Free Ripped (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) by Anita Kinley Page B

his lips, smelling a combination of oxygen and surgical disinfectant.
    Thirty minutes later, Roman met his mother and father back in the waiting room.
    “Have you had anything to eat? You look so tired,” his mother asked, placing a warm hand on his cheek.
    “I’ll get something later. I want to be near Kyle.”
    “Are you sure you want to stay here? Dad and I are more than happy for you to come to the house for a few days. I can make up the guest bedroom for you.”
    “Mama, I’m fine. I promised him that I wouldn’t leave.”
    “Abigail, leave him be,” Roman’s father quickly spoke. “I am assuming that he is doing what any person would do when they are in love with someone.”
    “Thanks, Dad,” Roman said as he hugged his father.
    “All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy, son.”
    After saying good-bye to his parents in the parking lot, Roman went back to Kyle’s room. This time he sat in silence, caressing his partner’s hand in his own. He wondered what the staff would think if he curled his body beside Kyle to sleep. He also pondered sleeping on the floor near the bed. Security would throw him out for sure. Knowing he needed sleep was one thing, as he had to stay strong for Kyle, but leaving him was another. Even if Kyle was in a medically induced state of unconsciousness, it gave Roman a sense of solace to think that his husband was aware of his presence. Laying his head on the bed, he thought for a moment that he felt Kyle’s hand squeeze his, ultimately realizing that it was his own imagination.
    The sofa in the surgical waiting room was definitely not designed for overnight guests, as Roman woke to what felt like a dull ache throughout his body. His shoulder was stiff, and it throbbed as he sat up. His watch read five thirty. Doctors would soon be making their rounds. As he grabbed a fresh shirt from his backpack nearby, Roman wished that he had his bottle of Demerol. He also wondered if there was a medication to heal the pain in his heart. Roman already missed feeling Kyle’s arms around him, his husband’s boyish grin, and his partner’s sense of adventure. Buttoning his shirt, he realized just how close he had come to losing those things, and the idea washed a familiar wave of nausea through his body.
    The morning doctor’s visit was technical, as Roman watched both surgeons checking Kyle’s legs and reviewing his chart from the previous night. Seeing his husband’s injuries for the first time had proved more difficult than Roman had imagined. He wanted to take Kyle into him arms and assure him of the love they shared. If anything, Roman felt more intimacy with his husband right now than he ever did while making love.
    As if Dr. Winters could read his mind, he said, “Kyle is going to need your support and love in the months to come. He’s doing very well, considering his condition when I first saw him yesterday. I’d say he was a fighter, because that was all he had. I’m disconnecting the medication that has been keeping him unconscious. I want him waking up, hopefully by this afternoon. Go slow when you tell him. If he continues to improve, I’ll order him out to a regular room in the morning.”
    “How soon can I take him home?”
    “That depends on Kyle. I’ve seen patients with this type of injury go home in two weeks, while some have stayed a few months or more. He will need physical therapy, and, of course, prosthetics if he chooses. There is no reason why he can’t live a normal life.”
    Roman felt Kyle begin to stir later that afternoon. His husband’s fingers caressing his own gave Roman a sense of hope.
    “Where am I?” Kyle whispered as Roman kissed his forehead.
    Moving to sit next to him on the bed, still holding their fingers entwined, Roman replied, “You’re in the hospital. There was an accident, and you were injured.”
    “I don’t remember much,” Kyle replied. “We were riding the Harley, and then everything just goes black. Why can’t I