“It’s time to take your medication.”
In the kitchen, he grabbed a cloth and furiously wiped down the spotless counter.
He needed to leave, to move, to do something other than stay here with his swirling thoughts.
“I don’t want to take too much pain medication.”
“You follow directions and take them as needed,” Zee growled.
“I know I was lucky that it’s not a break.I don’t need surgery, but it hurts.”Ella brushed her good hand along his forearm, her expression pinched and raw.
“You’re going to see an orthopedic surgeon, Ella.I want a second opinion.I’ve already made the appointment.”
And he had someone lined up to take her to it.
“Zee, they did everything they could.They told me at the hospital that surgery isn’t necessary.”
She sounded like she was trying to soothe a wounded animal.
“You’re going to see the surgeon.”He said the words through clenched teeth.
“I need to go to bed.”Ella’s tone was clipped.“All those people here, I didn’t need that.”He stood there as she walked by him, and he let her, his own knot of emotions keeping him frozen.
He wanted to make it better for her, to soothe her, to show her that people were here for her.
But he knew he was being an ass.
“What do you want me to do?”He didn’t raise his voice often, but he shouted the words, and instead of flinching, she turned on her heel and marched toward him.
“I don’t want you to treat me like this, it’s making me feel useless.I know you hate that I got hurt.I want you to…” She glanced down, squeezing his hand, and he exhaled, wrapping her in his arms, mindful of her sling.
“If you’re in the mood to scream, dear heart, I’m going to make you.”
“Yes, that.Please, Master.”Her voice cracked.
He pulled her good arm against him, his lips crashing over hers like he hadn’t seen her in days.
She whined against him, sending a vibration down to his toes, warmth curling around him as she let out a soft whimper.
Kissing her with all the hungry, needy possession that he still had for her all these years after the very first kiss.
He was a lucky bastard, grateful she put up with his overbearing nature and stubborn need to control everything.
Gliding a hand through her hair, he pulled her back.“You’re not allowed to get hurt.”
“No?”Ella raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t you remember that you have two rules?”He dropped his tone, twisting her hair around his wrist.
Her first rule was to obey.
Her second rule was to take care of herself.
Falling off a ladder was not taking care of herself in his opinion.
“Yes, Master.”She reached back against him, her mouth parting, her eyes wide, waiting.
“You broke one of them.”He had to taste her again, so he dropped her hair and kissed her, swirling his tongue around hers, his adrenaline finally stalled with how she moaned against him.
