Page 33 of Bound By Pain
“Okay.” I cave and agree after a few minutes of worrying. The last time I really showered or washed my hair was when I was in Portland, so it’s been several days. Too many for me to be comfortable with.
He takes my hand and helps me into the bathroom. With all the machines disconnected, it’s easy to move around freely, and being up and moving feels nice. Even if I have to hobble because of my injured ankle.
I turn on the water and let it run while he helps me apply the bandages. A blush makes its way up my chest when he crouches and grips my knee, carefully turning my leg to the side so he can press one to the stitches on the inside of my thigh. Standing like this gives him an up-close view of my pussy, which naturally weeps for him.
When he finishes his task and stands back up, I barely smother my sigh of disappointment. His eyes grow soft, and his hand comes up to cup my cheek. “You’ve just been through something horrendous, and your body is still healing, butterfly.After we get back to New York and you get a full night’s sleep, I’ll gladly worship your greedy pussy anytime you want.”
Lust burns bright and hot through my veins as he guides me beneath the shower spray. My arousal intensifies when he pulls his t-shirt over his head and slips his sweatpants down his legs.
Fates-damn, this Alpha is testing me!
Orion chuckles when he glances up and sees me drooling over his tattoo-covered body. “Come here and turn around. I’ll help you wash your hair.”
Reluctantly, I do as he asks and sit on the bench seat positioned in the middle of the shower. His body is warm behind me as he positions the sprayer to soak into my curls. I lean back against him, letting my shoulders rest on his chest.
The methodical, rhythmic way he untangles my hair and smooths shampoo across my scalp has my toes curling in delight. My eyes slip closed, enjoying this peaceful, intimate moment with my Fate-matched mate.
Several minutes into the process, his chest rumbles with what I initially think is a purr, but soon realize is him humming. “What song is that?”
“What?”
A smile breaks across my face when I realize he was so lost in his task that he didn’t notice. “You were humming.”
“Oh, I’m not sure. Probably something I wrote for Shattered Horizons. Our songs often pop into my head when I’m task-focused.”
I’m quiet as he rinses the soap out and combs the conditioner through my dark strands. “Do you ever miss performing?”
His hands pause, and I hear him swallow thickly before he resumes. “No. After losing Ren, I wasn’t in a place to care about the band. By the time I recovered, they had moved on.”
He doesn’t seem sad, though I imagine he might have been when he first learned his old band had found a new lead singer while he was in rehab.
“After working with so many bands at the label, I eventually realized that life in the limelight wasn’t for me. The stress of managing your public image and hounding fans isn’t something I could handle now.”
“You could work anonymously, like Primordial Covenant does,” I suggest.
He snorts, and I feel his head shake. “Their identities aren’t a secret. Sure, the fans who respect their music and their anonymity might not know who they are, but others don’t. I’m content with what I do now. Marketing is a passion nineteen-year-old me would never have chosen, but it is one I’ve grown to love.”
“So, no impromptu performances, then?” I joke.
“I haven’t really sung since losing Ren,” he admits quietly.
My heart aches for my Alpha. The loss he experienced is one I cannot fathom surviving, yet here he is. “Because your music career was something you built and shared with her, so it hurts to imagine living those same dreams knowing she won’t be there to see them come to life?”
He walks around in front of me and leans down to press a soft kiss to my lips. Gratitude and something much deeper shimmer in his amber eyes. “Exactly that. I’m going to let you wash your body while your conditioner sits, and then I will rinse it out.”
I hastily scrub my body, mourning the loss of my mate’s scent on my skin. The water is chilling, so the faster we finish, the better.
When Orion carries me out of the bathroom, my heart swells seeing Ridley and Creed packing away all of my nesting items. They’ve taken the time to put each of my mate’s clothes back into their scent-containing bags. “Thank you,” I murmur, givingthem a grateful smile as Orion eases me to sit on the edge of the bed.
A nurse arrives a few minutes later to remove my IV catheter. She also leaves my discharge paperwork and wishes us well. We’re officially free to leave.
Shiloh arrives as I’m slipping into the wheelchair they provided. With a nod, he takes the handles and steers me out of the room. “A car is waiting outside to take us to the airport.”
I tilt my head back to look up at him. “You got us all on a flight back?”
Raising one dark brow, he peeks down at me without moving his head. “There are many perks to being an executive at the label, Sabine. Using the label’s jet to bring a missing employee home is just one of them.”
Dropping my head, I fight to keep my face expressionless. While I am extremely grateful to work somewhere that cares so deeply about its employees, Shiloh’s explanation only works to deepen my doubt that he is here for any reason other than obligation.
