As it turned out, mer metabolism burned through both sugar and caffeine at an accelerated rate. “Wow, I’m tired,” Aidan said, blinking hard as they brought everything back to their cottage. “You don’t mind if I take a nap, do you?”
“Be my guest,” Nick said. Like Ian’s cottage, his new place also had guest rooms, each outfitted with a comfortable-looking double bed. The master bedroom at the rear, however, had a ridiculously luxurious king piled with pillows. He could easily imagine the mer sprawled naked across the sheets, hard and ready to play.
Ignoring the enthusiastic agreement in his boxers, he headed into the kitchen to finish putting away the last of the groceries. After fitting a six-pack of beer into the refrigerator door, he closed it and yelped at the extremely unexpected shape that was standing behind it. “Jesus Christ!”
“Wrong pantheon,” Chiron said, studying the kitchen layout. “I saw Finned Thunder snoring on the couch. You wear him out already?”
Nick glared at the centaur, waiting for his racing heartbeat to slow down. “Are you always this much of a douche?”
“Pretty much.” Chiron straightened up, folding his arms across his chest. “But enough with the bromantic banter. We need to get to work on your Rod skills, doctor.”
“Okay, fine. Wait here.” With another glare, Nick stalked into the master bedroom where he’d left the staff. Grabbing it, he could feel the carved wood tingling under his fingers.
The golden snake raised her head, blinking at him. Oh, good, we’re finally getting started.
“Apparently.”
Pythia tutted. You don’t sound pleased, Nicholas.
“Yeah, well, I don’t like my instructor sneaking up on me and scaring the shit out of me.”
Ah. You’ll get used to Chiron’s ways soon enough. Under that gruff exterior is the heart of a great physician.
And a complete dick, Nick grumbled to himself as he headed back into the kitchen. He found Chiron giving the bottle of wine on the counter a longing look. A sarcastic comment about drinking before five was on his lips when Pythia turned quickly, flicking her tongue against his wrist.
Don’t taunt him, Nicholas. Somehow he knew he was the only one hearing her now. He’s lived in a half-existence for millennia, unable to experience such simple pleasures as eating or drinking. You don’t have to like him, but show him mercy on this one point.
Nick flashed on the undead pirates from Pirates of the Caribbean, and shuddered. Fine, I’ll cut him some slack. But if he keeps mouthing off to me, I’m hitting back.
“Okay, so where do we start?” he said to the centaur.
Chiron tore his attention away from the wine. “We’ll do a review of basic examination skills to start with, and then we’ll go through the steps of diagnosis.”
“I already know how to examine a patient.”
“That’s just fabulous.” Chiron nodded at the staff. “But do you know how to do it with the Rod?”
“Uh. No.” He hefted the Rod and waved it in the air. Nothing happened. “Do I have to say something to activate it?”
“Like?”
“I don’t know. Some kind of spell or a chant?”
Chiron pinched the bridge of his nose. “The Rod isn’t a magic wand, you dumbass. It’s a diagnostic tool that makes an MRI scanner look like a dowsing rod.”
“Oh.” Nick eyed the staff with new respect. “So it’s like some kind of ancient Greek tricorder?”
“Not a bad analogy,” Chiron said. “At its heart, the Rod is an instrument. How well it’s used depends on the skill of the user. And I’m here to teach you those skills.”
Nick hefted the staff, feeing the low thrum that ran through it. “If this is a diagnostic tool, it probably should be used by a top-notch diagnostician.”
“Exactamundo.”
“One little problem. I’m not a diagnostician.”
“Not yet, but you will be. Welcome to cross-specialization, Dr. Gardiner.” He turned his head and gave a loud, piercing whistle. “Hey, Aquaman. In here.”
Aidan poked his head around the corner after a moment, blinking sleepily and scratching his stomach. “You whinnied?”
“Smartass.” Chiron waved the mer over, positioning him in front of Nick. “Pull up the shorts on your bad leg and show us where the stupid human stabbed you.”
Obediently, Aidan tugged up the shorts leg until the healing scab on the outside of his thigh showed. Chiron nodded at Nick. “Now, the doctor here is going to touch the Rod to the puncture wound.”
Nick angled the staff so that the tip rested over the scab. “If this hurts, tell me,” he murmured to Aidan.
“Stop fussing. Mers are tough,” Chiron said briskly. “Now, I want you to close your eyes and focus on the wound. Try to see it in your head.”
Feeling more than slightly ridiculous, Nick closed his eyes. To his surprise a highly detailed image of the thigh’s inner structure appeared in his mind. “It looks like a 3-D anatomy plate,” he said. “Okay, that is cool.”
“I’m glad you approve,” he heard Chiron say. “Narrow your attention more. Look for the puncture track through the muscles.”
A slender tunnel stood out like a livid slash through Aidan’s thigh muscles, fascia, and skin. “I see it.”
“Good. How does it look?”
“Pinkish grey, shot through with a lot of red.”
Chiron snorted softly. “Even better. Means it’s healing cleanly. Play around with the focus, see if you can turn the image along various axes, zoom in and out, that sort of thing.”
It took Nick a few minutes to get the hang of it, but eventually he was able to focus on a microscopic section of the puncture as well as zoom out for a wide-angle view. “This is amazing. I could have used this back at Memorial.”
“I think your colleagues might have had issues with you bringing a snake-wrapped staff into the ER,” Chiron said drily. “Not to mention your patients.”
Nick opened his eyes, the image dissolving. “Okay, so the Rod acts like a portable PET scanner.”
“Among other things, yes. So what did you think about Aquaman’s injury?”
“It’s almost completely healed. There’s no detritus in the puncture, and no sign of infection. I didn’t see any nerve damage, but I think I’d have to take a closer look for that.”
Chiron nodded at the mer. “Judging from the way he walked in here, I think he’s clear on nerve damage. Another shift and he’ll be back to normal, so for all intents and purposes he’s healed.” He waved dismissively. “You can go back to your nap, tadpole.”
Aidan hesitated. “I’d be happy to stay if you need anything else.”
“Really?” The centaur’s smirk was uncomfortably knowing. “Well, if you’re offering, it would be rude to say no. Maestro, let’s take it from the top.”
****
After a very thorough two hours, Nick’s knowledge of mer anatomy had increased exponentially. While a legged mer looked human on the outside at first glance, the pulmonary system was distinctly different from human lungs, forming a hybrid lung/gill structure. Certain internal structures in the abdomen and legs were also non-standard for humans, and Aidan’s hands and feet remained slightly webbed even in land form. His skin was extremely smooth and small-pored, making him mildly reflective.
“Could be worse,” he said when Nick pointed this out. “At least I don’t sparkle.”
Chiron shuddered. “Never mention those books in my presence, tadpole,” he said darkly. “The movies were even worse.”
Pythia turned to Nick. A cultural reference, I take it?
I’ll explain later. Nick lowered the Rod, blinking hard as a sudden wave of tiredness washed over him. “Whoa. I’m wiped.”
“Yeah, working with the Rod takes it out of you,” Chiron agreed, stretching. “That’s enough for tonight. I’ll be back tomorrow morning around nine. We’ll do three hours in the morning, break for lunch, then another four hours in the afternoon.”
“For h
ow long?”
Chiron rolled his eyes. “For as long as it takes me to cram millennia of information into that tiny human brain of yours. By rights you should be studying with me for the rest of your life, but apparently that’s not an option. So, nine?”
“Tomorrow at nine,” Nick agreed.
Nine, then, Pythia echoed and turned back into carved wood.
Chiron’s attention trailed over her coils. Something wistful flickered in his expression. “Lucky bitch. She has no idea how good she has it,” he muttered, then disappeared.
Nick switched the Rod to his left hand, shaking out his aching right. “Remind me to explain the concept of rest breaks,” he muttered.
“Good idea,” Aidan agreed, just as a soft, rolling growl sounded. “Was that you or me?”
Nick’s stomach picked that moment to chime in. “Both. Let me put this away and I’ll get dinner started.”
****
After some discussion Nick decided to make shrimp stir fry, checking with Aidan before he added ingredients to the wok. The mer turned out to be a surprisingly serviceable sous chef, chopping vegetables while Nick sautéed the shrimp and boiled rice.
They loaded plates and sat down at the dinner table, digging in with gusto. “This is great,” Aidan said enthusiastically, slurping a bean sprout into his mouth. “It’s got the same kind of sauce that Aphros used with the sashimi, kind of salty and rich.”
“Soy sauce,” Nick said, crunching on a snow pea pod. “It’s used a lot in Asian food. I’m guessing you don’t eat on land a lot.”
“Meh, not really. I’ve had some stuff at bars and those little food huts on piers, but I’ve never actually gone into a restaurant or anything.”
“How do you pay for stuff?”
Aidan waved his fork, chewing. “The pod has caches of money all along the coast, just in case one of us gets stuck out of the water and needs to buy human things. Plus there’s lots of stuff that humans always want to buy for cash—pearls, coral, old coins from wrecks, that sort of thing.”
Nick wondered how many of the beachcombers he’d seen over the years actually had tails. “Sounds like you’re pretty familiar with humans.”
Aidan took a sip of his wine, looking at Nick over the rim. “Not as familiar as I’d like to be,” he said once he’d swallowed. “You know, Chiron said I’m pretty much healed.”
“I know.”
“So I guess that means you’re not my doctor anymore.”
Nick remembered his own words that morning. If Chiron said Aidan was healed, that ended his responsibility as a physician. “I guess I’m not,” he said, smiling.
“Okay.” Aidan licked his lips. “Remember, I’m not pushing you. You can always say no. But after dinner, maybe we could go in the living room and get comfortable?”
Nick glanced at his plate, suddenly tempted to bolt his food. “Yeah. Yeah, we can do that.”
But not until they both finished their food at an annoyingly leisurely pace. And washed the dishes. And tidied the kitchen, much to his mounting frustration. He glanced at the merman, who was wiping down the counters while he scrubbed out the wok.
The bastard was whistling. That just wasn’t fair. “You know, we can always do this later. Or tomorrow,” he suggested.
“Mm, I don’t like leaving chores undone.” Aidan’s smile was angelic. “It bugs me, you know? Can’t really focus on anything else until I get the stuff done.”
Nick growled at that, and was rewarded with a raised eyebrow. “If I can be patient, so can you,” Aidan said, with mock severity. “Good boys don’t get their reward until they get all their chores done.”
“Yes, Sir.”
It just slipped out, and Nick bit his tongue. Stop that. He’s not your Dom.
He stole another look at the big, muscular mer. Although… He doubted he could actually scene with Aidan, not so soon after Barnard. But it wouldn’t hurt to sound the mer out about it. At least he’d know how Aidan felt about the concept.
“I need to tell you something,” he said, rinsing off the wok. “About me.”
Aidan paused, dishcloth in hand. “I’m listening.”
He put the wok in the drainer and took a deep breath. “I like certain things, sexual things, that may seem a little weird to you. If you don’t want to do them, that’s fine, but I wanted to sound you out about them first.”
“Still listening.”
“Okay.” Nick steeled himself. “I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the term BDSM. It’s—”
“I’ve heard of it.”
“Oh. Good.” He swallowed, then launched into the explanation he’d given Ian. “A lot of people would think I’m sick for wanting this sort of thing,” he said. “They don’t understand why I would want someone to tie me up and take over. As a doctor I have to make life and death decisions every day. Sometimes I just need to get away from that, give up the responsibility for a little while. Does that make any sense?”
Aidan put the dishrag down and leaned against the counter. “Makes perfect sense to me,” he said. “I understand the need to step back, let someone else be in charge.” He paused, his expression shifting to a calm, self-possessed look that screamed Dom. “I can do that for you, if you want.”
Nick swallowed hard. “I’d like that. But there’s a problem.”
“I know.” Aidan nodded at the spot on his chest where Barnard had carved his initial. “He hurt you, didn’t he? Your ex-lover?”
“How did you—”
“Aphros told me you’d been hurt. He didn’t tell me how,” Aidan added. “He said that was your story to tell.”
Nick willed down the shame and rage that rose at the thought of Barnard. “His name is Barnard Whitfield. We met at a club a few months ago. He likes edge play—knives, fire, that sort of thing. He’s rich and extremely charming, and ... I was stupid. A couple of nights ago, he tied me up and gagged me for a scene. Then he pulled out a scalpel. I thought he was just going to drag it along my skin, make scratches. He’s done that before.” He touched the gauze square under his shirt. “But he didn’t. He cut his initial into my skin. I kept screaming my safeword, but he wouldn’t stop.”
Aidan’s eyes had gone molten with fury. “He’s never going to touch you again. I promise you that.”
Nick’s mouth quirked humorlessly. “Get in line. Ian already claimed dibs on him.”
The mer shook his head. “He can have what’s left over. But I get first crack at him.”
Somehow he suspected that Aidan wasn’t just being reassuring. “Look, Barnard is a total and unmitigated bastard, but he’s also very rich and powerful, and he doesn’t like to be told no,” Nick said. “There’s a very good chance he may come down here and start trouble. If he does, I want you to let me handle it. He’d be more than happy to get you thrown in jail—or worse, some government lab.”
“I don’t think Lord Bythos or Aphros would let that happen,” Aidan said.
“I don’t want to risk it. If anything happened to you...” His gut ached at the thought.
Aidan moved closer, taking his hands. “Nothing’s going to happen to either of us, Nick. I promise. And I promise that I will never, ever do anything you don’t want me to do.”
“Yeah, I can’t see you ignoring a safeword,” Nick admitted.
Aidan’s brows came down. “What’s a safeword?”
“It’s a special word that means no. It stops all play.”
“Oh. That makes sense. What’s your safeword?”
“Winter.”
“All right. You say winter, and I’ll stop immediately.” He pulled Nick closer. “You choose what we do tonight. Whatever you want.”
His entire body went hot at the promise in the mer’s voice. He wanted, needed, someone to erase Barnard’s poisonous touch, but he couldn’t trust anyone to tie him up, not even Aidan.
Not yet, anyway. “Can you just … tell me what to do?” he said in a whisper. “Take the lead?”
“I can do that.�
�� Something in Aidan’s stance changed, becoming more commanding. “Strip. I want you naked.”
Something in his head shut down, switching over to submissive mode. He obeyed with relief, unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it off. Jeans and boxers followed, everything folded neatly and placed on the counter. He held up his left wrist with its watch and thick black leather band, silently questioning.
“That, too.”
The watch went on top of his clothes. He stood there, naked skin tingling in the soft twilight warmth. His cock began to thicken, already aching for Aidan’s touch. Neither of them looked at the gauze pad on his chest, as if it didn’t exist.
“Kneel.”
He dropped to his knees, spreading his thighs open and locking his hands behind his back as he’d been trained. “How may I serve you, sir?” he murmured.
“Sir. I like that.” He could see Aidan was already hard, the thick shaft lying at an upward angle in the mer’s shorts. His wish was granted when Aidan rested a hand on his head, pulling him closer. “Kiss me.”
Nick did, laying an open-mouthed kiss on Aidan’s cock. Savoring the heat of the mer’s body, he nuzzled his way up along the shaft, using his lips and tongue to massage it. When he reached the head, he mouthed it as best as he could through the shorts, and was rewarded with a soft moan.
Feeling naughty, he hummed around the sensitive flesh and heard Aidan gasp. A hand slid under his chin, tipping his face up. “Someone’s asking for it,” Aidan said, chuckling.
“Yes, sir.” Nick had missed doing this with a Dom, the sheer fun of indulging his inner brat and being taken in hand. Barnard had never allowed any playfulness in their scenes, preferring high protocol at all times.
“Well, we can’t have that, can we?” Aidan’s grin was wicked. “In the living room, boy. On your hands and knees.”
Nick dropped to all fours and crawled as quickly as he could across the tiled floor and onto the hardwood floor of the living room, wincing and grateful when he reached the large, soft area rug. He could imagine the image he was presenting to Aidan; his ass in the air, ready for a firm hand. His cock twitched at the thought.
Olympic Cove 2-Breaker Zone Page 10
