by S. Nelson
Sara
It was the smallest of movements, but it made my heart soar. Even though a full day had passed, my hope had been restored Alek was on his way back to me.
I was sitting by his bedside, as usual, when he squeezed my hand right when I asked him to. His grip was weak at first, but it didn’t matter. He heard me and his body reacted.
His eyes were still closed, never giving way to the struggle he might be going through. I hoped he’d heard each word I’d whispered to him. But I wouldn’t know for sure until he woke up, giving me my opportunity to ask him.
I was walking back into the room from a quick bathroom break when I saw his eyelids flutter. Rushing to his side, I stroked his jaw as I encouraged the progress. One after the other, he slowly opened his eyes, looking straight ahead, unable to focus at first.
“That’s it, honey. Take your time. I’m right here when you’re ready,” I cried, pure joy pouring from the depths of my soul.
His lips parted but no sound came out. It took him awhile before he was finally able to shift his head to the side. The moment his eyes found mine was glorious. I witnessed my undying love reflected back at me.
How I’d missed those beautiful, soul-searching green eyes of his. I was beginning to think I would never see them again. But there he was, looking right at me, pleading with me to be more patient with him as his body began the process of waking up.
Refusing to overwhelm him with my incessant need to rain kisses all over his face, I leaned over and pushed the button for the nurse. I caressed his cheek again, a weeks’ worth of beard growth scratchy against my skin. The nurses made sure to keep him looking as much like himself while he recuperated, so they shaved him weekly, asking me multiple times if I wanted to do it instead. But I didn’t trust myself. I knew from my lack of sleep and nutrition, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hand steady enough to pull off the job. So I relied on them for their kindness.
Alek had lost weight and looked like a paler, thinner version of himself. To me, he was still the most beautiful man alive. I knew once he was truly on the road to recovery, he was going to push himself until he was back to normal. And I knew it was my job to make sure he didn’t overdo it.
“Well, well. Look who’s awake.” The nurse startled me even though I was the one who called for her. She glanced over at me and smiled, the struggles of the eight days etched deep into the lines on my face.
“Obviously this means he’s out of the woods, right?” I asked, hopeful she was going to soothe my tightly wound nerves.
“Well, I don’t want to rush things, but yes, this is a good sign.” She checked his vitals before typing in the results to the computer she wheeled in behind her. “I’ll see if I can find the doctor so he can do his own exam. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
After she left, I placed my hand back in his and simply stared at him. I was in awe. All I wanted him to do was speak to me, assure me he was going to be okay. As I parted my lips to speak, his eyes fluttered closed, the excitement obviously too draining on him.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. Rest now. You’re going to need it.” I leaned in and kissed his lips. When I moved back, I saw a small smile tip the corners of his mouth as he drifted off to sleep.
In the next couple of hours, I called everyone I could think of to tell them the good news. They all wanted to rush right over, but it was nearing eight in the evening and visiting hours were almost finished. Plus, he had fallen back asleep, and I didn’t want to push too fast.
The next day, Kael came strolling into the room as Alek was waking up.
“Well, my man, if you wanted this kind of attention, there are better ways of going about it.” He strode toward me and kissed my cheek, and for some reason, I glanced over at Alek. Sure enough, there was a look of annoyance on his face. But he still wasn’t speaking, so he couldn’t voice his displeasure. I smiled. He was coming back to me more each day. All of him. His possessiveness over me was the most reassuring, proving we would be back to normal very soon. It would annoy me later on but right then, it made me happy.
Kael caught his look, as well, and patted his arm. “Don’t go getting all crazy on me. Actually, nix that. Go ahead, be crazy. At least that way, you’ll yell at me, and I would like nothing more than to hear your voice.” He moved in closer. “I’ve missed ya, buddy.” Kael had really been affected by Alek’s condition. I hadn’t realized how close they were until he was hurt. Pain and fear shone in his eyes as he stared at his longtime friend, lying helpless in a hospital bed.
I wanted to comfort him but I had no words, slowly recovering myself each day.
~41~
Sara
Another week had passed since Alek had officially woken up, and I was on cloud nine. He was talking more each day, the sound of his voice like music to my ears.
Friends visited but they were careful not to stay for too long, realizing his recovery was in the beginning stages. I was acutely aware whenever Alek’s eyes were following me, even in a room full of people.
Sitting by his bedside for the past couple of weeks, I realized his need to protect me would never go away. It was ingrained in him, even stronger than his own need for survival. Once, he’d woken in a panic, his eyes darting all over the room trying to search for me. His heart rate accelerated and his hand clenched mine in fear. I was able to quickly calm him down, a look of peace restored on his face before he fell back asleep.
I wondered who plagued his nightmares. Was it Samuel or his deranged sister?
Megan was no longer a threat. Kael had informed me after she’d been hauled away, she killed herself a week later while waiting to meet with her lawyer. Somehow, she’d gotten ahold of a small razor blade and ended her life before she rotted away in some prison cell.
No more looking over my shoulder, wondering if the whole tragedy with Samuel was going to continue in some way. Megan was the last of his family who would exact revenge for him.
It was done.
Finally.
“What are you so happy about today?” Alek asked, bringing me back from my thoughts. I hadn’t even known he’d woken up.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I leaned forward and gently kissed him hello. His tongue parted his mouth and ran along my bottom lip. It appeared he was feeling better.
“Are you happy because you have the pleasure of eating this yummy hospital food?” he teased.
“Nope.”
“Are you happy because you’re driving my car while I’m laid up in here?”
“I haven’t left the hospital at all, so no,” I answered.
“So, what is it? Tell me, my love,” he urged, a delicious smirk playing on his lips.
“I’m happy the man I love has come back to me. I can’t wait until things are back to normal, including your crazy ways.”
“What crazy ways?” he feigned innocence.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. But never fear. I’m looking forward to the amazing make-up sex we’ll have once we’re done arguing.” I gripped his hand and leaned in. “I can’t wait until I have the opportunity to show you how much I’ve missed you.”
His eyes sprung open like that was the last thing he expected me to say. Well, I’m only human. I would be a liar if I didn’t admit Alek still did things to me, invading my brain with the naughtiest of thoughts, especially when he ran his tongue over his lips to moisten them before he spoke.
“The second we’re home, I’m taking you to bed and we’re not leaving for two weeks. That’s the amount of time I’ve lost with you, so it’s how much time I need to make this right.”
I knew our separation killed him as much as it did me, but it was no one’s fault. Okay…well, it was kind of his fault for lunging at Megan while she was holding a knife. But then again, I’d done the same thing when I’d been shot. Each of us was trying to protect the other, essentially protecting our own hearts.
We’d sure been through a lot during the course of our relationship, but I wouldn’t change a thing if it mean
t we would always find our way back to each other.
I didn’t want to burst his bubble, but I didn’t want him getting ahead of himself either. “Alek, the doctor said it would be another week before you were able to go home, and once there, you have to take it easy until you’re fully recovered. So, as much as I would love to spend weeks in bed with you, it won’t be happening until I say you’re able to do so. Got it?”
He looked annoyed but gave in. “Got it,” he said, a wave of pain ripping through him and reminding him it was going to take some time to fully heal.
Even pouting, he was gorgeous.
~42~
Alek
I was finally being released from the hospital. The doctor thought I was well enough to go home and finish my recuperation there. I was going to need physical therapy to make sure I was functioning and moving at full capacity. Sara had already set everything up, asking for a male therapist to come in three times a week until he deemed me well enough to stop.
I asked her why she hadn’t chosen a female therapist for me and she narrowed her eyes. Her jaw clenched, and I knew exactly why. She was about to give me a stern talking-to when I winked and she instantly relaxed, knowing I was simply teasing her.
“Do you have everything, Alek?” Sara gave the room a once-over before we headed out. I’d spent way too much time cooped up in there and I couldn’t wait to breathe some goddamn fresh air.
“Yeah, babe, I’m good. Let’s get the hell out of here already. I can’t wait until we’re home and we can start my therapy,” I teased, slapping her ass. She squealed in surprise.
She turned around and crushed her body to mine, leaning up on her tippy-toes so she could press her gorgeous lips to mine. “Don’t get cute, mister. We’re not risking any further injury because we want to devour each other. Trust me, I know it’s been a long time, but I refuse to be the reason why you don’t fully recover.”
“We’ll see about that.”
I took one step into the hallway when a nurse yelled at me. “Mr. Devera. You have to wait for the wheelchair. You can’t just walk out.”
“I’m fine. My legs aren’t broken,” I argued, attempting to take another step. I was a little more than aggravated, but Sara stopped me before I bit the woman’s head off for simply doing her job.
“We’ll wait for the chair,” she said, pushing me back inside the room. As my mouth parted in protest, she whispered in my ear, “The sooner you follow the rules, Mr. Devera, the sooner you can claim my body as your own.” She licked the tender part of my lobe before nipping it with her teeth.
I was instantly hard.
I threw my hands up in mock-surrender and waited for the damn wheelchair.
~~~~
The next three weeks flew by. Physical therapy kept me busy…and frustrated. Thankfully, Kael had a great head for business. I’d asked if he could oversee a few of my projects while I recuperated. He’d agreed with no hesitation.
Sara and I hadn’t talked about that night. I couldn’t bring myself to make her relive it. The only part I still struggle with is the fact I should have found out who Megan was way before I actually did. I didn’t know why I let myself slip. Actually, I did know. I didn’t want to push the issue so soon after Sara decided to give me another chance. Even though I eventually went behind her back anyway.
She was my life, my whole world, and there was nothing I wouldn’t do to protect her. But never again would I ignore my gut feeling. She’d promised to never argue with me again about the big stuff.
The little stuff? Yeah, it was still going to be an uphill battle, but there were ways around it. I could be quite resourceful when I needed to be which, with her, was most of the time.
One day, toward the end of the day’s therapy session, Sara strolled into the gym I’d set up. Michael, my therapist, was keeping a close watch over me as I used the treadmill. Thank God, too. As soon as she walked in, my eyes instantly found her and I almost lost my footing. Michael grabbed my arm to steady me and shook his head because he knew what caused me to falter. It’d happened quite often.
I was still experiencing some soreness in my stomach, an occurrence I thought would have dissipated weeks before. I knew as long as I still felt a twinge of pain, Sara wasn’t going to let me touch her. I couldn’t fake it either because she read it all over my face when I moved the wrong way.
She did her best not to tease me, but my cock instantly hardened whenever she was around. Shit, she didn’t even need to be in the same room with me and I was throbbing. My imagination and memories were my worst enemies as of late.
“How much longer before I’m a hundred percent?” I asked, increasing the speed on the treadmill. I was determined to push myself toward the finish line.
Michael leaned over me, saw the speed, and punched the button to decrease it. “Longer if you keep pushing yourself too hard, Mr. Devera.” He shot a displeased look my way as he wrote something down on that damn tablet of his.
“I don’t understand why the fuck I’m still sore,” I huffed, clenching my teeth in aggravation.
“Sometimes, our bodies are the ones to decide when enough is enough. And yours seems to be quite the stubborn one.” When I shot him an annoyed look, he quickly faltered. “What I mean is you’ve been through quite an ordeal, and you can’t expect to heal overnight. It takes as long as it takes.”
“Overnight? Did you just say that to me? It’s been almost a month since I’ve been home, doing everything you’ve told me. I’ve been resting when I’m supposed to, and doing this shit when I’m supposed to!” I yelled, waving at the mass amounts of equipment spread all over the room. Overly irate, I slammed my fist down on the treadmill, venting all my anger on the inanimate object.
“Alek, I know you’re frustrated, but please don’t take it out on Michael.” Sara had walked up behind me when I was in the middle of my slight meltdown. I locked eyes with her for a full ten seconds before I jumped off the treadmill and slowly stalked her. She backed away, knowing full well what was going to happen if I caught her.
“Sara, come here,” I coaxed.
“We’re not alone, Alek. Stop it,” she whispered, but she was weakening. I saw her glance back and forth between me and Michael, but I didn’t care. She was mine, and I needed her warmth to calm me. And since I couldn’t claim her like I wanted to, I would settle for the taste of her sweet lips.
Michael had been standing across the room, closer to Sara than I was. He approached her, his arm stretched out as if he was going to touch her.
He better not touch her. He better not touch her.
He fucking touched her.
“Are you okay, Sara?” he asked, his hand brushing over her upper arm. What is going on? He was acting a little too familiar with my woman and it pissed me off.
Before I even realized what was happening, my feet propelled me forward. I might not have been a hundred percent better, but I was well enough to kick his ass.
Sara saw me coming, took notice of his hand on her shoulder and suddenly looked slightly panicked. She knew what was coming and did her best to handle the situation before it spiraled out of control.
Moving a little to the right, his hand slipped away. “Yes. Thank you, Michael. I’m fine.” She shot me a look as I breached the space between us, but no amount of silent pleading was going to stop me.
As I was about to reach out and throttle him, I heard him say, “Don’t worry. Mr. Devera will be as good as new very soon. He’s making so much progress already; it’s only a matter of time.” Michael still hadn’t realized I was directly behind him. “I’m doing my best to make sure he doesn’t overdo it, but maybe you could do your part, as well.”
Both of us looked on in confusion.
“What do you mean?” she asked, perplexed.
Michael had the decency to realize what he’d said, but he continued on nonetheless. “It’s my job as his therapist to ensure his whole being is in sync with itself. And sometimes…” He faltered for a quick se
cond. “Sometimes, it means certain needs have to be met so he can give his all to fully recuperating.”
I like where this is headed.
My anger had suddenly disappeared, smug satisfaction taking its place as I smirked at Sara. I’d been saying the same thing to her ever since I came home, but she ignored me, telling me it would do more harm than good. Now that Michael said it, she’ll have to take it more seriously.
“I….I, uh…I don’t know what you mean.”
“We’re all adults here,” Michael responded. “Sex is the best way to release the endorphins, which is vital for a positive attitude. Which, in turn, translates to a quicker recovery.” He took a step back and bumped into me. Giving me a faint smile, he finished with, “Don’t worry. He’s good enough for some light activity.”
My cheeks hurt with how big my smile was.
“What are you grinning at?” She chuckled. I had to admit, seeing Sara slightly embarrassed was adorable.
“You heard the man, baby. And he knows what he’s talking about.” I breached the distance which separated us and pinned her against the wall. “I want to start the other part of my therapy. Right now.” I crushed my mouth to hers before she could utter a word.
For once, she didn’t fight me, knowing full well she needed me as much as I needed her.
Michael quickly gathered his things and left the room, not wanting to bear witness to what was about to happen, even though, in part, he had a hand in it. I had to make sure to give him a big raise.
~43~
Sara
I think my face was still red, but I never had any time to dwell on my reaction before Alek worked me into such a frenzy, I didn’t think I would ever recover.
Pulling me from the room, he rushed me up the stairs then down the hallway to our bedroom. Once inside, he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into his hungry embrace. “I’ve missed you more than you could possibly know. Finally,” he exhaled, “I’ve been given the green light to make you scream.” He toyed with my lips, running his warm tongue over the top of them, stopping once in a while to nibble on me as if I was his afternoon snack.