Page 31 of Sapphire Storm

“All right,” Roman said, “I want you to try to roll towardme onto one side and then we’re going to sit you up sideways if it doesn’t killyou.”

“Not killing me sounds like a good plan.” Ethan nodded androlled up onto one side. This time there were spasms, but no stabs. That wasgood. Roman pulled gently on his legs and slowly brought them to the floor.When Ethan grunted at the first fiery jolt, Roman paused, waited, thencontinued once things had calmed. Finally, the side of Ethan’s right foot wasresting against the floor, his left foot resting limply atop of it like he wasa puppet whose strings had yet to be pulled taut.

“Okay,” Roman said, “I’m going to sit you up sideways. Useyour feet for balance, but don’t put a bunch of pressure on them.”

Ethan nodded and felt Roman’s hands gripping his shoulders.He kept his eyes shut for fear of how much pain and fear—and weakness—Romanwould see in them if he opened them. He breathed deeply, a whistle throughclenched teeth, and then suddenly he was rising sideways. It had been a wisemove, resulting in a few spasms, but no more deep and terrible stabs.

He breathed a sigh of relief, opened his eyes, and foundhimself staring at Roman Walker’s perfectly outlined cock and balls. They wereseveral inches from his face, tucked inside a pair of Ethan’s white briefs. Aglance up revealed all the smooth, sculpted muscle the guy had tried to tempthim with the night before, and a complete absence of guile in the young man’sexpression. He looked only concerned for Ethan’s health.

“Good?” Roman asked, eyes wide and eager.

“Roman.”

“Yeah?”

“Clothes, please.”

Roman looked down at his own body as if he’d forgotten it.He grimaced. “Oh, yeah. Sorry. Just don’t move ’till I’m back.”

“Not going to be a problem.”

Roman left the room. A relief.

A few seconds later, he returned. The only item of clothinghe’d added was a tank top he’d swiped from Ethan’s room. He sank down to acrouch in front of the sofa, gripped Ethan’s shoulders. “So is sitting upmaking it—”

“Roman.”

“Yeah?”

“At some point when my back isn’t on fire, we’ll discusswhat constitutes an article of clothing.”

Roman looked down at his excuse for an outfit, grimacingjust like he’d done the first time. “I’m sorry. You just… You’re in pain and Iwas freaking out and I wanted to get back and I—”

“Later. Just tell me what to do here, Mr. Trainer.”

“I can get better pressure if you’re on the floor. A lot oftimes lower back pain is a knot pressing down on something important and so itfeels like a worse injury than it is. But the lower back and the legs areintimately connected, so I need to stretch out your IT bands too. Do you needto be at work any time soon?”

Even through his discomfort, he marveled at the speed withwhich Roman had transitioned into professional trainer mode. Amateur gymbunnies didn’t use phrases likeintimately connectedto describe therelationship between body parts, and he’d moved right into assessing factorsthat would impinge on Ethan’s recovery period.

“I’m supposed to go in this afternoon to check on somethings, but I worked late so I’ve got junior chefs on the case until then. It’snot a big Sunday for us.”

“Good. Floor.” Before Ethan could protest, Roman slid bothof his arms through Ethan’s armpits and hoisted his entire weight off the sofawith a surprising burst of strength. “This is probably from a night’s sleep onthe sofa,” Roman added as Ethan’s butt settled onto the spot where hardwood metOriental rug.

“And the piggyback ride.”

“Sorry.” Muscles flexing in his briefs, Roman bent over andpulled the coffee table further away from the sofa so they’d have room to workwithout moving Ethan a second time.

“Don’t be,” Ethan said, wondering if he was talking aboutthe piggyback ride or the way Roman was currently displaying his backside—plumpand round and stretching the cotton of his briefs like it was made of marbleunderneath. That he could be this suddenly transfixed by the sight of it, whenhis own ability to move without pain was in question, made Ethan feel like ahopeless lech. “I knew the risks,” he managed.

Roman turned to him with a nervous smile. “Let’s start onyour back.”

It took Ethan what felt like a full minute to sink to thefloor and roll over onto his back.

“All right, I’m going to start working with your legs, andthere’s going to be a reaction from your back, which is normal, but I want youto tell me if it really hurts.”

The next thing Ethan knew, Roman had bent his right leg atthe knee, turning the calf to one side so that it was perpendicular to Ethan’schest, then he pressed his chest and hands down on the entire leg to applypressure. Pressure that spread along the inside of his thigh and down intoEthan’s ass. There was a frightening tug in his lower back in response, butafter a minute of scary tension, he felt a gradual loosening begin.

“Good?” Roman said, his face inches from Ethan’s. Ethan kepthis eyes closed, afraid the nearness of the man’s lips would have the sameeffect on him as his flexing ass of a moment before.

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