AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Have you taken painkillers?”
“Yes. They’re kicking in as we speak.” My headache was now more of a dull throb—horrible, but more bearable. “What cut your day short?”
“I was supposed to go somewhere with Jag, but he had to cancel—he didn’t fully explain why. It was something to do with Leonie.”
As it occurred to me that he would have given me a less detailed response once upon a time, I inwardly smiled. We were definitely making progress with the friendship thing. He hadn’t merely been paying me lip service when he assured me he’d work on it.
“On the subject of Jag and Leonie,” I began, “I don’t suppose you know if they’re serious, do you?”
Dax’s gaze sharpened. “Why?”
“Surely you’ve noticed the vibe between him and Alicia?”
He sighed. “He’s unlikely to act on it, single or not, so I wouldn’t bother playing matchmaker if I were you.”
I arched a brow. “He has something against ‘trust fund babies’ like Leonie does?”
Dax’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “She said that to you?” he asked, his tone pure silken menace.
“No, Drey told Harri about it when she asked him why Leonie gave her a dirty look.”
“And has she givenyoua dirty look?”
“It wasn’t a death glare or anything, so don’t go confronting her. Does Jag share her view?”
“No.” His brow creased when a cough crawled up my throat. “Are you sure you don’t want to see a doctor?”
I waved the idea away, just as I had earlier when he first suggested it. “There’d be nothing a doctor could do. It’s only a cold. I just need to rest, stay hydrated, and wait it out.”
Dax let out a displeased hum but didn’t argue. “Fine. Take a bath, change into sweats, and go relax and distract yourself with a book.”
I blinked. “It’s freaky how you have my exact plan in mind.”
Just then, his phone rang. Leaving him to take his call in private, I dumped my satchel in my office before going upstairs. In the en suite bathroom, I took a hot bath. The steam helped, making my throat hurt less and my nose clear a little.
Afterwards, clad in comfy sweats, I retreated to my office and settled in my plush, upholstered chair with a brand-new paperback that I’d recently ordered online. I’d originally meant to get started on it later tonight. I loved the author—her books always drew me in.
Losing myself in the story proved to be a fabulous distraction from how bad I felt, though I wasn’t impressed by how often a cough or sneeze dragged me out of a scene. At one point, Dax entered the room with a mug and a bottle of water—both of which he set down on the small table beside my chair.
I looked at the steaming cup. “What’s this?”
“Hot water with honey and lemon. It’ll help soothe your throat. My mother swears by it.”
I stared at him as warmth trickled into my chest. I hadn’t expected him to do, well,anythingother than maybe avoid me until I was better. It wasn’t as if he was an attentive person, or as if he’d feel in any way obliged to baby me. He’d only come bearing fluids, sure, but it wasn’t something he’d have done a few weeks ago.
I was about to thank him, but then his gaze dropped to my paperback and his lips quirked. I frowned. “What?”
He looked at me. “You read books by Nina Bowen?”
“Yes, she writes horror. She’s alsothe shit.You’ve heard of her? Oh, wait, your company publishes her books. I forgot about that.”
She’d once self-published her novels, but that had changed over the years for some … My thoughts trailed off when I noticed his mouth twitch again. There was a weird glint in his eyes. Like he knew something I didn’t. And he was clearly amused by that.
I felt my brow pucker again. “What? What’s funny?”
He gave a slow shake of the head. “Nothing at all.”
Not whatsoever convinced, nor in the least bit impressed that he appeared to be finding amusement at my expense, I decided to mess with him. Making an effort to look pitiful, I asked, “Will you read to me?”
