be my offsider.”
The doctor glanced up at Finn without expression, then sniffed. “Well, who better to protect her? You can take her past the gate if you’re by her side. Sooner the better, I think. She seems OK, someone’s going to have to stay with her tonight, wake her up every couple of hours and look out for any sign of brain injury. Slurred speech, dizziness, vomiting… Anything out of the ordinary, give me a call on my mobile. So who’s going to do it?” The room went silent as the guys eyed each other.
“My night tonight,” Slade said with a shit-eating grin.
“Hey, if you want to spend it with her flat on her back, spewing, be my guest,” Aaron said.
“Yep, but then I get to hold back her hair and clean her up and rub her fevered brow,” Slade said. Aaron’s brows pulled down into a frown.
“Slade, take one of the bikes or carts up to her place and collect her dog from Nerida’s. Aaron and I will take her up in the car.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
I started to push myself upright on the table, but Finn swept me up in his arms, despite my protests. “Give Slade these,” Doc said, handing Aaron a box of medication. “We have to wait until the aspirin has cleared her system, but she can have two of these after eight hours.”
12
So there I was, lying in bed with Slade sitting in a chair at one end.
“You can lay down,” I said, my voice raspy with exhaustion, “as long as you’ll sleep. I am so not up for anything else.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, princess,” he said. “Which is why I’m all the way over here. Go to sleep, I’ve got to wake you in a couple of hours, but I’ve got a book to keep me company.”
“Well, if you’re sure…” I mumbled, burying my head into the cool, clean pillow. I dimly heard his chuckle as I drifted off. Sweet, sweet oblivion. As I start to doze, the pain faded away so quickly I let out a languorous sigh. The removal of pain is almost as good as sex after a while. I felt the soft sheets around me, the comforting weight of the blanket as I went deeper and deeper…
I lay on a bed covered in red silken sheets that slipped sinuously as I moved. I opened my eyes a crack, and saw that I’d been sleeping on a massive four poster bed with gauzy white curtains hanging down from the canopy.
“Hello.” The mattress dipped as someone came and laid down beside me, pulling my body against theirs. I looked over my shoulder to see Slade, looking much cleaner but with the same reddish-brown scruff of a beard, his hair a short crop of a slightly lighter colour, gazing down at me. He reached over and caressed my face, and I saw his bare arm.
“Are you naked?” I asked, rolling over to face him. He ran delicate fingers up my arm, trailing over my neck and cupping my jaw, brushing a thumb over my lips.
“I can if you want me to be. Your wish is my command,” he purred, running the flat of his hand down my neck and collar bone, my nipples pulling tight in anticipation of his callused caress, but he veered off down my ribs, rubbing up and down them, getting closer and closer to my butt. My clit began to throb lightly, sure that he was going to slip his fingers between my thighs and…
Instead he pulled me closer, so our bodies meshed, and his hand dropped down to my waist, lingering in the small hollow at the end of my spine. It sent curious shivers through my body. “So…” I gasped, “you’d do anything for me?”
“Within reason, love. Talk to me about what you want, and I’ll see what I can do.” His mouth was suddenly busy, lipping at the skin of my neck and shoulders, the prickle of his beard a tantalising tickle. “Tell me what you want,” he said, skimming his palm up, up over my stomach and ribs, getting closer and closer…
“Uh…” I moaned, but his hand returned to my jaw, drawing me in for a kiss. I wanted dream Slade to caress and pluck, tug and suck and spear his fingers inside me. Freed from pain, my sex drive came rollicking back, twice as strong. I felt the slickness between my thighs as they moved restively, and I dug my hands in his hair, tangling my tongue with his, pushing my body against his, wanting and seeking more.
“What do you want?” he insisted as I fought to catch my breath. “I’m not doing it until you ask. Tell me, Jules.”
“Tell you what?” I whined, writhing, trying to drag my nipples across his chest, anything for some blessed friction. He pulled back, pushing me down on the bed and clasping my wrists. He reared over me, shutting out the light, holding me within the broad shadow of his body. He kicked my ankles wide but didn’t settle between them, even when my hips bucked underneath him.
“What. Do. You. Want,” he said.
“Touch…” I whimpered.
“Touch what, Jules? Just say it, and I’ll do it. Touch what?”
My eyes flicked open to find I was in my normal old bed, top pushed up around my neck, the sheets draped around my hips. Slade hung over me in the exact position I’d been dreaming about. “What’s going on?” I said, blinking. My body throbbed, not struggling to make the transition from sleep to awake like my mind was.
Slade jerked back. “You were still asleep. Fuck, Jules, I’m so sorry. I was trying to wake you up, trying to do it gently, and then you started moaning and talking back to me…” He turned to leave, but I grabbed his arm. God, his body was like iron.
“It’s OK,” I said.
Yeah it is! my body said. Let’s tell him what we want and get things started. Now a little tweaking on the nipples, not too forceful. Both at the same time would be just grand… I shook my head, trying to bring my attention back to the concerned looking Slade. “I was half awake and was kinda dreaming you were doing and saying the same things…”
“We alright? How’s your head? Still hurting?” I nodded. “Let me get you your meds.” He disappeared, returning a moment later with a glass and some pills. I pulled the sheet up to cover myself and then swallowed them down. “Lemme have a look at your eyes,” he said, coming in close. I smelt the tobacco on his breath as he looked at one, then the other, and felt the heat coming from his body as he bent over me. He reached up and cupped my chin, turning it towards the light a little, bringing my mind back to the feel of his stubble scraping over my skin. “Apart from the pain, no light sensitivity or dizziness?” I shook my head carefully. “OK, well, go back to sleep, and I’ll…” He went to pull away, but I didn’t let go of his arm. His eyes went from my grip, then back to me. “Princess…?”