It’s Like That (11 page)

She stood watching him while he brushed again and cleaned up when he was done. When she came back, she paused by his bed and ruffled his hair. “I’ve got a son about your age. It broke my heart when I heard about you on the news in January.” She patted his shoulder gently and said, “I’m real glad you got home. All of us are.”

“Thank you,” he said hoarsely. Sympathy had always made him uncomfortable, and now was no different.

“Well then…” She began to walk toward the door. “You call me if you need anything else, you hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied obediently.

When she was gone, he straightened himself as best he could, taking care not to jar his knee. He finger combed his hair and ran a hand across his jawline, making sure he wasn’t too bristly. He wanted a haircut, but hadn’t thought to ask before now. He was reaching for the call button again when the door opened and she stepped in.

*

Callie had always hated hospitals. The smells, the sounds, the personnel running by…they’d always given her a profound feeling of dread. She suspected it was because of the night her father died, but she had no clear memory of it. She refused to examine the issue. So when the nurse in pink scrubs came to tell her Chris wanted to see her, the feeling of dread tangled with happiness in a confused mess of emotions.

She paused outside his door, her hand on the handle for a good thirty seconds just reminding herself to breathe. Halfway through her breathing exercise, she noticed the nurse’s hand rubbing her upper back in encouragement.

“He’s nervous too, honey. Just go on in when you’re ready.” She gave Callie a friendly pat and hurried away.

Callie took a few more deep breaths and gave herself a little whispered encouragement before she finally opened the door.

He looked surprised. That was her first thought. She drank in the sight of him hungrily, reassuring herself that he was really here. He was thin, so much thinner than he’d been nine months ago, but still more muscular than most men. His dark hair was long, almost past his ears, and he’d made an attempt at pushing it out of his face. Despite the differences, her heart sang as she stood there just looking at him.

She gently closed the door behind her, never taking her eyes from him. When she had examined every inch of him that she could see, she dragged her gaze back to his. They were swimming with emotion, and though she wasn’t sure, she thought there was a bright sheen to them.

She didn’t know how long they looked at each other in silence, neither of them willing to break the spell. He finally held his arms out to her, and a sob burst from her throat as she ran into his welcome embrace. She buried her face in his chest and let the past nine months pour out of her. Long minutes passed that way before she realized he’d buried his face in her neck and tortured sobs wrenched from his chest.

She felt horrible suddenly. He was the one who had suffered, not her! She should be comforting him, not the other way around!

She pulled away slightly and tugged his head to her chest and rocked him back and forth. She stroked his hair and whispered nonsense words to him, trying to offer him what comfort she could.

When he finally pulled away to wipe his face, she took the opportunity to clean hers as well. Her eyes were probably puffy and swollen, but she couldn’t do anything about that. He blew his nose in a loud honk into a tissue and she smiled. It was such a normal, guy thing to do.

When he was finally done he pulled her back into his arms and rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.

“I thought…” he began brokenly. He cleared his throat and continued, “I thought you would have moved on.”

She placed a hand on either side of his face and kissed him gently. “There’s no moving on from you, Chris Paulson. Even if it was just a few days.”

His eyes opened and for a few moments, that intense stare he’d been so good at pierced her. He closed his eyes again and pressed his lips against hers.

It was a simple kiss with no teeth or tongues, but Callie couldn’t recall a more potent kiss in her lifetime. He pulled away and leaned back, tugging her to his chest. Callie burrowed against him, desperate to get as close to him as possible.

“I thought you would forget me,” she confessed softly.

He let out a harsh bark of laughter. “Forget you? I couldn’t even think about you because I was afraid I’d go crazy if I did. You were the first thing I thought about when I woke up in Czech.” He rubbed his cheek against the top of her head slowly, back and forth, the bristles on his chin catching on her hair. “I could never, and will never forget you, Callie,” he whispered. “We may have only had three days, but it only took an hour. I missed you, baby.”

He nudged her chin gently, urging her face up and said, “I’m sorry, I can’t sit here with you and not do this.” He lowered his lips to hers once more and tugged on her chin, urging her to open her mouth.

When she did, he attacked her lips and tongue, moving his mouth over hers in desperation. His tongue plunged in her mouth in a rhythm that mimicked sex, stroking across hers and curling into every corner of her mouth. His lips bruised hers with the pressure. He tightened his arms and dragged his lips to her ear to whisper, “I want to come home, baby, so we can finish this.” His lips trailed down her neck and bit the tendon where her neck and shoulder met. “Did you think about me? Did you touch yourself and think about me?”

She moaned low in her throat and whispered, “Yes.”

He licked his way up her neck until he got to her ear and said, “Did you touch that pretty pussy and those perfect tits and make yourself come and imagine it was me?” His tongue swirled into her ear, and she melted.

She clutched his head, holding him to her. “All the time.”

He moaned and said, “Every chance I get, when they leave me alone, I jerk myself off, imagining you’re sucking my cock. Or I’m fucking you.” His lips and tongue kissed and licked up and down her neck and then back up to her ear. “I jerked off twice last night after I talked to you.” He nipped her earlobe and continued, “When I get my cock in that perfect little pussy, I’m not gonna last more than three minutes.”

Her head fell back and he lowered his lips to her chest, kissing his way underneath her shirt to her breasts. He pulled her across his lap for better access and let out a pained gasp before letting her go.

She leaped off the bed and bent over him, concerned. “Are you all right? Chris, what’s wrong?” She frantically searched for the call button.

“It’s okay.” He held up a hand to halt her movements. “I just turned my knee wrong.

She looked down to make sure he wasn’t bleeding, but couldn’t get past the tented blanket at his groin. She licked her lips, and he let out a tortured groan.

“Don’t make that promise with your eyes if you can’t keep it,” he warned. “I don’t think I could take it.”

She glanced back up to his eyes thoughtfully. She faltered for only a moment and then walked to the door and locked it. It was a hospital, she reasoned. They had to have a key in case of emergency. If it wasn’t an emergency, the noise at the door would give them time to straighten up. Besides, whether they were caught she needed to do this. Needed to cement their relationship, at least in her own mind.

She turned back to him slowly. “I can keep it. But on one condition.”

His jaw clenched, and his eyes burned. “What condition?” he ground out.

“You have to promise me that you absolutely will not try to return the favor until you’re home and recovered. You’ll return the favor tenfold then.” She sat on the edge of the bed and ran her hand up his uninjured leg.

He ground his teeth together and narrowed his eyes. “You want me to let you suck me off without doing a damn thing for you?”

“No,” she responded, “I want you to delay for a while, that’s all.” She stroked his hair back from his face and whispered, “I can’t stand for you to be in any more pain. And doing anything for me would bring you pain. It’s not worth it. I can’t do much for you, but I can do this.” She brushed her lips across his and said, “Please let me.”

His eyes closed and he took a deep breath before jerking his head once in a nod. She smiled triumphantly and trailed her hand down his chest until she reached the blanket. She pulled it down slowly, but he grabbed her wrist to stop her before she uncovered him.

“I won’t last long, Callie. Not long at all, but…” He opened his eyes and looked at her pleading. “But can I please come in your mouth?”

She tugged her wrist from his fingers and said, “You always have before.”

His head fell back and his eyes closed as she lowered the blanket and lifted the hospital gown. Her breath caught at the sight of him. He was longer and thicker than she remembered, and so turned on that the head of his penis was bright red and already beaded with precum. She lowered her lips and licked the salty drop delicately. He jerked, and his breath hissed through his teeth.

She turned her head to watch him and asked worriedly, “Did I hurt you?”

“God, no, baby.” His gaze burned into hers and he said, “Suck it, please, Callie. If you don’t I think I might come without you even touching me.”

She smiled and lowered her lips to him, kissing the swollen head briefly before sucking him as deeply into her mouth as she could take him.

“Fuck!” The curse burst from his lips, and he jerked her away, his breathing harsh and heavy. “Give me a second.”

His eyes closed and she watched him trying to get his body under control.

“I almost came. One stroke of your hot, wet mouth on my cock, and I almost fucking came,” he explained, still holding her away.

“So come,” she said softly. “If you do, I’ll keep going until you come again.”

He looked down at her, his eyes burning, and nodded before releasing her.

She lowered her mouth back to him and sucked him to the back of her throat. She held him there for a moment and swallowed against the head the way he’d taught her. He panted and shuddered at her touch. She slid her mouth back up and swirled her tongue around the head once, twice, before pulling him back in the warmth of her mouth.

He gripped the back of her head and then arched his hips. He exploded, the salty flavor coating her tongue and filling her mouth before she could swallow it. The second burst was just as powerful, gushing into her throat as she took him as far as she could. The spasms continued and she sucked and stroked until the tension left his body.

Chris trembled as Callie took one last, long suck and pulled away. She looked up to find him staring at his still erect penis. His orgasm had been intense, that much had been obvious. She turned her head to look at his penis again and saw why he was staring. As she watched, slow spurts continued to drip from the end of his dick for nearly a full minute after his orgasm had ceased.

Remembering her promise, she lowered her head and began to lick him clean. He gasped her name, and his big body trembled on the bed. He gripped her hair, sometimes pulling her closer, sometimes pushing her away. He panted, and she knew how intense the sensations could be after orgasm. But after several minutes of the gentle swirls and licks and kneading on his balls, his fevered breathing changed and she knew he was getting close again.

When she increased the suction he groaned low in his throat and said, “Baby, you give an amazing blowjob.”

She didn’t respond, just kept sucking him and licking, swiping her tongue across the head every time she came up. She could feel his gaze on her, burning her with every stroke.

“Fuck yeah, baby. Suck it.” His hips arched and his hands tightened.

She sped up her efforts, and his entire body tensed, arching closer to her.

“Suck my cock dry, baby,” he said through clenched teeth. “Eat my fucking cock.”

She moaned softly against him, knowing he would feel the vibration throughout his entire body.

“Make me come for you, baby.” He arched his hips faster, slight, jerky movements that pushed him farther into her mouth. “I’m gonna fucking fill your mouth with cum. And then when I get home, I’m gonna fill that sweet pussy with cum. I’m gonna make you cream my cock the way you do my fingers and tongue, and then…”

His dirty talk ended abruptly when his body jerked and burst after burst of semen exploded from him. She tried to swallow but gagged.
Unbelievable
, she thought. Twice in ten minutes, and the second time he’d come just as liberally as the first.

She released him with a lingering lick and glanced up to see his eyes closed and his entire body relaxed. She covered his exposed nudity carefully and placed her hands on his chest before she asked, “Chris? Are you okay?”

He laughed, his chest shaking with the rumbling sound. He lifted his head and sleepily opened his eyes. “I cannot honestly think of a single moment in my life when I have been better. Even with all the shit of the past nine months.”

She smiled at him and laid her head on his chest.

“I think I need a nap now,” he said groggily.

She laughed and said, “Typical. Take your nap. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Mmmkay,” he said sleepily, already drifting off. Then he whispered so low she barely heard it, “I love you.”

Callie tensed and looked up at him, but he was already asleep.
Had he actually said that, or did I imagine it?
The words were whispered so softly she couldn’t be entirely certain he’d actually said it.

She gently untangled herself from his arms and tiptoed to the door to unlock it. Instead of lying back down with him, she quietly scooted a chair closer to his bed and took his hand. Whether she had imagined the words or not, she was going to hold them close and cherish them. She would return them one day, but not until he was ready for that, until they were both ready. She laid her head gently beside his hand and watched his chest rise and fall with deep, even breaths. Her eyelids grew heavy and soon she drifted off to sleep beside him.

Callie awoke to the sensation of someone tugging on her hair. She frowned in irritation and picked her head up.

Chris.

He had pulled her ponytail holder out and was sifting his fingers through the strands of her hair, watching them fall with apparent fascination. He smiled at her as he held the long strands of her hair up and let them slowly fall from his hand.