by Aaron Riley
The memories of the Stinky Goat came rushing back—the hot redhead, the bloody brawl, the knife in my back. My blood began to boil.
Emily put her hand on my chest to calm me down. “The doctor told us you lost a lot of blood but the wounds weren't serious. You're going to be fine.”
My muscles relaxed and my heart beat slowed back to normal. I lay back down on the hospital bed and let out a sigh. Everything was going to be okay.
Pain came up and shook my hand. His horn-rimmed glasses gave him a sophisticated look while his gray hairs gave away his age. “Rest up, Ares. We want you back as soon as possible.”
“I feel good. Let's go home.” I sat up and the room began to spin—a feeling I was all too familiar with. I stood up and steadied myself. My knees were wobbly and my legs weak. I took a step and Dagger had to hold my arm to keep me from crashing down.
“What's going on in here?” The blonde doctor rushed into the room and grabbed my arm away from Dagger.
“I feel good, Doc. It's time to go home.” His hand on my arm felt nice.
“Over my dead body,” he said with conviction. The doctor grit his teeth and flared his nostrils. This was one man who shouldn't be trifled with. Kind of reminded me of Emily.
I put my hands up in the air. “I surrender, doc. Sorry guys but it might be a couple days until I'm out of here.”
The doctor helped me lay down on the bed, placing my head gently on the hard pillow. Emily came over and kissed me on the forehead, leaving a red lipstick mark. “Get some rest, Ares. And listen to the doctor.”
I smiled at her. Emily really was a mother to me. “Yes, Ma'am.”
The MC left the room, waving goodbye and slapping my legs. The doctor checked my vitals and I stared at him. He had a nicely-built figure but his large white coat hid any evidence of it. His name plate on his left breast said: Dr. Holmes.
“Your vitals are getting better. But we still need to do some tests.”
“Dr. Holmes eh? Any relation to the famous detective.”
The doctor sneered at me. “Like I haven't heard that one before.”
I laughed and could feel the stitches in my back pulling at my skin. “What's your first name?”
He cocked his head to the side and looked at me funny. Like nobody had every wondered his name before. “It's Owen. But you can call me Dr. Holmes.”
“Well Owen, I'm Ares. It's nice to meet you. Thank you for saving my life.” I lifted my hand out for him to shake. Owen ignored my polite gesture and checked the monitor next to me. He didn't like my defiant attitude. Not yet at least.
“If the tests look good tomorrow. You'll be able to go home,” Owen said, walking to the doorway.
“Thanks again, Owen.” My smile turned to seriousness. “Thank you again for saving my life. I owe you one.”
Owen was about to leave without a reply but poked his head back in. “Your welcome, Ares,” he said, without making eye contact.
I rested my head against the pillow and grinned. Who was this man?
—
Days passed and I was still stuck in the hospital. I didn't see much of Dr. Holmes except for him to tell me that I needed more tests done. What the fuck could they still be testing?
But Nurse Fiona and I were seeing a lot of each other. She came into the room almost every ten minutes to check in on me. Her short brunette hair was tied back into a little ponytail that let her beautiful face glow. Her playful flirting was more than just flirting. I could tell by her flushed cheeks that she was interested in me. I didn't know how to break it to her.
The best time of the day: sponge bath.
Nurse Fiona popped into the room. “Ready for your bath, Ares?”
“Do I have a choice?”
Fiona giggled and brought over the sponge and bucket. I sat up and Fiona undid my backless hospital gown. She dunked the sponge into the warm water and ringed it out. Fiona ran the rough sponge across my back, massaging my skin. I let out a guttural moan and shut my eyes.
“That feels really good, Nurse.”
A knock at the door interrupted us. Just when it was getting really relaxing.
Doctor Holmes walked in. “Everything going all right in here, Nurse?”
“Yes, Doctor. Just giving the patient a sponge bath.”
I winked at Owen. The white sheet barely covered my body. “It might take the both of you to clean this body.” The doctor rolled his eyes. He really had heard it all. I was going to have to take my normal charm up a notch.
“I think Ares is clean enough, Nurse. Mr. Jacoby in room five needs a bath too.”
Fiona sulked as she left the room. I missed her already. Owen flicked the light switch, drenching the room in darkness. “Get some rest, Ares.”
I put my hands behind my head and lay on the pillow. “Yes, sir.”
Chapter Four
Owen
My stomach grumbled as I made my rounds. It'd been eight hours since I'd eaten anything of substance. But food would have to wait.
Mr. Jacoby in room five was constantly pooping himself but finally stopped. Nurse Fiona would be cleaning crap off the floor for days. I still had a couple patients to see before I could finally take a break.
Ares King was also on the list of patients to see. I operated on him a few days ago and he was the biggest pain in the ass—trying to get in my pants with every word out of his mouth. I would never bend over for that type of man I opened the door to the oldest patient I had currently. George Kenner fell down in the shower and broke his hip in two places. Luckily his dog barked up a storm and a neighbor called 911.
“Hello George, how is your hip doing?” I checked the monitor and he seemed fine.
“Oh man, I feel like a million bucks. I could get up and we could dance the night away.” George tried to show me his moves while laying down. “I know a nice jazz club a few blocks from here. They're open pretty late on Saturdays.”
“Maybe another time, George.” I put my stethoscope on and rested the bell on his chest. His heart was old but healthy. “Sounds good, George.”
“Fit as a fiddle, Doc.” His wrinkly skin stretched into a smile.
I chuckled. “I'll check in on you later.”
I left his room and checked my clipboard. Ares King was up next. Flashes of his tattooed chest ran across my mind. Goosebumps formed on my skin and a shiver ran up my mind. Why was I so scared to see him?
I peeked into room three and Mr. King was still sleeping. Thank god. I walked in and checked his vitals. Everything normal. Ares was completely passed out. The white sheet covered up his entire body. I was tempted to pull it back just to get one more glimpse of that intricate Devil's Hellions tattoo. Ares rustled and opened his eyes.
“How are we doing today, Mr. King.” I took out my penlight and did a couple eye tests—all normal. His brown eyes burned deeply into mine. They were dark, brooding, and oh so sexy. I couldn't look away from his gaze.
I grabbed his wrist to check his pulse and felt an electric shock. His heart was racing but so was mine.
“Doing fine, Owen. When can I get out of here? The walls are closing in on me and Nurse Fiona checks in every minute.”
“Soon, Mr. King. You almost died and we'd like to keep you under observation a little longer.”
Ares reached out for my hand. “I'd like to keep you under observation.”
I rolled my eyes. His lines were pretty pathetic. “Keep it in your pants, Mr. King.”
“Little hard to do, Doc. Little too hard.” I couldn't even dignify that statement with a response.
Suddenly, a whole group of bikers came into the room and began congratulating Ares. I used that opportunity to exit the room. I spotted Dr. Green walking down the hallway towards me and I quickly ducked into room four with a coma patient. If I could go just one shift without interacting with that sleazeball.
I spent an hour in the mess hall, chewing on a poorly made hamburger. I checked my phone and saw a missed text from my younger sister Winon
a.
Winona: I hope that bastard doctor is keeping her hands off you.
When she had dropped out of college, our parents disowned her and I let her stay with me temporarily until she could find a job. Flash forward two years and she was still living with me and had not found a job. I was at my wit's end with what to do with her. I couldn't throw her out on the streets. I was her big brother.
Honestly, I liked having her around. It could get lonely returning to an empty apartment every night. Dating was hard enough and combine that with an eighty-hour work week and your sex life becomes non-existent.
I typed her back a quick reply.
Owen: So far so good. I'll be home early in the morning. See you soon xoxo.
I finished my hamburger and returned to the ER. Everything had been pretty quiet since the car accident from the night before. I checked my watch and realized it was past visiting hours. I would need to tell all those bikers that they needed to leave. I kept my phone close by just in case I needed to call security. Who knew what could happen.
The bikers had already left when I entered. No need for security. But Ares was standing up and trying to get dressed. When would he ever listen?
“I thought I already told you that you weren't leaving.”
“I feel fine, Doc. Fit as a fiddle.” Ares lifted his arm and flexed his bicep. He looked damn strong.
But all it took was a light shove to send him flying back down on the bed. “You're staying here whether you like it or not.”
“Whatever you say, Owen.”
Why couldn't he call me by my last name? I actually did have a thing for Sherlock Holmes—read all his stories more that once. I once wanted to be a detective. Solve crimes just like Sherlock. But I grew out of that phase when I reached high school. I wanted to save people. I made my dream come true.
Ares was one more arrogant remark from being pricked by a thousand needles. Who did this guy think he was? The anger in my stomach was bubbling in my throat. He had the same disrespect that I hated about Dr. Green. I didn't even pay attention to her last attempt at getting me in bed.
—
I spent the rest of my shift checking in on other patients and doing a good job of keeping my mind off Ares. He was so frustrating and I'd only known him for a few days. I couldn't wait until I could discharge him.
I stopped by his room one last time and the door was closed. The nurses only closed the door if they were giving the patient a sponge bath. It couldn't hurt to peek in and get one last look at that sexy chest of his. I knocked on the door before opening it. Nurse Fiona was flustered and dropped the sponge in the bucket. Ares looked relaxed. Way too relaxed.
I told Fiona to go give Mr. Jacoby a bath so I could be alone with Ares. I approached the bed and could see his chest and tattoos. My skin became red hot and a desire in the pit of my stomach began to grow.
I ordered Ares to get some rest and left the room before I saw anything more. It had been so long since I was with a man. Six years to be exact. I closed my eyes and tried to remember Kyle from med school. His face was hard to recall but I could clearly see him sweeping all the books off my desk and bending me over. He rammed into me four times before finishing. It wasn't the best but it was all I had. That was the last time I had sex and my body was beginning to rebel against me.
I left the room and wasn't looking when I accidentally bumped into Dr. Green. My clipboard went flying through the air and the papers he was holding fluttered to the ground. I bent down and helped her gather up her files.
“We should do this more often,” she whispered to me.
I huffed and grabbed my clipboard, leaving her in the dust. So much for going my whole shift without seeing her.
Chapter Five
Ares
It was hard to sleep at night in a room with so many beeps and whistles. It was even harder when a nurse constantly entered the room to check on me. Now if they woke me up for a sponge bath, then I could hardly complain.
I dreamed of Owen Holmes giving me a dirty sponge bath, wearing nothing. His hands ran the wet sponge all over my body. I revealed my large snake to him and Owen gasped. He wrapped the sponge around my erection and washed me up and down.
“You've been such a bad boy,” he cooed. He bit down on the pen he held between his fingers, running his tongue along the tip. I was so close to coming. If he would just take me in his mouth and finish me off.
Owen turned around and bent over, giving me the view I deserved. He returned to the sponge against my hard cock. The warm water massaged me as he worked my shaft with both hands.
I was so close. My cock became engorged. I screamed Owen's name as I sprayed all over his chest, plastering him with my milky seed.
“Rise and shine, Mr. King.” I was pulled from my dream in an instant. I looked over to see Owen by the window. “Do you always scream my name in your dreams?”
Holy fuck! He was in the room and heard my entire sex dream. But maybe I could use that to my advantage. “It's hard not to moan your name when you're doing the filthiest things to me.”
Owen fake laughed. “Very funny, Mr. King.” He opened the blinds and flooded the room with light.
I put my arm over my eyes and hid beneath. “Go away. I'm too sick to go to school.”
Owen had so many barriers up. How could I break through? He brought out his clipboard and began flipping through the papers. “I have the results from the tests and it all looks normal.”
“Does that mean I can go home today?”
“Not yet. We still need to get you walking around and eating solid foods.”
I sat up in bed. “Well what are we waiting for, Doc? Let's go take a romantic stroll on the beach.” Owen took my arm and helped me off the bed. My knees were no longer wobbly and my legs felt stronger. I took a couple steps forward and already felt better.
“Good job. Now let's go out into the hallway.”
I nodded and walked slowly. Even though my legs felt one-hundred percent, I didn't want Owen to leave my side. I pretended I could barely walk. We reached the hallway and a few of the Devil's Hellions MC were waiting outside.
“Look! The man can walk,” Big Mike announced, slow clapping.
I nodded and bowed. “Yes, and for my next trick I'll turn water into beer.”
Emily approached Owen and walked next to us. “Can Ares come home tonight, Doc?”
“Not yet,” Owen replied, focusing on keeping me upright. “He still needs to rest a bit more.”
Emily walked in front of us and stopped us in our tracks. “Come on, Doc. He seems perfectly fine. Let me take him home and I'll look after him.”
“I'm sorry but he's staying here,” Owen said with a sense of finality. Emily could steamroll over most men but Owen wasn't like most men. He could hold his own.
We made a lap around the hospital and returned to my room. Even though I faked needing help for most of the walk, I was completely out of breath when we got back. “Thanks for the exercise, Owen. Maybe when I get out of here, you can train me personally.”
He tried not to respond but a tiny smile formed at the corner of his mouth. I was getting through that tough exterior of his. It wouldn't be much longer until he was bent over a desk as I pounded into him.
“I don't think that would be appropriate, Mr. King.”
“Well then if we can't exercise together, how about a drink?”
Owen looked me directly in the eyes. He was scared of something but I couldn't put my finger on it. “I'm sorry, but I don't date patients.” That was a bullshit excuse if I've ever heard one.
I grabbed his hand before he could leave. That same electric shock zapped me. The hairs on my arms stood on end. “I won't be your patient for long. Come on...one drink, what's the harm?”
The doctor hesitated. “I can't.” He left quickly and I was all alone with my thoughts.
I was in and out of sleep. Nightmares of getting stabbed kept me awake at night. The memory of blood pooling around my body was c
onstantly hounding me. I almost died. But I survived, like I always did. It would take a lot more than a broken bottle to take out Ares King.
Chapter Six
Owen
What was happening to me? I almost said yes to a date with an criminal. The man came into the ER with stab wounds for god's sakes. He was not the right guy for me. My prince would come one day and sweep me off my feet. Or at least that's what the movies told me. I doubted I would ever meet him. I made my choice a long time ago—I'd rather be a doctor than someone's husband.
Nurse Fiona found me in George's room while I checked on his hip. “Dr. Holmes, I can't seem to find anymore Codeine.”
“There's no more in the drug cabinet?
“I checked. We're all out,” the nurse replied.
I sighed and shrugged. “I'll go get more then.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
“I'll check in on you again, George,” I said, winking at him.
He smacked his lips.“I'll be waiting patiently for your return.”
I laughed and left the room. I actually liked helping older people. They were harmless. Not like it was with Ares. I could see the hunger in his eyes. He wanted me—badly. Did I have that same desire?
I went down the elevator and to the locked pharmacy. Only doctors had a key ever since a patient stole a ton of painkillers and OD'd in the hospital. The resulting lawsuit made the board change the way drugs were stored and now nurses bugged me every time we ran out of something.
I pulled out my keychain with a million keys on it. The one for the pharmacy had a little purple sticker on it to identify it from the others. I opened the locked cage and entered the dark room. My hand felt around for the light switch and flipped it. Rows of shelves were lined up containing every drug known to man. I went to the aisle of painkillers that were locked again in another steel cage. For some reason the bright minds upstairs thought it would be genius to have them behind bars twice with the same key. If somebody could get through the first lock, they could easily get through the second. I opened it and grabbed a few bottles of Codeine.