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“I can’t,” she said, pushing his hands away as he tried to pull the duvet over her. “We have to work.”
“You can’t work; you’re sick.”
“I’m fine.”
Like hell she was. She sounded like an octogenarian with an iron lung. Her body succumbed to another round of coughs.
“Really. This is you fine?”
She nodded after one last bark. “Yes,” she wheezed out. “Now leave me alone.”
“Not a chance.”
She begged him off. “You’ll get sick.”
He scoffed. “You said I had no feelings, right? There’s not enough here for germs to want me,” he joked, but stopped short at the wide-eyed fondness in Hayley’s gaze. Even puffy and shot through with red, her eyes had the power to undo him. “Come on, lie back. I saw a pharmacy a couple of blocks over. I’ll run out and grab you some drugs.”
“I always did fall for the bad boys,” she said, and Harrison winced at how raw and rough her voice was.
He walked across the room and dialed room service. “Yeah, can I get a pot of Earl Grey up to the honeymoon suite? Thanks.”
When he turned back, Hayley was staring at him. Even with a red nose and bloodshot eyes, the force of her warm gaze hit Harrison directly.
“My hero.”
* * *
The nearest pharmacy was two blocks away. It had been a while since Harrison had gotten sick, which was a miracle considering how much he traveled, and while Hayley had been insistent that it wasn’t like the flu, it sure had all the symptoms of one, so he figured buying whatever flu medicine he could find couldn’t hurt.
And okay, maybe he went slightly overboard, throwing in three different brands of antihistamine and a pain reliever withdrowsyand15% more effectivewritten on the label. Just to be safe, he added a few bottles of juice, lozenges, a vapor rub that promised to clear airways, tissues, chocolate, ice cream, and a heating pad.
He had probably gone overboard, but by the time he stopped second-guessing himself, he was walking into the lobby of the hotel.
“Mr. Kyle?”
Harrison stopped in his tracks. A few days ago, he’d been ready to demand the hotel manager fix their sleeping arrangements, but today the man was the last person he wanted to see.
“Yes? Is there something wrong?” What else could possibly happen? Had they built an additional floor in the last forty-eight hours? Would he and Hayley be moved up to some sprawling penthouse, complete with a cherub fountain entryway and butler?
“I called up to the room, but there was no answer. I wanted to let Ms. Bennett know that her previous room has been vacated. We’d be happy to move her back in if she wishes.”
Well,damn.Not the news Harrison had been hoping for. It wasn’t his place to answer for Hayley, and neither of them had been keen on sharing a room, but now he was feeling selfish. He wanted to keep her with him.
He should say no. Hayley was sick, and it was only a few more days. But his damn conscience wouldn’t let him. Clearly, she was having a bad influence. He sighed.
“Hold the room for her, and I’ll let you know.”
If Hayley needed her space while she was sick, he wouldn’t make her move. Better for her to take the suite. She could relax and recuperate there, and Harrison would go.
* * *
Juggling multiple bags while attempting to fish the key card out of his pocket was an experience he hoped to never repeat. Somewhere in the hotel, there was no doubt a security guy watching him on a screen and judging him.
When he finally got into the room, he registered familiar voices. The mystery was solved when he entered the bedroom to find his phone set to speaker on the bedside table and Hayley sitting up against the headboard, happily chatting to it.
“Oh, Harry you’re back. Your sister called. At first, I let it go to voice mail —”
Emilia cut in, her voice playful. “And then I texted to say that if you didn’t answer, I was going to post your pirate dance to TikTok.”
