Cade Creek 5
Available May 21st
Hank Vaught had a past, one that made him wary of
relationships. When the man he’s interested in betrays his trust, Hank refuses
to have anything to do with him. But fate has a way of making a man regret
decisions made in haste. When Sammy’s life is threatened, Hank is the first to
run to his rescue. Getting Sammy to agree to speak to him again might be harder
than finding the serial arsonist that is plaguing Cade Creek. It might be damn
near impossible.
Sammy Helmond wanted Hank with a need that clouded every
decision he made. Not knowing what he did to get Hank to kick him to the curb,
Sammy tries to move on with his life. With nothing to lose, he gives into
family pressure and moves away from Cade Creek. But even that solace is denied
him when he finds himself engaged to be married to a woman who needs rescuing
more than he does.
Desire brought Hank and Sammy together. Betrayal kept them
apart. Can they learn to trust each other or will their chance at love be over
before it can even really start?
STORY EXCERPT
Sammy Helmond watched as the double doors leading to the
ambulance bay swung open and a gurney was rushed inside. His throat felt thick
with emotion as he watched the gurney be wheeled past him and into a critical
care cubicle in the restricted section of the emergency room. A moment later, a
second ambulance arrived and wheeled in another gurney.
A shooting in Cade Creek.
Things like that simply did not happen, not here. Oh sure,
there was the occasional hunting accident and such but very rarely did someone
get shot on purpose, and now they had two gunshot wound patients.
Sammy knew he was going to be needed to run interference
when family and friends arrived. The doctors needed time to assess wounds and
ensure that the injured patients stayed alive. Once they knew their patients
weren’t going to die and they had a better idea of what they were dealing with,
someone would come out to talk to the family.
The best way that Sammy could help was to keep the family
calm and make sure that the doctors had all the information they needed to care
for their patients. Knowing this, Sammy got two clipboards and attached the
medical questionnaires that needed to be filled out by the family.
When the main door to the emergency room opened and several
people rushed in, Sammy’s heart sank. The one thing he hated about working in
the emergency room of a small town was that he knew just about everyone that
came in. Sometimes it was really hard to separate his personal feeling from his
professional obligations.
“Sammy,” Jonny breathed as he rushed to the check in desk.
“They brought Russ in. He was shot.”
Damn.
“The doctors are working on him now, Jonny,” Sammy replied.
He held up the clipboard. Now probably wasn’t the best time to bring it up but
he really needed to get this information to the doctors. “I need this filled
out.”
If anything, Jonny’s face grew even grimmer. “I don’t…I
don’t know any of this.”
“Just fill in what you can, Jonny. I’ll get the rest from
Russ’s medical records.”
“I can help with some of it,” Mitch said as he hovered
behind Jonny. “I’ve called Russ’s parents and they should be here soon. They
can help fill in the rest.”
“I should know this, you know.” Jonny’s shaky hand took the
clipboard and he made his way over to one of the chairs. “We’re married. I
should know this.”
Sammy blinked several times to get rid of the tears
threatening to spring to his eyes at the lost look on Jonny’s face. He knew the
man well as they kind of worked in the same profession. Jonny often dropped by
for a chat after dropping a patient off. It was heartbreaking to see his fancy
wedding outfit covered in blood.
“How’s Hank?”
Sammy’s gaze snapped to Benjamin Brody and his husband
Neason. Everything inside of him, right down to his soul, stilled. “Hank?”
Please. Don’t let it be my Hank.
“Hank Vaught,” Brody said. “He was also shot.”
“He pushed Russ out of the way,” Neason added, his eyelashes
fluttering as he blinked away his tears. “Hand probably saved Russ’s life.”
Sammy swallowed the lump in his throat before replying. “I’m
afraid I can’t really give out that information. I’ll need permission from
whoever his emergency contact is before I can tell you anything.”
Neasons’s face dropped but Brody nodded as if he understood.
“I believe the fire chief is Hank’s emergency contact.”
“Jack?”
Brody nodded.
“I’ll call him now,” Sammy said even as he reached for the
phone, dialing Fire Chief Jack Helmond’s cell phone. It seemed to take forever
for Jack to answer. Sammy knew the man was usually busy whether he was at work
or at home with his partner Chester, but if he didn’t answer the phone soon,
Sammy was going to scream.
“Hey, Sammy, what’s up?” the man asked when he finally
answered.
“There’s been a shooting,” Sammy said quickly. “Hank Vaught
and Russ Bozeman were both shot. I believe you are listed as Hank’s emergency
contact. I need you to come down to the hospital.”
“Wasn’t Russ getting married today?”
“Yes.” Sammy glanced at the people gathered around Jonny,
all dressed in the Sunday best. “I don’t know exactly what happened but I think
the shooting took place at the wedding. Someone said Hank got shot when he
pushed Russ out of the way.”
“Damn! Okay, I’m on my way.”
“Hurry, Jack. There’s no one here to make medical decisions
for Hank.”
“Getting in my truck now. I’ll hit the lights.”
“Just hurry, Jack.” Sammy hung up and took a moment to
center himself. His desperation to go check on Hank was overwhelming. He needed
to keep it together. He took a few more cleansing breathes and then walked over
to one of the other nurses. “I need to run in back. Can you watch the counter?”
Sally glanced up, smiling. “Sure.”
“The fire chief is on his way here,” Sammy said. “Just let
him come back when he arrives.”
“Okay.”
Sammy walked around the check in counter and over to the
small group gathered, waiting for news. “Jonny.” The anguish on the man’s pale
face when he looked up just about ripped Sammy’s heart out. “I’m going to run
in back and see if the doctor can tell me anything. I’ll be right back.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded and turned, keeping his steps even and at a
regular controlled pace as he walked to the double doors leading back into the
medical bay. He tapped the code to open the door and then waited. The activity
in the back area was busy, as it should be if there were two gunshot victims in
the emergency room.
Sammy stepped through the doors and went to the nurse’s desk
set in the middle of the twelve room medical bay. It became blaringly apparent
that one patient was in room twelve and the other in room ten. That was where
all of the activity was located.
He moved closer, listening and watching. He cataloged all of
the medical procedures happening in front of him but his brain refused to
process exactly what they were. All he could see was the blood saturating
Hank’s shirt as it was being cut off of him. The heart monitor said Hank was
alive but how was beyond Sammy. He could see the wound that the doctor was
trying to treat, the jagged edges of skin where a bullet had ripped through the
man’s flesh.
Hank shouldn’t be alive.
ADULT EXCERPT
“Do you want to come in for coffee?”
“I’d love to.” Hank Vaught grinned as delight swept through
him. He followed his date into the house, not even able to appreciate the
comfortable place because his attention was centered on the gorgeous blond in
front of him. While they had hung out a few times to get to know each other,
this was their first official date and Hank didn’t want the evening to end.
Sammy’s skin was flushed as he turned and then slowly backed
into the kitchen. “What do you take in your coffee?”
Hank wasn’t the least bit interested in having a cup of
coffee, and he doubted Sammy was either, but if the man needed to play the
game, Hank would play. “Just a little sugar.” Hank winked. “I like sweet
things.”
Sammy stared for a moment before laughter filled his eyes.
“Does that line actually work?”
Hank moved closer until he pinned Sammy against the counter.
“I don’t know,” he admitted as he leaned down until their lips were just a
breath apart. “Does it?”
Sammy swallowed so hard, Hank heard it. “Oh yeah, it works.”
“Good to know,” Hank said right before he lowered his mouth,
covering Sammy’s mouth in a starving kiss. Their tongues tangled, mated, hard, hungry.
He gripped Sammy’s hair, holding the man to him as his mouth devoured him.
Hank knew that Sammy could feel his hard length pressing
against him. One small groan from Sammy and Hank was ready to drop to his feet
and worship at the altar of Sammy. He was so aroused he could feel his cock
beating against his zipper.
Sammy turned around in Hank’s arms, leaning in and nuzzling
Hank’s neck. It made the skin around Hank’s throat tingle. It made his dick as
hard as a steel pipe. When Sammy groaned, Hank felt his cock harden even more,
and he hadn’t thought that was possible.
“Mmm…you smell good enough to eat,” Sammy moaned.
Damn
“Now, that’s promising.” Hank chuckled as he slowly lifted
Sammy’s shirt up and off his head, and then his own, dropping them both on the
floor before reaching for Sammy’s pants. He quickly had them undone and down
around Sammy’s ankles.
Hank knelt down between Sammy’s legs, his hands going around
Sammy’s hard, jutting cock even as he leaned in and licked the droplets of
pre-cum from the head. Wanting better access, Hank lifted Sammy’s feet out of
his jeans and tossed them aside, spreading Sammy’s legs until he was
practically straddling Hank.
He could hear Sammy’s deep moans, feel his hands clenching
in his hair as he took Sammy’s entire length into his mouth. He slowly moved
his tongue across the head and around the side, sliding it around the entire
head before engulfing his entire length.
Hank started licking, sucking, and swallowing Sammy’s cock.
He could hear Sammy’s moans increasing in volume even as his hands tightened in
his hair.
Looking up, Hank watched with awe as Sammy’s head fell back
onto his shoulders and he let out a long groan as he quickly humped his hips
towards Hank. Hank knew that Sammy was close. He wanted him desperate.
Hank quickly licked his finger. He reached around behind
Sammy and pushed his finger between Sammy’s ass cheeks, searching for his
puckered little hole. He knew the moment he found it because Sammy’s cries
became louder, his thrusting fiercer.
Hank pushed his finger into Sammy’s tight ring of muscles,
slowly moving it around a little bit before he added a second one. As he began
pumping his fingers into Sammy, his mouth lavishing his cock, he could hear
Sammy cry out.
“Hank…gonna…”
Hank increased his sucking on Sammy’s cock, his fingers
moving faster in his ass as he felt Sammy crest, crying out deeply as he filled
Hank’s mouth with his release. Hank continued to suck on him until he swallowed
ever last drop Sammy had to give.
