AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The tension falls out of his jaw, and his eyebrows furrow. “I can see that now.”
If I wasn’t preoccupied with hating one of my reproductive organs, I might be touched by his concern. “Marisol couldn’t make it in to cover for me until nine. Sorry, I should have told you.”
“Don’t apologize to me.” He shakes his head. “That’s not the point. I just, I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Okay.” I blink at him, unsure what’s supposed to happen next.
“What can I get for you? What do you need?” He leans back and looks around the room. “Where’s your heating pad?”
Normally, I loathe needing help, but right now, I don’t give a shit. I’m just grateful he’s here to take care of me. “My room isthe one down the hall with the door open. Will you get my yellow blanket, please? And the bottle of painkillers next to the bed? The heating pad is in there too.”
“I made you get out of bed.” He runs his fingers through the dark tendrils of his hair yet again, forearms flexing. “Shit. I really am sorry, Allie. Do you want to move back there?”
“No, no I’m good.” He’d probably carry me to my bed if I asked him to, which would sound appealing underanyother circumstances, but now that I’m settled into the couch, I’m not moving for anything.
Luke skeptically narrows his eyes but turns and disappears down the hallway. Betty stands up, wagging her tail, and whines at me. She nuzzles her head into my palm, so I pat the couch by my legs to encourage her to jump up.
“She’s not supposed to be on the furniture,” Luke says, emerging from the hall.
“She seems different today. She’s nuzzling me more and whining. Is she okay?”
Luke drapes my cozy yellow blanket across my legs. “She’s worried about you. She can tell you don’t feel well.” He reaches down and scratches her behind the ears. “Isn’t that right, babe? You’re worried about Allie, too?”
“Dogs can tell that?”
“I don’t know about all dogs, but Betty knows.”
“Are you sure she isn’t allowed up here?” I push my lower lip out in an exaggerated pout and make a show of batting my eyelashes. My face may not be good for intimidation, but it’s perfect for getting exactly what I want.
“How could I say no to that?” he asks, his familiar smirk tugging the edge of his mouth. Luke tells Betty, “Okay,” and gestures to a spot on the couch that she immediately jumps onto. When I reach to pet her, she scoots closer and cuddles up closeto me, resting her blocky gray head with the thick white stripe down the middle on my hip, and curling into the space behind my hooked legs.
“She’s an excellent snuggler,” Luke says. The mental image of Betty curled up in his arms feels ridiculous and endearing at the same time. “Figured you’d want this, too,” he says, handing me my phone. He sets me up with the heating pad, painkillers, a glass of water, and even pulls the tray of remotes across the coffee table, so they’re within my reach. Taking his spot across from me again on the edge of the coffee table, he asks, “Is there anything else you need? You want? Snacks?”
“No snacks,” I groan.
“Have you eaten anything?”
“No, but food sounds awful right now.”
“Okay.” Luke’s voice is damn near sweet. He’s fully in caretaker mode, and it makes me wonder how many other women have seen this side of him.
The idea of Luke draping a blanket across another woman’s legs and letting her cuddle Betty makes me irrationally jealous. I look down at Betty, who’s snoring not so quietly against me. She probably knows all his secrets.Fuck, I bet Luke’s the kind of guy who brings soup when you have a cold—or he comes over andmakessoup.
“I’ve never had a dog before,” I say, trying to distract myself from the direction my thoughts are headed.
“No? You’re so good with Betty.”
“I don’t know about that. I think she’s just good with me.”
Luke’s smirk turns to a full smile as I watch his eyes pass from me to Betty and back again. “What else do you need?”
“Will you grab me an edible? They’re in the cabinet above the fridge.” Lying down has taken some of the pressure off, but I’m still in a lot of pain. All I want to do is sleep until the worst of thecramps have passed.
When Luke returns with the pink package of gummies, he’s also carrying a bowl of cashews, some crackers, and an apple. Setting them on the coffee table, next to where he sits, he says, “Hopefully you’re hungry soon.”
“Why are you so good at this?”
“At what?” he asks.
