Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113130 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113130 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
“That’s a little creepy”—I smile and try to pretend I’m fucking okay—“don’t you think?”
“Call it whatever you want to call it.” He leans forward to kiss me and I back my head away.
“I literally just barfed in the toilet.” I lift my hand in front of my face and turn my head to the side.
“I was going to kiss your forehead. Now, do you need me to carry you back to bed or are you going to pretend you’re okay but you aren’t?”
“Wow.” I put my hands on the floor beside my hips and try to stand up, but then my arms feel like noodles. “I think I’m just going to stay here for a bit.” He shakes his head. “In case I have to throw up again.”
“I’m getting you back into bed and that is where you’re going to stay.” He bends and takes me in his arms, one hand around my waist, the other under my knees.
“Wait,” I say when he takes one step forward and suddenly stops and looks down at me with fear in his eyes, no doubt thinking I’m going to throw up on him, “I want to brush my teeth.”
“There is nowhere you can sit.” He looks at the double sink vanities he has, but they each have floating shelves under them and it’s empty in the middle.
“I think I can stand for a couple of seconds to brush my teeth,” I tell him as he looks at the sink and then at the ottoman, probably thinking he can place me on the ottoman and then push me to the sink, but it’ll be too low. “You can stand behind me,” I deadpan and he walks over to the sink and places me down on my legs. He holds my hips in his hands as I reach for my toothbrush. “I was kidding.” I look in the mirror, watching him behind me. A full head over me, his ice-blue eyes feel like they are ice. “Or maybe not.” I turn on the water in the sink and wet the toothbrush before starting to brush my teeth. I don’t know why it makes me feel a bit more human.
He stands right behind me the whole time, holding on to my hips, staring at me in the mirror, and I avoid looking back at him with everything I have. Only because in the middle of brushing my teeth I think I’m going to be sick, and I need whatever energy I have inside of me to deal with that, along with the energy to not buckle at the knees and have him be like, I told you so.
I spit the toothpaste out before grabbing the glass and filling it to rinse my mouth, then making sure my toothbrush is clean before placing it back in the cupholder next to his. “Are you done?” he asks me.
“Minty fresh.” I turn in his arms and his hands grip my hips a bit tighter. “Now if you want to kiss me, I won’t say no.” He smirks and shakes his head.
“Why is it you can get me from getting ready to burn my house to laughing?” he mumbles as he kisses my lips softly.
My hand comes up to hold his cheek. “It’s a talent,” I joke with him.
“It truly is,” he says, his voice soft. “Now, let’s get you into bed.”
“If that is code for you want to have sex with me all day long”—I fold my arms under my chest—“I’m going to have to admit, I’m really not up for it.” I barely get the words out before he’s picking me back up. “Okay, fine, if you do all the work.”
“Shut up, Ari,” he grits out as he makes his way over to the bed and lays me in my place. “Now I’m going to go and get you something to eat. Some saltines, ginger snaps, and I’ll bring up some room temperature ginger ale I had delivered this morning.”
“You had stuff delivered this morning?” I ask, shocked, as I turn around and prop the pillows behind my back. “When?”
“I think it was at around nine,” he guesses, scratching his neck and my eyes roam down from his neck all the way to his shorts just lying on his hips. “I had to call in and tell David I wouldn’t be going with the guys to the children’s hospital today.”
My heart sinks. “You cancelled an event for me?”
“I wasn’t going to fucking leave you here like this.” His teeth are clenched together. “You were up all fucking night.” I close my eyes, trying to not feel like I’m a burden to him and having some sort of guilt about him taking care of me.
“You shouldn’t have cancelled; I would have been fine,” I say softly.
“You think I would have been able to even think about anything else but you if I left?” He shakes his head and ignores me. “If you have to throw up, you do it in here.” He picks up the stainless-steel garbage bin and places it on the bedside table. “I’ll be right back after I get this situated.” He points down to his dick.