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“Don’t do that,” he said in a strained voice.
If she had more energy, she might’ve turned around and wrapped a leg around his waist, but her fatigue was overwhelming. She used all her self-control to relax into him, letting the heat of his body and the steady rise and fall of his chest soothe her to sleep.
Ali woke in the middle of the night with sweat pouring from her body. Nik’s arm was still draped across her, holding her tightly against his chest. His legs were tangled in between hers, and it took everything in her to ignore the aching between her legs.
She needed to move. She needed to get away, right now. She felt sick, and she couldn’t be sick. Not here. Not with him.
Her stomach rolled uneasily and she inched away from him, out of his clutch. She let his arm drop to the bed gently and his continuous soft snoring let her know she hadn’t disturbed his sleep. She hobbled to the door, hunched over in pain, and found the bathroom door just outside his bedroom.
She didn’t bother to find a light. The soft starlight lit up the room just enough to make out the shape of the toilet. She hit her knees on the hard floor and retched into the chamber, her body shaking with sickness.
Hair clung to her neck and her forehead as she continued to be sick, gripping the edge with white knuckles. She felt like she was dying. She had survived so much, but this would be her ultimate demise. It really was a cruel world.
The bed creaked, and she heard Nik’s footsteps. A candle illuminated his figure through the crack in the door.
“Are you okay?” he asked before kneeling beside her.
She tried to wave him off. He’d done enough already. “I’m fine. I didn’t mean to wake you. Really, go back to bed.”
He huffed out a small breath. “I’m not going to leave you like this.” He reached out with a glass of water that he’d brought from the bedroom and pressed it to her lips.
Her body trembled so badly, she thought she might be sick again. She pushed the cup away.
Nik traced circles over her back, his strong hand soothing her and calming her unsteady breathing. He pulled her hair back while she retched again.
“I don’t want you to see me like this,” she moaned.
“There isn’t a single part of you that I wouldn’t want to see,” he whispered.
Her body slumped and Nik guided her to the floor, laying her head in his lap. He continued to rub her back and brush the hair back from her face. He lifted the back of her shirt and slipped his hand under, rubbing his hand over her smooth back. It simultaneously gave her chills and comforted her.
She dug her fingers into his thigh and closed her eyes, desperately seeking rest. She prayed her stomach would settle enough that she could sleep. Her body fought against the exhaustion that ravaged her. His hand stopped moving as he pressed his palm into her back.
“You’re burning up again.”
She murmured indistinctly.
“Do you trust me?”
She nodded into his lap and he lifted her up, turning her around to face him. He stood and moved to the bathtub, turning the water on and allowing it to warm up. He grabbed the bottom of her shirt, and she knew what he was about to do. She lifted her arms so he could slide it off. He gave her a hand for balance as she stepped out of her shorts and then helped her into the bath. The lukewarm water quickly cooled her down as he poured a cup full over her hair and down her back.
After a few minutes, she stood. He wrapped a towel around her and then held her in his lap. She studied his face and then traced his lips with her fingertips.
“You confuse me,” she said, and the words came out as delirious as she felt.
“How so?” His lips moved beneath her touch.
“I think I was supposed to hate you…”
If he felt anything, he didn’t let it show. His breathing remained steady as his blue eyes bore through her. “But you don’t?”
She shook her head, and her eyes fell closed.
She wasn’t sure how long she’d been passed out, but she felt him stir beneath her. He carefully stood and picked her up off the floor, cradling her in his arms. She draped an arm around his neck and leaned into his strong body as he carried her back to bed.
***
Chapter Sixteen
