Despite his 'no work' mandate, I needed to look at my work files. Someone ran me off the road and stole my laptop, which told me they thought something valuable was on it. I had done some reasoning while waiting for my discharge, and even on pain meds, it made sense. I had downloaded something important the night of the accident. I knew it also had to be something about that particular collection of files, or they wouldn't have gone to all that effort for me not to get at it; I must have had all the pieces to the puzzle on that computer and just didn't realize it.
Luckily, whoever did this to me obviously did not know about my cloud storage space. I logged on and downloaded all the files, spreading them out across the monitor, trying to find a pattern. William returned with a bowl of homemade chicken dumping soup and sweet tea, giving me a wink as he saw me working. I started looking for a pattern, trying to figure out who was cooking the books and who had put me in the hospital.
***
I had been at those stupid files for three days and couldn't find their secret. Granted, I was still fairly medicated and slept more than usual, but I couldn't find the connection. I was getting frustrated. I still hurt from my accident, I was stuck at home, and I couldn't find the answer to something I knew had to be there. By the end of the third day I was ready to scream at someone.
Mr. King returned from the office that evening, looking frustrated himself. I knew he was having a hard time without me there, and was more than ready to have me back at the office. I wanted to go back as well, but I was still weaning off the pain pills, and my face resembled something left too long in the fridge. The black eye was now a sickly green color, purple and green bruises still covering the rest of my body. At least all the swelling had gone down so my face worked properly again. We both thought it best if I waited to return until I no longer looked like I had gone ten rounds in the ring with my hands tied together.
“Rough day?” I asked as he collapsed into a chair. He simply rolled his head to look at me, the answer obvious in his posture. “I am going stir crazy. Let me live vicariously through you. Tell me how horrible your day was so I can pretend I was there.”
“Done. Here, come sit by me” said said patting his knee with a naughty grin. I couldn't help but smile as I put my laptop down.
I stood up too quickly. The simple movement shot waves of pain through my body; the stitches in my leg screamed with the addition of weight, and my cracked ribs created ribbons of agony. I crumpled to the floor, my body quivering with pain. He was on the floor with me before I even registered that I had fallen, his hands gentle and face concerned. I looked up into his eyes and got lost. His eyes were deep pools of blue and brown that swirled together in endless variations, a whirlpool of concern and color that I wanted to drown in.
“Not quite the image of elegance I was going for,” I gasped as he scooped me up. I didn't struggle against him as he lifted me and gently placed me on the bed. His arms felt so strong around me, holding me close. As he set me down, I held onto him, keeping him near me. His hair reminded me of sunshine, his scent masculine and musky. My body ached both physically and sexually, I wanted his touch. I reached up and kissed him softly, tasting his lips.
“I don't want to hurt you,” he whispered.
“You've tied me to a chair and used clothespins on my ni**les” I whispered back teasingly.
“That was different. I could control that pain- this pain isn't of my doing.” He looked slightly distressed as he grazed his fingers along my side.
“So make it yours.”
He paused for a moment, then smiled. “I think you need some more ice. I'll be right back.” He sprang up and bounded out the door. I waited patiently, sitting up on the bed, and he returned after a moment. He had two ice packs, an elastic bandage wrap, a scarf, an ice bucket full of cubes, and a naughty grin.
“Take off your shirt. We need to ice those ribs,” he growled lustfully. I happily unbuttoned my shirt, and with his help slid it off my shoulders. I wasn't wearing anything underneath, my ribs and bruises made it too painful. He licked his lips, his hand caressing the under curve of my breast. His hand was cold from the ice packs and my nipple hardened at his touch. A low chuckle escaped his throat as he softly flicked the hard nub, sending a shiver through my body.
“Lay on your stomach.” he commanded, his voice low and lustful. I carefully rolled to my stomach. He grabbed each wrist, bringing them together above my head, where he then tied them together with the bandage. He then looped the remaining bandage around the headboard, trying me down. I tested my bonds, and while tight, the elastic bandage was comfortable and had enough give that I could position myself comfortably.
He then slid a satin scarf over my eyes. The fabric felt cool and slippery as it blocked out the light. With me tied to the bed face down I couldn't see much anyway, but the scarf seemed to heighten the experience. My skin prickled as he ran his fingertips down my spine, tracing the tops of my pants. He tugged gently at my sweats, pulling them off with ease. I lay in just my simple cotton underwear and socks. He pulled the socks off one at a time, tickling my feet slightly. I tried to kick him, but he was too fast.
Cool fingers pulled my panties off, leaving me na**d and tied to the bed. I felt the bed shift as he joined me on it, and I could feel his eyes looking down on me. He pulled my hair away from my neck, and kissed me softly. His kisses were cold, like a fall morning frost. The temperature surprised me, but I wanted more. He continued to kiss down my shoulder, the ice in his mouth cold and wonderful. I shivered, not from the cold bur from excitement.
An ice cube touched the nape of my neck, the cold making me gasp. I ignored the pain in my ribs, the sensation of cold distracting me. He traced the ice to my shoulder blades, making small designs with the melting water. The cold felt wonderful against my skin. He picked his ice cube up and traced it down the length of my spine, from the nape of my neck to the curve of my lower back. I felt him lean over, and blow onto the trail of melted water. His breath was warm, but the water felt cold, making me shiver with anticipation. A throaty chuckle followed every shiver as he enjoyed himself.
He traced a fresh ice cube across my shoulder blades, down to my lower back, along the upper curve of my butt, and then along the crack. Cold ice water dripped down between my cheeks, dripping onto the sensitive areas below. He left the remainder of the cube to melt on my lower back, the water pooling in the curve of my spine and the dripping down the sides of my hips. I moaned softly, my body heating despite the cold.