13. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Trent

Trent woke to dim morning light filtering through the curtains. The faint scent of smoke lingered in the air, but as he lay there, feeling the warmth of another body pressed against his, he was happy. There was something so natural about having Callum next to him, something that might not have happened if things had gone differently the day before. God! Just the thought made him shudder.

Callum's arm was flung across Trent's chest, one leg hitched over his thigh. His head rested on Trent's shoulder, sandy blond hair tickling his nose as he inhaled his scent. He gave in to temptation and made the most of the intimate moment, allowing himself to enjoy having Callum in his arms. He might never get a chance again and he wasn't going to let it pass by, plus, he didn't want to wake him. After a restless night, Cal deserved all the sleep he could get.

He dozed off and when he next awoke, the sun was brighter and Callum was a furnace pressed against him. It took a moment for him to realise that Cal was also hard against his thigh. His breath caught as his body responded, his own cock hardening.

Fuck. He wanted to savour the closeness but Callum would no doubt freak out. Mindful of Callum's bandaged arm still resting across his chest, Trent wiggled to get out from under him, but Callum stirred, and nuzzled closer. Trent froze.

"Morning," Callum murmured, his voice low and sleep-laden.

"Morning." Trent struggled to keep his voice steady. "Did you sleep okay?" Argh. Stupid question—he knew Callum had tossed and turned because he'd been aware of every movement and worried about his arm—but holy shit, he was waiting for Callum to become aware of the predicament they were in. He braced himself for an awkward moment.

However, instead of jerking apart and jumping from the bed, Callum just smiled lazily as he tilted his head and gazed at him. "I slept better than I expected."

"How are you feeling?"

"Bit sore, but nothing a painkiller won't fix." Callum lifted his bandaged arm that was resting on Trent's chest, wincing slightly at the movement as he pulled away.

"Let's get up and have some breakfast, yeah? Get some food into you and then a pill."

"Sounds good," Callum said as he rolled to his side of the bed.

Trent didn't focus on the instant disappointment at the loss of closeness. Instead his thoughts were consumed with trying to understand Callum's response, or lack thereof, at waking up plastered to his side. He rose and took a few moments in the bathroom before heading to the kitchen. His first task was to place a glass of water and the pack of ibuprofen on the kitchen table, then he flicked on the coffee machine and grabbed the OJ from the fridge. Mushroom slunk in from the laundry looking for her morning meal so he poured some kibble in her bowl, but the moment Callum arrived and sat at the kitchen table, she leapt onto his lap, breakfast forgotten, purring loudly.

"Looks like someone's happy to see you," Trent said, cracking eggs into a bowl.

"I know the feeling," Callum replied, scratching Mushroom behind the ears. "How's my good girl this morning?"

Trent kept an eye on the two of them as he prepared breakfast. It was a relief to see Callum looking so good. If it weren't for the bandaged arm and a faint bruise on his cheek, you'd never know he'd been fighting fires and rescuing animals the day before. And putting his life at risk. He swallowed back the brief flash of fear and placed a loaded plate in front of Callum before joining him at the table.

Callum tipped Mushroom off his lap and threw a smile his way. Sunlight filtered through the kitchen window, casting a warm glow on his face. He hurried to pick up his knife and fork and shovel a mouthful of egg into his mouth, at the same time keeping watch on Callum as he downed a couple of pills.

They ate silently for a while, Callum favouring his good arm. Once again Trent was overcome with a wave of guilt. He put his knife and fork on his plate, appetite gone.

"Cal," he began hesitantly, "I just wanted to say thanks again for everything you did to save the guesthouse and Mushroom. I can't even imagine how scary it must have been and I'm so sorry you lost everything."

Callum's eyes met his with a softness that made his heart skip a beat. "It wasn't really a choice, Trent. I knew what was most important, and it wasn't my things."

"Still," Trent said, "you risked yourself for this place, for me and Mushroom. I won't forget that."

Callum shrugged. "I'd do it all again."

Trent marvelled at the sincerity in his voice, the way his priorities were so clear and unwavering. Joe was right—Callum was definitely one of the good ones.

"Anyway, I've been thinking…" Trent picked up his coffee and took a long sip. Fuck, why do I feel so nervous?

"Yeah?"

"I'd like you to move into the guesthouse. With everything going on, it'll be a while before I can take guests again, and the rooms may as well be used. Plus, I hope you'll still want to work here and help me with repairs even though your cottage is gone."

Callum's eyes widened. "Absolutely, I'll help. Any other alternative hadn't even crossed my mind. Of course, moving in here wasn't something I'd considered. You don't have to put me up, you know. I could find a rental in town."

"Don't be silly. I want to make sure you're safe and taken care of, especially after everything you've done for me."

"You don't have to—"

Trent held up a hand. "I know I don't have to. I want to."

The cottage made up part of Callum's salary, and it suddenly occurred to Trent that maybe staying in the house, with a loss of his privacy and independence wasn't something that would appeal to Callum. He started doing calculations in his head, but quickly realised he'd never be able to come up with the funds to increase Callum's salary to cover the cost of accommodation elsewhere.

However, Callum grinned. "In that case, I'd love to take you up on your offer."

Trent smiled back. He hadn't realised how much he hoped Callum would accept the offer until he did. Now he felt he could move forward. They had the start of a plan. "Okay, so that's agreed. The next step is heading into town to pick you up some things, plus we need to get you checked over by the doctor."

Surprisingly, Callum didn't argue. "I need to call home and let the folks know we're okay. I sent a brief text, but I know Mum will want to hear my voice."

"Great idea. I called Patty and my mum last night and gave them an update."

"What they say?" Callum asked, tucking into his eggs again.

"Patty wanted me to head straight back to Sydney, of course. Mum wanted to come up and help."

"She sounds awesome, your mum."

"She is, but there's no way I'm letting her near this place until everything's been sorted." Trent leaned back, nursing his mug. "I did some quick checks last night when we got home. Luckily we're on town water with a solar-powered hot water system, and thankfully we have the generator so there's no spoilage of the food in the fridges and freezer. Obviously, there's ash about and we should wear masks while working outside for a while, but other than that, we should be safe."

Callum nodded. "Best keep Mushroom indoors too."

"Absolutely." Trent stood and picked up their plates. "How about I take care of the kitchen while you get dressed, then call the doc and see if you can get an appointment?"

A while later, Trent steered Callum into the doctor's office and to the receptionist's desk. Callum seemed fine, but he couldn't shake the irrational protective urge that had reared its head and he didn't want to let him out of his sight.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked, looking up from some paperwork.

"Callum Rogers. I have an appointment. I'm here to have my dressings changed."

"Of course." She turned to her computer screen. "Now, I just need to confirm some details to make sure our records are up to date. Your mobile number is still the one ending in seven one three?"

"It is."

"Email the same?"

"Yes, no change there."

"Great. And still living out on Crest Road?"

Callum glanced at Trent and grinned. "Yep."

"Thanks," the receptionist said, typing the information into the computer.

Callum leaned forward, resting his arms on the countertop. "I was wondering if I could update my next of kin. You know, my emergency contact?"

She looked up and smiled. "Sure thing."

"Yeah, my parents aren't local." He glanced at Trent. "Can you make Trent Masterton my contact?"

Trent heated at the request. "Are you sure?" he asked when Callum met his gaze. It seemed such a significant action.

Callum nodded. "It makes sense. You're closer."

His face grew hotter as he bobbed his head in agreement.

"And your relationship?" She lifted a brow.

Callum gave him another quick glance before turning back to her. "He's… he's my employer."

"All done," the receptionist said, not missing a beat, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she entered Trent's contact info. "You can head straight through to the treatment room. The doctor will see you shortly."

"Thanks," Callum replied, heading in the direction she indicated.

As Trent followed, his mind raced with conflicting emotions. He knew they weren't actually partners, but the idea sent a bolt of yearning through him that he couldn't suppress.