Page 260 of Icy Cold Death

When Ridge turned his head, Lucian saw the hurt in his eyes, and he knew he put it there by pulling away from him.

“Maybe I deserve it,” he admitted.

Ridge said nothing as he fought to not reach out and touch him.

There was that awkward silence because of it, and he couldn’t stop it. If he moved toward him, he might pull away, and that would damage him.

Ridge knew the truth.

They’d opened a can of worms that was likely going to be a nightmare.

When he said nothing, Lucian gave up.

He couldn’t do this.

He couldn’t navigate this.

What he had was gone, and he was done. Without Ridge to tune for him, he was going to be overwhelmed by his gift and it would pull him under.

He needed to talk to Oracle.

Maybe they could close his eye.

“Never mind,” he whispered, and stood up. “I’ll leave you alone. I’m sorry I hurt you.”

As soon as he moved away, Ridge wanted to be sick. The physical distance hurt.

He didn’t know how to fix what happened, because he couldn’t think past touching him.

He loved this man, and it was difficult to come to grips with the fact that when they’d both cum, something was switched in him.

He was happily married and shouldn’t feel this pull to him.

Yet, he was drawn to him.

In the static, in Lucian’s head, he could feel the lust. He could hear his own need begging him to have contact to feed that need.

It was terrifying.

Not the lust, since he always felt some of it in the static when he was connected to the man, but now how overwhelming it was.

They had wives.

God.

They had lives.

As Lucian began leaving, Ridge knew it was now or never. He could hear the words in his head that were going through Lucian’s.

I’ve lost him.

My heart hurts.

I’m so confused.

I’m broken.

“Lucian, wait,” he said, getting the man to stop. When he turned, Ridge couldn’t fight it anymore. The need to connect to him was just too strong.