Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 76541 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76541 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
She’s silent as I make my way through her kitchen. I find a can of alphabet soup in the pantry. Not bothering with a saucepan, I instead heat it up in her microwave after finding her bowls. I nab a spoon, some paper towels, and a bottle of water from her fridge, bringing them back into the living room. Eyeballing the coffee table, I find a spot to deposit the soup and glance over at Hannah.
Her eyes are closed, mouth parted slightly. I don’t hesitate to lean over her, putting my hand to her shoulder for a gentle shake. “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. You need to eat, then you can go back to sleep.”
Hannah’s eyes slowly open, and she seems confused for a minute. Pulling back the covers, I help her sit up on the edge of the couch before moving the coffee table a little closer to her.
“You good?” I ask as she takes the spoon in hand and hunches over the bowl.
“Yeah,” she croaks, dipping the spoon into the bowl. “Thanks.”
Taking a seat on a chair she has opposite the couch, I watch as she takes a hesitant sip. I can tell it’s painful for her to swallow, and I’m thinking she should really let me take her to the doctor.
Hannah sort of freezes with the spoon halfway back to the bowl, looking at me curiously. “You can leave. You don’t need to stay.”
I should take the opportunity she’s presenting me and hightail it out of here. I’m sure as shit not getting laid.
Instead, I glare at her. “Shut up and eat.”
Hannah shrugs, then takes another delicate sip of soup. I watch her in silence as she eats, not wanting to dissuade her with conversation.
She manages to eat half the bowl before pushing it away, and I nod toward the water. “Drink up.”
I get an eyeroll, but she uncaps the bottle and takes a few sips before settling back onto the couch. She folds her legs Indian-style, pulls the blanket over her lap, and asks pointedly, “Why are you here? You should be in Florida.”
My shrug is casual. “Meetings got done early so I headed back.”
“I guess I should feel flattered you came by then,” she says, then has a coughing fit that concerns me. I start to rise from my chair, but she waves me back down.
After another sip of water, she gives me a lukewarm smile. “I’m fine. And seriously… you should go home.”
I ignore her. “If you’re not better in the morning, you need to see a doctor.”
I think she may argue, because she’s got that stubborn little set to her jaw that turns me on when I see it. But then she just flops over on her side with a sigh of resignation as she pulls the covers over her shoulders. “Fine.”
“Why don’t we put you in bed?” I suggest as I stand up from the chair.
Groaning, she starts to push off the couch. “I have to change the sheets. I moved out here a few hours ago because I was sweating so badly.”
I hold a hand up. “Lay back down. I’ll handle it.”
I have no clue where this instinct to step in and handle her comes from, but I go with it. After Hannah tells me where her sheets are, I manage to get the linens changed. Admittedly, it’s been a long fucking time since I’ve done something like this myself. I’ve always had the maids do it.
When I’m done, I come back out to the living room to find her dozing. I shake her awake, then help her stand up. She’s a little wobbly so I keep ahold of her as we walk down the hallway.
“I’d kill for a shower,” she grumbles. “I bet I smell like a dirty sock or something.”
“I’ll help you take one,” I offer. I’d prefer she take a bath because she can barely stand up, but her little hovel of a house only has a small standup shower. I can squeeze in with her to hold her up, and I know this because I managed to fuck her in it last week.
It takes a good half hour to manage her shower. I’m proud of myself that I didn’t even get hard while standing in there with her naked. I can’t say it was because she was sick and ragged looking, because truly… even on her worst day, Hannah is hot as hell. But the entire experience wasn’t appealing to my sexual nature at all. Instead, I found a small measure of enjoyment in helping her wash her hair and body, while also keeping my arm around her for support.
I feel… accomplished, and it’s more than surprising to me that I like that feeling.
After her shower, she lets me dry her hair while she sits on the edge of her bed and then I dress her in a pair of her pajamas.