Tortured Souls (Men in Love, Book Six)

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An Excerpt From: TORTURED SOULS

Copyright ? CAROL LYNNE, 2008

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing,
Inc.

Thor
did the unexpected and reached out to cup the side of Bram?s face. Sliding
his hand to the back of his neck, he pulled Bram?s head forward and rested
his forehead against Bram?s in a sign of sympathy. ?Move to Oklahoma and you
won?t need to make new friends. I really miss you, brother. I have
everything I?ve ever wanted right now, except you.?

Bram
felt tears threaten and pulled away from Thor. ?Declan still here or did he
leave already??

Thor
sighed, and gestured with his head. ?I think he?s in his office. He?s not
leaving for another couple of hours. Why don?t you be the bigger man and
stop in to say hi before he leaves? You know you?ll hate yourself if you
don?t.?

Bram
looked toward Declan?s office, then back at Thor.
He nodded his head once and stood. ?I might poke my head in for just a
second to say hi.?

Chuckling,
Thor swatted Bram on the stomach. ?I?m not sure this is the best place for
you to be poking your head in anywhere.?

?Smartass.?
Bram smiled and walked toward Declan?s office. He
felt a lump forming in his throat the closer he got. Just beyond that door
was the man he couldn?t stop thinking about, the only man for him. Bram
knew it was stupid. How could he be in love when he knew next to nothing
about Declan? But there it was, feelings like he?d
never known. Wiping his now-sweaty hands on his jeans, Bram knocked.

?Come
in.?

Bram
closed his eyes at the sound of Declan?s voice.
It had been so long since he?d heard that throaty whisper. Opening the
door, Bram looked at Declan for the first time in one and a half months. He
looked even better than Bram remembered. ?Hey.? He tried to sound casual,
not wanting Declan to know he felt like falling on his knees and begging
for another chance.

Declan
looked up from the patient chart he was scribbling in. ?Bram. I‑I
didn?t know you were coming.?

Bram
watched as Declan?s throat muscles worked in an
effort to say something. Bram decided to take a chance. ?Care if I have a
seat??

?Oh.
Oh sure, sit down. You must be tired after the flight and long drive from Oklahoma City.? Declan
fiddled with the pencil on the desk. ?So, are you here just to see Thor, or
are you working on finding Gabe?s mother?? Declan began tapping the pencil
on the scarred wood desk.

Looking
into Declan?s beautiful eyes, Bram forgot how to
talk for a minute. ?Thor called and asked me to come. He wanted to
introduce me to his new lady. I?ll admit, I took
an earlier flight than necessary though.?

Looking
at Bram, Declan stopped tapping his pencil. ?Why?s that??

To
see if you?d
push me away again, like you did last time.

?