Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 9

window and gazed outside. It was raining buckets and the streets had started to flood. He just hoped the rain stopped by morning, when his shift ended.
    He turned to look at Gabe. The man's eyes were shut and he looked like he was resting peacefully. Lucas took the opportunity to take in the beautiful man. He wanted to laugh at the term beautiful because he knew if Gabe heard him say that, he'd get pissed. He hated when others got offended by the term, as if it were too feminine to call a man that. All human beings were individuals that had a beauty all their own, and Gabe had gotten his fair share.
    Gabe had the blackest hair Lucas had ever seen. No gray or white speckled the dark locks, just pure midnight black. He wore it high and tight with very little length on top. Even as short as it was, Lucas bet it was soft to the touch, like a baby duck's feathers.
    The skin that covered Gabe's muscular body was a light tan. Not dark, as if he sunbathed, but more as though it was his natural coloring. A nice olive tint to his skin tone.
    The most intriguing thing about Detective Edgerton was his dark, blue eyes. A deep, navy blue. Those eyes held a story. A story he'd give anything to hear, but the stubborn man seemed to be on the defensive all the time.
    The lightning flashed, followed by a loud boom of thunder. He saw the way Gabe tensed before the loud bang, as if he knew it was coming. Smiling to himself, he neared the bed. It appeared Mr. Edgerton was playing possum.
    He liked a good challenge and if Gabe was anything it was going to be just that, a challenge. It wasn't his typical move to pick up guys at his job, but he'd felt the jolt of attraction earlier, when he was face to face with Gabe. There was no denying it. He wanted Gabe Edgerton for himself.
    Taking a chance, Lucas ran his fingertips down the side of Gabe's face. A slight tremble fluttered across Gabe's body, and Lucas went a step further. He sat on the edge of the bed and continued to stroke the side of Gabe's cheek. Gabe's lips parted and a soft sigh seeped out.
    "Gabe, open your eyes." Lucas made his voice soft, but firm. He'd just given Gabe an order and he was curious to see if the man would follow it. Slowly but surely, Gabe opened his eyes. There was no hiding it—Gabe was aroused by his command.
    "Good boy," Lucas praised him.
    Lucas had lived the Dom lifestyle for the past couple of years. He had a friend who'd introduced him into the scene. Watching and learning how a man could master another's body was a thing of beauty. He wanted to be the one responsible for his lover's pleasure, to control when, if, and how he came. It was a sexual high for him to know another person had given him the power to protect and keep him safe.
    Trust was a powerful thing when given and he never took advantage of that trust, or demeaned his lovers. He wasn't cruel, like some who played in the scene. No, Lucas understood the need to let go and let someone else do the thinking for a while. It wasn't something to look down upon, but to be commended. It took a lot to hand yourself over to another, and he was grateful for the opportunity.
    "Why are you in here?" Gabe asked softly.
    "I came to see how you were doing." He ran his finger down the slope of Gabe's nose, smiling when he felt the shudder of his body. "How do you feel?"
    Gabe was quiet for so long, he feared the man wouldn't answer. Then, all too quickly, the spell was broken. The walls that had started to lower flew back up, locking into place. Gabe pushed away from him.
    "Stop that," Gabe growled. "Do you do this with all your patients?"
    Lucas rolled his eyes and stood up. It appeared Gabe would be harder to tame than he'd originally thought. "I was concerned for you and wanted to comfort you. Is that so hard to believe?"
    "I don't need someone to care about me. I'm perfectly fine."
    "Yeah, right." He laughed bitterly. "It looks like you're doing a bang up job at keeping yourself safe." He grabbed the remote and pushed the button to lift the bed into a sitting position.
    "I don't need your approval for how I live my life." He lunged for the remote but Lucas pulled back. "Give me that call button. I want a different nurse."
    Lucas took a step forward, hovering over Gabe. "You listen to me and you listen good." He took a deep breath, reining in his temper. "I want you to calm down. You need to relax." He held a finger to Gabe's lips when he started to argue. "I didn't give you permission to speak. So you will