Chapter 7
AUDEN
One of the things missing from my room is a tastefully hidden kitchenette. I’m not one of those people who complain about the stairs. I love my bedroom taking up an entire floor. I love the view the height provides me. There’s privacy and solitude upstairs when I have guests.
However, I’ve come to realize over the past five days that I’m a little too anxious to get into Mark’s body, and I forget to bring water upstairs.
I’m parched, and I’m sure Mark needs a little hydration as well, which is what has me heading back down to the kitchen to retrieve some water.
At the very least, I should bring a case of water up.
That means I have to buy a case of water instead of refilling one of the dozen Van Doren reusable water bottles in my cabinet, and that seems unreasonable. And wasteful. Build a kitchenette, it is. I’ll make a note to look into it at work over the next few days.
On my way upstairs, Rhodes steps into the hall. “Is Mark downstairs?” he asks.
“No, he’s probably asleep.” Lie. “You’re going to leave him alone and let him sleep.”
“Bennett’s in pain,” Rhodes says, glancing over his shoulder.
I turn to the bedroom he’s sharing with Bennett and find the man fast asleep. Just to make sure he’s not actually in pain and simply lying there with his eyes closed, I stare at him for an entire minute. He doesn’t move. His breathing is even. Not even the wolf dogs are twitching.
My eyes meet Rhodes’. I pull him into the hall so we don’t wake Bennett up.
“He made a face in his sleep,” Rhodes says defensively.
“You need to calm down. I understand you’re scared.
I’m sure the vision of him covered in blood is what’s haunting you more than anything.
” There’s a chance Rhodes’ face turns gray at my mentioning the condition he brought Bennett back here in.
“I was scared, too. But he’s fine, Rhodes. He’s going to recover, good as new.”
“What if—”
“No,” I interrupt. “The time for what-ifs has passed. Your stress is going to keep him stressed. If he’s stressed, it’s going to take longer for him to heal.”
My son looks absolutely miserable.
“What he needs right now is for you to remember he’s healing. He’s not dying. Your constant fear that he’s suddenly going to pass out or bleed out or whatever horrors you’re seeing is going to start weighing on him.”
He hangs his head. One of the wolves meanders to the door and stares at me like a ghostly threat.
“What you need to do is remember that you have responsibilities to your pack. Despite how Bennett sees them, they’re not golden retrievers. They’re almost entirely wolf. And you’re letting them down.”
Rhodes winces.
“Look at me.” He raises his eyes to mine.
“Tomorrow, I’m going to sit with Bennett, and you’re going to take the pack out for a proper run.
Then we’re going to see where we are with hunts.
You’re going to work on moving beyond your fear to what Bennett actually needs and how he feels because Mark has to head to the Estate for a few days, and you’re not going to freak out while he’s away. ”
He wants to argue. It’s written all over his face. I rest my hand on the side of his face for a minute. “I promise you, Rhodes. Bennett will heal up, and you’ll never know that something had ever been wrong. You’re a big part of that, and you need to be a positive force in that bedroom.”
“You’re sure he’s not going to…”
Rhodes isn’t even sure what he’s afraid of specifically. He’s just afraid that he’s going to lose Bennett.
“I’m sure.”
He nods. “Okay.”
“Go wrap him up in your arms, tell him you love him, but don’t wake him, and sleep. We’ll talk again in the morning.”
Rhodes gives me a small smile. I’m pretty sure I somehow lifted a weight off his shoulders. I watch him disappear into the bedroom, his fingers running through the wolf’s fur as he passes. The wolf continues to stare at me.
“Don’t pretend it didn’t need to be said,” I tell the beast.
I swear, that damn animal rolls his eyes as he gets up and backs into the bedroom. Damn dog. He’s far too intelligent.
Mark is sitting up in bed, the blankets tucked around his waist. “Everything okay?” he asks.
“Bennett made a face in his sleep,” I report.
He sighs.
I hand him a bottle of water and sit on the edge of the bed while I take a few sips of mine. “I talked Rhodes down, and there’s a minuscule chance that I might have gotten through to him.”
“I get it,” Mark says. “I can’t imagine the things he’s been imagining. He’s probably just as exhausted with those scenarios as we are reacting to his paranoia.”
“He is,” I agree. “I’ve never seen my kid with bags under his eyes. He’s far too much of a pretty boy to allow that. But he’s exhausted. I don’t think he’s slept since bringing Bennett in from their hunt.”
I set my bottle of water on the nightstand and climb back into bed with Mark.
“Tomorrow, I’m going into the office late so I can sit with Bennett while Rhodes takes the pack for a run.
Then you’re joining me in the office to make Rhodes deal with the situation on his own for a while.
I think while either of us is still here—you especially—he’s going to keep reacting to every face, every comment, every imagined doom.
If we’re not here, it’ll force him to evaluate what Bennett’s actually going through and how to deal with it. ”
“That’s your hypothesis, huh?”
Chuckling, I close my eyes. “Yes.”
By the time we walk into my office, Rhodes has called Mark three times in the thirty minutes it takes us to drive there. His fourth call is filling the elevator on our way to my office. I hold out my hand for Mark’s phone and answer.
“Rhodes,” I warn.
I can practically see him wincing.
“I told you that you’re dealing with Bennett right now. Didn’t I?”
“Yeah, but…”
“But what? Put Bennett on the phone.” I tap the speaker button on Mark’s phone.
There’s a quiet rustling, and then Bennett answers. His voice is all sunshine and daisies.
“How’re you feeling?” I ask.
“Really good. Doc Mark said he’s removing my staples this afternoon. I’m looking forward to that since they’re itching.”
“They shouldn’t itch,” Rhodes says nearby, voice strained.
“They should itch,” Mark disagrees. “That itch means he’s healing.”
“Really?” Rhodes asks, clear disbelief in his voice.
“Yes, really. There’s a strong internet connection there. Look it up. No, actually, stay off the internet. Trust me. I’ve spent a lot of money and a lot of years to assure you that wounds of this nature itch while they heal,” Mark says.
“My head and my arm feel fine. There’s no pain at all today,” Bennett reports.
“Good to hear,” I say. “Rhodes. You’re not to call either of us unless it’s an emergency. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Rhodes grumps.
“Bennett can override that rule,” Mark says.
“I will use that power wisely,” Bennett says.
“We’ll see you in a few hours. How about watching a movie? Or taking the dogs into the backyard and throwing a ball for them?” I suggest.
“Yes!” Bennett exclaims. “I want to do both of those things, Rhodes.”
Rhodes sighs. Without anything further, he ends the call, and I hand Mark back his phone.
“I feel bad for him,” Mark says as we walk down the hall. It opens onto a large open area, and I wave at Cynthia on the way by.
“I do too. I’m not sure how to get through to him that he needs to work through his internal fear for Bennett and not let what he’s imagining bleed into reality. I really thought he understood last night.”
“He’s slept since that conversation,” Mark points out.
“Bennett is going to be fine, isn’t he?” I ask.
“Yes. I gave the staples a couple of extra days because of Rhodes’ concern. Not because they needed to stay in. There’s nothing I can do to encourage his bone to knit itself back together, though. Bone inherently takes longer.”
“I love my kid. I love having him around. But fuck, if I have to live through five more weeks of this, I’m going to lose my mind,” I grumble. “Rhodes is going to drive me insane.”
“I imagine he’s going to freak out a little more once we get Bennett into physical therapy for his arm. That will probably ache for quite some time while he rebuilds the muscle he’s not using.”
“You’re just full of sunshine and rainbows, aren’t you?” I mutter.
Mark laughs.
He takes up residence on the couch just inside the door of my office with his laptop. He has earbuds, and I believe he plans to get through some of the seminars he missed when I called him out here.
I have no intention of sitting here and working in silence, though. This morning, I proposed something… fun. Trying to hide the pure excitement that courses through me at the thought of Mark squirming on the couch, I tap around on my phone until I find the app I’m looking for.
A little circle spins as I wait for it to find the device.
plug 3.8 JoyRide model connected
The chuckle I manage to keep silent makes my chest shake. With my finger on the dial, I turn it slightly, keeping Mark in the corner of my eye. I see the moment he jerks, a quiet gasp leaving his mouth as his lips part.
He looks up at me, eyes wide behind his glasses. I grin and turn it up a little more.
Mark’s hand covers his crotch, nostrils flaring. A little higher, and he leans back on the couch, his back pressed firmly to the cushions. He groans quietly. A little higher still, and his face contorts as he struggles against the pleasure.
I leave it right there. We’re only about a third through the levels that the vibrating butt plug can reach. I want the battery to last through the afternoon, though. He’s going to wear this until we get home, and I’m going to keep him just this side of coming.
Okay, maybe a little higher.
His hips come off the couch, thrusting his pelvis into the air. He jerks when his weight comes back down, and I grin. This man is sexy as fuck when he’s turned on like this.
Just before he comes, I hit the off button. Mark gasps, eyes locking on mine. His expression looks like I just stabbed him, and I cannot contain the laughter that fills the room. Sweet, innocent doctor. He’s about to get a lesson in edging.
“Go about your business, Doc,” I say as I turn to my computer. “We’re going to have fun today.”
I’m pretty sure he’s internally flipping me off. Then again, maybe he’s enjoying it. He might for the first couple times. As much fun as being denied an orgasm is, there’s some sick satisfaction that comes with containing it, too.
“Mark.” He looks up from his computer. “You’re not coming until you’re on my cock. And if you do before then without my permission, I’ll edge you all night.”
He shivers, but he also licks his lips. With his eyes on mine, I turn the dial up again, and his body stiffens.
“It’s probably best if you get used to working while being turned on. It’ll make the day go by faster.”
This might quickly become my favorite pastime. I’m never going to be able to sit in this office alone without seeing Mark squirming on my couch with a hard-on.