Page 18 of His to Keep

And then Liam shut his eyes, those lashes fluttering shut, and turned his face upwards for Colt.

Zane, a fire alarm, a tsunami — not a fucking thing in the world could have stopped Colt right then. Colt's climax hit him like a tidal wave, and he shot his load all over Liam's face. Every detail stood out to him: the way his come painted those gorgeous lashes, how it coated Liam's pretty little mouth, and the way it dripped down Liam's flushed cheeks.

Liam sucked in a hot breath, letting Colt's release slide over his face, and Colt growled under his breath. "Fuck, Liam…" Colt breathed.

Liam merely hummed, his expression dazed and sated, as if he couldn't quite believe what had just happened between them.

With a final, lingering look at the sight of Liam's face covered in his come, Colt reluctantly began to put himself back together. He wiped his hand on a nearby towel and zipped up his pants, knowing that time was of the essence. But as he looked down at Liam once more, he couldn't help but feel the faintest twinge of regret that their moment had to end so soon.

Colt tossed the towel towards Liam, watching it land softly in the other man's lap. With practiced ease, he adjusted his clothing to appear as if nothing had happened.

Glancing down at Liam, he offered a small, apologetic smile. "Sorry, Doc, but duty calls."

Liam wiped his face clean, his expression unreadable. "I understand."

Colt paused before opening the door, curiosity getting the better of him. "Do you feel properly rewarded now?" he asked, unable to resist teasing.

Liam met Colt's gaze, his eyes glinting with something Colt couldn't quite place. "It beats getting a fruit basket," he retorted, a wry smile playing on his lips.

Colt let out a bark of laughter. Without another word, he slipped out of the door, shutting the closet behind him.

As Colt walked down the hallway towards Zane's room, he tried to convince himself that his debt to Liam was repaid. He didn't have to worry about trying to make amends anymore; the slate was cleared.

As soon as Zane was healthy again, he could leave the hospital for good.

This was a good thing, Colt told himself. It would be a relief to get back to business as usual.

But as he opened the door to step into Zane's hospital room, he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. There was an undeniable ache in his chest, an unexpected longing for more than just the physical connection he'd shared with Liam. The intensity of their encounter still burned within him, making it difficult to focus on anything else.

"Everything all right?" Zane asked, eyeing Colt curiously as he entered the room. There were new hospital documents in his hands.

"Of course, boss," Colt replied, forcing himself to focus on the present moment. "What's up?"

It wasn't a lie, but Colt couldn't help but feel that he was leaving something important behind in that closet – something more than just a hot illicit encounter with a man he barely knew.

And his mind couldn't help but drift back to Liam, wondering what might have been if circumstances had been different.

Chapter seven

Liam's hands moved with precision as he navigated the intricate network of veins in his patient's body. The middle-aged man, with a history of drug abuse, had been rushed to the emergency department, his life hanging in the balance due to a severe infection. The patient's veins posed a formidable challenge, demanding a central line insertion for the crucial administration of medications. Time was a critical factor.

As always, everything else in Liam's life slipped out of focus. The only thing that mattered was the person in front of him.

"Needle," he murmured, barely sparing a glance at the nurse by his side. She promptly handed him the instrument, recognizing Liam's adeptness under pressure.

Liam carefully punctured the patient's skin, aiming to access a suitable vein. He held his breath, keeping his hands steady — and then his focused efforts were rewarded as the guide wire smoothly followed the needle, paving the way for the central line catheter.

"Secured," Liam announced, a sense of accomplishment flooding his body underneath his composed exterior.

"Good job," said Dr. Thompson as Liam completed the procedure. "You're a natural at this. I'll take over from here."

"Thanks," Liam replied, his voice cool and steady.

But beneath the calm facade, his thoughts were in turmoil.

Now left to its own devices, his mind returned to Colt — like it had been ever since their encounter.

He couldn't stop thinking about the way Colt's rough hands had felt on his skin, the heat of their bodies pressed together in the maintenance closet just days before.

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