CHAPTER 11
Jannie
Jannie stirred, burrowing deeper in covers that smelled unfamiliar.
“Jannie.”
Someone was shaking her shoulder.
“Jannie.”
That voice …
Nick.
Vegas. She was with Nick in Las Vegas.
“I knocked several times. You didn’t answer, I got worried.”
Jannie groaned, pulling the covers tighter over her head. “Go away.”
The bed sank with Nick’s weight.
He gently rubbed her back. “Time to get up. You’ve been asleep for over three hours.”
The covers slid off her head, she heard a click, and Jannie winced at the bright light of the lamp filtering through her closed eyelids. She squeezed them tighter. “Ugh.”
“I let you rest for as long as I could.” His voice was soothing and apologetic. “If you sleep any longer, you’ll be awake all night.”
She moaned. The hand on her back stilled, then rested there for a moment before he slid it upward to gently massage the back of her neck.
It felt so good that she had to suppress a louder moan. His fingers pressed just enough to relax her muscles but not so hard as to cause discomfort.
“Come on,” he coaxed. “I made reservations for dinner.” He leaned close, and she felt his warm lips graze her earlobe as he whispered, “And I’m very, very hungry.”
She swallowed, trying to ignore the tingling sensations his lips and voice stirred inside her. “I don’t need anything,” she muttered.
“I need food, and so do you.” He rubbed her back again, this time kneading gently, sending tendrils of warmth down her spine.
Damn, but the man was good at this. She wondered what a full-body massage would feel like under his hands.
Her mind immediately conjured an image of herself naked, with his fingers—
Nick’s stomach growled so loudly that her eyes flew open. A low giggle escaped her.
“You laugh at my imminent starvation. Cruel, cruel woman.”
She couldn’t believe a simple touch had turned her on to this degree. “You go ahead, then,” she said, more irritably than she intended.
“You’re not hungry?”
She was, a little. But the mere thought of dragging her butt out of bed and making herself presentable for an evening out felt like a monumental task. Not to mention, she didn’t want to risk running into her brothers or anyone from LarsAir.
She shook her head.
A long pause. “I don’t want to leave you here alone and in the dark.”
“I’ll be fine.”
He sighed. “All right, then, as you wish.”
Jannie relaxed. Well, kind of. He hadn’t pressured or insisted, and she appreciated that. But as soon as he stood up, her stomach clenched, and everything inside her screamed no as she heard his footsteps retreat.
A moment later, the jingling of dog tags told her that Rolf had jumped up and followed him.
“Want me to take him outside?” Nick asked.
“Sure.” She thought for a moment. “Where are you going?”
“Nowhere. I’ll order a pizza—”
Rolf barked.
“—or something. How does that sound?”
“Sounds good. But don’t say the p-word, or he’ll get overexcited and obnoxious.”
Nick grinned. “Got it. I’ll cancel the reservations, and you can be bored to tears by me for the rest of the evening.” He motioned toward the bathroom. “I went and got a few things while you were asleep. How does a bath sound?”
It sounded like heaven. No tub in the Orlando house; Blake had insisted they wouldn’t have time for baths, and she had gone along with it, later regretting the decision.
“Thank you, I could use a good soak.”
“Take your time. I’ll run the bath for you. Should be about ten minutes. What do you like on your, uh”—he glanced at Rolf—“pie?”
“Cheese.”
“Just cheese?”
“Anything else ruins the flavor.”
“Okaaayy.” He disagreed, she could tell, but he smiled and nodded. “Cheese it is.”
He disappeared into the bathroom.
“You like it warmer or cooler?” he called.
She sat up. “I like it hot!”
“Should have guessed,” she heard him mutter.
The gentle tones of spa music soon accompanied the sound of rushing water.
Nick emerged from the bathroom, rubbing his damp hands together. “All set. Enjoy your bath. I’ll order the food. I’ll meet you in the family room when you’re done, in … is half an hour enough time for you?”
She had to smile. “Half an hour is plenty.”
“Good. I’ll time the delivery. Text me if you need anything.” He tapped his watch, then looked down at Rolf. “Come on, buddy. Let’s let your mom relax. We’ve got dragons to catch.”
·
Jannie
Jannie stared at the flickering candles, scooping a handful of jasmine-scented bubbles and blowing, sending white soapy flakes drifting through the air.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed a proper soak in a tub, and when she had, it definitely wasn’t in one this large, big enough for two.
Nick had thought of everything. On a bamboo caddy, she found a bar of soap, a scrubbing mitt, a back brush, and three small bottles of different scented bubble baths.
He even left a plastic wineglass and a single-serving bottle of prosecco, which she hadn’t opened, but she appreciated the care he’d taken in setting up.
He’d even placed a rolled-up towel at the end of the tub, where she could rest her head.
She closed her eyes, sinking in deeper until the bubbles tickled her chin.
Other than a couple of excited barks from Rolf, for the past half hour, she hadn’t heard anything but the relaxing music from a small portable speaker Nick had placed on the shelf.
She let her mind replay the past twenty-four hours.
She’d gone from sleeping all day long with the covers over her head to being whisked away and cared for in the best possible way. Not only that, but he was helping with her dog, giving her some time to herself.
Nick was rapidly growing on her, and she didn’t know how to feel about that. The last thing she needed was to get involved with him.
For now, she needed to stop overthinking everything and enjoy his company during this much-needed break. It had taken some juggling to combine vacation days, coordinate with colleagues so her patients’ care was managed properly, and ensure the required paperwork was filed while she was away.
Now, all she had to do was figure out how to relax.
Ha-ha.
Jannie braced her hands on either side of the tub and rose in a rush of water, suds sliding down her body. The opposite wall was all mirror, and she couldn’t avoid seeing herself.
By looking at her, no one could have guessed she’d ever been pregnant. No curves, and her breasts had returned to the prepregnancy B-cups. She grimaced. Back to being Broomstick, as the mean guys at school used to call her.
She lifted the hand shower from its holder and quickly rinsed, but when she reached for the towels, she realized she had left her change of clothes in the bedroom.
She looked up at the ceiling and huffed a frustrated sigh. God, her mind was a jumble these days. Maybe it was a good thing she’d taken time off; she could have inadvertently harmed a patient. No wonder her colleagues had agreed to cover for her so quickly.
Shaking her head, she pulled a towel off the shelf.
Unfolded it.
Oh, no.
The thing was tiny. She checked the others—all the same size. Starting to shiver from being wet, she rubbed her body briskly with the small towel as cold air blew on her from the AC vent above. Then, grabbing a dry one, she quickly wrapped it around herself, sarong style.
Or, tried to.
She yanked it lower, only to uncover the tops of her areolae. She pulled it higher to cover her boobs and ended up exposing her ass.
Shit.
It took a few tries to position the towel so that as little as possible hung out. Her gaze fell to the disposable white terry slippers neatly arranged beside the vanity.
The man had thought of everything, it seemed, except for decent-sized bath towels. Then again, he didn’t live here; the towels weren’t his. She’d have to get on and order some like the ones she used at home.
Teeth chattering, Jannie slid her feet into the slippers, then quickly dried her hair and pinned it up.
She opened the door …
And came face-to-face with Nick, fist raised, apparently poised to knock.
“Oh!”
“I was—”
Nick lowered his hand, his gaze slipping downward. Jannie clutched at the towel front, only to push it askew.
Homing in on where the terry slanted across her chest and bared one nipple, his gaze then slid to her obscenely exposed thighs before snapping back up to her face.
She raised her chin despite the nervous knot she had to swallow.
One corner of his mouth kicked up. “Is this where I pretend not to notice you’re wrapped in a handkerchief?”
She licked her lips, looking him directly in the eye. “You came up short in the towel department, sir.”
Heat flared in his eyes. “I promise that’s the only place I’ll ever come up short.”
That conjured up an image so graphic that Jannie unconsciously took a small step back.
For a few heartbeats, they stood there, unmoving.
At Nick’s feet, Rolf wagged enthusiastically, making thunk-thunk-thunk noises as his heavy tail rhythmically hit the wall.
Jannie blinked.
Nick cleared his throat. “I came to tell you the food will be here in a couple of minutes.”
“Yeah. Good.”
Nick’s watch dinged. He glanced at it. “And there’s the pizza.”
Rolf gave a high-pitched bark.
Jannie groaned. “The stinker heard the p-word. We’re going to have to crate him.”
Panting hard, Rolf barked again, sneaking a lick right below her knee.
She started, then glared at him. “Hey!”
“What did he do?”
She rolled her eyes. “Weirdo. He likes the water.”
Nick looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“He likes to lick me when I get out of the shower,” she explained.
“I see.” There was that smoldering fire again, sparking in his dark eyes. He looked as if he would say something more, but then he turned and headed down the hallway. With Rolf close at his heels, he rounded the corner, and Jannie thought she heard him mutter, “Can’t say I blame him.”
·
Nick
“Sorry, bud.”
Nick closed the crate on a mournful Rolf, pushing a dried beef stick through the door’s openings.