Chapter 30
“Hello? Who is this?” Opal asked.
“Opal,” she answered. “It’s me. Lilac. I’m on Tanner’s phone.” Her phone battery was dead.
“Fuck. Lilac, are you all right? What happened? Linc said you were okay, and that Tanner was with you, but Ryleigh nearly took his balls off for leaving you at the hospital.”
“She did? She shouldn’t do that.” What if he got upset and kicked them out? They could end up on the streets.
Shit. Fuck.
Anxiety filled her.
She glanced over at the closed bathroom door. Tanner had given up trying to feed her anymore lunch. She’d managed to eat some fruit and drink some of the protein drink the doctor had sent for her to try.
It was actually not too bad.
He’d agreed to let her use his phone if she promised to take a nap after he finished showering. Alec had brought him a bag with some clothes.
Lilac still couldn’t believe he was insisting on staying the night.
“Lilac, chill. He’s not going to kick us out. Not with the way he looks at Ryleigh. It’s like she’s a triple layer chocolate cake with whipped cream. Yum. I could do with some of that right now.” Opal sighed.
“Opal, I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“What do you have to be sorry about?” Opal asked. “You didn’t ask to faint and end up in the hospital.”
“No, but I shouldn’t have been out running at that time of the morning. I can only imagine how worried you were when you woke up to find me gone. You were supposed to start your new job today. I ruined that.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Opal replied. “News around this place travels really fast, and before I could even contact Laken, she’d left me as message not to worry about working today. Also, Ryleigh reckons she’s fine now to look after Kye. I’ll start my new job tomorrow. That’s no big deal. Your health is. Lilac, you have to start taking care of yourself. What would we do without you?”
“I know, I know,” she said hastily. “I’ll get back to work as soon as I can. We can’t afford for me to be off?—”
“I’m not talking about the money, Lilac!” Opal yelled.
Lilac paused, shocked.
“I’m talking about you running yourself into an early grave. I . . . I’m terrified that something is going to happen to you, Lilac. You scared me. I don’t want to be without my best friend.”
Shit.
Lilac sniffled. “Nothing is going to happen to me.”
“Something already did,” Opal replied quietly.
Ouch. Okay, she got it. She wasn’t feeling the greatest and she’d done a dumb thing. Plus, she was struggling with anxiety and all of her worries. About not being able to take care of anyone.
But she found it so hard to look after herself. It felt selfish.
And what if something had happened to you?
“I’ll try to do better,” she whispered.
“You do that. I’m going to come see you.”
“No! No, don’t do that. I’m all right and I don’t want you bringing Kye along or leaving Ryleigh behind. Honestly, I’m fine. And Tanner is here.”
“That’s a good thing? Because yesterday you wanted nothing more to do with him.”
“A good thing? I’m not sure I’d say that. I . . . it’s all so fucking complicated. But I . . . I just . . . ”
“You need this,” Opal said. “It’s okay to be selfish sometimes, Lilac.”
“Is it?”
“Yes. Don’t be such a pessimist.”
“Um, Opal.” That was rich coming from her. She was born a pessimist.
“I know, I know. I can hear myself. And I admit that I didn’t think that this place was going to live up to its promise. But it’s growing on me. We could be happy here, Lilac.”
If they could get rid of her brother.
“Stefan isn’t going to win,” Opal said fiercely. “I won’t let that happen. We’re all going to live happily ever after. Hear me?”
She did.
Tanner stepped out of the bathroom.
Wearing just a towel.
Holy. Moly.
Her mouth went dry, her heart racing. She needed to calm down before she set off the monitor.
Sure, she’d seen him naked before, but the memory of what he looked like was nothing compared to the reality.
He hadn’t dried himself properly, so there were drips of water running down his chest.
Damn, she’d love nothing more than to lap up every one of those drips with her tongue.
Then she’d follow them down his abs to where that towel was very loosely secured. And she’d undo that knot so it fell to the floor so she could follow the drops of water over his cock . . .
“Lilac? You okay?” Opal asked through the phone.
Her gaze shot away from his crotch, up to his smirking face.
Oh Lord help her. He knew exactly what she’d been thinking.
“I’ve got to go. Tanner is out of the shower.”
“Hmm, and I bet he looks delicious. You can tell he’s got a fucking hot body under those jeans and flannel.”
“Opal,” she groaned. “I’m ending this call now.”
Tanner leaned against the doorway to the private bathroom. She didn’t know how she’d gotten such a nice room and honestly, she was scared to ask.
Well, scared to ask how much it cost.
“Talking to Opal?” he asked as she set his phone down on the rolling tray.
“She sends her regards,” she replied stiffly.
He snorted. “Somehow, I can’t see Opal saying something like that.”
No, she’d commented on his hot body. And it was smoking.
“You’re looking hungry. Want one of your snacks?” He moved closer to her.
No. Nope. He could not come near her. It wasn’t safe. Oh, holy heck. He was here. Right in front of her. That bare, muscular chest was so close that she just wanted to reach out and touch him.
Before she could stop herself, she was running her finger along his abs.
“Want me to lose the towel, baby?” he murmured. “You look like you do. You’re looking at me like you think I’m the snack.”
She snatched her hand back, feeling her cheeks growing red. “That’s not . . . I wasn’t . . . sorry.”
“No reason to be sorry. I’m hungry myself.”
“Oh, do you want one of the snacks that Abby bought in?” she asked. Abby had brought in several snacks to try and tempt Lilac.
She hated that she was being such a hassle for people. But at the same time, she was kind of enjoying being fussed over.
He smiled. “No, baby. Those are yours. And I had my heart set on a different sort of snack.”
His gaze ran over her body.
Shock filled her as she realized what he was talking about. She could feel herself grow red. “You cannot find me attractive.”
He frowned. “What do you mean? Of course I do.”
“I’m lying in a hospital bed. My hair is a mess. I haven’t had a shower yet. I’m . . . I’m gross.”
“That’s two.”
She gaped up at him. “Tanner!” Two?
“What? You were warned about speaking badly about yourself. And you look fucking beautiful, in a hospital bed or not. If you’re not careful, I’m going to forget the fact that anyone could walk in here at any time and I’m going to go under those covers, spread your legs, and lick your pretty pussy until you scream.”
“You wouldn’t!” She gaped at him even as her body heated as an image of him doing just that filled her mind.
Damn him.
She couldn’t get aroused while she was lying in a hospital filled with probably hundreds of people!
“I haven’t shaved my legs!” she cried.
Really? That’s what she was going to focus on? That’s what she the best thing you could come up with?
She groaned.
Idiot.
His lips twitched. “And that’s your only objection, is it? I’d be happy to help take care of that for you.”
“Tanner Malone!” she said primly. “You are not shaving my legs.”
“Why not?”
“B-because . . . because . . . that’s not . . . it’s not sexy.” She wanted him to see her as beautiful. Gorgeous.
She wanted to be irresistible. Not a burden with hairy legs.
Right. Because you’re so sexy right now, lying in this hospital bed in the clothes you put on to go running in. Hair a mess. Looking pale and gaunt.
And he still seems to want you. Huh.
She had no clue why.
“You don’t think so? You don’t think I’d enjoy giving you whatever you needed, having you depend on me? Because I think that’s sexy as fuck. Plus, you know, I’d have you naked in the shower . . .”
She swallowed heavily. “Yeah, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Maybe once I get you home,” he said casually as though it was a done deal.
She swallowed heavily. “I can’t go home with you.”
“You can and you will,” he replied as he turned away. “You’re going to need someone to look after you. And I happen to be that someone. As your guardian, it’s my job. But as your man, it’s my privilege.”
“Tanner,” she whispered. He kept saying the sweetest things to her.
Suddenly, he leaned down and kissed her. Oh man, she’d missed his touch. It felt like she had this empty well inside her that was slowly filling it up.
Drip by drip.
“Hush. No arguing. When you’re feeling better, you can argue. But today we’re just relaxing and concentrating on you eating and resting. All right?”
“All right.” She was too tired to argue.
“That’s my good girl. Now, I forgot to take my clothes into the shower with me. I’ll go get dressed and be back in a moment.” He grabbed his bag.
Yeah, right.
Left them behind, huh?
As he walked back into the bathroom, he also failed to shut the door properly.
And she totally watched as he dropped the towel to reveal the most perfect butt on the planet.
Sigh.
There was a God.
How could she not believe with that butt on display?