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“I’m so far from one oh three, Sebastian.” I shudder and my teeth begin to chatter. I clamp my jaw shut to make it stop, but I’m still shivering.
“It could spike any minute.” He pulls the top sheet and comforter close to my throat. “You remember that your plan of waiting until it gets to a hundred and ten isn’t going to work, right? This is a high fever, Elianna.”
“It’s not that high. Just let me sleep.” I wiggle and squirm to find a comfortable spot. “I’ll be right as rain in the morning. Or maybe it is already morning? I can’t remember . . .” I yawn again, and everything in me is pulsing out a wish to sleep.
“I’ll find you another blanket and some comfortable clothes to change into.”
He’s gone and I close my eyes, concentrating on trying to get my teeth to stop knocking against each other. Suddenly, he’s reappeared with a glass of water and a bottle that sounds like a baby’s rattle when he moves it. Or maybe the kitty-snake creature has followed us up here.
He gives me some ibuprofen to swallow.
“Do I remind you of Baby Spice? Or Posh?” I have to know.
“Scary Spice,” he deadpans.
“Really? That’s so nice of you to say!”
He laughs again and I decide, here and now, that getting Sebastian Tate to laugh is better than the time I wrote a play in college, entered it in a contest, and won tickets to five Broadway shows.Five.
I feel a soft bundle being set on the bed next to me. “Here’s some comfortable clothes. Sorry I don’t have anything small enough.”
He leaves the bedroom, closing the door behind him. I don’t have the energy to get up and lock it, so I can only hope he doesn’t walk in on me while I’m changing.
The T-shirt he left for me is dark green and as soft as a minky blanket. It drowns me, as do the basketball shorts. His clothes smell like Ocean Mist Tide laundry detergent—my favorite.
I love the beach, and he loves Ocean Mist Tide. We’re the perfect couple.
Except we’re not a couple. A fact that has hot tears stinging my eyes yet again.
In a couple of minutes, I hear a soft knock on his bedroom door.
“Come in,” I manage.
He takes a knee next to me, his forehead wrinkled. He moves a lock of hair off my cheek, his fingertips and knuckles brushing against me in a caress. “Do you . . . do you need me to stay?”
I blink my eyes open and find him in the semi-darkness. “No, I’m okay.”
His gaze travels over me. “Are you sure?” It’s a whisper, like he’s scared I’ll break in half if he leaves the room.
“I’m okay,” I repeat.
“I’ll just be right next door, in the office, okay?” Somehow, he’s found my phone, and he sets it on the nightstand. “I have my number pulled up and ready for you to call if you need anything at all.”
I catch a glimpse of his expression, one of sweet torture, before my eyes sink closed again. He kisses me twice, once on the forehead and once in that spot exactly halfway between my mouth and my cheek.
And then there’s total darkness.
Chapter 20
Sebastian
I’m not able to go back to sleep, tossing and turning on the sofa in my office, thoughts of Elianna pressing on my mind. So I get up before dawn and get a move on with the day. I sneak into my bedroom, see that she’s sleeping soundly, and grab a change of clothes.
I hope she can rest peacefully. And that she knows how much I care.
Seeing her sick like that did something to me. Similar to when she was swinging down by the lake, I know I’ll never forget last night. How she felt in my arms, how she nuzzled next to me, how she still managed to make me laugh, even while being terribly sick. Although I don’t think that was intentional.
I shake my head to remove thoughts of Spice Girls underwear from my mind.
