Victim of Love (19 page)

“I’m not your buddy, buddy.” He wobbled closer to me. “I know you’re fucking that...beautiful guy. What’s his name...that fuckin’ guy with the smile.”

“I’m not fucking anyone,” I said. “I’m just trying to have a good time with my friends.”

“You think I’m shtupid?”

“No one’s calling you stupid. Listen to me.” I made the mistake of raising my hands in a gesture of placation.

And that’s when Max reached between my legs, grabbed a handful of balls, and squeezed, twisting.

Pain blasted through me, doubling me over as Max released my sac and stumbled back, laughing. Nausea roiled up and my eyes watered, the agony like a prize fighter trying to punch his way out of my stomach from the inside. The pain in my balls was torturous and I gasped for air, water leaking from my eyes and filling my mouth as I struggled not to vomit.

When I finally recovered enough to focus, my gaze fell on the laughing blond demon before me, and I snapped. With one hard punch to the stomach, I knocked Max onto his back in the sand, looming over him with my fist pulled back, ready to smash his face to a pulp.

“Don’t you ever fucking touch me!” I screamed. “I will kill you, motherfucker! Do you hear me? I will put you in the ground! I will put you in the fucking
ground
if you ever touch me again! I will fucking
kill
you!”

Gasping from the punch, Max stared up at me with wide eyes, mouth opening and closing like a drowning fish.

Someone grabbed me and pulled me back, and only the pain in my groin prevented me from whirling around and punching Townsend in the face.

“Easy, buddy,” Townsend said, getting me in a bear hug. “Easy, Olsen. Take it easy.”

“Okay, okay,” I said. “Townsend I’m okay, let me go.”

A crowd formed around us, bodies surrounding Max to check on him, people talking to me all at once, Laurie, Pippa, Kamal, panicked eyes and questions. Townsend released me and I stumbled, pain lancing through my crotch.

“What happened?” Laurie asked, taking my arm.

I couldn’t talk, couldn’t think through the pain, my only thought was
get to a chair before you collapse
. Suddenly Beck was there. He saw me limping, and quickly got hold of my arm, slinging it over his shoulder. He said nothing, simply walked me to the nearest chair and helped me ease down onto it.

Ricky ran over. “What happened? What did Max do, Olsen? Why did you hit him?”

Beck gave Ricky a glare that I was grateful I wasn’t on the receiving end off. “Back off,” Beck said. “Tell everyone to back off. Stay away from him until I say otherwise. You got that?”

Ricky didn’t need to be told twice, and stepped away, stopping the others who tried to get to me. “Leave him be,” he said. “Just leave him be for a minute.”

Beck knelt before me, hands gently resting on my knees. “You all right?”

I winced, then nodded. “Fucker grabbed my balls. Hard. Grabbed them and twisted.”

Beck’s jaw stiffened. “I’m gonna get you out of here, but I don’t want you to move from this spot, okay? I’ll be right back.”

“I’m okay,” I said.

Travis approached, his handsome face cautious and solemn. He held his hands up when Beck glared at him. “I just want to know what happened.”

“I’ll tell you what’s
going
to happen,” Beck said. “You’re going to take that piece of trash over there in the sand and go back to where you came from.”

Travis nodded. “Okay. It’s already decided, man. Olsen, did he touch you or something?”

“Try sexual battery,” Beck said. “Seriously, get him the fuck out of here before I make good on Olsen’s promise to put him in the ground.”

Travis sighed, rubbing his head. “Okay, man.” He turned away, then looked back. “Peace, Olsen. Hope you feel better.”

“Laurie?” Beck called.

Laurie walked over, frowning.

“Can you stay with him while I run up to the resort for a minute? I want to grab some ice and try to nab a golf cart so he doesn’t have to walk.”

“I don’t need a golf cart,” I protested, feeling embarrassed now. I’d never had so much attention focused on my balls. “I’m fine, I can walk.”

Beck looked at me, eyebrows raised. “Okay. Let me see you walk.”

I scowled at him, but stood, immediately groaning in pain when I took a step and my thighs rubbed against my wounded jewels.

“That’s what I thought.” Beck lowered me back into the chair. He pointed at me. “Stay.”

Laurie and I both turned and watched Beck sprint up onto the patio and disappear into the pool bar. She looked at me. “So, wow.”

I chuckled. “Yeah. Sorry I made a scene.”

She smiled. “I know, it’s weird. That’s usually Beck’s forte. But he’s acting strangely human tonight. I told you he liked you.”

“He’s a good guy,” I said. I glanced over at the beach crowd, which thankfully seemed to have mostly forgotten about me. I didn’t see Max or Kamal’s other friends, so assumed they’d left, which was a relief.

Kamal strolled over, hands in his pockets. “You okay?”

I nodded.

“I am officially the worst matchmaker to ever live, huh?”

“Pretty much,” Laurie said.

“Do you need help getting back to the bungalow?” Kamal asked me.

I shook my head. “Beck’s trying to get a golf cart.”

Kamal’s eyebrows rose. He looked up, over my head. “Ah. Here comes your prince now.”

Beck trotted over holding a plastic bag. “Okay, soldier,” he said. “I’ve got supplies, and a cart up at the hotel. You just gotta walk a short way over with me, can you do that?”

I stood. My groin and stomach still hurt, but it was fading somewhat. “I’m good.” I limped toward the patio, and Beck sidled up next to me and slung my arm over his shoulder again. I could have walked on my own, but didn’t argue.

“You need any help?” Laurie called out.

“Nope,” Beck said. “We’ll be fine. You guys just have fun.”

Beck led me through the hotel lobby, and I realized I still had to pee, so took a detour to the bathroom. Needless to say, it wasn’t the most comfortable piss I’d ever had, but I got it done. I rejoined Beck and he walked me out front, where a golf cart waited. He stuck the plastic bag in back and eased me into the seat. He climbed behind the wheel and we were off, trailing over walkways and greenery around the front of the resort.

“I can’t believe this,” I said as I sat beside him, holding my crotch. “Of all nights to break my penis.”

Beck laughed hard. “Olsen, baby. Lovely as that part of you is, you’re more than just a penis.”

****

When we got back to the bungalow, Beck led me into his porch room and ordered me to sit on the bed, then propped pillows behind my back. “Take your shorts off,” he said, then turned away, rifling through the plastic bag he’d brought in.

“What, no foreplay?”

Beck sat on the edge of the bed. “Here’s your foreplay.” He opened a bottle of ibuprofen and handed me two tablets, then twisted the cap off a water. “Here, take these.”

I took the pills and set the bottle on the end table, as Beck pulled an icepack out of the bag. “I said shorts off, tough guy.”

I groaned and unzipped my fly, then shimmed out of the shorts, leaving me in my boxer briefs. “Not feeling real tough at the moment.”

“I know, and I’m sorry you’re hurting. But watching you Hulk out was the highlight of my evening.” Beck held the icepack, grinning. “Spread ’em.”

I stretched back on the pillow and spread my legs. “You’re saying all the right things, but somehow this isn’t how I imagined this night going.”

Gently resting the icepack on my sensitive balls, Beck stroked my thigh. He smiled at me, then got up and rounded the bed, lying next to me on his side. His finger trailed over my chin. “Does that feel okay?”

I didn’t want to admit that the cold icepack hurt, so I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Liar. I know it hurts, but keep it there anyway. It’ll help with the swelling.”

“Thank you.” I smiled at him. “You really don’t have to take care of me. I can go to my own room.”

“Do you want to go to your own room?”

I chuckled. “No.”

“Then shut up. Let me take care of you. You know, your friends really shouldn’t try to set you up on any more dates. They kind of suck at it.”

I sighed, looking into Beck’s gorgeous eyes. “I know.”

His expression softened as he gazed back at me. “Can I kiss you?”

I smiled. “Yeah.”

Beck leaned in, but just before our lips met, a light tapping came on the inner door.

Sighing, Beck pulled away. “Be right back,” he said, and hopped out of bed.

He opened the inner door, but blocked the view of me with his body. I heard Laurie’s voice. “We’re back, hanging out on the patio. Is Olsen with you?”

“Yeah, I think we’re in for the night.”

I frowned, wondering how this would play out.
We’re in for the night?

“He’s gonna stay in your room?” she asked, surprise in her voice.

Beck chuckled softly. “That guy did a real number on his nether regions. Olsen needs some help tonight from someone of the same gender, if you catch my drift.”

“Ah, okay,” she said. “Thanks, Beck. I love you.”

I heard him kiss her. “Love you too. See you in the morning.”

He closed the door and returned to the bed, stripping his shirt and jeans off, then climbed in beside me in his briefs.

“Well, shit,” I said. “If I’d known this would give me a free pass to stay in your room overnight, I’d have kicked myself in the balls earlier in the week.”

Beck slid down on the pillow, wrapping an arm around me. “We just have to change the fantasy a bit. Pretend we’ve been in a relationship so long that we’ve given up sex in favor of snuggling.”

“With you, I doubt that would ever happen.”

Gently taking hold of my face, Beck kissed me.

That kiss turned out to be the longest kiss I’d ever experienced, as it went on for nearly an hour. That things happening below the waist had been more or less taken out of the equation, the languid tangling of tongues and lips became everything, and we made out slowly and tenderly for ages, exploring each other’s mouths in every way possible, inhaling breath and testing limits, my erection slightly painful as it inevitably swelled, but worth every moment.

When I reached for Beck’s cock to try and give him release, he gently moved my hand away, and went back to just kissing, holding me close and stroking my face.

Fatigue set in eventually, and falling asleep with Beck’s arms around me was a bliss I wouldn’t have traded for anything, even my balls.

I awoke at some point in the night, thirsty and sore. I sat up, noting that Beck had turned the light out at some point, but I could see his sleeping form beside me, handsome face peaceful in the muted moonlight. I took a moment to stare at him. His shapely lips were pursed in slumber, dark eyelashes and heavy lids, chest rising and falling with each breath.

Tearing my eyes away, I reached for the water bottle on the night stand but fumbled it, accidentally knocking it to the floor with a bang.

Then Beck was screaming.

Chapter Nine

Climbing the Walls

“Beck. Beck! What’s wrong?”

Beck’s ear-piercing scream transformed into deep, wheezing moans as he leapt out of the bed, backing away as he stared at me with wide, terrified eyes. He didn’t seem to know me in that moment, mouth agape, looking at me like I was his demon executioner. When I flicked on the light I could see how unfocused his eyes were. Beck was still asleep.

I bounced over the bed, a whisper of pain in my balls as I leapt, and went to Beck, grabbing his arm. “Beck! Beck, it’s me!”

Slapping at me with both hands, he let out another deep, howling scream and spun around, running straight into the back wall of the porch with a
thunk
that made me wince. Falling onto his ass, he climbed to his knees and slammed his palms against the wall, whimpering. Crawling along the floor, his hands searched and pounded desperately on the wall as his whimpering rose to hysterical shrieks.

He’s trying to get out
.

I’d never dealt with a sleepwalker before, never mind a sleep...screamer, or whatever the hell was happening to Beck. I stood frozen, eyes wide as I watched him try to bust through the wall like the devil himself was on his tail. “Beck! Beck stop!”

Beck got to his feet and began slamming his fists into the wall even harder, sobbing now.

The door behind me opened and Laurie ran in, brown hair a disheveled mess all over her head, wearing a long tee shirt over her underpants. “Beck!” She ran to him and grabbed him around the waist, tugging him back from the wall. “How long has he been like this?”

“He just freaked out and jumped out of bed, I tried to wake him up but he’s completely out of it! What’s wrong with him? Is he having a seizure or something?”

Laurie tugged on Beck’s body and wrangled him away from the wall. The two of them fell to the floor, and I gasped when I saw the blood on his knuckles and the swelling bruise over his eye from where he hit the wall.

“He’s having a nightmare. Come here,” she ordered me. “I need you to hold him.”

I ran to them and got behind Beck, getting him in a bear hug. He bucked against me with incredible strength, terrified, animalistic sounds crooning from him.

“Hold him!” Laurie said. “Hold him tight.”

I tightened my arms around his trembling body, and Laurie wound up and slapped Beck hard in the face. “Beck, it’s Laurie. Wake up!”

Beck went still for a moment, then began to struggle again. “No...no...no....” he cried, arching his back as he tried to break free.

“Beckett Paul Turner, wake the fuck up!” Laurie shouted, and slapped him again.

Beck’s body relaxed in my arms. He trembled, but stopped fighting. “Laurie?”

A long sigh whistled out of Laurie and she cupped her brother’s face gently. “It’s me,” she said. “Are you okay?”

Beck looked over his shoulder at me, eyes wet with tears, then turned back to Laurie. I released him as he hunched over, holding his face in his hands. “Fuck,” he said softly, and I was relieved to hear the awareness in his voice again. “Ah, shit. Jesus Christ.”