Colin stifled a sigh. The thoughts stirring inside him were unsettling and unnecessary. But what could he do? Brad might be dangerous and off-limits, but tonight, he had shown real bravery—the kind Colin hadn't seen in… How long had it been? He shivered. Too long.
He needed to focus on his work.
One last shard to remove. Alright, done. Now the dressing. His bag…
He looked around and saw the officer handing him a first aid kit.
"Thanks."
He glanced at the cop's face for a split second. Damn, he was actually kind of cute. A fairly tall blond with gray eyes and a few faint freckles under them. Not bad at all, Colin thought—and at that moment, he realized he was the worst kind of person. Why? Because he was so desperate to be in a man's arms that he was starting to feel something for every attractive guy who crossed his path.
This time, he sighed for real.
"Listen, Aiden, I think we can leave now," Brad said. "Doc starts work tomorrow, and I've got the girls to take care of…"
"Sure, Wilson said you're free to go. Doctor, you're staying at Brad's place, right?"
"Yes," Stone confirmed, slightly surprised. Was the cop just verifying his address in case they needed to contact him later?
"Keep an eye on him, make sure he stays out of trouble, alright?"
"Me?" Colin blurted out, at the same time as Brad's indignant "Hey!"
"The incident with a bus isn't completely closed, and now this…" Aiden grimaced, glancing meaningfully at Lipski.
"I know, I know. I'll be quiet as a mouse from now on."
"I'm counting on that. Goodnight, guys."
"Goodnight!"
Stone grabbed his bag and stepped outside, relieved to breathe in the cold night air. He stopped and took a deep breath. The air smelled of pine resin and needles. He was surprised by how much the temperature had dropped since the day.
Only now did he remember he was still wearing Brad's leather jacket. If Brad had had it on when shielding him from the bottle, it would have protected him from the shards.
"What are you standing around for?" Lipski brushed past him lightly. "Get in the car, it's freezing."
"Right. Maybe you shouldn't be driving with that hand…"
"It's fine, just a scratch."
Well, maybe, but…
Brad clearly wasn't up for a debate. He just slid into the driver's seat. Colin was too exhausted to argue, so he simply sat beside him. The cramped space immediately brought back the memory of the scent he had noticed on the way here. He inhaled deeply and caught a faint trace of vanilla's sweetness. The scent of leather and cedar still lingered, though that could have been just the jacket or the surrounding forest. He shivered. Warmth bloomed on his cheeks. There was something oddly captivating about that scent—just like there was about Brad himself…
Colin didn't want to think about it, but it was stronger than him. That guy just had something about him—something captivating, something tempting. His way of being—defiant, carefree, yet responsible—was starting to unsettle him on a whole new level.
It's just adrenaline, he tried to convince himself. Yeah, nothing more than adrenaline. And exhaustion. And…
He closed his eyes for a moment and turned his head toward the side window. He didn't feel any injustice about having to come here. The hospital director was right—Stone had to disappear for a while. Sending him to this godforsaken place could have been a punishment, but it wasn't all that bad. It's just that…
He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. It had been a long, exhausting day filled with too many events, and he needed rest, but his heart, mind, and body were too restless to find it easily. He should calm down, but it wasn't easy. Not when he was sitting next to this restless, hot man and inhaling the sexy scent lingering in his jacket.
Stone stared out the side window, watching the passing shadows of trees, trying to control the strange, uneven beating of his heart. Even if Brad were gay, Colin wasn't in a position to start any kind of relationship, not even a casual one. He didn't have the heart or the head for it. He should rest, unwind, avoid complications. Complications could harm him. Again. If he wanted to return to his hospital next year without any trouble, complications were the last thing he needed.
"Everything alright, Doc?" Brad suddenly asked, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to glance at him.
Colin immediately shifted his gaze back to the road ahead.
"Yeah, sure. Just… thinking about work tomorrow," he lied.
Brad snorted, amused, but his eyes remained serious.
"You'll probably hear this more than once, but we appreciate you taking this job," he said. "We may live in the middle of nowhere, but we're not completely stupid. We know this kind of work doesn't do much for your career. We need a doctor just as much as countries in the Doctors Without Borders program, but you guys only get career points for working in third-world countries. And your boss assured us you're excellent, so we're grateful."
"Really?" Colin was pleasantly surprised. "I mean, I didn't expect him to give me such a good recommendation."
"Oh? Not the type to praise his subordinates?"
"Not really."
"Then you must be truly exceptional."
"Yeah…"
The car swayed gently over the uneven road, and the hum of the engine had a soothing effect on Colin, though the tension in his body didn't subside. He'd have to deal with it somehow. He couldn't let this drag on. He had to spend a year here, and he couldn't allow Lipski to distract him. Maybe he could just get rid of the tension once he got back to his apartment. Step under a warm, relaxing shower and…
"What are you thinking about, Doc?" Brad suddenly asked, as if reading his thoughts.
Colin flinched, blinked, and turned scarlet.
"A warm shower," he said, telling half the truth. "You, on the other hand, should avoid getting your hand wet for now."
"What? No shower for me? And I was really looking forward to a hot shower…"
Colin nearly jumped in his seat. His imagination ran wild, suddenly painting a vivid picture of Brad's naked, sculpted body under the steaming water. His muscles relaxing. His eyes closing as the water washed away the remnants of the long day. The streams cascading down his neck, caressing him like a lover's hands. His hands, if they could… Brad tilting his head back, water sliding over his face, kissing his closed eyes, his parted lips, his arched throat with that prominent, tempting Adam's apple, and that smooth, chiseled torso with two dark nipples…
Jesus Christ!
The water flowed lower, over his hard stomach, making its inevitable way down to his hips and his proud, fully erect—
Oh God! Stop! This is neither the place nor the time!
A tight lump formed in his throat. He coughed.
"Relax, Doc, we'll be there soon, and you'll be able to take a shower and get some sleep," Lipski informed him casually. "And if you get hungry at night, I put a little something in the fridge. You'll find a cucumber, some sausages, and bananas."
Colin's cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red. Why did every single thing in his fridge have that shape? Was this some kind of conspiracy to torment him further?
"Uh, okay," he replied, swallowing hard and sneaking a glance at the man's lap. His face wasn't the only thing burning anymore. His whole body felt like it was on fire, as if he were trapped in an inferno.
Damn it, now he really craved a juicy, grilled sausage.