Quit Playing Games

Chapter 66

His leg was throbbing with pain now. Nick leaned back against the chair, just happy to be sitting down again after that concert. He was amazing by how much it hurt. Sure he'd whipped down quickly after the wire broke, but the harness was supposed to protect him. Instead it had ground into him.

Kat came out of the bathroom, a cold, wet towel in her hand. "I told you to get undressed."

"Not now. What will the neighbors think?" he joked weakly.

"Ha ha, Nick. I'm serious. Take off those pants."

He moved to comply, wincing at the sharp stab that went through him as he leaned forward. He managed to get the cloth over his hips and down to around his mid-thighs when the pain got to be too much and he sat back panting.

"Let me," Kat said, and pulled them off, casting them aside as she looked at his left hip. "Oh shit."

His upper leg was one big bruise. It went all the way around, was worse on his outer hip. Black, purple and yellow, the abrasion practically pulsed against his normally pale skin. Kat blinked back tears. "Shit, Nick, what must hurt so bad."

"It's no picnic," he agreed, wincing again as he twisted in the chair.

"Come on, get on the bed. I can't help you when you are sitting down," Kat gently helped him get out of the seat and braced him as he limped over to the bed. He lay down, moaning a little as he leaned on the bruise, trying to get settled. "Those have to come off too," Kat said referring to his boxers, which had ridden up somewhat, exposing more of his battered flesh.

"Why Kat, do you really think this is the right time?" he tried again for a laugh, but she just glared at him and pulled the elastic out wide, pulling the boxers over his waist, careful not to touch his left side. She also pulled his shirt over his head, revealing that the bruise went higher, over his hip and around the left side of his belly. Kat swore again. It must look even worse than he thought.

Kat took a deep breath and calmed herself. Professionally, she pulled down the covers on the right side of the bed and helped him slide over. She pulled the covers over him, leaving only his left leg and hip exposed. Carefully she placed the damp towel on the bruise. He sucked a sharp breath in, then relaxed as the cool, sodden fabric started to make the throbbing less painful. Kat sat up and walked away, and he made a protesting noise, but she just waving at him and went to the door.

She opened it and looked at the several worried faces. Brian and Leighanne were together by the wall, hands clasped together. The others were all lying around, an air of tension hanging. She cleared her throat. "Could someone get me a bucket of ice?"

"I will," Brian jumped up, eager to do anything to help. He grabbed the ice bucket and scurried from the room.

"Is he..." Kevin started.

"Sore, but okay. Just a sec," Kat pulled her head back into their room and looked at Nick. He nodded his head, and she held the door open, letting them in. They climbed onto the bed, sitting near him, but trying to give him as much room as possible. Brian came running in, trailing ice cubes behind him in his haste. Kat just smiled and took the bucket from him, letting him find a place on the bed. She went into the bathroom and pulled another towel down from the rack, emptying some of the ice onto it. Then she looked in the mirror, willing herself some more strength, and carried the improvised ice pack in to the bedroom. She elbowed AJ out of the way and put the new towel on. In the process she accidentally moved the old towel and a large portion of the bruise on his hip was exposed.

AJ stucked air into his mouth sharply, "Holy damn, Frack. That must hurt like a bitch."

Kevin's eyes were wide as he stared at the bruise, which Kat quickly re-covered. "Omigod, Nick. Why didn't you say anything? Why did you keep on performing?"

"Oh please, Train. When you got stuck on that damn pulley that time, you didn't stop performing when they got you down," Nick said.

"Yeah, but he wasn't hurt like you were," Howie replied quietly.

Nick looked at him and then back to the others. "You've all performed with separated shoulders or sprained ankles or something. The worst I've ever had to work through is a really bad cold. At least this time I didn't sneeze into a microphone."

"Gross," Kat murmured.

Brian grinned, trying hard to make light of the situation, not wanting Nick to see how upset he was, "Jeanne, you should have seen it. Big booger hanging out of his nose."

"There was not!" Nick grinned.

"Well, we had to throw that mike away; too much phlegm on it," Brian teased.

Nick looked at Kat. "Okay, that part is true." And she chuckled.

"See guys? I'm fine. I'm just not going to be doing any heavy duty dancing for the next few days," Nick said, looking at each of them in turn.

"Way to get out of flying," AJ grinned, and Kat slapped him lightly. "Aww. Nick get your woman to stop beating up on me."

"Jeanne does what she wants. In fact, Jeanne. Hit him again for me." Kat complied. "That's for your part in making me do that stupid trick every night, Bone."

"It's not my fault," AJ protested laughingly.

"Hey, you laughing at me?" Nick grinned. "Jeanne's still right there. I can ask her to hit you again."

"She wouldn't do it. Not now that you are acting like a spoiled baby," Kat replied serenely.

Nick pouted, looking at her with big wide, puppy-dog eyes. "Turn it off, Carter, it's not going to work."

"Damn," he muttered and Kevin laughed.

"He's fine. Let's just let him rest." He got up off the bed. "Nick, we've cancelled tomorrow night's concert. We'll just add it on to the end of the schedule. So we've got a couple of days to rest now. Just keep those icepacks on. Jay's going to bring a doctor over tomorrow to look at your leg."

"Thanks Kev, guys. I appreciate it. It'll be fine, I'm sure. Just a bad bruise."

"It better be," Brian said, a look of worry coming back over his face.

"It is Frick, don't fret," Nick assured him.

They filed out of the door, closing it behind them. Nick leaned back in the pillows, sighing.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Kat asked, concerned.

"Sure. The painkillers are working and the ice helps. Just talk to me," he said, pulling her towards him. She snuggled up to him, lying on his right side.

"What about?"

"Anything. Anything except flying. Or worse, falling."

She giggled, and talked quietly to him about the first thing that came into her head: a show she'd watched on television earlier that day. She kept going until she heard his breath change, becoming more slow and deep. He'd finally fallen asleep. She kissed his forehead and slipped from the bed. She turned off the lights in the bathroom and locked the bedroom door, then turned off the main overhead lights, and changed from her clothes into a long t-shirt and slid back into the bed, back into his arms.

He pulled her towards him.

"Hey, I thought you were asleep."

"Nope, just fooling," he leaned over and kissed her. Then reached back and pulled the ice pack from his leg, letting it fall over the side of the bed.

"Nick, you shouldn't..."

"I don't care. I want to," he replied, nibbling his way down her neck. Kat shivered at his touch, knowing she should be fighting him off, but needing him so badly. The fear she'd felt earlier was changing into something much different now.

Her tongue flicked out and licked the top of his earlobe. He groaned and raised his head from her neck, looking at her. She kissed him, drawing him into her mouth. Their tongue caressed each other and the kiss deepened.

Her arms stroked his back, feeling the tension in his muscles, trying to free it. His hands ran down her body, stroking her, making her body vibrate with need. She could feel him harden, pressing against her. The sensation made her go moist, a fire kindling deep within her.

"Oh baby, I want you so bad," he groaned in her ear, as his mouth moved over it, then down her neck again. He tried to sit up a little, to allow his mouth better access to her breasts, but his sharp intake of breath made her realize how much it hurt.

"Nick, lie back," she murmured, pushing him over onto his back. She moved over him, legs straddling his chest, then pulled her t-shirt off. His hands moved up her body, and he pulled her down towards him, tugging first one, then the other nipple in his mouth. She slid down a little, her hand busy on his chest, until she could feel his penis against her back. She sat up higher, and moved over it, stroking it with her hand. Nick moaned, a small tear of precum forming on its tip.

Kat moved further down, her legs over his knees now, her mouth about to go down on him, but he stopped her. "No. I want to be inside you."

She was about to say something about him being inside her that way too, but the pleading look on his face was too much for her. She crawled back up him, and positioned herself over him. She started to push him inside her, feeling her body open to him. God, he felt so good. Gingerly, not wanting the feeling to end she lowered herself onto his length.

"Oh baby, Kat baby," he whispered, need naked in his voice.

She almost had him completely in her when her leg brushed against his left thigh. He let out a short shriek of pain, and she jumped off of him.

"Nick, are you okay?" she leant over him, trying to stroke the pain from his face.

He took a deep breath. "I don't think that way is going to work."

"We shouldn't be..."

"Kat, I want you too badly. If we can't do this now, it will be a while before we can. Please, let's try again."

"I..." She was uncertain. She didn't want to see him in pain. It tore at her heart too much.

"Let's just try it like this," he said rolling her onto her back. He knelt between her legs, putting all his weight on his knees and planted kisses across her stomach. She moaned, trying hard to resist what he was doing, but failing. It got even worse when he worked his way down further. His mouth had her writhing in pleasure within moments. She couldn't have turned him down if she tried.

He eased forward slowly, entered her. He was panting now, the desire pulsing through him. He had to do this. He had to be inside her. He had to love her. He was almost all the way inside her, when it happened again. He slid into her thigh, and the pain shot through him again. He just collapsed on her, moaning.

Kat felt him falter and knew it had happened again. This wasn't going to work. He couldn't keep pushing himself like this. "Nick?"

He looked at her, tears in his eyes. "I have to. I want to make love you so badly," he whispered, frustration reverberating in his voice.

She looked at him, at the pain in his eyes, knowing that it wasn't just from bruise on his side. She leaned over and kissed him lightly. "Don't move," she said, and slowly slid her right leg under his. Then, very gently, carefully, her left leg. Now her legs were between his; there was nothing to brush against his outer thigh.

Nick felt her movements, and the way it made her clench even more around his cock. God, she was so tight. He gasped at the feeling. Then moved forward. It didn't hurt. Okay, so a little, but not that searing pain that he'd felt earlier. He thrust again. "Oh god," he gasped, losing himself in the sweet sensation. Kat moaned too, her dark eyes almost black with the emotion that shone in them. He leaned down, forcing his tongue into her mouth, and thrusting forward again. He could feel her groan reverberate through his mouth. "Yes," he growled, moving forward again, and again, stroking himself deeper into the hot, moist, close tunnel she had created for him. "Yes," he gasped as she squirmed passionately, her taut nipples stroking his chest. "Yes," he groaned as he felt his orgasm coming. "Yes," he moaned as he felt her all ready tight walls clasp him even more, knowing that she was feeling the way he was too.

"Oh god, Nick, you feel so good," she panted as she felt him inside her. She gazed up into his eyes, her eyes glazing a little, then pulled his face down to hers, kissing him deeply. He responded in kind, his tongue swirling ardently in her mouth.

They broke off, panting heavily, and he gazed down at her. A bead of sweat rolled down his nose, poised on the tip. She watched it progress then leaned up and delicately licked it off.

It was a gesture so tender, so caring… Nick lost it. It sent him over the edge and he buried his face into her neck as he harshly, frantically, gasped her name. She thrust up to him as her orgasm also swept through her.

Chapter 67