Someone Else's Ocean(53)

The banging began below, and I knew I was in a world of shit. I winced as I ducked for the shampoo.

“You’re hurt?”

“I’m sore.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, tilting my chin. “I’m a little rough.”

“A little,” I said with wide eyes.

“Shit, I really hurt you?”

“No, I mean I’m hurting, but it doesn’t really have to do with the sex. I mean it does but…”

“Koti, spit it out,” he said impatiently. “I’m feeling like an asshole here.”

“I have a condition that can make sex painful at times, well after sex.” I glanced at the tile floor. “Sometimes during.”

“You were hurting during?” he asked confused. “Those screams?”

“Were orgasms,” I assured. “Ian, you’re fine. It’s called endometriosis. That’s why I was on the hammock that day crying. It’s awful to endure and a shitty subject, so let’s not talk about it.”

He let out a breath and gripped my shoulders. “Be honest, did any part of that hurt during?”

“No, I swear. I like you but not enough to hurt myself.”

“Okay, so what do we do?”

I laughed. “What do you mean, what do we do? We do nothing. I just have to deal with it.”

I lathered up his hair while he studied me and gave him a faux hawk. “Sexy.”

“Yeah?” He poked his head out of the shower and looked in the mirror. “I like this look on me.”

“Me too,” I murmured pressing a kiss to his throat.

He looked down at me with a grin, as suds slipped down his temple.

I was so in love with him.

He gathered me to him and slid his hands down to where I ached. I leaned back into his frame as his cock hardened. “I’m sorry. I’ll take it easier on you.”

“Don’t you dare,” I said fisting his thickness between us. “Don’t. Please don’t do that. I can honestly say this is the only time the pain has been worth it.” Every single tooth he had was displayed with his answering crocky smile.

“Don’t smile at me like that.”

“So, what you’re saying is I’m the best lover you’ve ever had.”

Hell yes.

“I never said that, but thanks for blasting me, pal.”

“Blasting you?”

“It’s an inside joke.”

“Ah,” he said, lathering up. “Will I ever be privy to this information?”

“Doubtful,” I said, rubbing the soap over his chest and down his forearms. He clasped our hands and kissed the back of mine. “I’m starving. Hungry?”

“Sure.” The ache in my belly began to roar as I pressed my lips to his before I stepped out of the shower. Once dry, I frantically searched my cabinets. “Shit.”

“What?” he asked, toweling off. I took a second to admire him. “You look great, Ian. Not that you didn’t look good before, but, you really look so… great.”

His eyes softened. “Can’t find anything for the pain?”

“You’re shit at taking compliments, you know that?”

“I’ll run to the chemist and fetch something.”

“No, you don’t have to do that.”

“Then you can just suffer,” he said rolling his eyes.





Half an hour later, I was curled up in bed with my heating pad when Ian strolled in with two bags. “Did you stock up on Advil until the apocalypse?”

“I’ve got it all.” He emptied the bag onto my bed. “Lift your shirt and lower your broeks.”

“Broeks?”

“Panties.”

I smiled. “Sexy.”

He cut a hand through the air. “Just do it.”

I did as I was told, and he stuck a patch above my pelvic bone, opened a box and gave me four pills and a bottled water to take them with. “That heating patch should do you good, the pharmacist said we can change it every four hours. You can take four of these pills in one go if you need to.”

Stunned by his kindness, I nodded toward the other bag. “What’s in there?”

“Chinese food—and a shit load of it—ice cream, and two movies. Come on, we have to go to my house since you’ve decided to live past century.” He held his hand out to me and I winced as I stood. He pressed a kiss to my temple. “I’m sorry.”

“Damnit, Ian, don’t. Okay? This isn’t going to change, and I don’t want it to interfere with our…” I nodded in embarrassment, “you know.”

“Quality time?”

“Exactly,” I said giving him a forced grin. I prayed for the pills to kick in as we walked to his house. He pulled me as close as I could be as we devoured the food and watched our favorite movies from when we were kids, Raiders of the Lost Ark—his—followed by mine, Jaws.

“Remember when we watched these?” he asked as he loaded Jaws into the DVD player.

“Of course.”

“You were so young, I didn’t know if you remembered a lot of that summer.”

“I remember all of that summer.”