alieicanlivewith (8 page)
Authors: Eden Winters
"Who was your favorite character?"
Now that was a tough question. A smorgasbord of scorching hot maleness graced the TV screen every time that serial came on. Dr. Gary filled the role of lead heartthrob, with wavy blond hair and a dazzling, come-hither smile. He also slept with most of the nurses and lied compulsively. Dr. Raimey, equally appealing in a slightly more boy-next-door kind of way, had serious drug problems and cheated on his wife, while Dr. Shaver suffered a massive superiority complex. Dr. Han? Dr.
Wills? "I thought they were all hot, but wouldn't want a relationship with any of them."
"Me either. Now, do you remember Dr. McMahan?"
An image came to mind of an overweight guy in glasses, usually seen only from the waist up, the rest of him conveniently hidden behind a desk, a gurney, or an operating table. On the poster, the double s's in
Tennessee Trauma
hid most of his body. "Yeah, I remember him."
Garret chattered excitedly, "No matter what happened or what kind of messes anyone got into, little nobody McMahan, kept in that windowless office until they needed him, always saved the day. Steadfast, hardworking, and loyal to a fault, defending his friends even knowing they screwed up and gossiped behind his back. I first realized I was gay when I popped a boner
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watching that guy analyze a problem and work out a solution."
"You thought Dr. McMahan was hot?"
"Still do." Garret grinned a bashful "don't be jealous"
grin. "My mom thought I liked the show and hoped I'd want to be a doctor. She'd die if she knew I jacked off to Dr. McMahan."
Otis spluttered, "You…you jacked off to Dr. Mack?"
Oh, Lord, he thought he'd been the only one. It all started after Dr. Mack had saved that little nurse Dr.
Gary had done so much dirt to; Otis had reached down...
"Uh-huh." A knowing twinkle appeared in Garret's eyes.
"But…but… He's a lot like me!"
And Garret keeps
saying he likes the way I look -- his hands aren't lying
when he touches me -- his body feels sincere...
"Uh-huh," Garret said again. "And haven't you noticed I've taken quite a shine to Corporal Cole on that game of yours. I like big, solidly built, intelligent problem-solvers. That should be clear to you by now."
"But…but…" Solidly built, oh yeah, nothing remotely wispy about him, except for that self-confidence thing. Problem-solver, well, yeah, people paid him handsome fees to come fix things he found almost too simple to spend time on.
Garret shut Otis up with a very thorough kiss, pulling away to say, "I lied yesterday."
"Lied? About what?" Otis swallowed hard, heart
ba-boom
ing a frantic beat.
Oh shit! Just when I thought..
.
As during the first night they'd made love, Garret appeared shy and unsure, blue eyes hidden behind heavy lids, full lower lips captured by the bare edges of pearly white teeth. "Look, we've only known each other a couple of weeks…"
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Otis' heart constricted. Despite what Garret had said, he still waited for the other shoe to fall. Instead of a "It's been fun, but…" he received the softest of kisses.
Garret's eyes connected with his and held. "We've only known each other a couple of weeks, but I've never been surer of anyone in my life. I love you, Otis Tucker." His gaze never wavered.
"Th…then how did you lie?"
A smile like sunshine parting gray clouds appeared, twin dimples matching the deep cleft in Garret's chin.
"When my father asked what we're most grateful for.
Although I appreciate the hell out of my family, if I were being totally honest I should have said 'finding you.'"
Otis gasped, noises emerging but no words. Garret saved him from having to respond by kissing him again.
The words muffled against Garret's mouth, Otis finally managed to mumble, "That's a lie I can live with."
Garret pulled away, still smiling. "Come on, get dressed. After breakfast we'll start decorating for Christmas, that is, as soon as my sisters come back from the Black Friday sales."
Climbing out of bed, scratching his belly and stretching, Otis froze when Garret barked a laugh. "I think it only fair to warn you, though, we might get teased."
"Teased?"
"Yeah, my sister said we're louder than BFG's. That stands for "Big effing--?"
"Guns," Otis finished for him, fighting the urge to hide.
Oh my God! They heard us!
"Don't worry," Garret assured him, "I've picked on her often enough. I guarantee you no one thinks anything of it." He flashed his brightest grin. "And the kids were camped out in the den, out of earshot."
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As they walked out of the room, hand in hand, Otis thought once more of Captain Nathan, his face now indistinct, replaced by the image of Otis' new real-life hero, who still battled for good, but with a kind heart and business loans, rather than rocket launchers. Yeah, Otis could live with that.
"Garret?" he said, pausing when he heard voices coming from the kitchen. It might be a long time before they had a private moment again.
"Yes?"
Blue eyes, brow raised in question, stared
expectantly. Otis' heart slid to the floor at his man's feet.
He brushed his lips gently across Garret's, reveling in the warm embrace that rewarded his efforts.
"Yes?" Garret asked again.
Recalling the poster of his hero in his office, he finally realized the truth in what Garret had said all along: that Garret had spent his whole life looking for one man, and it wasn't a handsome, chiseled hunk. No, like his parents, Garret had searched for the one to build a life with.
"Before we go in there, I want you to know…" The smile Otis had been fighting broke free of his control. "I guess I lied, too."
End.
If you liked this book you might like: The Match Before Christmas, Fanning the Flames, Galen and the Forest Lord
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.
A Lie I Can Live With
SINGLE SHOTS
An imprint of Torquere Press Publishers
PO Box 2545
Round Rock, TX 78680
Copyright 2011 by Eden Winters
Cover illustration by Alessia Brio
Published with permission
ISBN: 978-1-61040-533-1
All rights reserved, which includes the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever except as provided by the U.S. Copyright Law. For information address Torquere Press. Inc., PO
Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680.
First Torquere Press Printing: November 2011
Printed in the USA
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