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“No, it’s not okay,” the chief security officer assured him. “The cruise company and every executive on this ship has taken a hard-line stance against bullying, sexual assault, and harassment, and what you’ve reported to me clearly fits within all of them. I’ll be investigating this further and adding it to the other complaints from tonight. I’m positive that Head Office will confirm termination of his contract.”
Eddie shook his head. “No one ever took any notice of what he was doing. I doubt that they even saw what happened.”
“Leave it up to me to gather the necessary evidence, Eddie. That’s my job. In the meantime, Captain, if you need anything, just call. I will update you as soon as I have news.”
Another knock on the door sounded, and the chief answered it on his way out. In bustled another man, this one dressed in a white lab coat with a stethoscope hanging around his neck. It was clear from the warm squeeze of Will’s shoulder that they knew each other well. “Evening, Captain. What can I help with?”
Eddie answered, motioning to his own face, “His lip. It’s still bleeding. I haven’t put ice on it, but he’s had a cold compress on it for—” Eddie checked the time on the clock perched on the desk. “—over an hour, and it’s slowed, but still oozing.”
“Nice to see you again. Ed, right?” When he nodded, the doctor smiled. “I remember faces and allergies, but names usually aren’t my strong suit.”
Will groaned and whispered, “Ez, I need something for a headache too, please.”
“Sure.” He nodded, pulling up the desk chair in front of Will. “So, how’d you get the split lip?”
“Fist to the face. Could have been a ring or something, maybe. I don’t exactly know.”
“What the?” The doctor’s face shot up, concern lighting his features. With a furrowed brow and wide-eyed shock, his gaze pinged to Eddie’s, who nodded unhappily. “Okay, let’s get you fixed up then.”
The doctor donned gloves and prepared saline solution and a gauze patch while Eddie took the cold compress Will gave to him. A surge of protectiveness shot through Eddie when he saw the bruise that was already forming. Will’s lower lip was swollen and still bleeding slowly.
“It’s quite a deep cut.” He tilted his head, looking at Will’s chin from another angle, and gently pressed the skin below his lip together. Eddie couldn’t look. He couldn’t bear to see the wince of pain crinkling Will’s eyes closed and yet be unable to do anything for him. Eddie pressed a kiss to Will’s shoulder, holding his hand and rubbing his back with the other. The doctor was speaking about steri-strips and scarring, and Eddie took it all in, repeating what the doctor had said so he’d remember to tell Will when he wasn’t so overwhelmed.
Once he was finished patching up Will’s lip, he paused and asked, “How bad is the headache?”
“Eight out of ten. I’ve got the aura and I’m nauseous.”
“Anything to drink tonight?”
“Nothing,” Eddie answered with a shake of his head and worry riding low in his belly. “Is he going to be okay?”
“He will.” The doctor smiled reassuringly and directed his attention back to Will, asking him more questions about when his shift started the next day and how often he’d been getting migraines. “I don’t carry it with me, but I do have treatment in the clinic that will help. Give me ten minutes. I’ll run down and get the syringe loaded, then bring it up for you. In the meantime, Eddie, if you could get another cold compress for William’s forehead, some ice for his lip, and dim the lights right down, that will help.”
“Will do, Doc.”
fourteen
Eddie
The doctor had been and gone, injecting Will with medicine to stop the headache, and Eddie stood between Will’s spread legs, rubbing his shoulders while Will rested his forehead on Eddie’s belly.
As the door clicked closed behind the doctor, Eddie asked, “Will, can I stay tonight?”
“I’d love you to.” Will took Eddie’s hand in his and pressed a lingering kiss to his knuckles. Eddie sighed and swooned a little. Even in pain and struggling, Will was a sweetheart. Then he leaned forward, nuzzling into Eddie’s flat stomach as Eddie gently massaged his temples. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure I’m up to anything tonight.”
“I don’t expect anything to happen between us tonight, handsome. That’s not why I’m here—I’m not ready to leave you alone, and I’d really like to wake up with you.”
“I really want to touch you again. I wanted to take things a step further.” When they’d walked to his room, the halls had been quiet of people, but there were moans and shouts behind closed doors. Before everything went pear-shaped, Eddie had pictured in his mind’s eye what he would have liked to do to his captain when they took the party back to a more private setting. But the unexpected detour had derailed his plans, and while Eddie was upset that Will was hurt, he wasn’t upset that nothing further would happen between them that night. As ridiculous as it sounded, Eddie wanted his first time with Will to be special. He wanted to take his time and worship him. He didn’t want to make Will feel cheap or think he had to put out because it’s what happened after these parties, and it was even more important to Eddie that Will understood his intentions.
Eddie tilted Will’s face up to his with a finger hooked under his chin and pressed his lips to the uninjured corner of Will’s mouth softly and sweetly. “It will happen when the time is right. Let’s not rush.” At Eddie’s words, Will nuzzled his face, drawing Eddie closer and humming. As much as Eddie hated that Will’s bastard of an ex had hurt him, breaking his trust and making him more cautious than a man with as beautiful a soul as Will’s should be, he was also grateful. If he hadn’t, Eddie would never have been given the chance to care for him. Cupping Will’s face in his hands, Eddie bent and kissed him gently, pressing his lips chastely to his cheek, temples, and forehead.
Running his fingers through Will’s blond locks, cut short at the back and a bit longer on top, Eddie kissed along his jaw and pressed another lingering kiss to the corner of his mouth. Goosebumps broke out on Will’s skin as Eddie moved to his ear and ran his nose along the shell before kissing the soft skin just below. Eddie kneaded his shoulders and pulled back, concern filling his heart when Will groaned in pain.
“Headache getting worse?” he asked, worried he was hurting him.
“I always carry tension in my shoulders, but with a migraine, it gets worse.”
That wouldn’t do. “Get naked and roll over on your belly. You’ll never want another man’s hands on you once I’ve given you a massage.” Eddie was trying to lighten the mood by being playful, but he was also deadly serious. Will needed this, and Eddie wanted to do whatever he could to relieve Will’s pain.
