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Together the two men slowly stretched. Holden tried not to focus on the large
package in front of his face every time Drew pulled gently on his arms to help him
stretch. He had to give Drew credit. There was no added sexual innuendo. This was all
about the business of helping Holden heal.
Right, that s it. Take fifteen minutes in the spa and then come back out here and I ll
rub your legs down and you ll be finished for the day.
Why are you doing this, Drew?
Because I can. And because you need somebody to push you. You re going to have
to take some responsibility and do this most days by yourself. But I ve got the next few
days free and I plan to see to it that you get this rehab going. I know how I d feel if I
had to count on Ty to drive me to town and exercise in front of a bunch of people.
You re not broken, Holden, but you were hurt. If you don t keep after the rehab, this is
the kind of injury you won t recover from. Eventually, your legs will waste and there s
no damn reason to let that happen. So for now& you still promise to go to rehab twice a
week. Two more days a week, you re stuck with me and this little gym. Anything you
want to do above and beyond that is all good. Now go on. I ll be here when you get
out.
*
The bathroom that was attached to the gym was surprisingly large. An etched glass
shower stall dominated one corner. Curious, he opened the door to a space large
enough for three or four people, with multiple spray heads so that everybody could still
get wet. Even those sitting on the tile bench. Closing the door on that fantasy, Holden
turned to examine an already filled and slowly churning hot tub, the size he usually
associated with backyards and poolsides. The area surrounding the tub was a happy
mixture of plants and large palms, all with brightly painted pots, set on uneven and
irregular red flagstone pavers. There was a distinctly south of the border patio flavor to
this luxury garden spa. Obviously Cass didn t mind spending his money on things that
made him feel good.
Leaning against the cool tile walls, Holden tried to maintain his balance on
trembling legs, while his fingers fumbled to push his shorts off his hips. Once he was
finally naked, he used the edge of the door and safety railings inside the shower stall to
support his weight while he rinsed. Turning off the water, he stood naked for a
moment, judging the distance between the tub and the cast iron baker s rack stacked
with neatly rolled white towels. He contemplated trying the short distance without his
crutches, but decided it would be too embarrassing if he slipped and landed bare assed
naked on the floor. Compromising, he used a single crutch to support his weight, the
rubber tip bumping on the uneven surface of the floor. Using the handrails, he lowered
himself carefully into the hot water, allowing his body to adjust to the heat before
turning on the hard, swirling jets. When he was in up to his shoulders he leaned his
head back and closed his eyes and thought.
Although the casita was simple enough and contained nothing as luxurious as this
bathroom or the home gym, it was still more than he would be able to afford on his
own. Once he received his settlement from the county and all his debts were paid, he
still had expenses that needed to be covered. There were things in his life that needed to
be taken care of, things that people like Cass and Drew would never understand. He
didn t know much about the veterinarian s background, but he knew enough to be able
to tell he d come from at least a little money. Holden could not allow himself to get used
to living this way.
The luxury was nice, being around all men was nice, but it wasn t something he
could do for long. If the job continued to work out, maybe he could work from Laughlin
or Needles. He d have to check the cost of living and other things about those
communities.
Lost in thought, he jumped when Drew spoke from behind him. That s long
enough, you don t want to shrivel up like a prune. I m just gonna rinse off then I ll join
you back on the mats. Just wrap a towel around your waist.
Holden tried not to stare while he dried off, then moved past the shower on his way
back into the gym. It was pretty damned hard not to notice the acres of creamy white
flesh and even harder to resist opening the door for a closer look.
Keeping the towel wrapped firmly around his waist, Holden stretched out on the
mat and told his dick to stand down. From now on he would have to come do this on
his own because he wasn t sure if he could keep from touching Drew. On the other
hand, since he was only going to be at the ranch a little while longer, maybe there
wasn t any reason to keep fighting his attraction. After all, he would ve given in at that
first kiss. He definitely would ve given in when they were on the kitchen floor. He
wanted Drew and he knew the feeling was mutual. Maybe they should just get it over
with& a quick blowjob and a fuck so he could ease the constant itch.
Maybe then he could concentrate on putting his life back to normal. It was already
summer and there were decisions that couldn t be put off much longer. That unhappy
thought served as a cold shower to his fevered libido.
*
Ready? Drew asked, stepping back into the room and breathing in the smell of
fresh soap mixed with the sweat from their earlier workout. Holden was lying on his
stomach, legs splayed, head resting on his folded arms. The stark white of the towel
contrasted sharply with the dark chestnut brown of his broad back.
Does my answer matter? Holden laughed as he answered, and Drew blew out a
breath he hadn t been aware of holding.
Nope, not at all. Drew was cloaked in good intentions and wouldn t back off
regardless of Holden s attitude, but he was glad it wasn t going to degenerate into a
fight. Not today, anyway. He d hustled the other man into the gym and so far they d
avoided a direct confrontation about the workout or about how he d obtained the
physical therapy records. It might not last, but he hoped the easy camaraderie of the
gym would smooth over any rough spots.
Drew had thought long and oh so fucking hard about this massage, and decided he
wasn t going to add in any of the sexy stuff from the other day on the floor. This would
be a brisk rub of the muscles, a smoothing away of the lactic acid to ease any soreness
from the work out. If the only way for him to win Holden s heart was with a slow
seduction, then that s what he d do.
With firm hands and a matter of fact attitude, he worked one leg from the ankle
upward toward the top of his thigh, then switched to the other leg. He kept a steady
stream of conversation, everything from the weather to the Diamondbacks, all casual,
all normal. Drew absolutely wasn t going to think about how the velvety skin and firm
muscles felt under his hands. He wasn t going to watch the slide of his own tanned
hands as he rubbed against Holden s darker, nearly hairless legs. He definitely knew
better than to pay attention to the way his thumbs dug deep into Holden s thighs, as he
slid his hands up under the towel. This was about healing, not seduction. He hoped his
dick was paying attention.
At first, Holden s responses were conversational. When his voice deepened and the
answers became one or two whispered words, Drew stopped talking and let Holden
drift. It didn t take long before the deep, rhythmic breathing settled in. The muscle
fatigue mixed with relaxation put the other man to sleep.
*
Drew spent the afternoon in the kitchen watching Ty put together the meal for the
ranch hands. Despite the heat, the men still enjoyed a hot meal most nights. Tonight s
menu was grilled steaks and summer vegetables. After cleaning and cutting summer
squash, peppers, and onions, Ty put the veggies in an enormous zip bag to marinate in
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