“Straight ahead at the top of the stairs,” Greg said with a grin.

Without replying, Lucas headed for the door in question, opened it and maneuvered them both through without hitting either of them on anything. Kicking the door shut behind them, he crossed over to the bed and lowered Greg to the mattress.

“You don’t have to be quite so gentle, you know. I’m not saying that dropping me out of a second story window is a good idea, but you can toss me onto the bed without doing any damage.”

“Quit your sarcasm and get naked,” Lucas growled. “You said it yourself, we’ve got some lost time to make up for.”

Greg did as commanded, and did it way faster than Lucas expected. He was gazing at his friend’s naked body before he’d really prepared himself. And damn, it looked just as good as he remembered … better, actually, given the erection that stood proudly from its nest of tight curls. He’d never seen that before. His mouth actually watered a little as he drank in the sight—the lithe yet muscled form, the long, thick cock, and the wide grin plastered on his face.

“Your turn, hot fireman,” Greg said, raking his gaze up and down Lucas’s body. “Though at some point, we’ve gotta figure out a way for us to screw while you’re wearing the uniform. It’s fucking sexy. But right now, I want your skin against mine, your mouth on mine, your cock inside me.”

Lucas’s response was to shrug off his heavy jacket and let it fall to the floor. Then he removed his boots one by one, where they thumped onto the carpet. Next came his braces—the thick straps which held up his trousers—which he tugged off his shoulders before undoing his fly and shoving his trousers to his ankles. Stepping out of them, he shot a glance at Greg, who was watching him with a predatory expression on his face. He indicated Lucas should continue.

Letting out a laugh that came right from his belly, Lucas shook his head. “No, I don’t. But, um, at the risk of sounding insensitive, how is it going to work?”

“Oh, down there?” Greg pointed at his crotch. “Everything works just fine for me. I can even feel my legs. They just don’t work all that well at the moment. But I’m sure we can find workarounds for the time being, right?” When Lucas nodded, he continued, “To avoid any further delays, yes, I have lube and condoms. So, if it’s not too much trouble, sexy fireman, could you carry me to my bedroom?”

Half-wondering if he was in some kind of incredibly vivid dream, Lucas nodded, then stood up. Reaching down, he lifted Greg out of the wheelchair and made his way upstairs, careful not to whack his left leg on the stair lift that was Greg’s usual way of getting to the upper floor of his house.

“Like what, Greg? You’re still you. You just sit on your arse all of the time.” He winked. “Seriously, though, even if you never walk again, I’ll still want you. It doesn’t make the slightest bit of difference to me. But I know you. You will walk again. I don’t know when, but I’ll be here when you do. If that’s what you want.”

Nodding profusely, Greg wheeled himself closer. “Yes. Yes. But … that’s not all I want.”

Lucas raised his eyebrows in a question. “It isn’t?”

“No.” A wicked grin spread across Greg’s face. “You know how I said you looked hot in that uniform? Well, I meant it. But I’d also rather like to see what you look stripping out of it. And fucking me. Christ, we’ve experienced enough sexual tension to last several lifetimes. I think we should give in to it, so we can move on with slightly clearer heads.” He tipped Lucas a wink. “I say slightly because, well, we’ve got a lot of time to make up for. I don’t think once is going to be enough. Do you?”

A silence, companionable this time, fell over them as they sipped at their drinks. When he’d finished the sweet beverage, Lucas reached over and placed his empty mug on a coaster on the table beside him.

“So,” he said, looking at his friend, “what happens now?”

Greg glanced down at his mug, then back up at Lucas almost shyly. “Well, um, I guess it depends.”

“On?”

“You. This, us meeting, talking, has happened way sooner than I’d planned, but it doesn’t change the way I feel. But if you’re not available…”

“I am.” Lucas replied quickly. He saw no sense in stringing it out. They’d wasted enough time. “I’m available, Greg. I always have been. It’s the soppiest, girliest cliché ever, so don’t you dare breathe a word to anyone else, but it’s always been you, for me. I’m not saying I’ve been the Virgin Mary, but it’s only been physical—nothing more. So, if you want to give it a go, I’m game.”

Greg downed the rest of his tea and dumped the mug and try on the nearest table. “It doesn’t bother you that I’m … like this? That I could be like this forever?”

“Your brother has finally decided where he wants the detectors. He’s just as indecisive as I remember.” On the surface, the words were harmless enough, but Lucas knew that Greg would understand the subtext, which, of course, was why he’d said it. Now the shock was wearing off, the resentment was starting to seep through. It was hardly a surprise, given the number of things they’d left unsaid.

Violet was either completely unaware of the tension between the two men, or was blatantly ignoring it. “Well that’s great. Do you want to get started?”