The Hero and the Hidden Royal - Renae Kaye Page 0,7

don’t like what you see once the blood is gone?” Derek breathed. “You don’t know anything about me. You could be getting my hopes up for nothing.”

“I doubt it,” Sam replied with confidence. “But can you promise me one thing, Derek?”

“What’s that?”

“That I don’t leave this apartment without a kiss from the man who saved me?”

~~~~~~~~

Chapter Three

IF SOMEONE HAD TOLD DEREK a week ago that there would be a beautiful man sitting in his apartment, waiting to kiss him, Derek would’ve laughed himself hysterical. Nonetheless, there was a beautiful but bloodied and bruised man sitting at his table who had promised to kiss Derek before he left.

“It’s okay if you renege on that,” he said softly. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

Wetting a cloth under the tap in the kitchen, he approached Sam. He wiped at Sam’s cheekbone, wincing as Sam winced, then wincing again when the lack of blood revealed a big bruise.

“They gave you a black eye,” he whispered.

Derek’s heart swelled. Here before him was a brave warrior, wounded and battle scarred. His fierce Aragorn, emerging victorious from his fight with the Uruk-Hai.

Sam’s eyes were closed, his pale lashes crusted with blood. He didn’t open them at all as Derek wiped at the other cheek and moved carefully down to his chin. Derek rinsed the cloth and dabbed at Sam’s mouth. Sam’s beautiful mouth. He couldn’t help biting his tongue as he ran the cloth over those lips, telling himself not to get aroused over a poor man who’d been beaten up and needed his help.

“Does it hurt?” he asked, so softly Sam must’ve struggled to hear.

“Yes.” The word was said on a breath. Almost a sigh. Derek savored that word and the hot air it was said on. “But I’ve learned how to ignore pain.”

There was a graze on Sam’s chin, and Derek swiped gently at it as he asked, “Ignore it? Why?”

The side of Sam’s mouth twitched up. “I started doing martial arts when I was a teen. Various disciplines. Tae Kwon Do originally, but also karate and kickboxing. Dad thought it would be good in case I had any anger issues. I never did, but I liked the sport. I keep at it. It’s no good if you kick an opponent and subsequently collapse beside him on the mat. You learn to ignore the pain.”

Derek had to rinse the cloth again. Sam’s face was becoming cleaner, but at the same time the bruises were darkening. “Why did your dad think you may have anger issues? And was that a problem?”

This time a grin lit Sam’s face. It reopened a small slit on his lip and the blood welled up, but Sam didn’t seem to notice. He spread his arms wide and his eyelashes flickered. For a brief moment he opened his eyes, but shut them again, as if the light hurt them. The grin didn’t die. He appealed to Derek.

“Derek? Did you happen to notice how big I am?”

Well, yes. Of course Derek noticed that. “So?”

“I got big early. Dad was afraid that I would have an immature teen mind and a mature adult body. If I got angry, I was too big to physically restrain. Also, my size meant older guys tried to pick fights with me, assuming my age was close to theirs. The martial arts was supposed to be to teach me control and how to defend myself.”

“You seemed to be doing alright against three,” Derek offered. He looked Sam over. There was still blood in his eyes, but he wanted to delay until the last moment to give Sam back his sight. “Are you hurt anywhere else? Your hands? Your body?”

Sam immediately put his hands on his chest as if to check, and encountered flesh. “Dammit,” he groaned as he automatically looked down. “I liked this shirt. I didn’t realize they’d ripped it. No wonder I was cold.”

Immediately Derek felt terrible. “Shall I fetch you a blanket?”

“No. I’m fine inside your apartment. Out on the street I was cold. Unless I’m making you uncomfortable? Is the sight of my chest offending you?”

That made Derek chuckle. Sam’s question was half-teasing, half-mocking. “You know it’s not. And it’s a beautiful chest. You know that, too.”

Sam puffed out his chest, posing for Derek’s enjoyment. “I like it. I would also like to hear that you liked it, too.”

“I like it,” Derek confessed, mumbling the words in his embarrassment. “I just wanted to find out if there was anywhere I should clean before I start on