Chapter Twenty-Three Dixie

I don't want Delphine to see the brand again, but there is no stopping her from following us into the infirmary. Lake gestures for me to remove my shirt, which I do, albeit reluctantly. Cringing when I hear Delphine suck in a breath. I study her face and see what I expect to see. Compassion with a hint of anger. I hop onto the exam bed, which Lake has lowered. Olivia places a silver tray holding bandages, scissors, and a tube of ointment within easy reach for Lake.

As Lake removes the bandage, I keep the hiss to a whisper. Delphine's narrowed eyes tell me she still heard me. So, I focus on distracting her.

"Since you want to play nurse, how about a sponge bath?" I ask, giving Delphine my cockiest grin.

Delphine smirks at me while Lake chuckles.

"No? How about some help in the shower?" I press, bouncing my eyebrows. Her response is an eye roll.

"If you take a shower, keep it a cold one. Cover the bandage with cling wrap," Lake orders, as he shows Delphine how to apply the ointment and then redress the burn. "Keep the bandage loose. You only want to cover the area to keep it clean. I can add the cling wrap now, if you were planning on taking a shower right away."

I nod at him to continue before glancing over at Delphine. She's not looking at me, but studying Olivia. I look over and see that the other woman seems unaware of the rest of us. She looks like she's sleepwalking through her steps as she cleans up after Lake.

"You alright, Olivia?" I ask her.

She startles before offering me a small smile. "I'm okay. Just distracted." She hands a roll of bandages and a tube of ointment to Delphine. Delphine takes the items before squeezing Olivia's hand.

"Pirate will come through," she assures her.

Olivia nods her head. "I know. I just can't help but think something bad happened to them."

"How well did you know them?" I ask her. "Were they the type to take off?"

"I worked with Dr. Carver for only a few months before she transferred to Tulane. She'd been dating another doctor and wanted to distance herself from him after they broke up," Olivia supplies before frowning. "I forgot. Talia dated him, too. The same doctor that Dr. Carver dated."

"Could he have hurt either of them?" Lake asks. "Maybe they upset him by breaking things off. Some guys can't handle the rejection."

Olivia snorts. "Not this guy. Dr. Anton Calder. He thinks he's too good for one woman. Most of the women he dates dump him when they realize he will never be monogamous. Fortunately for him, there is no shortage of women who don't mind sharing."

"Tell Pirate to check out this guy, too," I suggest as I shrug on my search. "He's busy right now, but he'll follow through."

She nods before carrying away the tray. Lake follows her while Delphine and I slip out of the infirmary and head upstairs to my room.

"She's worried," I say as we enter my room.

"She is. I'm hoping Pirate finds an explanation for their disappearances, but I can't imagine any scenario that ends well."

"We can help her find out what happened," I assure Delphine. "But we can't put any resources on it until we figure out who has been spying on us."

"What's happening with that?"

"Pirate and Levi are taking the first watch. Abra and Jack will relieve them later tonight. I'll be relieving them. If the guy shows up, we'll get our answers. When you wake up in the morning, I probably won't be here."

"You assume that I'm spending the night," she teases as I wrap my arms around her. She lays her head on my chest while I just enjoy the feel of her. We fit so perfectly together.

"Oh, you're spending the night. I plan on wearing you out until you can't move."

She snuggles closer and sighs when her cheek rubs against the bandage.

"It will heal," I remind her.

"But you'll always have the reminder."

"I will. That isn't a bad thing. Let me tell you why. But not right now. I want that shower. I want my woman. Once I have both, I'll tell you everything that I should have told you before I almost lost you and everything that matters to me."

She looks up into my eyes with an expression I can't decipher. Rather than ask her what she's thinking, I give her a soft kiss before stepping back so I can finish undressing. I feel her eyes on me when I step into the bathroom. Turning on just the cold water, I step under the spray and make quick work of cleaning off the day's dirt. My dick, which was rock solid from holding Delphine has deflated. I'm not complaining. I get to spend my time pleasuring Delphine before he'll be ready to join in the fun.

Toweling off, I step into the bedroom to find Delphine naked on the bed. She's laying on her back with her eyes fixed on me. Her feet are on the edge, her legs open, and her arousal coating her mound. I've seen nothing more beautiful in my life.

"What's this? My personal goddess offering her body for my enjoyment?" I ask, rubbing my hands down her smooth thighs until my thumbs brush against her folds. Her shiver of excitement has me dropping to my knees. The burn on my chest twinges, but that pain subsides when her scent washes over me. Wrapping my arms around her thighs, I breathe in her scent. My cock goes rock hard. So much for him needing time. But then again, anytime I'm around Delphine, my cock is always a steel pipe.

"You smell like heaven," I groan, burying my nose I her folds. Replacing my nose with my tongue, I immediately taste her. The dual onslaught of her taste and scent has my head swimming. Losing myself, I lick and suck until I've gathered all her essence. Since I'm a greedy man, I suck on her clit and slide a finger into her pussy, wanting her to produce more. Focusing on clit and her g-spot, I'm soon rewarded. Her pussy clenches around my finger as her body elevates and releases more of her precious honey. Biting down on her clit, she explodes, screaming my name.

"Fuck, that was amazing," I groan as lap up her juices.

"You stole my line," Delphine murmurs, causing me to chuckle.

Standing, I tap her hip. "On your knees, baby."

She rolls and shifts so her knees almost hang off the bed on either side of my legs. Now she's at the perfect angle for my cock. As I rub my dick through her folds until he's slick with her juices, I let my hands explore the soft skin of her back and ass. Relishing in the sight before me, I gather her dark locks and wrap the long strands around my fist. She gasps when I give a slight tug. She moans at the bite of pain. Positioning myself at her opening, I slowly feed her my inches. My fingers dig into her hip to stop her from moving. I know she wants to slam her hips back and take all of me at once, but I'm enjoying the slow agony.

"More. Harder," she groans.

"We'll get there," I promise. "But I want to feel you take me."

She groans and pants, but lets me take the lead. When I bottom out, I hold still, relishing at how amazing her pussy feels wrapped around me. This is my home, my life, right here in our joining. I'm not complete without this. Not complete without her.

Sliding out, I pause before sliding back in. Repeating the action until I've built a rhythm that increases in tempo. My dick cools as I pull out and heats back up as I slide in. When my orgasm rushes forward without warning, I lose control. My hips piston as I set an unnatural pace. Delphine's sounds tell me she's close, for which I'm grateful, because I can't slow down. Reaching around, I flick her clit, which sets off a tsunami as we both explode through our orgasms.

"Holy shit," I mutter, barely able to stay standing. I fall forward onto the mattress. The force of our combined explosion knocked me on my ass. I glance over at Delphine to see she's crashed, too. We stare into each other's eyes before we both burst into laughter.

"What the hell was that?" Delphine asks.

"The most amazing fuck I've ever experienced," I reply.

Standing, I walk on rubbery legs into the bathroom to grab a warm washcloth. Once we're clean, I lift the covers so she can climb in and I slide in next to her. Pulling her into my arms, I rest my cheek on the top of her head while she rubs her hands over my abs and chest.

"Tired?" I ask.

"I should be, but I'm feeling energized," Delphine says.

"Would you like me to tell you a story?" I ask her.

She leans back and looks at me. "Like a bedtime story?"

"Something like that."