Darien fought back the wave of protectiveness that made him want to strangle anyone who hurt Jade.
“She feels sensations acutely,” he explained between clenched teeth. “Probably more so tonight because of the multitude and severity of her wounds.”
“I had no idea.”
“I know.” He waved a hand dismissively, more so to help calm himself than the doctor. “I should have told you. Or thought about…a liquid form?”
“I’ll leave some with you. In the meantime, I have to stitch the cut on her chest. Immediately.”
Darien could see by the look in Schaeffer’s eyes that he was reluctant to cause more pain for Jade—especially when it might set Darien off—but that he ultimately refused to be sent away before he’d finished what he’d started.
Darien continued his pacing. Then he made a decision. “Give me a couple of minutes.”
He toed off his boots and then reached for the towel he’d discarded. After drying his pants, he whisked off his drenched shirt so he didn’t soak the linens. He climbed into bed next to Jade, on the opposite side of where the doctor prepared to work on her.
The prospect of tapping into her mind wasn’t an appealing one at this point. Already knowing she was in extreme pain, he didn’t relish the idea of experiencing exactly how much pain she was in.
He stretched alongside her, careful to neither jar her nor touch her. His eyes closed and he pushed past her suffering, which clouded his own mind. Her agony was nearly debilitating for him. Quickly conjuring a mental image, he had to put some effort into engaging Jade. The key was to occupy her subconscious and create some sort of peaceful state for her.
Choosing a beautiful locale, he envisioned them in a lush, tropical hideaway. A tepid, turquoise-colored pool at the bottom of a tall waterfall, surrounded by rich foliage. She swam toward him, though the pool was shallow enough for her to stand in it when she reached him, the water rib-high for her.
He visualized her with her face completely healed, not a scratch on it. Her long hair was wet and slicked back. Droplets rolled down her throat and between the valley of her bare breasts. The cut on the left side of her chest had vanished and her skin was flawless. He reached a hand out to her and lightly trailed his fingers along her collarbone and then down to the inner swell of her breast.
“You’re perfect,” he told her.
She smiled at him.
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. A long, slow, deep kiss. Her body melded to his and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Darien let the kiss go on and on. His hands roamed her backside, along her spine and down to her ass. He kneaded the soft flesh, while keeping her tight against him. His erection pressed to her belly, but he was in no hurry. He enjoyed the feel of her body against his and the taste of her kiss.
When she jerked in his arms, Darien knew the doctor had started stitching her up. In his fantasy, he ended the kiss and floated on his back to a smaller waterfall. Her arms were still around his neck and she drifted with him. He sat on a flat, smooth rock with the water flowing behind him, breaking over his shoulders. She straddled his lap, her palms splaying over his pectoral muscles.
“You’re more beautiful than ever,” he said, willing her to see herself healed. “I can’t take my eyes off you.”
She leaned forward and kissed him. His hands cupped her breasts and he tenderly squeezed them before sweeping his thumbs over her puckered nipples. She sighed lustily and sank onto his hard cock, taking him deep inside her.
Darien groaned. “I love how you feel. So tight and wet. So warm.”
Moving with him, her hips undulated and her head fell back. He kissed her neck. Having her in his arms was pleasure enough, but with her pussy contracting around him, his arousal soared. His lips skimmed over her skin, just below her ear.
“I meant what I said at the church, Jade. I do love you.”
She ran her fingers through his hair and clutched his cock tighter. He wasn’t experienced enough with using a fantasy to calm her mind to fully understand the nuances, but he suspected that if she spoke, it would pull her attention away from her other efforts, so he didn’t expect her to answer him.
Though she was clearly capable of responding to him with her body. She rode him slowly as the water cascaded over them, the gentle flow creating a soothing sound. The sky above was cloudless and a vibrant blue. The rustling of leaves from a summer breeze and the chirping of birds surrounded them.
The environment was serene and sensuous and he would have prolonged their time there as long as possible, but she gasped and his eyes flew open.
“I’m finished,” Schaeffer said.
Darien glanced down at the stitches over Jade’s left breast. The physician had apparently dabbed the wound with iodine, which was likely what had caught her off guard.
Her eyes were closed and her breaths were still shallow. Schaeffer checked her pulse and recorded it on a sheet of paper.
“A little better,” he said. “It should continue to get stronger. Some of the cuts on her face have already healed.” He stared at her in awe.
“Michael?” she whispered.
Darien’s jaw clenched at the other man’s name.