5
MALORY
I carefully smoothed down the last piece of tape on the bandage I'd just placed over Gareth's knife wound, then glanced up at his face. He was lying supine on his bed and looking the other away across the room with a tense expression and his brows in a deep furrow. I knew it was partly because the large stapled wound really disturbed him, but he looked like he was in pain too.
"Did I hurt you?" I asked in a worried tone. To be honest the long hideous thing really disturbed me too. If it had been a deep wound, it might very well have killed him. If he had died after the way we left things between us Friday night, I don't know how I could have lived with myself.
"No," he replied as he looked at me with a wan smile. "I just have another headache."
Another one? How many headaches had he had? I frowned and grabbed his hand tightly. "Are you okay?"
"I am," he said reassuringly, "but Thea said the headaches and dizziness from my concussion might linger for a while."
"She didn't give you a prescription for pain medicine for it?"
"She did," he replied with a shrug.
"Well, where is it?" I asked as I stood up from sitting on the edge of the mattress. "I'll get it for you."
"I...I didn't get it filled," came his quiet reply. He looked away again in discomfort.
"Let me guess," I said accusingly as I crossed my arms and glared at down him with an arched brow. "You didn't get them because you thought you deserved the pain. Am I right?"
He winced and looked back at me guiltily. I huffed out a breath and rolled my eyes. Men. I turned to go see if I could hunt down some over-the-counter pain medicine in his bathroom.
"Where are you going?" he asked in a slightly panicked voice. I looked back to see a fearful expression on his gorgeous face.
He'd been clingy and proprietary since we finally confessed our love for each other a little while ago. He'd been close to me or touching me in some way ever since. He even told Jane to take the afternoon off when she came back to the apartment, so he could have me to himself. I'd never seen this side of him before, and it was disconcerting as much as it was sweet. I think he was afraid I'd change my mind and take off on him again. Didn't he know that wasn't possible? I wasn't going anywhere. I loved him, and that wasn't going to change.
"I'm going to find you some pain medicine," I explained.
"I don't need that," he said firmly. "I just need you." He reached out to me with a soft smile. "Come lay down with me, beautiful."
Well, how could I argue with that? I nodded with a smile and started to climb onto the bed.
"Take off your clothes first," he demanded in that low sexy Dom voice I'd missed so much. As much as it turned me on, I had to be the sensible one here.
I gave him a hard stare. "We're not having sex," I said sternly. "You'll rip your staples out."
He sighed deeply and frowned. "I know." His husky voice was laced with disappointment. "But I need to feel your skin on mine, baby." He eyed me pleadingly. "Please."
I smiled softly and nodded. "Okay." I took off my clothes, trying to ignore the heated male eyes that watched my every move, and the obvious bulge that was forming in his lounge pants. We were not having sex, damn it.
Once I was naked, I climbed onto the bed and pulled the blankets up over us, then curled up next to his side with my head on his shoulder. I snuggled in close and threw my leg over his, breathing in his sandalwood scent and savoring his warm skin against mine. Gareth turned his head and nuzzled into my hair with a contented sigh as he wrapped his arm around me.
"I missed you so much, beautiful," he murmured affectionately as his fingers rubbed soft circles on my shoulder.
"I missed you too," I whispered. I glided my hand in gentle circles over his gorgeous upper body, relishing the dips and contours of his perfection, and ignoring the bandage that covered the single mar that still nagged at me guiltily. He shivered and moaned from my touch.
"Kiss me now," he commanded in a harsh and strained tone.
"Yes, sir," I whispered and raised my head to obey.
His soft yet firm lips touched mine, and it set me on fire, the kiss turning ravenous and unrestrained in an instant. His kisses had always been hot and passionate, but now, as his lips moved savagely against mine, there was this sweet undercurrent of tenderness that he'd never shown me before today. It was so intimate and so incredibly erotic. I found myself moaning into his mouth and thrusting my pelvis unconsciously again his hip. I'd never wanted a man like this until him.
He pulled away panting, his eyes wild with raw lust. "Goddamn it, I love you, Malory," he growled in a low feral tone. "Fuck, you make me so hard." He snatched my hand off of his chest and pressed it against his erection. "Feel what you do to me."
His cock felt blisteringly hot as its steel length strained against the thin fabric of his pants. I wrapped my fingers around him and squeezed. His entire body jolted under my grip, and it was quickly followed by a gasp and an obvious wince of pain.
"Sorry," I said frantically as I jerked my hand away. I watched him squeeze his eyes shut and press his lips together in a thin bloodless line as he breathed through the pain.
"Fuck," he snarled through clenched teeth.
I sat upright and flung the comforter back to look at his wound. I was half expecting to find blood on the bandage because his wound had been ripped open. It looked okay, but I reached to pull back the tape to check.
He grabbed my hand. "Just leave it," he said roughly as he shook his head jerkily. "It's fine. It just really hurts when I suddenly tighten up like that."
"I'm sorry," I said softly with a frown. "I got carried away and forgot."
A smile pulled at the corners of his gorgeous mouth. "Me too, beautiful," he murmured as the pain finally faded from his eyes.
I sighed with relief and then flopped onto my back with a groan, still unbelievably and frustratingly turned on. "This sucks," I grumbled out. "And I'm horny," I added in a petulant and pathetic tone.
He let out a low sexy chuckle. "I feel your pain, beautiful," he said. "But just because we can't have sex, doesn't mean we can't get off."
"What are we going to do?" I asked irritably as I frowned over at him. "Do ourselves?"
His lips twisted into a smirk. "You just read my mind, Malory," he replied, his voice laced with dark amusement.
"Excuse me?" I instantly blurted out. I felt my face grow hot, afraid I knew exactly what he was talking about.
His brow arched meaningfully. "You heard me." He carefully rolled onto his side to face me. He bent an elbow and rested his head on his hand, then looked down at me with a hard intimidating stare that made my pussy clench. "I want to watch you get yourself off."
"But...but...I've never...n...never..." I stuttered out in embarrassment. I was mortified. I'd never done anything like that in front of anyone.
"As your Dom, it's my responsibility to test your limits and push you out of your comfort zone," he replied sternly. He gave me a wicked grin as he lowered his voice seductively. "Besides, you get to watch me do the same, and I suspect you'll enjoy it." He leaned in closer, his voice dripping with lust as he spoke again. "Very, very much."
My face heated even more, but now it was mostly from arousal. I moaned at just the mere thought of watching Gareth touch himself. I would have paid good money to see it, and now I got to see it up close and for free. My sex slickened and throbbed achingly for him.
He smiled in roguish satisfaction as he watched my reaction, his eyes darkening with lust. He reached over to cup my chin and run his thumb over my lips. "Spread your legs and show me how you pleasure yourself, beautiful." He leaned close and nibbled on my lower lip for a moment before whispering, "I want to see."
"Y...yes, sir," I answered breathlessly, my discomfort now eclipsed by desire. Nothing turned me on more than pleasing him.
Feeling emboldened and wanton, I held his gaze as I began moving my hand down my belly, sliding it slowly across my skin inch by inch. When I finally reached my pussy, I gasped as my fingers brushed across my clit. I was so turned on that it was already swollen, and so sensitive that this wasn't going to take long. I dipped my fingers into the sopping wetness at my core. Nope, not long at all.
I moved my fingers back up to my clit and pressed down with the firm pressure that I liked, swirling them over the little bundle of nerves. I could feel an orgasm begin to build immediately. Gareth's eyes flicked down to my hand for a second before meeting mine again. I watched his intense eyes turn black with arousal as his nostrils flared and his breathing quickened. My God, the man was gorgeous in his lust. His full decadent lips parted, and his strong brows furrowed as he focused on me intently, missing nothing yet somehow managing to put me at ease too.
"You're so goddamn sexy," he growled out as he reached up to brush some of my hair gently from my forehead.
I moaned and writhed as the blissful pressure built higher and higher, a fine sheen of sweat beginning to form across my body. My eyes nearly fluttered closed, but I fought to keep them open because I knew that Gareth liked eye contact when I came for him. My body tensed as the pressure reached its apex, and then I ignited and blew apart.
I gasped and cried out, my back arching up off the bed as sweet flames of bliss seared through my body. I shuddered and quaked as Gareth's name fell from my lips in a rush. Masturbation had never felt this good before. When I finally came back down, I felt wrecked and exhausted. I smiled up at him through panting breaths as my heart pounded in my chest.
"Good girl," he crooned with a wicked grin of satisfaction and approval. He leaned down to kiss me roughly. When he pulled back, his eyes were hot and feral with lust. "Now it's my turn."
He rolled away onto his back and carefully eased his pants down over his hips. His erect cock lie hard and heavy where it curved up onto his belly, the wide crown flushed a deep red. I turned onto my side for a better view as Gareth's hand lowered to rub up and down himself for a moment as he groaned deeply. He sounded so damn sexy. Then his big hand wrapped tightly around the shaft, and his fist began to pump up and down his thick length. His movements were firm and sure, his grip far rougher than I would ever attempt. I'd never seen a man jerk off before. It was mesmerizing, and I couldn't have looked away if I wanted to.
"Malory," he moaned out in a deep rasping voice that made my insides turn to mush. Holy crap, he was glorious, so hot and sexy. "Oh fuck, Malory."
He gasped in a breath as his eyelids fluttered, his gaze turning hazy and far away. Then with a deep guttural groan his cock erupted, long jets of cum splattering across his abdomen and chest, one after the other. He moaned out my name as his body shivered and shook next to me. After the last burst of cum painted his skin, he stilled and lied there gasping for air and smiling dreamily up at me.
I leaned down and gave him a long blistering kiss to show him my gratitude and love. I sat up and glanced at his torso admiringly. There was cum all over him, including the fresh bandage that I'd just put on his wound.
"Well, thanks a lot," I grumbled out with a facetious grin. "Now I have to clean you up and put a bandage on you all over again."
"Sorry," he said unapologetically as he smirked up at me, his eyes bright and brimming with affection. "But there is a bright side."
"Oh yeah?" I asked in mock irritation. "What's that?"
"My headache's gone."
**********
When I stepped out of Gareth's luxurious bathroom freshly showered and ready to get dressed for the day on Sunday, I found him fully clothed, lying on his side, and sound asleep in his bed. Reggie was curled up behind him with his big black head on his master's hip. I smiled, and the dog's tail began tapping the mattress gently.
"You're going to be in big trouble when he wakes up," I whispered warningly since he wasn't allowed on the bed, but Reggie only wagged his tail harder with an unapologetic doggy grin. Gareth didn't even stir.
I frowned worriedly. He'd gotten up to take Reggie for his walk, but came back looking exhausted and irritated. I could tell by the tension around his eyes that he had another headache too. He'd taken one of the prescription painkillers I'd insisted he actually get filled, but they made him sleepy, and it must have hit him hard this morning for him to be out cold like that.
He was still getting the headaches even though his concussion happened over a week ago, and he was easily fatigued from any exertion. He was having trouble sleeping at night too, which I had first attributed to sexual frustration, but now I wasn't so sure about that. He was planning on going back to work tomorrow, but I think he needed more time to rest and recover. Good luck convincing him of that though. The man was so stubborn. I wondered when I should start worrying, if he didn't get any better.
I didn't know what else to do, so I dressed and went downstairs to make breakfast. I rooted around and found everything I needed, then got to work. I felt comfortable in Gareth's apartment, like this was home. I wondered if maybe someday it would be, then shoved that thought away as fear bubbled up inside me. Slow down, woman. We only confessed our love for each other a handful of days ago.
I'd spent every night here since, eating dinner with him, watching TV, and snuggling close to his warm naked body while we slept. The sexual frustration was annoying, since his wound severely limited our activities. However, each time I was frustrated, as if Gareth had read my mind, he'd rolled toward me and taken care of me with his gloriously talented fingers. Then I'd return the favor with my hands or mouth, and we'd go back to sleep. It wasn't ideal, but it would tide us over until he was healed enough for us to have actual sex. Maybe that would improve his mood.
Gareth was a moody man anyway, but he'd been extra moody these last few days. He was irritable and seemed anxious too. A couple of times I saw him just staring off into space with a sad and lost look on his face. I think it all had a lot to do with being unable to work, and the lingering headaches and dizziness, but I worried about him. I'd come so close to losing him before I even really had him, and the thought made my heart ache and my stomach churn. I stared down at the ingredients for the omelets I planned to make, and suddenly didn't even want them. I sighed and sat on one of the stools at the kitchen island to rest my head in my hands and let a few tears flow.
The sudden sound of the front door opening scared the living crap out of me. I startled with a gasp and practically fell off the damn stool. I latched onto the edge of the granite counter top to steady myself, then looked over to see a startled Thea jerking to a halt as she looked at me with wide eyes.
"Malory," she blurted out in a relieved tone, and hurried toward me. "Thank God you're here."
"Uh...Hi, Thea," I replied as I wiped the leftover tears from my cheeks.
"Did that moron finally call you?" she asked.
"Well, no," I said with a frown. "I found out from his assistant that he'd been hurt and rushed over here on Wednesday."
"Lord save us all from stubborn men." She sighed. "His father, and Derek and I tried to call him all day yesterday, but he never picked up or called any of us back. I came over to make sure he wasn't dead and to take his staples out. I figured I'd find him here all alone moping around in his own filth." She shook her head in exasperation. "I was going to brow beat him into calling you, no matter what happened between the two of you. He needs you whether he'll admit it or not." She glanced around. "Where is he? "
"He's asleep upstairs, and I need him too," I replied with a soft smile.
"I'm so happy you're here." She smiled warmly, then abruptly glanced away. I followed her gaze to where Gareth's cell phone was sitting on the counter top. She walked over and picked it up, then hit the power button as she stared down at it. "Well, that explains a lot," she grumbled in annoyance. She held it up to me. "The damn battery is dead."
I realized that I hadn't seen him touch the thing in days. I didn't know he'd let the battery drain completely so no one could even call him.
"Well, he hasn't exactly been himself," I admitted with a frown.
"What's been going on?" she demanded in a serious tone, her eyes suddenly sharp and focused. I was talking to Dr. Thea West now.
I told her about his anxiousness and irritability, in addition to the headaches and dizziness that he was still dealing with. I also let her know how he seemed sad and distant sometimes, and that he wasn't sleeping well either.
"Is he going to be okay?" I finally asked as more tears pricked my eyes.
Thea stepped closer and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "He is," she said reassuringly. "But from his symptoms, I suspect he has post-concussion syndrome."
"What's that?" I asked worriedly.
"It's a term for a set of symptoms that can persist after a head injury. From what you're describing, it sounds like that's what Gareth has."
"Is it bad?" I asked fearfully. "What can you do? Will he be okay?"
"Well, there's no treatment for it per se," she replied. "All you can do is treat the symptoms. Fortunately, it usually gets better and goes away with time."
"How long will that take?"
"Well, it can last weeks, months, sometimes even years," she answered.
"Years?" I asked unhappily.
"Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "Most people recover fairly quickly in a few weeks. I'm sure he'll be fine."
A noise caught our attention, and we both looked across the room to see Gareth stepping off the stairs with Reggie close beside him. He looked drowsy and kind of out of it. I could see why he hated taking the pain medicine.
"That's a relief," he announced as he made his way slowly across the room. "I'm goddamn tired of this shit," he added irritably. He came up beside me, put an arm around my shoulders, and pressed a soft kiss to my temple.
Thea crossed her arms and leveled Gareth with a hard baleful glare. "Well, maybe if you hadn't let your phone die, I could have told you that before now."
He immediately glanced over at his phone still lying on the counter, then looked at Thea again with a chagrined expression. "Sorry," he said quietly.
"You should be," she said with an arched brow. "We've been worried about you, especially your father."
His face looked pained, and he frowned deeply. "I'll call him," he whispered. He shuffled over to his phone. "Let me charge it."
"I'll get it," I chimed in, not wanting him to overexert himself. I hopped up and grabbed his phone, so I could take it upstairs to plug it into his charger.
"Let me take a look at your wound and see if I can take the staples out today," Thea said as she stepped up to Gareth. I hurried away as she lifted his shirt and started peeling back the bandage to look at the hideous thing. I'd seen enough of it when I changed his bandage the last few days.
When I came back downstairs, Gareth was lying on the couch in the sitting area as Thea knelt next to him removing the staples with a small stainless steel tool in her gloved hands. I glanced over, and my stomach roiled as she pulled one of them out of Gareth's skin. Yikes. Good thing I never went into the medical field. I didn't have the stomach for it. Gareth was staring up at the ceiling with a slightly pale face. Apparently, neither did he.
I swiftly went back to the nearby kitchen and got to work on my omelets again.
"I can give you a prescription for the depression and the anxiety if you want it," I heard Thea tell him.
"No," came his immediate and indignant reply. "I'm going back to work tomorrow, and I don't want to take anything."
"Gareth," she said in exasperation. "You really should stay home for at least a few more days."
"I can't sit here doing nothing for one more damn day," he replied sharply. "I can't fucking take it anymore. I have clients counting on me. I need to go back to work."
Thea let out a beleaguered huff. "Fine," she conceded. "But you better take it easy."
Gareth sighed. "Very well," he answered unconvincingly.
Thea shook her head as she leaned down to take the last staple out. "There, I'm all done." She straightened and eyed Gareth sharply. "You need to be careful with the wound for the next few days. It could easily rip open again."
"Okay, fine," he answered as he slowly sat up and pulled his shirt back down. He narrowed his eyes and looked at me intently for a moment. "So when can I have sex again?" he abruptly asked as he continued to hold my gaze with heated eyes. Oh my God. I felt my face turn blisteringly red. I glared at him sharply. A smirk pulled at one side of his lips. I guess he was feeling better.
Thea laughed at our interaction. "Well, if you give it until next weekend, then you should be fine. Just be careful and don't play too strenuously."
Her use of the word "play" made me blush even more. Even though she was into the BDSM lifestyle too, was comfortable talking about it, and didn't find it embarrassing to discuss, I still did. I feared I always would. Now they were both grinning in amusement at me. I chose to be the bigger person and ignored them. Besides, I didn't want to give them any ammunition to embarrass me yet again. It was becoming a popular past time with all the people I was close to in my life, and I didn't want to encourage anymore of it.
"Another week?" Gareth asked her incredulously. "You're killing me here, Thea. You know that, right?"
"As a doctor, I can assure you that lack of sex will not kill you," she grinned wickedly. "No matter how much it feels that way for you or your submissive." She caught my eye and winked at me. I turned away before she could see me blush yet again, and ignored Gareth's low sexy laugh that turned me on and made my face flame even more. Jerks.