Using one of the T-shirt rags to clean himself up enough to tug his sweatpants into place, he strode into the bathroom and set the bath running. A quick rummage through the cabinet above the sink scored him three ibuprofen and some aloe vera gel which he placed on the counter for after her bath.
Filling the glass by the sink, he took it and the pills back into the bedroom.
To disturb or not to disturb, that was the question. The sooner she took the meds, the quicker they’d start working. However, if she woke up tired and cranky, in discomfort, any chance he had at nurturing the shifted aspects of their relationship were going to die pretty fast.
After a minute of silent deliberation, Reaux perched on the edge of the bed beside her, setting everything down on the bedside cabinet within reach, and gently gathered her into a sitting position, using his shoulder to support her head. “Bennie, give me some sign of life. No point relieving the pain if you’ve up and died on me.”
The tiniest, most pathetic moan was her reply.
“Yeah, I know. Feels strange, being high on hormones after getting mowed down by a Zamboni.” He patted her cheek gently, trying to rouse her just enough to get the pills and some water down her throat without choking her. “You did very well,beignet. I’m so proud of you.”
A little frown furrowed her brow.
“Can you be brave for a while longer? I need your attention for just a moment.”
Violet made a quiet sound of distress, but there was movement beneath her eyelids before they cracked open to reveal dark, glazed eyes. They struggled to focus on him, heavy with tiredness.
“There’s my beautiful girl,” he crooned softly, stroking his thumb along her jaw. “Do you think you can swallow, Violet? Properly, without aspirating water?”
“W-Water,” she croaked.
She’d screamed herself hoarse, he remembered. A violent expulsion of sound that reflected more than just the physical pain he’d given her; it was the release of a different kind of agony originating from a recessed part of her heart.
He sat her up straighter, pleased when she maintained balance on her own. Picking up the pills in a cone of his fingertips, he held them in front of her mouth. “Open, Bennie. It’s only ibuprofen to take the edge off the discomfort.”
It seemed she was still capable of making smart choices; she opened her mouth without argument, allowing him to set the pills on her tongue. If she felt tempted to bite him, she resisted the urge, and simply gulped the meds down along with most of the water when he pressed the glass to her lips.
Reaux kissed her temple, then gathered her securely in his arms and rose, carrying her to the bathroom. Steam swirled in the air as he set her carefully on her feet, curling his arm around her waist as he bent to check the water temperature. Heat stung his fingers before settling into soothing warmth.
He switched the taps off. “Remember the time I spanked your ass raw for being rude to Francois?”
She chuffed a half-laugh and asked in a whisper, “Which time?”
“I believe you called him a deranged pervert and proceeded to tell him he deserved to have both his hands and his dick cut off for daring to look at you in a swimsuit.”
A small, wicked smile fluttered briefly over her lips. “I stand by it.”
“Yes, well, he’s not a eunuch yet. Do you recall the bath you took after the spanking?”
Oh, that stirred some of her hazy brain awake, Reaux thought. The awareness and consequent flicker of horror in her eyes were confirmation that she did indeed recall it, very well. She stepped back, but her knees buckled.
“Easy, Bennie.” He scooped her up again and held her over the gently steaming water. “We’ve been here before, you know how it goes. It’s going to sting like a bitch, then your muscles are going to sigh in relief. Just lay back and let the water get to work; I’ve got the rest under control.”
She clutched his forearm as he lowered her into the water. Her feet slipped in first, jerking as the heat bit into her skin, followed her calves. A sharp hiss blew between her clenched teeth when her sensitized flesh touched the surface, then she simply moaned and kneaded his arm like a cat.
Reaux settled her back, making sure she didn’t slip all the way under. Her eyes were closed again, and there wasn’t a single line of tension on her face. She was simply stunning, a visual representation of a strong, powerful woman who’d surrendered to a different kind of pleasure and been decimated by it.
He didn’t see weakness, because there was none.
She’d shown her true colors—a core of raw, vulnerable submission which paired so well with the qualities she possessed as a Domme.
It was those qualities he suspected she was using to quell any lingering emotions from the scene. He’d rather coax them out ofher now than find her huddled in the closet at three a.m., crying her heart out and trying to keep the sobs from being heard.
Lathering a cloth in shower gel that smelled like tea tree and chamomile, he began washing her exhausted body, starting with her neck. “I want to say how honored I am that you trusted me to do this with you. Rape scenes are difficult even between partners who know each other implicitly; we lost some of that knowledge along the way, but it means a great deal that you have that faith in me.”
Her head lolled to the side, giving him access to her shoulder. “Mmm.”
“We need to talk about how it made you feel.”
