Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
She groaned.
Idiot.
His lips twitched. “And that’s your only objection, is it? I’d be happy to help take care of that for you.”
“Tanner Malone!” she said primly. “You are not shaving my legs.”
“Why not?”
“B-because . . . because . . . that’s not . . . it’s not sexy.” She wanted him to see her as beautiful. Gorgeous.
She wanted to be irresistible. Not a burden with hairy legs.
Right. Because you’re so sexy right now, lying in this hospital bed in the clothes you put on to go running in. Hair a mess. Looking pale and gaunt.
And he still seems to want you. Huh.
She had no clue why.
“You don’t think so? You don’t think I’d enjoy giving you whatever you needed, having you depend on me? Because I think that’s sexy as fuck. Plus, you know, I’d have you naked in the shower . . .”
She swallowed heavily. “Yeah, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Maybe once I get you home,” he said casually as though it was a done deal.
She swallowed heavily. “I can’t go home with you.”
“You can and you will,” he replied as he turned away. “You’re going to need someone to look after you. And I happen to be that someone. As your guardian, it’s my job. But as your man, it’s my privilege.”
“Tanner,” she whispered. He kept saying the sweetest things to her.
Suddenly, he leaned down and kissed her. Oh man, she’d missed his touch. It felt like she had this empty well inside her that was slowly filling it up.
Drip by drip.
“Hush. No arguing. When you’re feeling better, you can argue. But today we’re just relaxing and concentrating on you eating and resting. All right?”
“All right.” She was too tired to argue.
“That’s my good girl. Now, I forgot to take my clothes into the shower with me. I’ll go get dressed and be back in a moment.” He grabbed his bag.
Yeah, right.
Left them behind, huh?
As he walked back into the bathroom, he also failed to shut the door properly.
And she totally watched as he dropped the towel to reveal the most perfect butt on the planet.
Sigh.
There was a God.
How could she not believe with that butt on display?
31
Lilac tried to stifle a yawn, but Tanner immediately spotted the movement.
“Time for you to nap.”
“I don’t need a nap. What I need is to get up and move around.”
Actually, what she really needed was to pee. Between the IV and Tanner reminding her to keep having some of the protein drink, she was busting.
He eyed her. “No.”
She raised her eyebrows. “No?”
“No.”
She frowned. “Bossy Tanner.”
“You bet. When it comes to your health, I’m all about bossing you around. Now, do you need to pee before you sleep?”
“Are you a mind reader?” How did he know? She didn’t think she’d done anything to give herself away.
“Nope. I just figured you were beyond the time that you should need to pee, and that you weren’t going to ask me. Am I right?”
Well, he wasn’t wrong. But she still wasn’t going to admit that he was right.
That seemed like the wrong avenue to take with a man who always seemed to think he was right. No way was she validating that belief.
“Come on, baby.” He stood and drew her covers back.
“What are you doing?” she asked in alarm.
“Taking you to the bathroom.”
“I don’t need anyone to take me,” she complained as he lifted her in his arms. Thankfully, she’d been disconnected from the drip although the line was still in her hand.
This wasn’t a good idea.
Because she liked this way too much.
He shifted her so she was lying against his chest with his arm under her bottom as he walked into the bathroom. Her bladder protested the movement.
Shoot. She might have left it too long to pee.
“You’re certainly not doing it alone. You could get dizzy, fall, and hit your head.”
“It’s like five steps,” she told him dryly as he set her on her feet in front of the toilet.
“Five steps too many. Put your hands on my shoulders.”
His tone was so dominant that she immediately obeyed him without thought. Then he crouched down to pull down her pants and panties.
“Tanner!” she cried.
“What?”
“You can’t do that!” She knew she had to be bright red.
“Why not? Nothing I haven’t seen before. I think we should take these shorts off and get you changed into one of my T-shirts. It will be so big on you that it will cover everything.”
“Shoot. I didn’t think about what I was going to sleep in.” She really needed some fresh clothes.
“It’s either my T-shirt or a hospital gown.” He nodded at the shelf filled with hospital gowns.
Yeah. No thanks.
“Do you have a spare one? Are you sure it will cover me?”
“Yep, and you’re tiny. Of course it will cover you. I’ll go get it while you use the toilet. Don’t get up off the toilet without my help. Call me if you need me.”