Chapter 12
“Hey, I’m back,” Saylor called as she walked into Max’s house. His truck was gone but she still announced her presence just in case. The sound echoed in the space.
Trying not to touch anything, she walked to the island and spotted a note.
He’d run to pick up groceries and would be back soon.
Heading for the laundry room, Saylor stripped off her clothes and dumped them in the washing machine.
She’d start a load of laundry after showering.
Shivering as she walked naked to the bathroom, Saylor quickened her pace.
After letting the water heat, she stepped into the spray.
Her entire room had coughed and hacked throughout the two-hour class.
The university had warned the staff in an email she read yesterday that the student health center reported a spike in illnesses on campus in the last week.
She hadn’t noticed any problem until today.
If her class was anything to judge by, whatever was going around was highly contagious.
Rinsing off the germs might seem simplistic, but the strategy had kept her healthy.
Quickly, she washed her hair before spreading conditioner on the tresses. She left that to soak in as she lathered her skin. Saylor hovered under the hot spray. She hadn’t brought any sweats from home. Surely, Max had some she could cinch tight around her waist.
A sudden feeling that someone watched her made Saylor spin around. “Daddy! I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Hi, little girl. I’ll admit finding you naked and wet is a fantasy come true.” He yanked off his T-shirt before unfastening his pants. “Did you have a major spill at school?”
Distracted by the amount of hot man he was revealing in front of her, Saylor stopped listening. When his hands stopped at his waistband, she realized she was staring. “What? Sorry, I must have missed something you said.”
“Did you have a problem at the university?”
“Well, kind of. Everyone in my room sounded like they’d caught typhoid—coughing, hacking, nose blowing. I decided to drown all the germs.”
“Good idea. How about if I play lifeguard?”
“Do you have a Speedo?” she asked, waggling her eyebrows.
“Would you like to see me in a skimpy bathing suit?” he asked, pushing his pants down to his ankles.
She swallowed hard as he stood up to step out of his clothes. “Or naked. That’s good too.”
“It is, huh?” Max prowled into the shower. He caged her against the tiled wall and leaned closer.
Saylor wrapped her hands around his waist as she lifted her lips to invite his kiss. To her delight, he pressed his mouth to hers. Her throat constricted in a coughing spasm. She turned her head quickly and coughed into her shoulder, trying not to spread germs on him.
When she could breathe again, Saylor apologized. “I’m so sorry. Surely, I didn’t pick up something from my class that fast.”
Max lifted a hand to her forehead and frowned. “Have you felt chilled today, little girl?”
“I always do in the air conditioning. It’s a necessary evil in the summer, but most of the time, it’s too cold.”
“I think you might be running a fever,” he said. His eyebrows drew together in concern.
“That’s silly. I’m hot from standing under the steamy water.” As soon as that excuse escaped her mouth, Saylor sneezed three times in rapid succession.
“Let’s finish your shower and get you wrapped up in something warm.”
“I’m okay. Maybe I’m allergic to Rexy.” Saylor grabbed at possible excuses.
“Are you sensitive to dog dander?” Max asked as she knelt before her to wash her legs.
“No.”
“I think we can take that cause for your illness off the list,” Max said, sounding amused.
“I don’t have an illness.”
“Chills, fever, sneezing, and coughing are all great indications that your body isn’t well, little girl. We’ll check on that when we get you out of the shower.”
Exhausted by the energy it took to pretend she was fine, Saylor nodded. “I probably need to sleep. We stayed up late last night,” she confessed.
“That’s possible. I think a nap is always a good idea for a little girl. Let me wash away the last of the suds.”
“I have junk in my hair too, Daddy.”
“Thank you for letting me know.” Max wrapped an arm around her waist and supported her as Saylor leaned her head back into the spray. She loved the feel of his powerful hands, rinsing the conditioner from her locks.
That sapped the last of her energy. “Tired, Daddy.”
“I know, baby.”
Max kissed her temple before turning off the water and wrapping her quickly in a thirsty towel. He supported her as he rubbed another over her head to soak up the excess moisture from her thick hair. When she sagged against him, Max scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
Juggling her easily in his arms, Max tossed the covers back and set Saylor on the bottom sheet. Instantly, she turned and curled up on the bed. Saylor closed her eyes with a sigh of relief as she tugged the covers up to her throat. Almost instantly, she started coughing.
Max helped her sit up and dragged his pillow over to stack on hers. He rubbed her back as she struggled to stop hacking. “Let me get you some water. Maybe that will help.”
When he returned to her side, he handed her a small cup of water. Max steadied it as she lifted the container to her lips. “Sip slowly, baby girl.”
Swallowing the last drops, Saylor nodded to her daddy. “I’m okay now.”
“Let’s prop you up a bit on the pillows. Maybe that will help.”
Saylor settled back on the higher support and smiled.
“Better, Daddy. You’re smart.” Hovering on the brink of sleep, she felt him tuck the covers around her and drape a dry towel over her damp hair.
When he stopped moving around, Saylor could sense him nearby, hovering over her.
Protected and warm, she closed her eyes and didn’t remember anything else.
* * *
“Daddy, I’m sleeping,” she protested, after peeking to see who was rubbing her arm. Her voice sounded rough and weak. Saylor wrapped her hand around her now incredibly sore throat. Those darn germs flying around her classroom today had landed in her throat and set up camp.
“I’m sorry to wake you up, baby. Zale is here to make sure you’re okay,” Max explained.
“Pippa’s daddy? Why isn’t he taking care of Pippa?” Saylor mumbled, peeking up at the two men.
“Hi, Saylor. You sound like the other Littles. How’s your throat?” Zale asked, looking at her with his eyebrows drawn together in concern.
“Bad,” she croaked.
“Has she gotten worse quickly?” Zale asked, looking at Max.
“Her voice was fine when she went down for a nap. She definitely didn’t say anything about a sore throat or have this raspy voice.”
“I’d say she has the same bug as the others do. That sleepover was a super-spreader event,” Zale said.
“I was fine until my class yesterday,” Saylor protested and immediately launched into a coughing fit that had her gasping for air. She crossed her fingers, hoping she hadn’t transported some ailment from campus to the other women.
“Here, baby. Drink some water.” Max held a tumbler of iced water and helped her sit up to drink a few sips.
The cool air in the room reminded her she wasn’t dressed in anything. She held the covers tight to her chest, allowing Max to place the glass at her mouth. The cold liquid felt so good as she swallowed. Saylor nodded her thanks, afraid if she talked again, she’d trigger more coughing.
“Zale is our medic, Saylor. He takes care of the team and our Littles,” Max said.
Saylor pantomimed taking some medicine. Maybe he could give her something to help her feel better.
“I won’t prescribe anything for you without examining you, Saylor. Do I have your permission to treat you?” Zale asked, setting his bag down on the bedspread.
As she thought about it, the tickle in Saylor’s throat threatened to make her cough again. She slapped a hand over her mouth as she struggled not to cough. Both men watched her with worried expressions.
“I’ll be right here with you, Saylor,” Max promised. “Let Zale see if he can help you.”
Slowly, Saylor nodded. Was it possible that she could feel worse with every minute that went by? This illness was awful.
“Good girl,” Max praised her as Zale opened his medical bag and pulled out his stethoscope. As he fit the earpieces into place, Zale held the metal part that went against her skin in his hand. “I’ll try to warm this up a bit, and I’ll apologize in advance when it feels like ice.”
When she nodded, he approached and stood by the bed. Starting with her exposed back, he pressed the bell to her skin, making her shiver. “Sorry, Saylor. I’ll be quick. Take some deep breaths for me.”
He listened to her for longer than she anticipated. Did he hear something bad? She felt so awful. “Am I okay?” she whispered and coughed.
“No talking, little girl,” Max told her and gave her another sip of water.
“Your lungs are crackling a bit deep inside. That concerns me. Let’s see what I hear on the front side.” Zale listened to a couple of places above the covers before tugging them away.
Saylor clung to the sheet and comforter, not wanting him to see her breasts. She shook her head.
“Little girl. Zale is here to check on you. He doesn’t give a rat’s ass if you don’t have a shirt on. Well, actually he does and would make you take it off,” Max told her firmly. “He’s not looking at you as a guy. He’s examining you as the nurse practitioner that he is. Think of him as a doctor.”
“But Pippa…” Saylor croaked.
“You are very sweet to worry about your friend. Pippa knows I am here. She’s asleep at Koa’s while I’m making my rounds. She understands my job requires me to examine male and female patients,” Zale said.
“But I’m her friend.”
“So are Aspen, Giana, and Brooklyn,” Max pointed out. “Zale gives each of them a full exam once a year and prescribes birth control. We’ll talk to him about that when you’re better.”
Staring at Max with wide eyes, Saylor processed that other Littles had said something about seeing Zale for medicine. She hadn’t even considered that he took intimate care of all the Littles.