Chapter 10
Ten
Jane stood in front of the guest bedroom door, her fingers wrapped around the handle and ready to turn.
Was Chris still resting? Did he feel okay?
He’d been in there for hours. His truck had caused a few questions on Patrick’s and Lyssa’s part when they stopped by to drop off Lexi before they left for home.
Patrick had put on the overprotective big brother act and drilled her about Chris and why the guy was holed up in a bedroom at his house.
One of the only times he’d referred to it as his since they suggested she stay there.
And once Lexi had found out he was there, she’d thrown a minor hissy fit, stomping around and whining for her cousins, her grandparents, anyone but her mom. She’d even gone to her room and cried for her daddy.
The guilt had hit Jane so hard it left her breathless.
It neared dinnertime and she’d grown concerned. The sun had long since set and her children were all bathed and ready to eat. She’d made something simple, spaghetti, and she wondered if Chris might be hungry.
So she stood in front of the door like some sort of chicken instead of the grown woman she was, hesitation consuming her when she should just walk right in and check on him. Offer him dinner if he was awake. Suggest that maybe he should head on home before it turned into an overnight stay.
She couldn’t have him stay overnight. What would the kids say? Lord, what would the neighbors say? Lone Pine Lake was too small, and everyone knew Chris’s truck. Having it sit in her driveway would cause a ripple of gossip. But she couldn’t worry about it now.
Resolve made her spine stiffen and she turned the door handle, quietly so she wouldn’t disturb him. The room was pitch black. She only heard the steady, even breathing of a man asleep. Walking into the room, she approached the bed and quietly cleared her throat, hoping it would wake him.
It didn’t. In fact, a soft snore sounded and she knew she’d have to shake him awake if she wanted to talk to him.
“Mommy!”
Jane turned to see Lexi standing in the doorway, her little mouth scrunched up in anger. “Lex, give me a minute.”
“When is he going to leave?”
She wondered what had changed her daughter’s mind about Chris. At the fire station, she’d thought he was wonderful, hadn’t been able to stop talking about him after they’d left. But the minute she’d seen him as some sort of threat for her mother’s affection, he’d turned into the enemy.
“Lexi, please be nice.”
“He shouldn’t be here,” Lexi protested. “Tell him to go.”
“He’s sick. I can’t make him leave.” And he’d also just woken up. She heard the rustle of the bed covers, a body rolling over, and she hoped he hadn’t heard what Lexi said.
“Chris?” She took a couple of steps closer to the side of the bed, the light from the open door allowing her to make out his shadowy figure.
He didn’t answer, though she thought she heard an unintelligible murmur come from him. Kneeling, she reached out and brushed the back of her hand against his forehead.
He was warm, and she wondered if he was feverish. Moaning, he sounded like he was in agony, and she let her hand rest against his neck for the briefest moment. No way could he leave, let alone drive himself home.
The neighbors were just going to have to deal.
She went to the master bath and dug out the over-the-top first-aid kit her mother had given her when she’d moved in.
It included a fancy ear-reading thermometer that she knew must’ve cost the big bucks.
And already she’d appreciated it greatly when squirmy Logan had come down with a minor fever soon after school started.
It would be just the trick to use on Chris.
She needed to make sure his fever wasn’t too high.
“Mommy, what’s wrong? What’s the matter with Captain Nelson?” Lexi followed her every move like a little shadow.
“He’s sick. Stay out of the guest room, okay? I don’t want you to catch it.”
“But what about you? What if you catch it?” The fear in Lexi’s voice was unmistakable.
Jane hugged Lexi to her, giving her an extra squeeze. “I’ll be fine, sweetheart. Don’t worry about me. I take care of you guys all the time and never get sick, right?”
“I guess so. Is he going to be okay?” She actually sounded concerned, which gave Jane a glimmer of hope.
“He’ll be fine. Let me take care of him and then I’ll finish dinner, okay?”
Lexi nodded, her expression solemn. “Okay.”
Jane went back into the bedroom and turned the lamp onto its dimmest setting. Chris now lay flat on his back, his eyes closed, his face pale. She touched his cheek, the bristle of stubble scratching her hand, the warmth of his skin not necessarily hot, but better safe than sorry.
Without hesitation, she gently turned his head and set up the ear thermometer, did a reading that clicked in at over ninety-nine degrees. A low-grade fever, certainly nothing to worry about. Still, it was as if the man had been completely knocked out.
“Chris.” She murmured his name, wanting to wake him but not startle him. “Christian, wake up.”
He stirred, his lids lifting and then closing, and she noticed his thick, dark lashes. Lashes any female would be envious of, including herself. He lifted his lids again, his eyes opening fully, though he still looked out of it.
“No one calls me Christian but you. And my first grade teacher,” he whispered, his voice rough. And goodness, even in his weary state, sexy.
Her heart fluttered and she smiled. “You’ve got a minor fever.”
“I know. I’m hot.”
He certainly was, in more ways than one.
She noticed the empty water bottle on the table. “Want something to drink? Water or juice, maybe?”
“More water would be good, yeah.” His eyes shut yet again, and he let forth a little groan. “I’m so tired.”
“You need rest.” She allowed herself to touch him, unable to help it. She drifted her fingers across the top of his head, over his silky soft hair.
He sighed. “That feels good.”
She did it again, let her fingers tangle in the strands, and she wished she could do this forever…
But she had her children to take care of, and they were waiting for her.
“Um, maybe you should shed some clothing. Help cool you down,” she suggested. He still wore his T-shirt, but she had no clue if he had his jeans on.
“Honey, I take anything else off, I’ll be naked.” His eyes stayed closed but he smiled. A naughty smile that made her laugh softly.
So tired and not feeling well, yet he still had a sense of humor. That was a good sign.
“Well, maybe just your T-shirt, then? You need to get rid of as many layers as you can. Want me to turn on the fan?”
“No, I’m good.” He sat up and, with one hand, tugged the shirt up and over his head, then tossed it onto the floor.
Her mouth dropped open at the sight. Those broad, smooth shoulders, the wide, muscular chest with the lightest patch of dark curling hair in the center, all of that burnished skin stretched taut over sinew and muscle.
Stephen had been physically fit, but nothing like this. The sudden urge to smooth her hands over him, to search and explore and see if he was as hard as he looked was so strong she had to clutch her hands together to keep from reaching out.
“Okay, sure. I’m hoping the fever won’t last long. I’m sure this is a quick bug. You’ll be feeling better soon.” She was rambling—she could hear it—and she backed away from the bed, suddenly needing as much space as possible from this all-too-tempting man. “I’ll get you some water.”
Jane fled the room, her heart racing, her feet nearly tripping over themselves in her urgency to get to the kitchen and away from Chris.
All three of her children sat at the table coloring, watching her with wide-eyed curiosity as she went to the refrigerator and retrieved a bottle of water, then grabbed some Tylenol.
“Is he okay?” Lexi asked.
“He’ll be fine.” She smiled at them, wishing she had someone else here to help. “I’m getting him some water and then I’ll finish dinner, okay?”
“Okay,” all three of her children sing-songed, and she thanked them silently for their patience. Something they definitely weren’t known for.
Chris was already drifting off back to sleep when she returned to his bedside, and she placed the cold water bottle against his bare forearm, startling him awake.
“That was mean,” he grumbled, “but it felt good.”
“I’m sure. Here, take this, too.” She offered the pain reliever, but he took the water from her first, uncapped it, and proceeded to drink nearly half before he stopped.
And again, she felt like a fool for being aroused by him while he felt ill. But the way his big hand had clutched that bottle, his arched neck, the movement of his throat when he drank brought forth such a feeling of longing she almost ached with it.
“Thanks, Jane.” He held out his hand, palm up, and she set the pills there. He swallowed them with another gulp of water and then placed the bottle onto the bedside table, settling into the pile of pillows beneath his head. “I’m wiped.”
“Of course you are. Get some sleep. I’m sure you’ll feel better in the morning.”
“You don’t mind my staying here, do you? It’s not going to cause any problems, is it?” His golden gaze locked onto her. He watched her carefully as she searched for the right thing to say.
He was sick, but the gossips might have a field day with this if they were discovered.
For once, she realized she didn’t care.
“Maybe I should go,” he added when she still hadn’t said anything. He tossed the covers back, giving her a glimpse of flat abdomen, black boxer briefs, and thick, muscular thighs.
“No, no, stay the night. You can’t drive like this.” She reached for the blankets at the same time he did, their hands brushing against each other’s, and she jerked away, her fingers landing on his thigh instead.
Cheeks turning instantly warm, she yanked her hand back, and let him pull the covers over himself.