Chapter Five

Austin

Austin was so crushed by Lynton's behavior after the explosive lovemaking—by the way the vet had made him feel cheap and worthless—that he expected not to sleep at all that night. But, worn out, he did, despite the absence of the heavy body at the end of his bed. However, he roused several times during the night, hearing himself whimper in his sleep as he felt around for Rupert and found the bed empty and cold.

He woke just as shattered, aching all over, and with his cock hard, much to his disappointment. He sat in the dim dawn light, drinking coffee in his cold apartment, a blanket wrapped around him. He called the clinic, asking after Rupert, hoping Lynton wouldn't be there so early and the receptionist wouldn't feel the need to call him to the phone. Instead, he got a nurse he hadn't spoken to before, perhaps the night nurse—after all, the hospital was staffed twenty-four-seven—who told him Rupert had had a settled night and had already eaten some breakfast that morning.

Austin felt a twinge of pain, a soft melting in his chest that he always got when he thought of Rupert. Fucking Lynton in exchange for Rupert's treatment had been worth it. There was no doubt about that. He'd do it a hundred times over if he had to. Though, judging by Lynton's abrupt tone last night after his climax, the vet had immediately lost any interest he might have had. Austin felt wistful for a second. He couldn't forget the mind-blowing sex. In different circumstances…

No. He and Lynton were worlds apart and always would be. Lynton was attractive and educated and earned more money than Austin would ever see in his life. Why would he look twice at a man who lived in a crummy, one-bedroom apartment, whose only friend was a dog? A man who prostituted himself cheaply to anyone who would have him? Austin was good for only one thing: getting Lynton off just once.

Austin went to the animal hospital at five-thirty right after work. He was greeted by Christina and shown through to the back. His dog had been moved from the ICU to a general area, housing numerous recuperating dogs. A noisy place full of barks and whimpers. Rupert saw Austin across the room and gave a yelp which sounded an awful lot like joy to Austin.

Austin felt tears welling in his eyes. He opened the cage, bent, and threw his arms around Rupert's neck. Rupert licked his face and pawed his chest almost as boisterously as usual.

"Can he come home tomorrow?" he asked Christina.

"It's very likely," she said. "I'll call you in the morning."

An entire visit had gone without a single mention of Doctor Brooke and no sight of the vet to his relief and Austin said goodnight reluctantly to Rupert and followed Christina out.

He wasn't that lucky. He almost bumped right into Lynton in the corridor, the man tall and lean in his blue scrubs, his shiny dark hair falling across those violet eyes.

Austin's stomach gave a strange lurch and his cock began to thicken. Christ, no. His face heated uncontrollably. He danced around Lynton and hurried away. When he got to the end of the corridor, he couldn't help but glance back before he turned the corner and found Lynton doing the same.

Fuck.He left the hospital quickly, his heart hammering. He climbed into his car and sat for a moment, taking deep breaths and trying to calm himself. But almost independently of conscious thought, he found his hand in his groin, rubbing the bulge in his jeans. Oh God, just thinking of Lynton inside him, of his mouth on his, of his tongue on his asshole, was more than he could bear. He squirmed in his seat, looking around guiltily as he touched himself.

Not here, not here!His hand took no notice of his brain's instructions. He pulled his jacket off, draped it across his lap, then wrenched open the buttons of his jeans.

His head fell back at the ecstatic feel of his own fingers on his needy flesh. He masturbated as he sat in the parking lot outside the animal hospital, oblivious to anyone who might walk past his car. His thoughts were only of being on all fours, spread open on that bed for Lynton, then on his lap, with Lynton nearly dislodging him at every thrust

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Lynton

Lynton had told Austin to leave that night because they'd had a business arrangement and it was laughable to prolong it with kisses and cuddles and staying the night. It was a cold-hearted transaction they'd completed, nothing more. Wasn't it?

The act itself had been somewhat less than cold-hearted. It had kept Lynton hard all night, and into the next day. When he'd almost run into Austin in the hospital corridor, he watched him blush and scarper away. The evidence of what they'd done together was written all over his face.

Christina slyly dug him in the ribs. "Someone's got a crush on you."

Lynton reddened and glowered at her. She didn't know the half of it, but it made him wonder. Did Austin like him? If he didn't enjoy himself last night, then he was a good faker. He didn't fake that explosive orgasm, that was for sure. And what about the kisses? God, those had seemed real and passionate enough. Lynton dwelled on the kisses as much as the sex. He couldn't remember ever being kissed that way before. The memory of Austin's tongue in his mouth while he bounced on Lynton's lap made his dick throb.

It was too late to act on his attraction to Austin now, though. It wasn't good protocol to take sexual favors off someone, to use them for your own pleasure, then to get sweet on them and ask them out on a date. Austin wouldn't touch him now with a ten-foot pole, not if he had any pride.

Lynton had ruined his chances. He should have been the good man he knew he was deep down and done the surgery for free with no favors. After that, somewhere down the road of Rupert's recovery, he could have asked Austin out. The thing was, Austin would then have felt obligated to say yes and perhaps ultimately, to sleep with him. Either way, the situation was lose-lose for Lynton and in both scenarios, he was getting sex off Austin without the man actually wanting it.

So, the thing was…he'd come this far, why stop now?

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Austin

Austin got the call from Christina the next morning. Rupert could be picked up whenever he was ready. It wasn't an option to get off work early—that sort of thing was reserved for serious personal illness, things along the lines of amputated limbs and strokes, and family bereavements with proof of the death of your loved one. So Austin was in a fever of anticipation all day at the thought of having his cherished Rupert back, of no more lonely nights missing the warm weight on the end of his bed.

Lynton should have been as far from his thoughts as it was possible to get, but somehow he still managed to worm his way deep beneath Austin's skin and into his very blood. Damn him.

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Lynton

Lynton took Rupert out for a walk during his mid-morning break. The German Shepherd trotted on three legs, putting tentative weight on his pink cast, tongue lolling out and looking like the happiest dog in the world. Something about him caused a surge of emotion in Lynton. He sat on the grass and let Rupert fawn over him, licking his face and rubbing his head roughly against Lynton's.

Yes, it was easy to see what Austin loved about this dog. It was also easy to see what Rupert loved about Austin.

Too easy.

He took Rupert five doors down to the delicatessen, where he bought him three sausages. Rupert wolfed them down outside the shop to coos from passing women and children and one guy who gave Lynton a long, lingering look, somewhat ruining the effect when he walked into a trashcan.

With Rupert back in his cage, Lynton returned to work with his mind firmly on what he was going to do that evening when Austin arrived.