Page 39 of Missing in Action

“Water, please.”

“Sure. Coming up.” Holden’s footsteps retreated from the bathroom.

Tyler breathed deep and slow. He let the calming scents bring him down from high anxiety and soothe his mind, while the warm water cradled his aching body. While the pain didn’t go, he felt better now the prosthesis was gone. After a couple of minutes, he opened his eyes to see Holden standing over him with a glass of water and two white pills. “Tylenol.”

“Thanks.” Tyler sat up, swallowed the pills and drank the water.

Holden knelt by the bath. “You’ve got some color back. I thought you were going to pass out.”

“Not exactly the romantic morning-after, is it?” Tyler asked.

Holden shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. My morning-afters consist of waking up lying in the wet patch.”

Tyler grimaced.

“I was going to make you breakfast though. As a romantic gesture.”

Tyler managed a smile. Holden reached out, stroking the curve of his stubbled jaw. “You’re just as beautiful in the morning,” he said.

“Even with half a leg?”

“Especially with half a leg.”

Tyler lowered his gaze.

“You don’t believe me.”

Tyler said nothing.

“Maybe you’d like to check out the erection I have from looking at you naked in the bath.”

Tyler’s cock gave a little jump. He gave Holden another weak smile. Holden put his hand in the water and squeezed Tyler’s fingers. “Last night was great, and it was different,” he said in a murmur. “I woke up with the man who’d made love to me and he hadn’t hurt me, or used me. He was still there in my bed and it felt great.”

Tyler swallowed. “Apart from this.”

Holden heaved a sigh. “I don’t care.”

“It’s not the impression I got when you first saw me with my leg off that day in the café.”

“Come on.” Holden’s voice was soft. “It was just a shock. I haven’t known many people with amputations before. Please believe me when I say it’s nothing.”

Tyler regarded him. “Prove it.”

“What?”

“Take a bar of soap and wash me all over. Including my stump.”

Holden gave a slow smile. “That’ll only lead one way, Mister, you know that, right?”

“I should hope so,” Tyler replied smartly.

Holden reached for a bar of soap on the edge of the bath. “Sit forward.”

Tyler did as he was told. Holden lathered up the soap and washed his back and neck with slow strokes of his hand. Then he made his way down each arm and under them before spreading soapy fingers over his chest. Tyler settled back in the water and let Holden smooth his hand over his belly before he dipped below the water, using two hands on each thigh to wash. He slid down Tyler’s right leg, washing back and front, soaping his foot. Then he started on Tyler’s left knee, sliding down as far as he could. He stood, lifted Tyler’s stump free of the water and bent, washing and massaging with gentle hands, running his fingers over the edge of the knitted skin. “Tell me if I’m hurting you.”

“You’re not.” Tyler watched his face for any signs of revulsion. He saw only focus and concern and he felt the tension in his belly slide away into warmth.

Holden smiled at him. He lowered Tyler’s leg back to the water and massaged it beneath the surface. Tyler closed his eyes and let Holden’s hands take him away.

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