15. Gage

Chapter Fifteen

GAGE

With one swift, practiced movement, he pushed and rotated my arm at the same time.The pain was brutal, and an agonized moan tore out of my throat.Suddenly, with a sickening pop, the joint slid back into place.The relief was so intense it left me gasping.

"Holy shit..."

Wyatt’s grip held firm until he was sure the joint was stable, then he eased me back against the cushions.When he spoke, his voice had softened, like he understood exactly the kind of pain I was going through.“There you go,” he soothed, calm and deep, like he moonlighted as an ASMR streamer in his off time.“Just breathe.”

I managed a long, quivering exhale through pursed lips.The pain had already receded to little more than a dull throb.“Neat trick,” I said with a shaky grin.

He didn't smile. “What started the fight?” he asked, wiping blood from my face with a damp cloth, touching me with far more care than I deserved.

I gave an awkward one-shouldered shrug, managing a laugh that sounded fake even to me.“Probably should stick to street fights.I’m not exactly the knight in shining armor type.All it does is get me into trouble.”

He paused, then continued wiping away grime with such calm, methodical precision it unnerved me.I still had to be careful with my shoulder, but with his help, I finished shimmying the shirt down my arms.He rinsed blood from my neck and chest, then carefully tipped me forward to check my back.I couldn’t see his expression, but the sudden, sharp intake of breath told me everything I needed to know.He sounded shaken when he whispered, "Christ, Gage..."

I offered a lopsided grin. “At least I’ve s-still got my pretty smile.”

It was hard to finish sentences in this position.Pain radiated through my ribs and back, throbbing in time with my heartbeat.Every muscle felt like it had been shredded and sewn back together wrong.I dug my fingers into the arm of the couch until the leather squeaked, forcing all my pitiful noises to stay behind my teeth where they belonged.

"What is it?" Wyatt asked, voice tight with concern.

“Nothing,” I aimed for a chuckle, but it came out as a wheeze.“Just…stiff.”

“Yeah,” he muttered darkly, clearly not buying the bravado.He turned and disappeared somewhere behind me, but I was too miserable to pay much attention.All I knew was that his footsteps retreated toward the back of the house.I stayed hunched over, tracking his sounds, using them to ground myself through the pain.Clicks and thuds followed his footsteps, then the faint rush of water.

When he returned a moment later, he knelt wordlessly in front of me and unbuttoned my jeans.I stared down at his bent head, dazed, as he began working them gently down my hips.Keeping a sense of humor despite the pain was exhausting, but I couldn't let the moment slip without comment.

“U-usually takes a few drinks before I get to this part,” I whispered, smirking weakly.

He didn’t bite. Not this time.His expression was unamused as he slid my jeans and underwear all the way off my legs.“You’ll have time for jokes later,” he said flatly.

Next thing I knew, his arms were underneath me, and he was lifting me off the couch like I weighed nothing.

“Easy now,” I managed, too woozy to do anything but rest my head on his shoulder.It wounded my pride a little, how easily he carried me, but it felt too good to argue.Being held and cared for was surreal for a man like me.I'd never experienced it in my life, not even when I was a baby.Not that I could remember, anyway.If my mother had ever cared, she'd already been long gone before memories started forming.

"You don't get to be reckless like this anymore," Wyatt whispered as he carried me toward the bathroom.His breath was warm against my hair, and I closed my eyes, surrendering to the comfort.It sounded like he was talking more to himself than to me, so I didn’t bother answering.

Moist air hit me like a wave as soon as we entered the bathroom.An iron wall sconce leaked golden light, and soapy, eucalyptus-scented steam wafted from the deepest cast-iron soaker tub I'd ever seen.

I could feel Wyatt's muscles straining from my weight, but he held me steady and gently set me on my feet in the tub.We both fumbled trying to lower me into the water, and I almost fell twice.My ribs felt like they were splintering under my own weight, and I found myself frozen halfway, unable to lean back against the tub.

“I can’t,” I gasped, clutching at the sides of the tub while warm water lapped against my thighs.

Wyatt examined me for a moment, then began quickly stripping off his own clothes without a moment's hesitation.I stared, frozen awkwardly, and yet helplessly transfixed as he peeled his shirt over his head.His shoulders seemed to fill the small room, and the curve of his biceps alone explained how he’d managed to carry me so easily.Every inch of him was packed with solid muscle.I’d gotten a good look at his body that night by the pool, but it was something else to see it beneath the electric lights.Even in my condition, it was impossible not to appreciate the dark trail of hair that tapered down his stomach.

Brusquely, he stepped into the tub and settled behind me, cradling me between his thighs.His body was radiating heat as he wrapped his arms around me, guiding me back, until I was leaning fully against his chest.

“Easy,” he whispered, supporting me within the framework of his impossibly strong arms.“I've got you. Just relax now.”

Water lapped around us, hot enough to begin sapping the tension from my aching muscles.I could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat between my shoulder blades.His hands never left me. One arm stayed wrapped securely around my chest, just beneath my broken ribs, while the other poured handfuls of warm water over my battered skin.

With every shuddering breath I took, he murmured wordlessly into my ear.“You’re safe here,” he whispered, brushing his lips over the shell of my ear, “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

It felt like he was trying to push all the pain and all the hurt out of me with nothing but his words.For the first time in years, maybe since the night we met, I dared to believe he could.I sank against him and let every broken piece of me find a place to rest.My worries slipped away—the fight, the pain, the loneliness, the years of trying to prove myself and feeling like I was never enough.All that remained was the quiet, steady pace of Wyatt’s breathing and the heat of his skin against mine.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” I asked before I could think better of it.My voice sounded strange, rougher than usual, like I’d been shouting without even realizing.

Wyatt’s hand drifted over me, tracing a slow, grounding line along my collarbone.“Because I care about you, Gage.Always have.” He made it sound like it should be obvious, and then added playfully, “That means caring even when you’re being a complete dickhead.”

I chuckled weakly but stopped with a hiss when the vibrations hurt.“I’m not exactly easy to care about.”

“You’re the strongest, most pure-hearted man I’ve ever known,” Wyatt said fiercely.“You love so hard, Gage. You don’t even think about the repercussions.That’s probably the reason you’re in this mess right now.”

“Not sure that outweighs the fuck-ups,” I muttered.

He cupped my jaw, his thumb brushing over the bruise on my cheek with heartbreaking gentleness.“You don’t need to make yourself perfect to deserve care.You already have it. All of it.”

It sounded nice, but I couldn’t bring myself to believe it.Old habits die hard. “That’s…hard to believe,” I admitted.

In answer, Wyatt leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to the side of my neck.“I know.” His breath was soft on my wet skin.“But stick with me long enough, and you will.”

My chest was aching, but I couldn’t be sure if it was from my injuries or from the sweetness of his words.I relaxed and closed my eyes, drifting in the soothing warmth, letting the gentle stroking of his hands pull the pain from me.

After a few quiet minutes, I became aware of something hard pressing into the small of my back.I shifted experimentally, shocked that his body could respond while he was staring down at my swollen nose and raccoon eyes.But a naked man was still a naked man, mangled or not, I supposed.I couldn't swear I'd never been so desperate.Tipping my head back, I cracked one eye to look up at him.

A deep chuckle rumbled through his chest.“Ignore it, and it’ll go away,” he said ruefully.

My lips twitched into a half-smile, but all I felt was sudden, powerful regret.“I ignored it last time,” I said awkwardly.“By the pool, I mean. I took what I needed and gave you nothing back.It was selfish.”

Wyatt’s silence was heavy. It hurt to look up at him, but I managed, only to discover he wasn't looking at me.His eyes were unfocused and turned inward as he traced gentle patterns along the parts of my chest that weren't bruised.After a moment, he let out a long, quiet breath.

"You want to make it up to me?" he asked, meeting my eyes.“Let me take care of you now.That’s all I’m asking.”

I couldn’t hold that warm, direct gaze for long, so I looked away, staring down at our tangled limbs beneath the water.I shook my head. “That’s a lousy deal for you, Wyatt.”

“It’s all I want.”

I didn’t know how to answer that, so I kept my mouth shut, but I was acutely aware of his hands as they began to drift over my body.Slow and gentle, soothing my aches, tracing the undamaged parts of me with feather-light fingertips.My face throbbed and I could barely breathe through my nose, and my back was a living hell of agony.The pain was impossible to ignore, and yet...Wyatt's touch felt so good.A brief respite from the unending waves of pain.

“Endorphins are the best painkiller, you know.” His whisper was warm and smoky against my neck as his hand dipped lower, slipping beneath the water and stroking me with excruciating care.His pace was so languid, so unhurried, I could almost believe his goal wasn't to get me off at all.Warmth spread through my raw nerves, flooding the parts of me that ached and filling them with something new,something deeper than pleasure—a sense of being cared for in a way that had no conditions or expectations.

My arousal built so slowly, it was almost unexpected.

I was tensing before I realized it, trying to push myself past the finish line, and my body wasn't having it.It hurt, but I craved this release more than I craved air to breathe.I needed it.

I squeezed my eyes shut and grabbed Wyatt’s forearm, anchoring myself, marveling at the strength beneath my grip as his hand moved under the water.

“Wyatt…I can’t,” I choked out in a broken voice.“I—I can’t do it.”

“Shhh.” Wyatt’s lips were close to my ear, low and soothing, like the rumble of a distant storm.“Yes, you can. You don’t have to chase it, sweetheart.Just breathe. Let it happen.”

I tried, but it was too much.Every time I got close, I tensed up, and the pain flared too hot to ignore.Wyatt noticed, adjusting his movements, slowing everything down and letting me melt against his chest.His hand moved with exquisite patience, sliding so slowly over my shaft, I swore I began to fall asleep.No rush, no urgency, just a gentle, steady rhythm that coaxed me out of my own head and into the moment.

I’d never felt anything like this.Sex had always been a fast, heated thing—a quick climb to the top.Orgasms were a goal to be hunted down and conquered, a fix I needed more than I wanted.There’d never been time to linger, or anyone who made me want to, but everything was different with Wyatt.He wasn’t rushing or grinding down on my body’s weaknesses.The reverence in his touch was something I hadn't even realized I wanted until he gave it to me.Each stroke led me somewhere softer, further, until it felt like he was touching something deeper than just my body, reaching inside to my bruised core and healing it from inside out.

My breath picked up. His free hand settled over mine, his fingers twining with mine where I still clutched at his forearm.Slowly, almost imperceptibly, I let go—and then it happened.Pleasure spread through me like honey, so profound that I groaned.I shuddered, spilling helplessly in the warm water, while he milked me to completion.

“That’s my boy,” Wyatt murmured in my ear.His voice was laced with deep, masculine approval.

I sagged against him, exhausted and confused, unable to form a reply.When he finally released me, my limbs were limp in the cooling water.I barely responded as he pulled the plug, rinsed us off, and climbed out of the tub.He tied a towel around his waist with a quick twist and then wrapped me in a thick, fluffy towel of my own.

I felt like an invalid as he helped me out of the tub, and if there was any pride left in me,it was from managing to make it to his bed under my own two feet—even if his supporting arm around my waist did most of the work.

Wyatt’s bedroom was simple and spacious.A wall of big picture windows overlooked the creek, casting a faint silver glow over the space, and in the darkness, the room felt like it was part of the woods themselves.The platform bed was thankfully low, so it wasn’t too much work to lay me down, and the sheets were so soft under my sensitized skin that I moaned.

He tucked the blankets around me, lingering a moment longer than necessary, and then he straightened.“Just a minute,” he said, and disappeared, leaving me staring up at the dark ceiling.

The sounds of him moving in the other room, cleaning up the mess we'd made, were strangely soothing.In my wildest dreams, I’d never imagined being here, especially not after the way I’d treated him.In a lifetime of making the wrong choices, I’d somehow done one right thing, if I’d ended up here.

I dozed and woke with a start when he returned, carrying a glass of water and some painkillers.I swallowed the pills gratefully, chasing down the bitterness with a long sip, and settled back against the pillows.

“Get some rest,” he said softly.

Before I could think better of it, I caught him by the wrist.“Stay,” I asked. Begged, if I wanted to be honest.

It cost me a lot. I kept my eyes fixed on the wall, too raw and exposed to look at him.He’d just seen and handled every damn inch of me in the bath, but this felt like peeling back my skin and showing him my beating heart.

I don’t think I started breathing normally until Wyatt dropped his towel and slipped between the sheets.His arms wrapped carefully around me, holding me close in a way that cradled my injuries instead of aggravating them.His bare skin was so, so warm.I’d never been held while I slept before, but I settled into his embrace without a second thought.

“Sleep now,” he rumbled, dropping a chaste kiss on my earlobe.“I’ve got you.”

I believed him. For the first time in my life, I felt completely safe as I drifted off tosleep.