Can't Stay Away

By Lexxie Couper

He’d walk through fire for the doctor who once broke his heart.

International, award-winning erotic romance author Lexxie Couper has penned a stunning tale of love lost and love found as two men struggle to overcome their fears and realize their dreams. Journey from Australia to New York as the American doctor and the Australian firefighter discover if love can conquer all in Can’t Stay Away, a male/male, international romance.

Six months after having his heart broken, Australian firefighter Flynn Boomer is ready to live again. As part of a firefighter exchange program, he finds himself in New York. The last person he expects to see on his first day with Ladder Co. 42 is the man whom Flynn came out for: Dr. David Ennis—who left him without a word after their first public kiss.

Flynn makes David feel more alive, more real than he’s ever felt before. But can David deal with the rest of the world knowing? Determined to deny Flynn’s existence, David fights his own feelings. But no matter how terrified he is at the thought of his secret being discovered, he can’t stay away from the Australian.

Flynn can no more deny David than he can deny breath, but the thought of living a lie with him tears him apart. Love is powerful, but will it be enough?

This contemporary erotic romance contains a sexy Australian firefighter and a hot American doctor, male/male scenes, an international romance and adult themes. Can’t Stay Away is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Previously Published: (2015) All Romance eBooks

• Language: English
• Publisher: Book Boutiques
• Release date: May 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781946363251

Lexxie Couper

Lexxie Couper started writing when she was six and hasn't stopped since. She's not a deviant, but she does have a deviant's imagination and a desire to entertain readers with her words. Add the two together and you get erotic romances that can make you laugh, cry, shake with fear or tremble with desire. Sometimes all at once. When she's not submerged in the worlds she creates, Lexxie's life revolves around her family: a husband who thinks she's insane, an indoor cat who likes to stalk shadows, and her daughters, who both utterly captured her heart and changed her life forever. Contact Lexxie at [e-mail], follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lexxie_couper or visit her at www.lexxiecouper.com where she occasionally makes a fool of herself on her blog.

Book preview

Can’t Stay Away

Lexxie Couper

Published 2017 by Book Boutiques.

ISBN: 978-1-946363-25-1

Copyright © 2017, Lexxie Couper.

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Book Boutiques.

This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, locales, or events is wholly coincidental. The names, characters, dialogue, and events in this book are from the author’s imagination and should not to be construed as real.

Manufactured in the USA.

Email [e-mail] with questions, or inquiries about Book Boutiques.

Blurb

He’d walk through fire for the doctor who once broke his heart.

Six months after having his heart broken, Australian firefighter Flynn Boomer is ready to live again. As part of a firefighter exchange program, he finds himself in New York. The last person he expects to see on his first day with Ladder Co. 42 is the man whom Flynn came out for: Dr. David Ennis—who left him without a word after their first public kiss.

Flynn makes David feel more alive, more real than he’s ever felt before. But can David deal with the rest of the world knowing? Determined to deny Flynn’s existence, David fights his own feelings. But no matter how terrified he is at the thought of his secret being discovered, he can’t stay away from the Australian.

Flynn can no more deny David than he can deny breath, but the thought of living a lie with him tears him apart. Love is powerful, but will it be enough?

Previously Published

(2015) All Romance eBooks

Dedication

For Casey Lucille. For recognizing how beautifully broken my heroes were and loving them all the same.

And for Dawn Vaeoso. For believing in me constantly.

Acknowledgements

Cover Artist: Valerie Tibbs, Tibbs Design

Chapter 1

So this was New York.

Flynn Boomer climbed out of the taxi, studying the concrete and steel buildings towering above him as he did so. A blast of icy wind slammed into him, sending his hat—a well-worn Socceroos cap—flying from his head and into the bumper-to-bumper traffic, where it was promptly crushed under the snow-sludged tire of another taxi.

Fuck.

Not a good start to his time here.

Closing the back passenger door with one hand, he adjusted his duffle bag farther up his shoulder and then tapped the grimy-slick roof of the cab in a Ta, mate gesture as he took one last look at his now ruined Socceroos cap.

Bugger. He’d bought it at the final of the Asian Cup, when Australia defied the odds and beat the—

Are you Flynn Boomer?

Flynn pivoted on his heel, finding a man twice the size of a rhino striding toward him, with a moustache the likes of which Flynn hadn’t seen since the Seventies under a hawkish nose. The bottom-half of the colossus’s body was covered in the iconic yellow firefighter’s uniform pants, the top half encased in a blue t-shirt stretched to its limits.

The man grinned, extending a hand as he plowed his way through the cold air and bustling pedestrians between where Flynn stood and the entry to the stationhouse of Ladder Co. 42.

Welcome to New York. Warm, calloused fingers engulfed Flynn’s freezing hand, followed by an enthusiastic pumping. I’m Chief Tanner May. Sorry the weather’s not treating you well.

G’day, Chief. Flynn returned his grin, even as what felt like a million shards of ice lashed at his face and hair. No worries on the weather, although I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking of the beach back home right now.

Ah, that’s right. Tanner laughed, seemingly oblivious to the crypt-like air and wind assaulting them. But then, Flynn thought, a New Yorker wouldn’t be fazed by such weather. In the same way Flynn wouldn’t think twice about heading outside back home on a day even Satan would consider too hot. It’s summer in Australia, isn’t it.

It is, sir. Flynn suppressed a shiver. Well, tried to. He failed.

Tanner laughed again. I saw that. C’mon, let’s get you inside so you can meet the rest of Ladder Co. 42. And no calling me sir, got it? It’s Tanner or Chief.

Flynn grinned, falling into stride beside the massive man. Got it, Chief. Is it always this cold?

Tanner cocked him an eyebrow, a jovial smirk dancing beneath his moustache. You’ve arrived just in time for a history-making cold snap, Boomer.

Flynn’s laughed. That’d be right.

Tanner chuckled. "Think my boy got the better end of this here exchange program. You get to freeze your ass off while he gets to soak up the summer on the beach. Y’know, I don’t think Bromwich’s ever seen a beach. We may not get him back. He slapped a hand on Flynn’s shoulder. What are your thoughts on staying permanently?"

Before Flynn could answer, they crossed the threshold of the door leading into the stationhouse and the cold vanished. Replaced by a heat that had nothing to do with the windows and walls keeping the New York winter at bay, and everything to do with the man currently taking the blood pressure of a firefighter almost the same size as Tanner.

Flynn’s mouth went dry.

His chest constricted.

His gut clenched. So did his jaw.

His balls—a few heartbeats ago shriveled to the size of walnuts thanks to the icy wind—throbbed with a memory Flynn had worked fucking hard to erase.

Jesus, what the fuck was David Ennis doing here?

Guys. Tanner’s booming voice echoed around the stationhouse like a canon, making Flynn jump. "This is the Aussie taking Bromwich’s place. Here to teach us how they do things Down Under while our boy shows them how it’s really done." He laughed, the sound far from mean.

Flynn took in all the hellos and welcoming nods from the men who were about to become his colleagues for the next twelve weeks, men whose lives were in his hands as much as his life was in theirs.

Took them all in, tried to memorize the names thrown at him with casual ease by Tanner. Tried to appear like they were the sole focus of his attention.

He could only hope he was better at the illusion than he’d been at suppressing his earlier shiver out on the footpath.

Because what he was really doing was fighting the need to stride over to the man with the honey-auburn hair, blue eyes and impossibly square jaw and kiss him senseless.

The way he had the last time they’d been breathing the same air together, a lifetime ago on the other side of the world.

David Ennis was the American doctor who’d broken Flynn’s heart six months ago.

The man Flynn had come out of the proverbial closet for.

Swallowing the hot lump in his throat, Flynn braced himself for the inevitable introduction. The chief of Ladder Co. 42 had given him the run down on his team and was now holding out his hand toward Dr. Ennis in a presenting wave. And this, Tanner said, is FDNY Chief Medical Officer, David Ennis. Who just so happens to also be the brother of Freddy over there, so he tends to spend a lot of his time here watching over his younger brother. Isn’t that right, doc?

Flynn watched the man he’d spent eight weeks making love to unfurl from his chair. Watched David cross to where he stood.

Their eyes met. For a split-second Flynn swore he saw something hot in the man’s gaze, a desire that had burned there every minute of their time together in Australia, and then David extended his hand in the universally acknowledged form of greeting, his expression damn near bored. Flynn, is it? Welcome to New York.

The air left the room, replaced by a suffocating void icier than the wind outside.

Gut churning, mouth dry, Flynn took David’s hand—a hand that had cupped his face, his balls, wrapped his cock more than once—and gave is a single pump. Yep, Flynn it is. G’day. Can I say, I met a doc in Sydney who was a dead-ringer for you.

"Maybe it was the doc here, Tanner said at Flynn’s side. He spent a few months in Australia this year on a working vacation, didn’t you, doc?"

Before David could respond to the chief’s prompt, Flynn shook his head and fixed David with an unwavering stare. Nah, the doc I knew in Sydney was taller. And prone to dancing and singing on pub tables wearing nothing but American flag boxer shorts. He chuckled, narrowing his eyes in a deliberate show of contemplation. "Although…maybe… Care to sing a few bars of the Star-Spangled Banner for me?"

At his side, Tanner burst out laughing. A meaty hand clamped Flynn’s shoulder to give him a shake. I like you already, Boomer. You’re going to fit in here without any trouble at all.

Flynn grinned, even as he watched David’s face. Thanks, Chief.

With another laugh, Tanner turned. I’ll leave you to it now. Let you get to know everyone without the chief hanging over your shoulder. Ennis, can you give Boomer a tour of the station.

Sure, Tanner.

At David’s deep voice, Flynn’s pulse quickened. A hot rush of blood flowed into his cock.

Behind him, the chief snorted. I meant your brother, doc. But go for it.

Flynn swallowed.

David studied him, expression unreadable. How was your flight?

Flynn swallowed again. Long.

Silence stretched. Flynn didn’t need to look around the stationhouse to know they were being watched. It wasn’t surprising—he was the outsider about to spend three months fighting fires alongside them. Of course, every man in there would be sizing him up, taking stock of what they saw, asking themselves if he had it in him to drag them out of a burning building if needed.

How long would it take for them to realize he and David were regarding each other with what could be only described as an uncomfortably awkward stretch of silence?

Any second now, Flynn. So kill it.

Letting out a relaxed chuckle, he bounced a gaze around the stationhouse and rubbed his hands together. So, where can a jet-lagged Aussie find a beer?

David’s jaw bunched. His Adam’s apple jerked up and down his throat. His nostrils flared, and then, with a quick breath, he smiled.

Ah, fuck.

That smile…Flynn had spent night after night remembering that smile. Had jerked off to it repeatedly.

Let me show you the kitchen, David said, American accent playing hell with the turmoil that was Flynn’s current mental state. There’s no Fosters in there though.

Flynn snorted. Real Aussies don’t drink Fosters, doc, he said, following David towards a door on the far side of the communal area.

He saw David’s shoulders tense. They’d shared this exact same conversation the night they’d first met: in a Woolloomooloo pub down by Sydney Harbour.

Flynn’s brigade had just finished fighting a fire in the third floor of a nearby apartment building. As was his tradition, Flynn had stopped into the Old Fitzroy Pub on his way home, buying himself a Carlton Dry as a way to quietly celebrate still being alive.

He’d noticed the man with the dark copper-blond hair, broad shoulders and lean hips sitting at the bar alone, a bottle of Heineken in his hand, when he’d first entered the bar.

Had noticed how fucking hot his arse looked in the snug denim of his jeans.

Ignoring the urge to introduce himself—what straight guy did that to a complete stranger in pub?—he’d ordered himself his traditional Carlton and started to turn from the bar.

I though you Aussies drank Fosters? the man with the hot arse and the broad shoulders had commented, a subtle American accent sending a lick of tight heat into Flynn’s groin.

Flynn had turned back to him with a chuckle, that lick of tight heat growing to a hot steel as his gaze connected with the man’s. Real Aussies don’t drink Fosters, mate.

The American—David—had raised an eyebrow, a grin playing on his lips. Hollywood’s been lying to me all this time? Goddamn it. I better go buy a Lonely Planet or something.

They’d finished the night fucking each other’s brains out in Flynn’s bed.

For the next eight weeks, they’d explored each other’s bodies with such thorough intensity there were times Flynn didn’t know an existence before David had been in his life. By the time Flynn had been rushed to the Sydney Hospital with a broken collarbone and shoulder—thanks to a ceiling collapse during a house fire—they’d talked more than once about a shared life together. About the possibility of David moving to Australia.

He could still remember that night; the pain of splintered bone piercing muscle, the crushing weight of the burning ceiling…of thinking only of David as the ambulance raced to the hospital.

He still remembered the slamming of his heart as he asked his captain to call David, to let him know what had happened.

Still