STARTING
SOMETHING
Cade Creek
5
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Hank Vaught had a past, one
that made him wary of relationships. When the man he’s interested in betrays his
trust, Hank refuses to have anything to do with him. But fate has a way of
making a man regret decisions made in haste. When Sammy’s life is threatened,
Hank is the first to run to his rescue. Getting Sammy to agree to speak to him
again might be harder than finding the serial arsonist that is plaguing Cade
Creek. It might be damn near impossible.
Sammy Helmond wanted Hank
with a need that clouded every decision he made. Not knowing what he did to get
Hank to kick him to the curb, Sammy tries to move on with his life. With nothing
to lose, he gives into family pressure and moves away from Cade Creek. But even
that solace is denied him when he finds himself engaged to be married to a woman
who needs rescuing more than he does.
Desire brought Hank and
Sammy together. Betrayal kept them apart. Can they learn to trust each other or
will their chance at love be over before it can even really
start?
STORY
EXCERPT
Sammy Helmond watched as
the double doors leading to the ambulance bay swung open and a gurney was rushed
inside. His throat felt thick with emotion as he watched the gurney be wheeled
past him and into a critical care cubicle in the restricted section of the
emergency room. A moment later, a second ambulance arrived and wheeled in
another gurney.
A shooting in Cade
Creek.
Things like that simply did
not happen, not here. Oh sure, there was the occasional hunting accident and
such but very rarely did someone get shot on purpose, and now they had two
gunshot wound patients.
Sammy knew he was going to
be needed to run interference when family and friends arrived. The doctors
needed time to assess wounds and ensure that the injured patients stayed alive.
Once they knew their patients weren’t going to die and they had a better idea of
what they were dealing with, someone would come out to talk to the
family.
The best way that Sammy
could help was to keep the family calm and make sure that the doctors had all
the information they needed to care for their patients. Knowing this, Sammy got
two clipboards and attached the medical questionnaires that needed to be filled
out by the family.
When the main door to the
emergency room opened and several people rushed in, Sammy’s heart sank. The one
thing he hated about working in the emergency room of a small town was that he
knew just about everyone that came in. Sometimes it was really hard to separate
his personal feeling from his professional obligations.
“Sammy,” Jonny breathed as
he rushed to the check in desk. “They brought Russ in. He was
shot.”
Damn.
“The doctors are working on
him now, Jonny,” Sammy replied. He held up the clipboard. Now probably wasn’t
the best time to bring it up but he really needed to get this information to the
doctors. “I need this filled out.”
If anything, Jonny’s face
grew even grimmer. “I don’t…I don’t know any of this.”
“Just fill in what you can,
Jonny. I’ll get the rest from Russ’s medical records.”
“I can help with some of
it,” Mitch said as he hovered behind Jonny. “I’ve called Russ’s parents and they
should be here soon. They can help fill in the rest.”
“I should know this, you
know.” Jonny’s shaky hand took the clipboard and he made his way over to one of
the chairs. “We’re married. I should know this.”
Sammy blinked several times
to get rid of the tears threatening to spring to his eyes at the lost look on
Jonny’s face. He knew the man well as they kind of worked in the same
profession. Jonny often dropped by for a chat after dropping a patient off. It
was heartbreaking to see his fancy wedding outfit covered in
blood.
“How’s
Hank?”
Sammy’s gaze snapped to
Benjamin Brody and his husband Neason. Everything inside of him, right down to
his soul, stilled. “Hank?”
Please. Don’t let it be my
Hank.
“Hank Vaught,” Brody said.
“He was also shot.”
“He pushed Russ out of the
way,” Neason added, his eyelashes fluttering as he blinked away his tears. “Hand
probably saved Russ’s life.”
Sammy swallowed the lump in
his throat before replying. “I’m afraid I can’t really give out that
information. I’ll need permission from whoever his emergency contact is before I
can tell you anything.”
Neasons’s face dropped but
Brody nodded as if he understood. “I believe the fire chief is Hank’s emergency
contact.”
“Jack?”
Brody nodded.
“I’ll call him now,” Sammy
said even as he reached for the phone, dialing Fire Chief Jack Helmond’s cell
phone. It seemed to take forever for Jack to answer. Sammy knew the man was
usually busy whether he was at work or at home with his partner Chester, but if
he didn’t answer the phone soon, Sammy was going to scream.
“Hey, Sammy, what’s up?”
the man asked when he finally answered.
“There’s been a shooting,”
Sammy said quickly. “Hank Vaught and Russ Bozeman were both shot. I believe you
are listed as Hank’s emergency contact. I need you to come down to the
hospital.”
“Wasn’t Russ getting
married today?”
“Yes.” Sammy glanced at the
people gathered around Jonny, all dressed in the Sunday best. “I don’t know
exactly what happened but I think the shooting took place at the wedding.
Someone said Hank got shot when he pushed Russ out of the
way.”
“Damn! Okay, I’m on my
way.”
“Hurry, Jack. There’s no
one here to make medical decisions for Hank.”
“Getting in my truck now.
I’ll hit the lights.”
“Just hurry, Jack.” Sammy
hung up and took a moment to center himself. His desperation to go check on Hank
was overwhelming. He needed to keep it together. He took a few more cleansing
breathes and then walked over to one of the other nurses. “I need to run in
back. Can you watch the counter?”
Sally glanced up, smiling.
“Sure.”
“The fire chief is on his
way here,” Sammy said. “Just let him come back when he
arrives.”
“Okay.”
Sammy walked around the
check in counter and over to the small group gathered, waiting for news.
“Jonny.” The anguish on the man’s pale face when he looked up just about ripped
Sammy’s heart out. “I’m going to run in back and see if the doctor can tell me
anything. I’ll be right back.”
“Thank
you.”
He nodded and turned,
keeping his steps even and at a regular controlled pace as he walked to the
double doors leading back into the medical bay. He tapped the code to open the
door and then waited. The activity in the back area was busy, as it should be if
there were two gunshot victims in the emergency room.
Sammy stepped through the
doors and went to the nurse’s desk set in the middle of the twelve room medical
bay. It became blaringly apparent that one patient was in room twelve and the
other in room ten. That was where all of the activity was
located.
He moved closer, listening
and watching. He cataloged all of the medical procedures happening in front of
him but his brain refused to process exactly what they were. All he could see
was the blood saturating Hank’s shirt as it was being cut off of him. The heart
monitor said Hank was alive but how was beyond Sammy. He could see the wound
that the doctor was trying to treat, the jagged edges of skin where a bullet had
ripped through the man’s flesh.
Hank shouldn’t be alive.
ADULT
EXCERPT
“Do you want to come in for
coffee?”
“I’d love to.” Hank Vaught
grinned as delight swept through him. He followed his date into the house, not
even able to appreciate the comfortable place because his attention was centered
on the gorgeous blond in front of him. While they had hung out a few times to
get to know each other, this was their first official date and Hank didn’t want
the evening to end.
Sammy’s skin was flushed as
he turned and then slowly backed into the kitchen. “What do you take in your
coffee?”
Hank wasn’t the least bit
interested in having a cup of coffee, and he doubted Sammy was either, but if
the man needed to play the game, Hank would play. “Just a little sugar.” Hank
winked. “I like sweet things.”
Sammy stared for a moment
before laughter filled his eyes. “Does that line actually
work?”
Hank moved closer until he
pinned Sammy against the counter. “I don’t know,” he admitted as he leaned down
until their lips were just a breath apart. “Does it?”
Sammy swallowed so hard,
Hank heard it. “Oh yeah, it works.”
“Good to know,” Hank said
right before he lowered his mouth, covering Sammy’s mouth in a starving kiss.
Their tongues tangled, mated, hard, hungry. He gripped Sammy’s hair, holding the
man to him as his mouth devoured him.
Hank knew that Sammy could
feel his hard length pressing against him. One small groan from Sammy and Hank
was ready to drop to his feet and worship at the altar of Sammy. He was so
aroused he could feel his cock beating against his zipper.
Sammy turned around in
Hank’s arms, leaning in and nuzzling Hank’s neck. It made the skin around Hank’s
throat tingle. It made his dick as hard as a steel pipe. When Sammy groaned,
Hank felt his cock harden even more, and he hadn’t thought that was
possible.
“Mmm…you smell good enough
to eat,” Sammy moaned.
Damn!
“Now, that’s promising.”
Hank chuckled as he slowly lifted Sammy’s shirt up and off his head, and then
his own, dropping them both on the floor before reaching for Sammy’s pants. He
quickly had them undone and down around Sammy’s ankles.
Hank knelt down between
Sammy’s legs, his hands going around Sammy’s hard, jutting cock even as he
leaned in and licked the droplets of pre-cum from the head. Wanting better
access, Hank lifted Sammy’s feet out of his jeans and tossed them aside,
spreading Sammy’s legs until he was practically straddling
Hank.
He could hear Sammy’s deep
moans, feel his hands clenching in his hair as he took Sammy’s entire length
into his mouth. He slowly moved his tongue across the head and around the side,
sliding it around the entire head before engulfing his entire
length.
Hank started licking,
sucking, and swallowing Sammy’s cock. He could hear Sammy’s moans increasing in
volume even as his hands tightened in his hair.
Looking up, Hank watched
with awe as Sammy’s head fell back onto his shoulders and he let out a long
groan as he quickly humped his hips towards Hank. Hank knew that Sammy was
close. He wanted him desperate.
Hank quickly licked his
finger. He reached around behind Sammy and pushed his finger between Sammy’s ass
cheeks, searching for his puckered little hole. He knew the moment he found it
because Sammy’s cries became louder, his thrusting fiercer.
Hank pushed his finger into
Sammy’s tight ring of muscles, slowly moving it around a little bit before he
added a second one. As he began pumping his fingers into Sammy, his mouth
lavishing his cock, he could hear Sammy cry out.
“Hank…gonna…”
Hank increased his sucking
on Sammy’s cock, his fingers moving faster in his ass as he felt Sammy crest,
crying out deeply as he filled Hank’s mouth with his release. Hank continued to
suck on him until he swallowed ever last drop Sammy had to
give.
