He breathed deep, trying to relax, but it didn't do any good really. When Carrick touched the cool salve to his ass, it was a shock that had him gritting his teeth and clutching the mattress hard. His muscles tightened and trembling.
Luckily, Carrick was quick even without his vampire speed. Russell's entire body went limp and he lay panting. The warm kiss was good and at the same time strange. He was so used to Carrick's lips being cool to his skin.
Russell reached over and took his hand and gripped the oddly warm fingers. He felt so cold himself. He shivered despite the heat of Carrick's body being so close. The way that Carrick was drawn to him was the same way Russell was drawn to Carrick's cold darkness. They balanced one another.
Without his healing ability, it was going to take him much longer to recover. He gave a soft smile, looking into those cool eyes and let exhaustion take him into sleep.