Page 31 of With This Ring

Washing him up doesn’t take long. By the time I make a third trip from the bathroom, he no longer smells like a fucking trash can. He smells like me. Fuck if that doesn’t make my dick twitch.

Kai is already asleep by the time I’m finished, so I get him dressed in my clothes and curl up beside him. The doctor said towake him every few hours, so I set my alarm for three hours from now. Before I climb into bed, I take a quick shower, getting the smell of antiseptic off me.

I step into my room and just stare at Kai lying in the middle of my bed. Even with all his muscles, he looks so small. So helpless. He also looks like he belongs in my bed.

Sticking my dick in Kai was a terrible fucking idea. Before, I hated him. I wouldn’t have cared if he was skinned alive and I probably would have celebrated his injuries. Now, all I can think about is how to fully make him mine. How I can make him my husband in more than name.

Now, I wanted to fucking own him.

CHAPTER 12

CARTER

Tired curses fly from my lips when the sun streams through my bedroom window. I should have gotten those black out curtains like I’ve been telling myself for years. Large windows are great for looking at the night sky when I need to think, but it’s shit when I’m as exhausted as I am, and the sun wakes me by stabbing its rays into my eyes.

As the doctor told me, I’ve been waking Kai up every few hours to make sure he knows who I am, who he is and what year it is. He grumbled every time I woke him, but I didn’t give a fuck. We stayed up for about an hour where I asked him random shit about his life and the world before I let him go back to sleep. Even though he wasn’t getting much sleep, he still woke up repeatedly, swinging into the air. Every time, he’d hit me and startle me awake. The last time he woke so violently, I grabbed his arms, holding him in a bear hug. He settled down immediately, sinking back into sleep. Since that seemed to work, I kept a hold of him and drifted back off. He didn’t wake up anymore throughout the night.

But I’m still fucking tired. Playing nursemaid fucking sucks.

I slap my hand on my phone when the alarm goes off, cursing and grumbling that I’m up only two hours after closing my eyes.They feel like sandpaper as I peel them open. A full night’s sleep would be great. I have to work, but I’ll bring my laptop to bed so I can watch over Kai while he’s resting.

Yawning widely, I throw my legs over the side of my bed and stretch my arms above my head. Then I turn to Kai, who’s dead to the world, one arm thrown over his chest and the other by his side.

I study him in his slumber. I’ve always thought Kai was handsome, though I never wanted to admit it. Even with the bruises on his face and his split lip, he’s still good looking. A fire stokes in my belly; seeing those injuries on him making me irrationally angry. If anyone puts bruises on him, it’ll be me, not some jerk off that wanted his wallet.

Another yawn tears from my throat as I lean over and shake Kai. “Wake up, Kai. You know the drill.”

Kai doesn’t move. I stare at him, waiting for him to open his eyes, but nothing happens.

“Kai.” I shake him again, this time a little harder. “Wake up.” He still doesn’t stir. “Don’t fuck around, Kaison. I’m not in the mood.”

I turn fully to look at him, thinking he’s gonna stop fucking with me, but he doesn’t. He just lies there, looking pale, his lips a thin slash across his face.

Grabbing his face, I turn him to me and his eyes don’t so much as flutter.

I raise my hand to slap him, but that would probably make his concussion worse. “Kai. Wake up. Wake up now!” I shake him again, but he doesn’t respond.

Not knowing what else to do, I bend down and kiss him. Well, not really kiss. More like a hard press of my lips to his to get him to respond to me.

My heart hammers against my chest when nothing happens. What the fuck? Did he slip into a coma in the night? I just talked to him. How could something change so fast? What if?—

A hand tangles in my hair and Kai opens his mouth, stroking his tongue against my lips. I sigh in relief, giving Kai the opportunity to thrust his tongue inside. I’m so relieved that I return the kiss, allowing him to hold my head to keep me in place.

Then I snap out of it and pull away. Kai whimpers, tightening his hand in my hair, trying to get at my mouth.

I pry his hand from my hair and sit back. “None of that. You got me out of your system, remember?” It’s childish to throw that in his face, but I don’t know what to think right now. The relief that flooded me when he kissed me back is so uncharacteristic that I don’t know how to respond.

Kai’s face turns to stone, and he nods gingerly. “Move. I gotta pee.” He shoves against me, practically pushing me off the bed.

I move back to allow him some space to get up. But once he takes a step, his knees buckle under him. Quickly, I stand and grab him around the waist and throw his arm around my shoulder. He tries to push me off and I slap him hard on the ass, making him yelp. “Don’t be proud,” I threaten. “Let me fucking help you.”

“I really fucking hate you,” he mutters.

“Liar.”

When we’re standing in front of the toilet, I shuffle around to lift the lid and stand beside him. Kai sways as he reaches into his pants to pull out his cock. Then his knees buckle again, and he starts to go down.

“Jesus, Kai,” I exclaim, catching him before he hits the ground. “Here, lock your knees.” I stand him up and he does what I say. He won’t be able to do this for long or he’ll pass out, so hopefully he finishes his piss soon.

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