Chapter 27
CHAPTER 27
N ausea woke her up, followed by a low throb along her forehead. When she tried to open her eyes, her stomach lurched and the throbbing got more aggressive. Unpleasant was too tame a word for what she was feeling and all attempts to move were thwarted by the arm banded around her waist.
“Raff,” she croaked, trying to extract herself.
A soft grunt greeted her as she finally managed to move his arm. “What’s going on?”
“Bucket,” she mumbled with as little effort as possible.
“What?”
“Bucket!” she said it louder.
He moved away, footsteps rushing up and down the stairs before he said, “Here.”
She opened her eyes to check where he was, then leaned over the edge and vomited. Another groan rocked through her as the hum in the back of her head got louder. It evolved into a strange vibrating sensation and she whimpered at the pain. Pulling the covers up, she burrowed into her bed.
Unfortunately, twisting into the fetal position didn’t stop the roiling in her stomach.
“What do you need, sweetheart?”
A hand landed on her back and she pressed into his touch, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. She knew what needed to be done, but the pain was distracting her from being able to recall any of it. He kept rubbing her back and she was grateful for it. Even if the action wasn’t helping with the migraine, having him there was enough.
Swallowing the nausea working its way up her throat, she said, “Water. Meds, in the green bag. Third drawer.”
She felt his lips against her bare shoulder and the shift of the bed as he moved away. Everything felt like effort and she fucking hated it.
“Daisy.” At the sound of her name, she pushed the covers down. “Can you sit up?”
She nodded slowly, aware that too much movement would hurt. Stretching her hands out, he helped her up. He moved behind her so she could lean back and if she wasn’t in so much pain, she would have cried at how thoughtful he was being. He turned one of her hands over and dropped the meds into her palm, and held up a glass of water with a straw. Her heart clenched because of this man and her pounding brain started chanting I love you I love you I love you I love you , like the pain didn’t exist beyond those three words.
“Sorry,” she said softly, her head lolling sideways with how heavy it was to hold up.
“I’ve always got you, sweetheart.” He guided her hand up and she put the pills in her mouth. She felt the straw against her bottom lip and took long pulls of the water as it forced the medicine down her throat. She was so limp against him, it was a miracle she was able to follow instructions.
A tear rolled down her cheek and she sniffled, the action hurting her. Rafferty was saying something, but she couldn’t hear. All her focus was on how good it felt to have him there with her. Ever since the migraines started, she’d been alone and to have someone else prop her up, help her with the meds and make sure she was okay was weirdly comforting.
“Sleep?” he asked and she nodded. There was some rustling and shuffling before she was horizontal again, a soft pillow under her head and covers tucked around her.
“Stay.” She wasn’t sure if it came out loudly or not, but he pressed a kiss to her temple before the bed moved under his weight.
She drifted in and out of sleep, very aware of someone beside her. There was that part of Daisy that felt like she needed to be awake and alert for him. For her guest . But when his hand brushed through her hair, fingers gently pressing against her scalp, she forgot all about that. The slight pressure and the contact was perfect and exactly what she needed. A quiet moan fell from her and everything faded away.
She woke up a few more times, twice to throw up and once to roll over and snuggle into Rafferty’s side. The fact that he was still there made her want to cry. Eventually the nausea vanished and she was left with a faint pulse, which was actually worse. In the years since her first migraine, Daisy had experienced a variety and hated them all. Because she was always so busy and easily distracted by her to-do list, she was never prepared. There was one time when she had an edible and it staved off a migraine, leaving her with a tiny headache instead.
For the most part, she simply suffered.
She’d gotten good at dealing with them, though. The one thing she hadn’t learned was to identify what caused them. In the beginning, she believed it was entirely stress and anxiety related, which was confirmed by her doctor. Over the years, it became about so much more. Now even food could trigger the migraines, which was the worst. The first time she realized that was when she’d eaten a spinach based salad. The pain the next morning had been excruciating and to the point where she was throwing up every sip of water. By the end of the day, she’d been dehydrated and vomiting bile.
Lying in the cocoon of her bed, Daisy ran through everything she’d consumed the night before. She split a delicious Cabernet with Monroe all night. She hadn’t eaten too much off the cheese board either, saving her stomach for the main course. Which had been burgers and hot dogs, slabs of meat and a light salad. There was also Roe’s signature dessert of peach pecan cobbler with ice cream. She grunted at the possibility of any of those things being the cause of this migraine, because she refused to give any of it up.
The thoughts of food rocked her back to sleep and when she woke up again, it was because of her rumbling tummy. That was the sign she was waiting for. It meant that whatever had triggered the nausea had been emptied from her system. However, the light migraine still persisted and she didn’t approve.
Rolling over, she stretched an arm out and found the bed empty. Frowning, she pushed the covers off her face to discover her loft space shrouded in darkness. The fear that she’d slept the whole day away made her sit up with a start. Her head clearly didn’t appreciate that because it forced her to lie back down. Squinting through the piercing pain, she noticed that Rafferty had found a way to hang a dark cloth over her bed, blocking out the light from the big window and the rest of the house.
Her heart fluttered in beat with her head and she whimpered, pressing her hands to her chest. I don’t deserve this man . Once she had her breathing, and tears, under control, Daisy blindly reached for her phone.
“Siri, call hotshot.”
“I’m right here, darlin’.” His voice came from downstairs as his phone started ringing. The sound stopped and she forced herself to sit up as he appeared at the top of the stairs, with a book in his hands. “How do you feel?”
“Exhausted. What time is it?”
“Closing in on five. You hungry?”
She nodded, but patted the bed. He smiled and set the paperback on the nightstand. She lay down as he climbed in with her and smiled as he pulled the covers over their heads again. Even in the slight darkness, she could see the sparkle in his eyes and she started to lean in for a kiss when she remembered and clamped a hand over her mouth.
“I was going to kiss you with puke breath and you weren’t going to stop me.”
He chuckled. “I know that sounds gross, but seeing your eyes open and knowing you’re okay made me forget everything else.”
“Oh god, you’ve been sitting around waiting for me to wake up?” She groaned and covered her eyes.
“If it makes you feel better, I did go out for a bit.”
She lowered one hand and peered at him. “You did?”
“Picked up the boys and dropped Cal off at the community center. Boots is downstairs, snoozing in a patch of sunlight. I got some work done and I’ve been reading.”
“The book I gave you.”
He nodded and she noticed that his hair was up in a bun. “And also trying to understand your migraines and how to help.”
“Raff…you didn’t have to.”
“Of course I did. I hate seeing you in pain, Hero. And if there is anything I could do to ease it, I want to do it.”
She was so in love with this man. “What did you find out?” she asked softly.
“Cold compresses are good, which I found in your freezer. Apparently steam does wonders if your sinuses were triggered.”
“Yup. I’ve used both methods before and they’ve helped.”
He nodded. “Good. Do you know what’s triggering it today?”
“Maybe something I ate.”
“Does this happen often?”
“Once. Spinach made me feel this miserable a few months ago, but nothing since.”
Pursing his lips, he nodded again. “I was thinking maybe a hot bath?”
“You want to get me naked,” she teased.
“Obviously.” He smirked and pushed the covers back. “But also because it could help relax you a little more.”
“I’d love that.”
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I’ll set it up. You finish that water and I’ll let you know when it’s ready.”
“Raff,” she said as he slid out of bed. “Thank you.”
“You know I’d do anything for you. You never have to thank me.”
She nodded, blinking back tears as she swallowed down the lump in her throat. He winked and blew another kiss before heading downstairs. After a long moment, she sat up and winced as the pain pinballed in her head, but still reached for her water and finished it. She carefully stood up and stretched, feeling her muscles protesting from the positions she’d curled herself into.
As she climbed down the stairs, wincing at the brightness, Rafferty stepped out of the bathroom in boxers and her core took over all throbbing duties. Because this man— her man —was the most delicious sight. His tattooed arms were strong, his torso lean but solid and not to mention the V at his hips. She licked her lips and swayed as she drank him in.
“Let’s get you out of the bright lights and those clothes,” he said, leading her into the bathroom.
It was dully lit by candles and the faint scent of eucalyptus reached her, instantly calming her down. At the sink, he held out her toothbrush and closed the door. She watched him through the mirror as she brushed her teeth, smiling as he finished filling the large tub. When she was done with her teeth, he was behind her again.
“I’ve got a cold compress for your neck and all the recommended scents to help with the migraine. All you need to do is relax.”
“You’re joining me, right?”
“If you want me to.”
She hummed in response and worked to get her hair up into a bun, but struggled to lift her arms. He took over the job, wrapping it around his hand before rolling it into a ball and setting it on top of her head. It looked tight, but didn’t pull at her scalp.
“You’ll have to teach me that later,” she told him, shocked at how effortlessly he did that.
“Anything for you.”
With a soft kiss to her neck, he helped her out of the tank top and shorts she’d worn to bed and stripped out of his boxers as well. Her eyes widened at the sight of him completely naked and she gasped.
“Jesus, Raff. You want to put that thing inside me?”
“Not when you’re in pain, no. Maybe later.”
She snorted out a laugh and stared at the length and girth of his dick. It was glorious and she was absolutely eager to have him inside her, even if she was sure he’d split her wide open.
It would be worth it.
He climbed into the tub and stretched out a hand out for her. She took it and carefully stepped in, settling between his legs. Cold hit the back of her neck and she whimpered as she leaned against him.
She closed her eyes and sighed softly, the balance of the compress and the warm water doing its job. He cupped her head in both hands and gently massaged her scalp, his fingers applying the right amount of pressure to the points that were hurting. A moan fell from her lips, but he didn’t let up. If anything that spurred him on further. He rubbed a finger along the base of her skull and she quivered at how good it felt. Honestly, Daisy wasn’t sure if she was horny or headachey; everything sort of blended together as he massaged.
“So…the book,” she forced out, doing her best not to rock back against him or beg him to touch her any lower than her neck. “Do you like it?”
“I see why Griff reminds you of me.”
She chuckled, snuggling against him. As someone who picked up random romance novels whenever she saw them online or in a store, she had no real plan in mind when buying books. If the cover was pretty and the blurb sounded good, it would be on her shelf or bought off Audible. That’s how she stumbled across Find You Again by Ava Hunter. At the time, she had no idea that her childhood friend-slash-adult lover would turn out to share anything with the grumpy rockstar cowboy, but boy did he ever.
“Oh yeah? Enlighten me.”
He laughed, lips against her shoulder. “He’s protective of his woman and wary of people, he’s also a good guy but totally misunderstood. I don’t wear any rings, but I do love my ink and music.”
“Those are all of the reasons why he reminds me of you. Plus, he’s flat out hot.”
“You think I’m hot?”
“I mean…you’re okay, I guess.”
He nipped at her shoulder and she smiled. “I’ll show you just how hot I can be.”
“Growly like Griff?”
“Darlin’, I’ll do anything you want and I’ll do it better than Griff.”
She laughed, her migraine already easing with how light she felt. “Don’t hate on my book boyfriend,” she whispered.
“Do you really need a book boyfriend when you’ve got me?”
“No. But they’re handy to have around when you’re not here.”
The silence stretched too long and she opened her eyes, gaze settling on his hands stretched out on the sides of the tub. She could feel his breath against her back, but he wasn’t speaking.
“Raff.”
“You know that I’m not going anywhere, right?”
She nodded. “I know. But every time a call comes in, my heart drops.”
“Maybe I should have asked you this question too. Will you tell me if this becomes too much and you need me to quit?”
“No.”
“Daisy,” he sighed, sounding frustrated.
“It’s like telling me to shut down my flower shop. I won’t ask you to give up something you love and are good at.”
“Your flowers aren’t trying to kill you.”
“The fires aren’t trying to kill you either. Like Cal said, I like knowing a hero.”
At his repeated silence, she turned to face him. There was still a slight twinge in her head, but it wasn’t unbearable. He was frowning, like this entire conversation was driving him insane and she couldn’t understand why.
“Why did you become a firefighter?”
“To make a difference, to help people.”
“That’s why you still do it, even though you know all the risks.” He nodded and she smiled. “And that’s why I’ll never ask you to quit. It might scare me, but I’m so proud of you. Your son is too. And you know that if it ever gets so bad, we’ll tell you, right?”
“Promise?”
“Always,” she said, tracing the word tattooed onto his chest.
He pulled her back against him and leaning sideways, she set her head on his shoulder. His hand brushed over her arm and shoulder, sliding up to her neck and back down. The soothing movement made her body settle, made her mind feel like it was finally in control.
“Raff.”
“Daze,” he replied.
“I need to tell you something.”
She felt him stiffen before he mumbled an okay . Tipping her head back, she looked up at him and noticed the slight wrinkle between his eyebrows. She smiled and smoothed it away before cupping his jaw in one hand.
“I love you.”
His expression went from concern to shock to downright dreamy. Then his mouth was pressed to hers, hand cupping the back of her head as he pulled her even closer. She laughed against his lips, grabbing the sides of his face to kiss him back. Their mouths parted for a brief moment and she sucked in a sharp breath at the heat in his eyes before their lips connected again. They moved around in the tub, water sloshing over the sides before she was straddling him. Migraine long forgotten, nausea from hours ago a joke, all that mattered was the way this man held her as they kissed like they’d never be able to kiss again.
“Again,” he mumbled against her mouth, peppering kisses along her jaw and down to her neck.
“I love you. I have been in love with you since I was thirteen and I don’t think I ever stopped.”
His mouth did stop, right at the spot where her neck met her shoulder, and he breathed deeply. “I never stopped, either. You were my first love and I hope my last,” he said softly, lifting his head to meet her eyes. “I love you too, Hero.”
She grinned, tears blurring her vision and she wrapped herself around him, both of them laughing and repeating the words like they’d forget it.