He picked up the small bell that Cheryl gave him and wagged till it ding-a-linged loudly. He listened, not chancing any head movement after that last debilitating bout of pain he’d incurred from laying down.
Hurried footsteps drew closer and the door opened with Cheryl hurrying to his side.
“I want to have a family meeting,” he said to her.
“Okay…now?”
“I think now is a good time.”
“Okay,” she whispered. He turned enough to see her face, right as she leaned in and kissed his cheek. The smell of her perfume seeped into him, making him want her close. Always. He allowed himself just enough movement, so her lips connected to his. Ever since he’d teased her about forgetting to kiss him, he craved more of what she’d given. They weren’t big on kissing before but…now, with the circumstances…
Her fingers stroked his cheek, reminding him he was in desperate need of a shave. She pulled back an inch and he swallowed, already mourning the absence of her soft kisses. But then she moved back in. This time her lips pressed a little firmer, testing.
He forced his mouth to relax, realizing he may not even know how to kiss. Her light breath hit him as she nipped, barely tugging his lips with hers while her fingers continued to stroke his face, the barest glide of her nails engaging.
The sensation sent a chill through him and he barely whispered her name, bringing more of her lips pressing into his. God, she felt amazing. Tasted…like a forgotten heaven. His breath rushed out when her hand covered his cock, filling him with shock and heat.
“Oh Ben,” she whispered, her breath burning his mouth as her tongue darted between his lips. The delicate, daring act awoke a deep hunger in him.
“Cheryl,” he finally blasted as she worked her hand in his pants and strangled his cock in her fist.
“Let me,” she whispered, stroking him. “Unless it hurts you,” she said, gasping when his tongue met hers on the second pass. The delicate moan she gave made the sensation electrifying. He opened for more, his mouth, his legs. Yes, he was hurting, but not enough for him to care or stop. Not enough for him to deny her this.
His breaths filled with strained grunts and she ate them up with sounds of approval until he was dizzy.
“You like this, baby?” She used two hands now, bringing harsher grunts to his breaths. “Oh baby, you need this, it feels good?”
She labored wet fingers over the sensitive ridge and the heat, God the heat. He wanted to tell her yes, it felt good, it felt unbelievable good. He wanted to touch her. Feel her but…where? She was clothed. “Oh…God,” he choked, closing his eyes and covering her hand with his. He followed her vigorous jerks, squeezing her hand harder. “Come for me, Ben. Right now.”
Her boiling demand was so unlike her, so unlike anything he’d heard. It brought a brutal orgasm and two seconds in, a dagger of agony split the back of his skull and locked onto his muscles. For a brief second, he wondered if Cheryl might mistake his sudden prison of torture for ecstasy. He guessed his eyeballs rolling into his head helped differentiate. He didn’t think it would’ve made a difference if she’d finished him off, the pain was so consuming, he doubted no pleasure existed in the world that could cancel it out.
By the time the torture began to subside, he became aware of his seething growls. He fought not to resist the pain. It made it worse. But relaxing through it required nothing short of a miracle.
“I’m so sorry!”
Cheryl’s face was in his lap and the memory of what she’d just done made him want to fill his bucket list with non-stop sex with her. She’d never done that to him. Yes, she’d touched him, but…not with the light on, not like that.
His heart hammered his chest at remembering how desperate she’d been for him to touch her all this time. His being suddenly felt crippled with the need to do it now.
“I’m not sorry,” he finally managed, his eyes still closed as he found her head and stroked it. “If I had to choose a way to die, that would be it.”
She was suddenly on his mouth again, kissing so very carefully. “I’m sorry I stopped making love to you, Ben.”
“Get Charlie,” he whispered, still shaking. “We’ll have our meeting.”
“Are you sure you can? Would you like to eat first?”
“No, I would like to finalize this.”
Both her hands stroked adoringly along his face.
“I need to shave,” he croaked, not liking that he didn’t look his best for her.
“I love you like this.”
“A wild bear?”
“Ben,” she whispered, pecking lightly on his lips. “You’re my wild bear.”
“Forever,” he promised.
She smiled, her eyes twinkling in a way he’d not seen in years. “I’ll get Charlie.”
Ben watched her leave, closing his eyes and steadying his shaky breaths. He had those pain meds. He could probably use them so that...he could maybe…do something with her. All he knew was he needed to touch her like she needed him to. He wasn’t willing to die for it but only because he needed to live so he could.
He let out a sharp breath at the sudden notion of possibly living and not dying.
But…nothing was remotely certain. No guarantees. Hardly. What could he do for her? She could…make herself feel good on him.
Doubts and fears clouded his mind as he realized he didn’t know things. Because he’d not really had to. They’d made love when she prompted. In the dark. They’d gotten very good at the routine he thought, and she really liked it.
He went still. Did he misread that too? Was his performance possibly not pleasurable? Satisfying? If it wasn’t, she’d lied to him. Not outright with words but with…sounds of pure rapture. Those sounds she made said she loved it.
He should take the lead now. He could. How hard could it be?
The thought of doing it wrong smashed his courage. Especially when he considered what he knew or didn't. He never thought he needed to know anything because…their sex life was amazing. He thought. Until she stopped because of female issues.
But she hadn’t. She’d lied about that.
The idea that she’d lied about everything with their sex life was becoming a real possibility. A nauseating one.
As soon as they voted, he’d have to ask her. As much as he hated to. He had to know.
****
“Did you see Charlie’s face?” Cheryl smiled, a giggle of joy escaping her as she took a careful seat next to Ben on the bed.
The smile he gave warmed her whole being. It reached his beautiful eyes. “I did. He’s happy.”
“Later, I’ll message Dr. Vindel, and we can get everything started.” She lowered her gaze over him. “I checked on the hospital bed. It should be in this Friday.” She winced, feeling so bad about that. “I should have done that sooner.” She didn’t tell him she had to sell her ring and didn’t think it would help him to know.
“The pillows will be fine,” he said.
She realized he was staring at her but in a different way than normal. She lowered her gaze, not used to those looks from him while her heart skidded all over. What was he thinking? Maybe remembering what she did to him thirty minutes ago. He’d started to come, then the devil’s disease interrupted.