by Nix Knox
Chapter Twenty-Two
Noah couldn’t help but smile. He’d been very diligent about his workouts. He’d made tremendous progress but didn’t want to seem too pushy about his reward. And then he realized Ronan was as excited to give it to him as Noah was to get it.
“Are you sure I’ve earned it?” Noah watched as Ronan rose and closed the door. Every nerve in his body seemed to be sparking to life. When he’d first come into the hospital, he didn’t think he’d ever get aroused again. Even now, he had more areas of pain, but the pleasure was quickly taking over.
“I’m sure.”
“What if we get caught?” Somehow, the idea of that wasn’t as dissuading as it should have been. If anything, the idea of doing something illicit was increasing his arousal.
“We won’t.” Ronan pulled the fabric privacy screen across the ceiling, shielding Noah from view. “If anyone comes in, we’ll hear them.”
“And tell them what?”
“I was just helping you dress.” Ronan pulled the covers down until he exposed Noah’s lower half. Since he’d been moved out of ICU, he was able to wear his own clothes. His mother had brought him a T-shirt and sweats. She’d brought underwear and socks, too, but Noah hadn’t put those on. When Ronan tugged down his sweats, Ronan smiled. “You naughty, naughty boy.”
“I can’t seem to help myself.”
“I wish I had more time, room, and implements to punish you properly.” Ronan kissed his way down Noah’s chest. Rather than tease him by dragging out the moment of intimate contact, Ronan shocked him when he immediately sucked Noah’s cock into his mouth. He went from semi-hard to painfully hard in under three seconds.
Struggling to remain silent and still only pushed Noah’s arousal higher. Ronan wasted no time in his mission. He had Noah on the verge of release in less than sixty seconds. Just as Noah rocked upward, ready to climax, Ronan slid his hand down, rubbing the spot behind Noah’s balls. He came so hard he swore he uttered a cry of relief. As he pumped into Ronan’s mouth, he kept expecting the curtain to be yanked back, exposing their lusty liaison.
When Ronan finally released him, Noah practically passed out. He couldn’t remember ever going from arousal to release so fast.
“Now that was just to give you some relief.”
“That wasn’t the reward?”
“Nope.” Ronan pulled up Noah’s sweats. “I didn’t think it was fair to tease you after so many days without a climax.”
“You took pity on my poor, battered body.”
“I did. But I won’t always.”
Noah grinned.
“I knew you liked being punished.”
“I do. I’d love for you to—”
“Knock, knock,” a voice called.
Ronan hastily pulled up Noah’s covers, then slid back the drape. “Come on in. We just wanted some privacy.”
Noah struggled to keep a guilty expression off his face, but he wasn’t sure he was entirely successful. When the nurse brought in his new roomie, Noah and Ronan flashed each other looks of longing, then greeted the man who was recovering from surgery. Since he wasn’t really all that aware, Noah’s new roommate said hello and promptly fell asleep.
“He’ll probably be out for the rest of the day and night.” After making sure he was settled in his bed, the nurse left.
“Are you hungry?” Ronan asked.
“For more sex.” Noah couldn’t believe those words had just come out of his own mouth.
“Insatiable. I knew there was a reason I liked you.” Ronan looked over at the snoozing man.
“He won’t wake up.”
“So says you.” Ronan grinned. “How about we do something wholesome?”
“Like what?”
“Talk about where you’re going to go when you get out of here.”
Noah’s mind went utterly blank. His apartment was certainly rented out to someone new now. Not that he had any desire to go back there. Too many bad memories surrounded the place. All his stuff was in storage, and his car was at his parents’ house.
“Whoa. That was a look of sheer panic.”
“I had just turned in my notice the day of the assault. I have no job, no apartment, no nothing.”
“You have me,” Ronan gently reminded.
“I do.” Noah reached for him, but instead of holding his hand, he drew him close for a kiss. After a lingering smooch that curled his toes, Noah sighed.
“I want you to come live with me,” Ronan said.
Noah blinked several times.
“Not forever, not unless you want to. Just until you get back on your feet.”
“So you don’t want to live together?”
“I do.” Ronan pulled the chair closer to the head of the bed. “I want you to come live with me, but I don’t want to pressure you. I want you to know that you’re welcome to come and stay until you feel better. If at that point you want to get your own place, I’ll understand.”
“You will?”
“I won’t like it, but I’ll understand.”
“So you won’t tie me up to try to make me stay?”
“Only if you want me to.” Ronan stroked his fingertips over Noah’s belly instead of his hand. It would have tickled, but he was pressing firmly.
A part of Noah wanted to ruminate over his choices, but after what he’d done to Ronan in a misguided attempt to protect him, he thought he would be better off telling him his concerns. “I guess I’m worried that you’ll have to take care of me.”
“Do you mean if the seizures continue?”
“Yes. I don’t want you to feel like you’re trapped at home with me.”
“Okay. I can understand that.”
One thing Noah noticed about Ronan was that he never casually dismissed his concerns. Instead of answering right away, he considered.
“It’s been three days since your last seizure, so either the medication is working or whatever was causing them has stopped.”
“Or both.”
“Or both.” Ronan stroked his fingers a little lower. “We can’t really make any calls on that situation until something happens.”
“That’s my worry. I don’t want to be a burden.”
“I understand that. Let’s say they do come back and they’re really bad. You know that we can hire a nurse to come in and help, right?” Ronan met Noah’s gaze. “It doesn’t have to be a burden to me when we can get help.”
“I never thought of that.”
“That’s okay. See how telling me what’s on your mind is a good thing?”
“I’m seeing that.”
Each time Noah expressed a fear or concern, Ronan would offer a potential solution. He didn’t dictate, he only made suggestions. Together they would make the final decision.
“You’re really good at this.”
“It’s all that negotiation for scenes.” Ronan waggled his brows.
“About that…”
“Yes?”
“Can we still do that if I have seizures?”
“We can.”
“You looked it up, didn’t you?”
“I did. I wondered. It’s not common in that world, but believe it or not, we aren’t the first couple who’s had to work around a health issue. We’d have to do things a little differently, but yeah, we can still engage in BDSM.”
“Differently how?”
“Padding the floor in case you fall. Restraining you in safe ways that can be instantly removed if you have a seizure.” Ronan moved close and whispered in Noah’s ear, “But I like the idea of not tying you up at all.”
“Why?”
“Because then you have to stay restrained by your own discipline.”
“Like with that bar I hung on to.”
“Yep.” Ronan breathed into Noah’s ear, making his body react.
“I’m hard again.”
“Are you?” Ronan slid his fingers down along Noah’s belly until he reached his cock. “So you are.”
“What about
you?”
“We don’t need to worry about me right now.”
“But I want to suck your—”
Ronan kissed him, cutting him off. They were just getting to the good part when they were interrupted by a sound at the door. In an amazing show of dexterity, Ronan had his hand out of Noah’s pants and his hips covered by blankets without making any dramatic movements.
“Aw, you two.” From the nurse’s expression, it appeared all she could see was that they were just kissing.
“Should we stop?” Ronan asked.
“No. Kissing is good for the cardiovascular system.” After she checked on the sleeping patient, she pulled the privacy curtain around them. “I don’t think anyone will be back in here for at least half an hour. You know, in case you wanted to kiss some more.”
“She knows,” Noah said.
“Yep.”
“Aw, man.”
“Lighten up. What she did was really nice.” Ronan picked right up where he’d left off.
“No.” Noah pushed his hand away.
“No?”
“Get in here with me.” Noah peeled the covers down. “Please?”
“Damn. You know I can’t resist that look.” Ronan took off his boots, then climbed in next to Noah.
Since the fit was a little too tight, Noah climbed on top of Ronan.
“Is this wise?” Ronan asked.
“She said we have thirty minutes.”
“I meant that maybe you’re not physically ready.”
“I feel good.” Noah kissed him and squirmed, rubbing their cocks together through the fabric of their pants. Despite the thicker denim protecting Ronan, he clearly felt the pressure more profoundly. “I know you’ve been waiting for me.”
“How could you know that?”
“Because I know how you are.” Noah rocked his hips gently, then squirmed his way downward.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“I want to suck your cock.”
“Uh-uh.” Ronan pulled him right back up. “I should be taking care of you.”
“Isn’t that being a little one-sided?” Noah pointed out. “How am I ever going to feel like a full member of this relationship if you’re catering to me all the time?”
“Good point.” Ronan cupped Noah’s chin. “Just please don’t hurt yourself.”
“Your cock isn’t that big.” Noah grinned impishly, prompting Ronan to laugh.
“Ouch. My poor shattered ego.”
“I can heal you. Now just relax and let your lusty love slave do his thing.” Slowly, Noah worked his way down. When he struggled to get Ronan’s pants undone, he knew his guess was correct. He was hard as hell from waiting. Obviously, the man had amazing determination. Unlike what Ronan had done for him, Noah took his time and teased Ronan just enough to make him struggle to hold still. He did this mainly for his own ego. Knowing he could inflame Ronan’s desire did something to him that nothing else in the world could mimic. But he didn’t tease him too long, not when he hungered to taste Ronan again.
As before, his pre-come was sweet and so wickedly slick it was almost frictionless when Noah slid his lips across the tender tip. If anything, it tasted better this time, maybe because there was a part of Noah that thought he wouldn’t get to taste him again or he was just deliriously happy to be alive. Working Ronan’s cock inside his mouth caused Ronan to make low, hungry growls and cup his hand to the top of Noah’s head.
“Sorry.” Ronan yanked his hand away from Noah.
“It didn’t hurt.”
“I just—I don’t think—maybe you should stop.”
Pretending he didn’t hear him, Noah kept right on working his lips over the smooth, slick tip of Ronan’s prick. Just when Ronan seemed ready to struggle in earnest, Noah sucked the tip inside the hot hollow of his mouth.
Ronan made a gasp, and then his hands dug into the mattress. Noah was pretty sure he was trying to hold himself still. Unable to take much more of his length because of the awkward angle, Noah climbed out of bed and leaned over. He still couldn’t take the full length of Ronan inside his mouth, but he could now wrap his fist around the base and work his mouth and hands in tandem. Each time he bobbed his head, he tightened his fist a little and sucked just a bit harder.
“I can’t last. I can’t—ah, Noah.”
Ronan climaxed into Noah’s mouth. He swallowed, greedy and famished to taste his pleasure. It seemed to take forever for the twitching to stop. When it did, Ronan pulled Noah back into bed and back on top of his body.
They fell to kissing passionately, but when Ronan tried to return the favor, Noah held him off. “I just want to lie here with you.” Nothing made him feel more at peace than cuddling close with Ronan. All too soon, visiting hours were over. Ronan adjusted his clothing and pulled on his boots. He made sure Noah was back in bed before he pushed the curtain against the wall.
“Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow.”
After another lingering kiss that had the power to practically set his soul on fire, Ronan was gone. Noah uttered a sigh of bliss that followed him down into sleep. For the first time since he entered the hospital, he felt safe. Ronan had eased him physically, the police had taken the dreadful burden of not knowing what Keith would do next from his mind, and his parents had made peace with his choice of partner.
Noah was on the verge of falling asleep when he suddenly sat bolt upright in bed. “Insurance.”
Panicked, Noah fumbled for the light, then found his cell phone on his bedside table. He hit speed dial and connected almost instantly with Ronan.
“Aw, you miss me already? I haven’t even made it to the parking lot.”
“Insurance. I left my job, and that means they cancelled my insurance.” He’d been in the hospital for over a month now. The bills would be enormous.
“Your mom paid to extend your coverage.”
“She did?”
“She did.” Ronan didn’t sound upset. “Go to sleep, Noah.”
“Remind me to tell her thanks.”
“I already did, but I’m sure she’d like to hear that from you, too.”
“I love you.”
“I love you. Now sleep and heal so I can tie you up again.” Ronan clicked off.
Noah breathed a sigh of relief, turned off the phone and the light, then snuggled back into bed.
In the days that followed, he only got better. He was more focused on his physical therapy than he ever had been. Since Ronan had already paid out on one reward, he dangled an even bigger one before Noah.
“I’ll let you tie me up.” Ronan placed his wrists close and feigned a struggle.
“Really?”
“Yep. Just like you wanted to.”
Noah was so enthusiastic, he practically scared his therapist. The woman said she’d never seen anyone so dedicated. Noah didn’t tell her what was going on. He just enjoyed the praise and tumbled into bed each night pleasantly exhausted. And then the day came when the last of the bandages were ready to come off. While holding Ronan’s hand and his mother’s, Noah kept both eyes closed while the doctor removed the eye patch and the gauze.
“Okay, open your eyes, but do so slowly.”
In preparation, the doctor had dimmed the lights in the exam room, but as Noah’s lids fluttered, they seemed brighter than the sun, causing him to wince.
“I know, it seems almost painfully bright, but remember that your eye hasn’t been opened for forty-seven days.”
For some reason, it seemed to Noah he’d been in the hospital much longer.
“And remember, too, that just because the bandage and patch come off, you aren’t healed yet. I don’t want you to panic if your vision is blurry.”
“I won’t.” Noah squeezed Ronan’s hand. When he squeezed back, he felt reassured. After what seemed forever, he finally got his eye open.
“I want you to use your hand to cover your left eye.”
Noah’s mother let go of his hand. When Noah pressed it agai
nst his face, peering out only with his right eye, he tried not to panic.
“Tell me what you see.”
“Everything is really blurry.”
“Can you see my hand?”
“I see something lighter gray in front of my face, but it’s just a big blob.”
“Relax, Noah. It’s still not healed all the way.” The doctor kept his voice calm and soothing. He’d told Noah what to expect, but he’d thought he’d be one of the lucky ones who would take off his patch to discover his vision was unaltered. Finding out that he wasn’t so lucky was doubly crushing somehow.
“How long will it take for me to recover my sight?” Noah had asked before, and when he asked now, he got the same wiggle answer that wasn’t really an answer at all.
“It depends on a lot of factors.”
As the doctor went on to describe those issues, Noah took his hand off his good eye. Using both eyes, he looked at Ronan.
Ronan grinned. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
“Am I still handsome?”
“What?” Noah laughed. “Of course you are. You’ll always be handsome.”
“Whew.” Ronan passed his hand over his forehead. “I just wanted to make sure.”
His jocularity was exactly what Noah needed in that moment. All wasn’t lost. He was just going to have to give his eye more time to heal. And if, God forbid, he weren’t able to see clearly out of that eye, he’d deal with it. They’d deal with it. Noah realized he should be grateful he could see at all.
“I want you to keep wearing the patch, just to give your eye the rest it needs. Only take it off a few hours a day.”
“And the bandages?”
“Wear those as well. The gauze is there to protect the skin from chaffing. Even though the edges of the eye patch are smooth, the skin around your eye has been through enough trauma.”
“Can I see it?”
“Sure.” From his desk, the doctor removed a mirror. Clearly, it wasn’t an unusual request.
When Noah lifted it up to his face, he recoiled. “I look hideous!”
“The swelling is normal, and it will continue to go down. And as bad as the scars look, they’re magnified by the swelling. They’ll eventually fade into thin, white lines.”
