Page 63 of You Are Cordially Invited

“Now get back here,” I grumbled at Cam. “More kisses, please. A lot more. I need to test the sensation on my lips.”

He grinned. “Is that right? As I recall, your lips weren’t ever the problem.”

“You can never be too careful about these things.”

His mouth curved up in a slow, sexy smile and he did as he was told, for once.

By the time Leyton got to my room twenty minutes later, I had solid sensation to my elbows along with weak movement. An hour later I could lift my hands off my bed and shuffle most of the rest of my body. There were still a few patches of odd sensation, like random paint splashes on my skin, but whatever. It would take as long as it took, but I had no doubt I was on my way to a full recovery.

Cam stalked the room, ordering Leyton around like the doctor existed solely for his benefit. Underneath the impatience, he was obviously happy, but he also seemed... uneasy, floating sidelong glances my way when he thought I wasn’t looking and frowning, a lot.

Leyton finally had enough of his helpful ‘advice’ and told him to sit down and zip it or he’d banish him from the entire ward for an hour.

Cam’s jaw hit the floor and he stared at Leyton as if weighing the seriousness of the threat, but also with a certain amount of admiration.

Leyton had balls, for sure, and whatever Cam saw on the doctor’s face, it clearly threatened follow through, because he slumped into his chair with an audible growl, glancing my way with a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“It’ll keep,” he warned, eyes flashing. “You have to come back into my ER at some point.”

“I’m sure I’ll survive.” Leyton fired me an amused wink.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” I whispered, and he laughed.

* * *

Three hours later, I’d been poked, prodded, and generally manhandled by Will and Leyton before being fed dinner and given a sponge bath by Cam. The latter had been an... interesting experience as Cam embarked on a mission to test my returning movement. All trace of his earlier unease was gone or well under wraps, I couldn’t decide which.

My dick was still a little sluggish. Okay, a lot sluggish with zero sign of any kind of stiffening under Cam’s careful and exacting ministrations. But the sensation was there, and he’d taken great pleasure in investigating every single one of my otherbuttonsin some kind of personal itemised checklist he carried in his head. I didn’t dare ask, but there’d been much humming and lots of small smiles, so I guessed he was satisfied with my progress.

The late hour meant our excited family and friends had to wait until the next day to visit. Michael was rostered in ER, so he’d been able to come up and celebrate with us in person, while everyone else had to make do with a video Cam took of me waving my hand just above the mattress. Cory and Cam’s parents got a FaceTime appearance, and Cory showed off a brand-new truck he’d been allowed to choose from his favourite shop.

Cam’s phone hadn’t stopped buzzing since the news got out, and he’d finally shoved it on silent. The North Harbour, the Blues’,andthe All Blacks’ coaches had all texted their personal congratulations and were planning a visit the next day followed by a coordinated press release.

No one was sure yet what exactly that release would say. My initial rapid recovery had slowed somewhat after the first ninety minutes, and although the ability to move had almost fully returned, there was definite residual weakness in some areas. Leyton wasn’t unduly surprised and was confident that by morning I’d be almost back to normal, with maybe just a few areas that would need some strengthening work.

In the meantime, I was stuck with the stability brace until repeat imaging could be done in the morning. Until then they’d continue to treat me with supreme caution. No turning, no sitting, and only the quietest movements of my limbs that I could manage. Keep it low-key and careful.

Exactly what I was doing as I held Cam’s hand in mine like a precious bird.

Any talk of what the incident might mean for my return to rugby, or even having a rugby career at all, was off-limits until the imaging and a later conversation. There was also still the concussion to consider, but since it was the first one of any significance in my career, I was hopeful. The transient quadriplegia was an entirely different matter, and I’d have to rely on expert advice about the impact of that on my career.

With only the nightlight to brighten the room, Cam was carefully snuggled against my side on the tiny hospital bed, his feet tangled with mine, his arm splayed across my chest. I badly wanted to feel his face buried in my neck, but the brace stood in the way and so we had to make do. Not that I was about to complain. Only a few hours before, I hadn’t been sure I’d even be able to touch him ever again. I could wait to feel his face in my neck.

He’d gone very quiet, some of the earlier unease creeping back in. I wanted to ask him about it, but I sensed some of that same reluctance to talk that had been persistent since I’d been injured. I put it down to exhaustion, but I was done waiting on his timing.

“What would you say about me giving up?” I asked softly.

He jerked his head back to look at me, eyes huge. “Give up? You mean rugby?”

I nodded, thumbing circles on the back of those expressive hands.

He gaped. “First up, I’d ask if you’ve lost your damn mind. You love the game. If they say you shouldn’t play again, then okay, we’ll need to take that advice. But rugby is your life, Rube. You can’t just walk away from it. Not if you don’t have to.”

“Can’t I? And you and Cory are my life,notrugby. Rugby hasn’t held that place since the day we met, although I was admittedly a bit slow on the uptake.” He gave me a lopsided grin. “You, Cory, and the new baby that’s coming our way—you’re my life and my future, and I wouldn’t risk that for anything.”

He gave me a blank look. “Why on earth would you be risking it?”

I hesitated. Had I read his concern wrong? “I just wondered if maybe you were worried... about me going back on the field, after...”

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