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“I just wanted to,” he admitted. “I wanted to fall asleep with you next to me and wake up with you in the exact same place. I didn’t do it for Delaney. I did it for me.” His eyes widened at the realization. “Huh. Guess that makes me a selfish asshole. Who knew?”
She laughed, finally letting the sheet fall so he could see her smile in all its glory.
“I like selfish Eli,” she told him, then rumpled his hair. “Especially with bedhead.”
“And morning breath?” He could definitely use a good brushing right about now.
Her hand flew over her mouth. “Oh my god!” she cried through her fingers. “And I…I got sick last night.”
He tugged at her wrist, but she wouldn’t budge. “Delaney cleaned you up in the bathroom at the tavern.”
“Fine, but I just ate a banana and washed it down with lukewarm water. That can’t be a pleasant addition to whatever is going on behind my lips. I should go. I need to go.” Beth kicked off the bedding and flew to her feet, only to wince. She glanced down, and her eyes grew wide, then she plopped back onto the bed, not facing Eli. “I messed up. I’m supposed to continue with physical therapy and building my strength slowly, and I messed up.”
He rubbed her back. “It’s okay,” he told her. “It’s common in overuse after an injury. It’s Sunday. You don’t have anywhere you need to be, so stay off it for today, keep it elevated and ice it on and off throughout the day, and you’ll be good as new tomorrow.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Two months, Eli. I haven’t been me for two months, and now I’m right back where I started.”
He climbed out of bed and padded into the bathroom. He splashed some water on his face and brushed his teeth. Then he grabbed an item off the counter, another from under the sink, and hid them behind his back. He headed back into the bedroom, rounding the corner to her side of the bed.
“Lie back down,” he told her. “Doctor’s orders.”
She stared back at him with glassy green eyes, and he had to fight to keep his smile in place, to make her believe everything would be okay. She fixed the pillows behind her so she could sit up, but she didn’t fight him on his request.
He sat on the edge of the bed next to her, dropping the items on the mattress behind her. She instinctively shrank back, her hand flying over her mouth again.
“No kissing!” she cried. “You got to brush your teeth. I didn’t.”
Eli sighed. “I wasn’t going to kiss you.”
She dropped her hands. “Oh.”
He bit back a grin. “Don’t get me wrong. I want to kiss you. But it seems like you have some rules when it comes to kissing in the morning, so I brought you this.” He produced item number one, and Beth’s eyes lit up.
“Mouthwash!” She grabbed the bottle and hugged it to her chest. “This is the best morning-after-a-drunk-birthday gift I’ve ever received!”
He raised his brows. “Wasn’t that your first drunk birthday?”
She nodded. “And last.”
She excitedly opened the bottle and took a swig right from it, which was what Eli hoped she would do. He just figured she might ask first. He should know by now to expect only the unexpected from this woman who surprised him at every turn yet claimed to hate surprises herself.
Beth happily swished the blue liquid and even tossed her head back for a quick gargle. But when she straightened, she stared at him wide-eyed. She then looked down at the open bottle, to her left and also her right.
Finally understanding, Eli reached over her shoulder and grabbed the empty water glass from her nightstand and handed it to her.
Her shoulders relaxed, and she spat the now foamy blue liquid into the glass.
“Oh my god,” she began with a happy sigh. “Now I feel human again.” She glanced down at the contents of the glass in her hand. “But…ew. That’s pretty gross.”
Without comment, Eli took the glass and deposited it back where it had been.
Beth straightened, then closed her eyes and puckered her soft, pink lips.
Eli felt a stirring of movement in his boxer briefs, but he couldn’t give her the satisfaction just yet.
“Not yet,” he teased.
She opened her eyes, and her pucker morphed into a pout.
