Patient Privilege (23 page)

"Did you get your sketch done?" he asked, taking a seat beside Angel on the couch.

"Yep. Finished it last night while you were sleeping. You've always been a great subject, even better when you're crashed out. You're almost as adorable as a sleeping baby."

"Yeah. Yeah." Erik laughed, then sipped his coffee. "So, are you going to let me see it or do I have to beg?"

"You're cute when you beg."

"Maybe, but you promised I could see it as soon as it was finished."

Angel pointed the tip of his pen toward the huge leather portfolio holding all of his sketches. It'd been a gift Erik bought for him the day Angel signed up for classes at the community college, a small token to show how proud Erik had been—and still was—of him.

Grinning, Erik opened the binder, and on the very top of the pile laid a picture of Erik nestled against a pillow. The sketch was a nude, but the bed sheets covered the parts neither of them wanted to ever share with rest of the world. As always, Angel captured every single little detail from the faint dimple in his cheek to the way his fingers parted around his nipple as he slept.

"I envy you," Erik said. "You're so incredibly talented. I don't have a creative bone in my body."

"No," Angel smiled. "You don't, but you're good at so many other things. You're smart and damn good at what you do. Look at how booming your practice is. I mean, you went from that shitty rehab center to your own office." Angel kissed Erik's cheek, running a hand up and down his bare chest. "And I love you exactly how you are."

Erik's smile widened. "I love you too, baby. You want to come take a shower with me? We have to get going soon. I have a client scheduled at eight and I have to drop you off at school first."

Gulping down the last of his coffee, Erik stood from the couch and held out his hand. He sat the warm mug down then wiggled his brows as his fingers locked around Angel's wrist. He pulled his lover up from the couch and against his body.

"Come shower with me," he whispered against the firm line of Angel's jaw.

Their bare chests met in a soft kiss. Angel shivered against him as Erik brushed his fingertips down his lover's spine. He slowly led Angel back toward the bathroom, removing the few pieces of clothes they had on along the way. Their bare feet slapped against the cool tile of the bathroom floor and Angel shivered again.

For the both of them, this was pure happiness.

Erik finally had a rewarding relationship with someone who understood the struggle he went through just to remain sober. He had someone who appreciated him and his need to take care of people. And Angel had found someone with the courage and strength to fight for him, to fight to keep him alive and on the right course. He found someone to take care of him when taking care of himself had become too difficult. They worked for each other, complemented each other and completed each other.

Erik reached back and turned the shower on. It always took a few minutes for the water to heat up, but he didn't mind. That gave him a few more minutes to hold Angel in his arms. He licked the seam of his lover's lips then pulled him in for another heated kiss. Steam poured out of the shower and the overspray splashed onto their bodies. The kiss broke with a unified hiss. They both laughed as they climbed beneath the water.

"So, um… are you ready to meet my parents?" Angel asked.

"The question is, are you ready to see them again?"

Angel shrugged. "I miss them, but if Dad is anything like he was…"

Erik pressed his finger to Angel's mouth and smiled. "I spoke to him on the phone. He said he's had a change of heart. He said he just wants to see his son again. So relax. We'll go out to dinner and see what happens. Angel, your parents want to know you again. They want to be a part of your life again. Give them that, okay?"

"I'm doing this mostly for Mom. She really wants to be here for the commitment ceremony. She squealed when I told her I was getting kinda married."

"'Kinda married'? I think you'll be completely married," Erik said as he brushed his soapy hands down Angel's body.

"You know what I mean."

"I do. I'm only teasing." Erik kissed Angel's forehead, then spun him around to soap his backside. "We'll have dinner with your parents. You'll get through your exams with flying colors. Then, sometime this spring, we'll have our ceremony. If you're sure that's what you want."

Angel's head whipped back. His lips pursed and his brow pinched into a frown. "Of course I want to. Why wouldn't I want to be committed to you? I love you."

"I know. I just worry." Erik brushed his thumb over Angel's brow to smooth out the skin. "You're still young. You have a lifetime ahead of you. I don't want you to jump into something you might regret."

Turning in his arms, Angel's hands met the firm mounds of Erik's chest. "First of all, you're only eight years older than me, so stop that. I am old enough to know what I want, and you're all I want or need now. We've been happy together for a year. I think we can be happy for ten or twenty or thirty more. So, the answer is yes. I am sure I want to be committed to you."

The End

About the Author

Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, big-city life was a rat race that kept her busy in her career. It took moving with her new husband to a sleepy Mississippi town to make her realize that dreams can come true, and did they ever. She found herself a published author. She found her perfect romance.

She has an eye for the visually stunning and a mind that screams to bring that beauty to life. She gives her readers something they can feel in the depth of their hearts, creates worlds they can touch, and characters who become your best friend or worst enemy.

Website: http://www.allisoncassatta.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allison.cassatta.page

Twitter: https://twitter.com/allisoncassatta

Blog: http://allisoncassatta.blogspot.com/

Email: [email protected]

Also by Allison Cassatta:

Available from
Silver Publishing
:

Patient Privilege

Seasons of Change

Available from
Kerlak Publishing
:

The Immortals Saga

Immortal