Hamish

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ROSS MEN NEVER BARED their souls to anyone. His father had evoked all the staid nonsense of stiff upper lips. He’d been a kind and good man, but he’d never shown his son how to handle a wealth and depth of emotions.

Grieving, as a result, hadn’t come naturally to Hamish. Whether his parents’ deaths or the loss of marines in his command, he felt each one keenly but eventually dismissed it. His tattoos had become a way to say what he found to be impossible to voice.

We carry on, son.

So he did.

And had done.

“Whatever you’ve got going through your mind, it can’t be good for you. Your face will stick in that frown if you’re not careful.” Akash had finished helping him to dry off, and moved on to hunting through Hamish’s wardrobe. “Where are your pants? Or do you sleep starkers?”

All things considered, Hamish thought he’d been the picture of restraint throughout the evening. A man he found intoxicatingly attractive had given him a wash in the bath. He hadn’t once attempted to drag him into the water for a kiss.

Not once.

All that damned willpower hasn’t gone to waste.

But bloody hell, I want a taste of his lips—and everything else.

“Not entirely certain I care to know what you’re thinking about now, but at least it’s stopped you frowning so fiercely.” Akash stood by the wardrobe with a pair of Hamish’s boxers dangling from his hand. His eyes drifted down to the visibly growing erection. “No naughty thoughts. The doctor wouldn’t approve.”

“Sod the doctor.” Hamish strode across the room. He might not be able to lift his arms up, but had no doubts he could work around the issue. “Take your clothes off.”

“That an order?” Akash lifted an eyebrow while his eyes seemed to sparkle with a dark amusement. “Is this what happens to you military types? You forget how to behave out of uniform?”

“Take your clothes off.” Hamish crowded into the baker’s space. He’d skirted around the issue for long enough. Shoulder be damned—I’ll see every inch of his skin tonight. “Well? Get on with it.”

With a wry smile, Akash carelessly kicked off one trainer, then the other. He toed his socks off next. Hamish laughed at the absurdly lengthy process the man went through to ease out of his shirt, trousers, and briefs.

“Make a meal of it, why don’t you.” Hamish backed Akash up until he dropped onto the bed, which filled almost 70 percent of the room. “How about I make a meal out of you?”

Akash scooted up on the bed until he rested against the headboard. His breathing picked up while he watched Hamish. “Sure you can manage with your shoulder?”

Hamish stalked around to stand next to the reclining baker. He caught him by the hair with his good hand. “Do you consent?”

“To what?”

“Everything.”

“Gladly.” Akash grinned a little wildly up at him. “Willingly.”

Hamish yanked him forward by his hair, ignoring the slight twitch in his shoulder. He rubbed his thick erection across Akash’s lips. “Are you certain?”

“Ye—”

Nudging his way into the open mouth, Hamish cut Akash off midanswer. He smiled down into the eyes glaring up at him. A jolt of lust and joy raced up his spine; maybe just this once, he’d met someone who could be everything he craved and more.

The stubble on Akash’s jaw grazed against his skin, drawing his attention back to the lips wrapped tightly around his erection. Hamish tightened his fingers around the thick, soft raven locks. He tugged hard enough to delve deeper into the warmth of his inviting mouth.

“Stroke yourself.” Hamish tapped a finger against Akash’s forehead to get his attention. “You’ll come when I do.”

A tilt of the baker’s eyebrows conveyed his amusement at being ordered about. Hamish shifted his hand to the back of Akash’s head. He managed, without tweaking his shoulder too much, to control the speed and depth of the mouth gliding up and down on his shaft.

“Enjoying yourself as much as I am?” Hamish couldn’t help the cruel tease, since Akash had no way to respond to him aside from a narrowing of his eyes. “Nice and slowly, slide your fingers up and down. Don’t want you finishing before I do.”

The teasing encouragement apparently struck Akash as a challenge. In no time at all, he demonstrated to Hamish a wickedly skilled talent with his tongue. He etched away at Hamish’s sanity with every flick, hum, and inhale.

Locking his knees to avoid dropping to them, Hamish tried desperately to regain some semblance of control. He used his hold on Akash’s hair to slow him down. It only served to allow him more time to utilise his tongue, swirling it around the head of Hamish’s cock.

If I fall and dislocate my shoulder again, it’s definitely going to be worth it.

Fuck.

He didn’t fall. Or, dislocate his shoulder, again. Akash ended up with his chest covered in the evidence of their mutual pleasure.

Hamish sank down on the floor beside him, and grunted when it jolted his injury. “I’d offer to help you in the bath, but I’m fairly sure you’ve done me in.”

Akash glanced down at the mess on his chest. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

Hamish struggled up to his feet and carefully stretched out on top of the duvet on his bed with a satisfied sigh. “He’s brilliant.”

So I better not bugger it all up.

The strain of being in pain all day wore on Hamish. He wiggled around to get himself into a more comfortable position on the bed. His eyes closed as he sank into the afterglow of the first shared sexual pleasure he’d had in a while.

I’m keeping him.

Definitely.

“You’re far too pleased with yourself.” Akash’s laugh brought him out of a light doze. “Should I swan off home then?”

No.

Hamish lazily waved him over. He had no intention of allowing Akash to blow and go. “Stay.”