She looks unconvinced as she watches me but gives a little shrug, moving on to finish her checklist. I’m just tired.
I’ll keep telling myself that until I believe it.
I’m so focused on getting home that I can’t remember my walk from the plane to the curb, and the drive is the same. One minute I’m sliding into the yellow cab, cracked leather seats catching on my nylons, and the next I’m outside my building. I must have fallen asleep. Grabbing my bags, I head for the door as the cab drives away, off into the bustle of the city.
Frank looks up, his greeting dying on his lips as he takes me in. “Ms. Morgan, are you alright?”
He’s always been more like a protective uncle than a security guard, and I love him for it. I smile, but it must come off as more of a grimace with the way his face contorts in worry. He jumps up from his chair and rushes over to take my bags from me.
“I’m fine, Frank. Just a little under the weather.”
I can’t imagine what I must look like if Frank is this concerned. I don’t think I’ve seen him be anything but cool, calm, and collected.
“Ms. Morgan, I’m going to escort you to your apartment, make sure you get in okay,” he says as he ushers me toward the elevator. I can’t even find the energy to argue with him about calling meMs. Morganinstead of Joss.
The metal wall is cool on my skin. When did I lean against it? I close my eyes, taking stock of all the sensations in my body right now. Everything hurts. I’m so cold, like I took a dive in a plunge pool then decided to flounce about without drying off.
The ding of the elevator brings me back to my senses and to Frank, who’s staring down at me, eyebrows knitted together. Herolls my bag down the hall while I attempt to remove my keys from my purse, but my hands aren’t working properly. They end up on the floor, the jangling sound echoing inside my skull, and all I can do is stare at them.
“Dammit,” I mutter, or at least I think I do.
My ears never fully equalized from our descent, and it’s hard to judge the volume of my voice right now. I lean against the wall, not having the energy to pick my keys up. Frank moves toward them, but from of the corner of my eye, I see a hand shoot out and get there first. Appearing in front of me like I conjured him is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.
Wes.
His long legs, in a pair of jeans that fit just right, are bent to kneel before me. His grey Henley, with the top buttons undone, stretches across broad shoulders and hugs his chest and arms. That face, the scruffy jawline, the deep blue eyes. There’s no smile or dimpled cheek like I’m used to. Instead, his brow is furrowed, worry lines bracketing his mouth. I think he’s talking to me, but I can’t hear it as I slide down the wall and everything goes black.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Wes
Iwas stepping out of my shower when I heard the sounds in the hallway and figured Joss must be home. The only other apartment on this floor is still vacant, so I knew if someone was there, it had to be her. I’d barely run a towel over my hair and thrown on a shirt when I heard a thump and rushed to open the door. That was when I knew something was wrong. Frank was standing there with Joss’s bags while she rested her body against the wall for support. My legs moved on instinct, and by the time my brain caught up, I was kneeling in front of her.
Now, she’s looking through me with glassy, red-rimmed eyes, and her rosy cheeks are a stark contrast against her too-pale skin.
“Joss? What’s wrong?” My voice is laced with concern as I turn to look up at Frank.
“She told me she was under the weather, but…” He trails off, my same worry mirrored in his eyes.
I look back to where her eyes still rove over me, unseeing. “Joss, let me help you get inside.” I move to stand just as she sinks toward the floor, her delicate eyelids fluttering closed. “Shit!”
I catch her in my arms, stopping her slide before she can hit her head. Panic rises in my chest. Her body is an inferno, and yet I can feel her shivering. Hell, she must be down with a fever. The thought of her coworkers letting her push through it on that flight makes me more furious than I probably have any right to be. I slide my other arm under her knees, dropping her keys. Her body curls against me as I lift her in my arms, and it’s both a dream and a nightmare.
My hands tremble against her. What do I do? Do I take her to the hospital? How serious is this?
Her eyes flutter open for the briefest of moments. I finally glance away from her face and realize Frank must have let us inside, because I’m standing in her apartment. My eyes land on him and he’s looking at me expectantly.
“Sorry, Frank, what was that?”
“I have to get back to the desk.” He eyes me warily, like he’s not sure he should leave Joss alone in my arms, but it’s gone with a blink. Something in my face must’ve eased his concerns. “If she needs anything, just call down. I have a pharmacy’s worth of meds in my office—never know what you might need.”
“Thanks. I’ll make sure she’s okay.”
I hear the door click shut as I’m already moving, striding straight to Joss’s bedroom. I’ve never been in here before, and under any other circumstance, my curiosity would get the better of me. Rightnow, though, all I see is her. I lay her gently on the bed, her eyes finally opening long enough to lock onto mine. Falling to my knees next to the bed, I ignore the protest of my right one. My eyes never leave her face as I trail my knuckles across her warm cheek. Too warm—she’s burning up.
“Hey there, you scared me.” My voice is rough, almost breaking on the words. I want to be quiet and gentle, but I’m struggling to push the fear of what could have happened down. What if she hadn’t made it home when she did? What if Frank or I weren’t here?
She gives me a weak smile, leaning into my touch. Her delicate hand covers mine where it rests on her cheek, and I can feel how clammy she is.
