Unmistakable Bad-boy Aura

Brad Lipski was waiting for him by the car, which he had borrowed from Stacy. One glance at Colin, and he immediately started pulling off his black leather jacket. Only then did Stone remember he was supposed to bring a hoodie. He glanced behind him, debating whether to go back for it, but there was no time. The hoodie was still packed in his suitcase. Returning and unpacking would take too long…

"Think fast," Brad said, tossing him the leather jacket that smelled of worn leather. "And before you start arguing, just put it on. We don't have time."

He was already getting into the car, leaving Colin no room for protest. He'd be a complete asshole if he started acting all tough and independent now, claiming he could handle the cold just because he'd forgotten to bring something warm.

Damn it, that was twice in one day Brad had put him in this position—and they'd only known each other for a few hours!

But Brad was right. They didn't have time. Clenching his jaw, Colin slipped on the jacket and got into the car, placing his bag on his lap. They pulled away as soon as he fastened his seatbelt.

"Any idea what to expect? Knife wounds or stabbings?"

Brad Lipski was already pulling onto the main road.

"No knives, most likely," he said.

Colin immediately felt relieved.

"Just a regular bar fight. Fists, broken chairs, maybe a bottle or two. Why do you ask?"

"I want to know what to expect. At least roughly."

"Ah, okay."

They sped through the city streets, though not enough to break any traffic laws. Quite reasonable, considering someone was in a hurry to provide medical aid. And considering that the same someone had rammed a bus door off the road just a few hours earlier.

"By the way, sorry about the jacket," Brad said casually, turning onto a side street. "It gets cold fast this time of year, and a doctor who catches the flu before even starting his shift won't be of much use to us. A lot of patients are waiting impatiently."

Ah, so that was it. Colin lowered his head slightly. The jacket smelled intensely of leather, but also of something else. He caught a powdery sensuality of iris—elegant and cool—blending with the earthy woodiness of cedar. After a moment, though, the rawness gave way to a velvety vanilla sweetness, entwined with warm amber. He blushed, feeling the urge to burrow into that scent, into the jacket that had been thrown over him. And maybe into the man who had done it.

"I'm not that delicate. I don't catch colds, and I'm vaccinated against the flu," he growled, a little provocatively, angry at himself for how much the scent tempted him.

Lipski shrugged.

"There was no time to ask."

Great. Now Colin felt like a jerk.

"Thanks," he said more softly. The vanilla blending with leather, the powdery florals, and the forest cedar soothed his mood yet unsettled his senses. Like a fragrance composed to seduce and envelop.

"I'm just used to being the one taking the initiative in caring for others. It's part of the job."

"Sure. I've got a similar habit. The girls."

That explained a lot. Colin had heard that even the toughest guys softened when they became fathers. They started being more cautious because they weren't thinking just about themselves anymore, but also about the little ones under their care. Brad wasn't a father, but he filled that role, so maybe some of that fatherly gentleness had rubbed off on him.

Colin cast him a quick glance. Lipski had a striking profile with a sharply defined jawline, where the faint shadow of stubble was already darkening. His lips were thin and pressed together, and his nose was well-shaped, sitting above focused dark eyes that gleamed with intensity. His dark brown, almost black hair—no longer than a matchstick—was in an artful mess. Stone noticed something else, too. There was a piercing hole in Brad's ear.

Wow, this guy definitely had an interesting past. Probably not even that distant, considering he still wore a leather jacket and smelled like…

Ba-bum!

Colin quickly averted his gaze. If he kept staring at Brad, his body might start reacting in ways he didn't need.

He will be here for a year. He didn't want to complicate his life. He didn't want to fantasize about a man who wasn't gay.

Sure, he didn't want to. So why was his heart suddenly pounding harder?

Ba-bum! Ba-bum…!

Damn it!

And that scent! He hadn't noticed it before. Maybe he had been too far away. But the jacket was soaked in it, that warm yet dangerously masculine sensuality…

Ba-bum! Ba-bum! Ba-bum!

For fuck's sake!

Some things were just beyond control. Brad had something undeniably alluring about him. That bad-boy aura was unmistakable. And bad boys, well… they were sexy.