the small of her back—bringing them even closer, if that were possible—she brought her nose to his and sought his lips. It seemed the most natural and obvious thing, something they’d postponed for days.
He moved back with a faint chuckle. “No, don’t. I’m contagious.”
Oh, merde . Her cheeks heated. In a moment of extreme fatigue and frustration, she had interpreted his closeness as an invitation. But he was ill, so ill they’d driven for help in the middle of the night, and the doctor deemed it necessary to give him medicine. How had she forgotten?
She was so tired and confused. Searing humiliation mixed with exhaustion. She bit her lip and closed her eyes while burning tears pressed behind her lids. She removed her hand and let it slide down between their stomachs, resting her palm on the mattress, creating distance.
His hand left her waist, and in the next moment, moved up to her face. Gentle fingers caressed her cheeks and forehead, brushing her trembling lips, wiping her wet eyes with unexpected tenderness. “Shhh.”
Filling with warmth, she turned to bury her face in the soft pillow and swallowed a painful gasp. Her tears soaked the fabric. The sheets smelled of apple, like those of her bed at home. She briefly thought of Brian, but pushed his image out of her mind.
Mica moved up on the mattress until his chin rested on top of her head, beard stubble grazing her scalp, and snuck his hand to her back, pressing her chest closer to his stomach. “Sleep, bella. I’m here in the morning, too, you know.”
She nodded and slid her arm around his waist again with a discreet sniff. Strange how the tables had turned. Instead of being the one seeking comfort, this sick man enveloped her with brotherly kindness and warmth, providing calmness in her moment of need.
She nuzzled her face into the crevice of his throat, lips pressing against the hard mounds of his upper ribs, breathing in the masculine scent. His tanned skin smelled a bit sharper and muskier than Brian’s pale, pinkish skin. He emanated an intense heat, as if a thousand furnaces glowed beneath his flesh, and tiny beads of sweat coated his skin. Had he been a child, the fever could potentially become life-threatening. Thank God it was only a cough! In a few days, he would be fine.
His low voice rumbled in his chest, resonating against her. “Tomorrow, you tell me. Okay?”
“Hmm.” Holding him harder, she slid a leg over his thigh and nuzzled closer, inhaling in time with his deep, labored breaths.
She didn’t know if she could confide her wish for a baby to him. He might be behaving like a friend, but the secrets she shared with Brian didn’t really concern anyone else.
Limbs entangled, they remained together in peaceful harmony. His warm hand stroked from the small of her back to her shoulder blades, following the contour of her spine. He cocooned her like a guardian until her mind, lulled by the regularity of his breathing, drifted away to nothingness.
Chapter Thirteen
She awoke several times in the night. Baby cries sounded from the bedroom down the hall, soon shushed by a cooing maternal voice. And Mica’s occasional coughing, so strong and scorching it made the mattress jerk and forced him to turn away to bury his face in the pillow, added to the interruptions.
When she opened her eyes for the ninth or tenth time, low daylight from two curtainless windows bathed the small guest room, casting silhouettes on the opposite wall. Horizontal rain prickled the glass panes, creating an ever-changing maze of tears as new drops joined. Noisy gusts of wind swept the clearing outside, bending the forest trees. Unfamiliar cracks sounded through the house.
Mica’s side of the bed was empty. She sat up and checked her watch: 7:34 a.m.
She should call Brian.
Brian! After what happened with Mica last night? Though they hadn’t exactly had sex , she’d been close to giving in to her lust. Thankfully, sleeping with her
He moved back with a faint chuckle. “No, don’t. I’m contagious.”
Oh, merde . Her cheeks heated. In a moment of extreme fatigue and frustration, she had interpreted his closeness as an invitation. But he was ill, so ill they’d driven for help in the middle of the night, and the doctor deemed it necessary to give him medicine. How had she forgotten?
She was so tired and confused. Searing humiliation mixed with exhaustion. She bit her lip and closed her eyes while burning tears pressed behind her lids. She removed her hand and let it slide down between their stomachs, resting her palm on the mattress, creating distance.
His hand left her waist, and in the next moment, moved up to her face. Gentle fingers caressed her cheeks and forehead, brushing her trembling lips, wiping her wet eyes with unexpected tenderness. “Shhh.”
Filling with warmth, she turned to bury her face in the soft pillow and swallowed a painful gasp. Her tears soaked the fabric. The sheets smelled of apple, like those of her bed at home. She briefly thought of Brian, but pushed his image out of her mind.
Mica moved up on the mattress until his chin rested on top of her head, beard stubble grazing her scalp, and snuck his hand to her back, pressing her chest closer to his stomach. “Sleep, bella. I’m here in the morning, too, you know.”
She nodded and slid her arm around his waist again with a discreet sniff. Strange how the tables had turned. Instead of being the one seeking comfort, this sick man enveloped her with brotherly kindness and warmth, providing calmness in her moment of need.
She nuzzled her face into the crevice of his throat, lips pressing against the hard mounds of his upper ribs, breathing in the masculine scent. His tanned skin smelled a bit sharper and muskier than Brian’s pale, pinkish skin. He emanated an intense heat, as if a thousand furnaces glowed beneath his flesh, and tiny beads of sweat coated his skin. Had he been a child, the fever could potentially become life-threatening. Thank God it was only a cough! In a few days, he would be fine.
His low voice rumbled in his chest, resonating against her. “Tomorrow, you tell me. Okay?”
“Hmm.” Holding him harder, she slid a leg over his thigh and nuzzled closer, inhaling in time with his deep, labored breaths.
She didn’t know if she could confide her wish for a baby to him. He might be behaving like a friend, but the secrets she shared with Brian didn’t really concern anyone else.
Limbs entangled, they remained together in peaceful harmony. His warm hand stroked from the small of her back to her shoulder blades, following the contour of her spine. He cocooned her like a guardian until her mind, lulled by the regularity of his breathing, drifted away to nothingness.
Chapter Thirteen
She awoke several times in the night. Baby cries sounded from the bedroom down the hall, soon shushed by a cooing maternal voice. And Mica’s occasional coughing, so strong and scorching it made the mattress jerk and forced him to turn away to bury his face in the pillow, added to the interruptions.
When she opened her eyes for the ninth or tenth time, low daylight from two curtainless windows bathed the small guest room, casting silhouettes on the opposite wall. Horizontal rain prickled the glass panes, creating an ever-changing maze of tears as new drops joined. Noisy gusts of wind swept the clearing outside, bending the forest trees. Unfamiliar cracks sounded through the house.
Mica’s side of the bed was empty. She sat up and checked her watch: 7:34 a.m.
She should call Brian.
Brian! After what happened with Mica last night? Though they hadn’t exactly had sex , she’d been close to giving in to her lust. Thankfully, sleeping with her
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