Page 23 of Merciless Wager
I reached up to stroke her face. It was slightly reddened, and I wasn’t sure if it was from the chill I felt on her skin, or something more. “Bellezza,” I whispered.
“I’m here,” she replied softly.
I wanted to stare into her face longer, but the medic returned to me. “We need to get this cleaned out as soon as possible,” he reminded me.
Aurora fell back and out of the way, but I grabbed her hand and refused to let her go. She sat down beside me, and I braced myself for what was to come. As I did, I rubbed my thumb over her soft skin over and over until I cursed aloud as something was poured over the wound.
“Fucking hell,” I cursed through gritted teeth. The medic pulled away as he looked at me. I turned away from him and over to Aurora. “Come here, beautiful.”
She inched her way closer and I pointed at my lips. “Do you want more vodka?”
“Yes,” I said and Liam handed her the bottle. She was much more careful as she poured a small amount into my mouth. I took in several large swallows before reaching out to trace her lips. “Kiss me,” I instructed.
“Zarren,” she said, either in shock or protest, not that I gave an actual damn as to which one it was.
“You heard me. Lean over and kiss me,” I said in a low tone.
She looked around and by the time her gaze found me again, I was grimacing once more. “I’ll just hurt you more by doing so,” she finally said.
“It’ll distract me,” I partially lied. It would do that, but I’d also wanted to kiss her for some time now, and I might never get the chance to do so if I didn’t take this opportunity. “C’mon on, Bellezza. Kiss me.”
Seconds later, she leaned over me and pressed her mouth to mine. Having dreamt about doing this for at least the last week nonstop, I wanted to savor every second of her soft mouth.
As Aurora’s trembling lips moved over mine, I pointed at the wound and sucked her tongue into my mouth, instead of screaming as the medic returned to me and pain ripped through my entire being.
So much for making it fucking numb.
Still, I was able to distract myself from it with Aurora. Maybe it was the alcohol or the pain, but kissing her felt otherworldly. My head was spinning, causing the stars above us to actually move on the dark canvas. With every brush of her tongue against mine as I deepened the kiss, she whimpered more. The sound was music to my ears, and something I focused on as the medic cleaned the wound, located and removed the lodged bullet, and wrapped my arm in gauze.
“He will need to rest and try not to put too much strain on his arm for a bit. He was very lucky that it hadn’t struck him an inch to the left or right. The bastard would’ve bled out before I even got the call to come here,” I heard the medic say to Liam.
Aurora pulled away at that, and I watched as she pressed one of her cold, dirt-stained hands to her lips. Despite my growl and attempt to pull her closer, she quickly stood up and moved out of the way. When I saw the medic reappear with a syringe in his hand, I groaned.
Seconds later, the man injected something into my uninjured arm, and it wasn’t long until the world became blurrier once more. I heard voices swirl around me, but not from the one I wanted to hear. My mouth opened as I tried to say her name but nothing came out. From there, I was only briefly aware of being placed back into the SUV. Once I was laid across the third row seat, Aurora and Conor took their places on the row in front, while Liam talked to the medic.
“Bellezza,” I murmured, and she turned around in her seat.
“Zarren,” she whispered.
I tried to reach for her, but my limbs wouldn’t move. I was growing weaker and more tired by the second. They must’ve given me something for the pain because I now actually felt very little of it.
“We’re headed back to Boston,” Liam said as he joined us in the back. “Everything’s going to be fine, Bossman. Kingston and Cillian will make sure these bastards pay for the ambush.”
My voice had already left me, so I could do nothing more than just limply nod my head in understanding. The vehicle jolted once or twice before I gave in to the dizziness.
My eyes were like heavy weights as I tried lifting them, but I pushed through, especially when I felt something warm beside me. No, not something, but someone. Never did I sleep with a sexual conquest afterward, and I shuddered to think that I would’ve now. I’d somehow lost my head, and as I tried to think about what would cause me to do something so goddamned foolish, I couldn’t remember a thing.
It didn’t help that my head throbbed as if someone was hammering into my skull with a tire iron. My mouth felt dry, and I tried to slap my side table for the bottled water I usually kept there, but found nothing. The pounding in my head continued as small waves of nausea afflicted me as well, especially when I slowly untangled myself from the long limbs draped over me. Once I did, I turned onto my side, then saw a familiar blonde sleeping peacefully beside me.
Aurora... My distraction... Possibly even my damnation...
A slight growl escaped me at the idea of finally fucking her, but not being able to remember a single moment of it. I’d fantasized about those luscious lips of hers wrapped around mycock as she deep-throated, and I filled her throat with my cum. But I had fantasized even more about sinking into her tight pussy and splitting her wide open. Whether it was with her on her stomach, on all fours, or even bouncing on my fucking dick, I’d wanted to fuck Aurora so damned badly.
I pulled the blanket off us, at least hoping to see my dried cum coating her gorgeous body. Instead, she was mostly dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I realized then that I’d not actually fucked her yet.
Another growl escaped, this time aimed at myself for not taking advantage of this golden opportunity. I could easily make up for lost time now, but the dryness in my throat was overruling every thought I had. That, and this insistent headache only made worse by my rapidly hardening erection.
I forced myself out of bed, ignoring the tightness of my muscles until I felt a stretch of something painful enough to make me nearly double over. Staggering into my bathroom, I quickly turned the faucet on and collected as much of the cool water as I could into my cupped palms, but my thirst was too uncontrollable.
