After a horrible car accident, Guillermo “Guy” Rivera doesn’t even remember who he is. Suffering from amnesia, bound to a wheelchair with a broken arm and a broken leg, he relies on his in-home caregiver, Dane Mathis, to help him with everything from bathing to eating. Guy wants Dane to be more than just a caregiver, but Dane keeps his distance.
Six months after their relationship ended, Dane Mathis drops everything to help Guy put his life back together. It’s difficult to treat Guy like a stranger, but he knows he must not give in to his deep desires. He won’t risk Guy’s anger by revealing the true nature of their relationship. Or the reality of their past together.
Even so, Dane can’t help but hope this is their second chance at love ...
Guy eyed the plate of raw fish in front of him with trepidation. He had been excited about their dinner -- that was certainly not a date -- all day. Dane had behaved as though everything was completely normal and, of course, everything was completely normal. Dane had made his feelings very clear -- he didn't date his clients, and he would never date his clients, and they would only have a professional relationship.
Guy understood on a logical level that a professional relationship would be for the best. How could he expect or hope for anything beyond that when he couldn't even remember what happened six weeks ago? In many ways, he didn't even know who he was. What if Dane began to return his feelings -- and Guy didn't even know what his feelings were -- only to find one day that Guy's memories had returned and his feelings changed? That wasn't fair. It was just cruel.
But he had spent another night dreaming about Dane. And in his dreams, Dane had no boundaries. Dane's body melded with his again and again. Dane's firm body above him and beneath him, in front of him and behind him. Inside him. He actually woke up several times in the night. Each time he was trembling and hard. Each time he forced himself to concentrate on something else, anything that would take his mind off of Dane. But nothing worked. Dane was waiting for him as soon as he closed his eyes.
And now Dane was watching him with a small smile, waiting for him to pick up his tuna sashimi and take his first bite. Guy would feel ridiculous protesting now that he couldn't eat raw food. How could raw food possibly be healthy? Ancient man had discovered fire for a reason. Because raw meat was very unappetizing. And they had been right to discover fire. Guy thought he should insist on some fire now.
On the other hand, Dane wouldn't have brought him to the restaurant if the food could hurt him. Come to think of it, the restaurant probably wouldn't exist at all if the food could hurt him.
"You might want to use a little wasabi and pickled ginger. Just a little though, until you are accustomed to the taste."
Guy nodded and tried to maneuver the chopsticks. "Did I ever know how to use these?"
"Yes."
Guy looked up. "Really? How do you know?"
"I found some in your kitchen. I assume you wouldn't own any if you didn't know how to use them."
"Good point. Do I hold them like this?"
"No, look. Like this."
Dane demonstrated with his own chopsticks, but Guy couldn't make his fingers cooperate. He laughed ruefully and shook his head. "I don't think I'm going to get to eat tonight."
"Sure you are. Here, let me help you."
Guy didn't protest as Dane reached over and showed Guy how to position the two sticks between his fingers. He forgot all about the strange, exotic food in front of him, the entire restaurant surrounding him, and his own vow not to cross any lines. Dane's touch was gentle and sure, positioning his fingers with a quiet authority.
"Now just move your fingers ... right, like that."
Guy carefully lifted a piece of the tuna from his plate, took a deep breath, and popped it in his mouth. He expected something foul and fishy. Maybe even slimy. But it was none of those things. Dane watched him chew, smiling as Guy swallowed and immediately went back for a second piece.
"It's not too bad, then?"
Guy shook his head. "No. This is delicious. I guess some things don't change."
"I guess not."
"If you ever want to practice your new sushi skills on me, you're more than welcome to."
Dane laughed. "I'll keep that in mind. We'll experiment with it next week. It'll be a good way to shake up the monotony."
"You think I'm monotonous?"
"I think you probably think I am. The doctor said it couldn't hurt to have a variety of reminders of your ... life."
"Is that why we watch so many movies?"
"I figure it can't hurt."
"I'm not sure if it's helping."
Dane covered a piece of tuna in wasabi, then popped it between his lips. "It is helping."
"You sound surprisingly sure of yourself."
"Well, I'm surprisingly sure."
Guy smiled. Sometimes, the best thing about Dane was his unshakable faith.
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