucas did chuckle then.

As the other man calmed, Lucas allowed himself to enjoy the feel of Andrei’s warm, soft skin beneath his fingers. Muscles rippled and moved in reaction to his touch. He longed to lean close and kiss down his spine, but he contented himself with just the slow caress.

With his left hand, he at last gave into temptation and sank his fingers into Andrei’s thick, black hair. The loose curls wove around his finger as he lifted them up off the back of the man’s neck so he could cover the top of his shoulders with the gel. His hair was incredibly soft, but there were some surprising rough ends that brought a frown to Lucas’s lips.

“Your hair was singed,” he murmured.

“A little.” Andrei’s voice was low and relaxed. The gel was doing its job, pulling the painful heat out of his back. “It’s long overdue to be chopped.”

Lucas’s hand involuntarily tightened around Andrei’s curls as if to protect them from some invisible barber’s shears. “I’ve got someone who can repair it.”

“It’s just hair.”

“Beautiful hair,” Lucas whispered, slowly pulling his fingers free. Andrei turned his head to look over his shoulder at Lucas, but Lucas avoided his eyes, looking down at the bottle by his knee. He shouldn’t have said it. Fuck, he shouldn’t have said that. Should have bitten down, held those two stupid words back. He’d teased and flirted shamelessly with Andrei for two days, but now it seemed wrong. Beneath his hand was an injury that Andrei had suffered because of his stubbornness. Something he didn’t want to think about had driven him to Price Hill, to use that place to bridge this gap between them, and it only succeeded in hurting Andrei.

“Can you lift your arms?” he asked, the question coming out a little harder than he’d meant.

Andrei slowly lifted both of his arms, wincing. “It’s better. Can you put a little more on my shoulders?”

“Not such a bad idea, was it?” Lucas muttered, some of the apprehension flowing out of him again.

A low groan slipped from Andrei as Lucas resumed putting the green gel across Andrei’s shoulders and back. “You’re a horrible nurse.”

“I gave you half a Percocet. What more do you want?” Joking was easier. The laughter helped him forget this miserable, sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“A little compassion. A sweet disposition. A pleasant bedside manner.”

“Fuck,” Lucas moaned. “Next you’re going to complain that I don’t have a nice set of tits to fill out my white uniform.”