doing?”
“Leaving,” Chelsie said without turning to look at Griff. At times, he read her too easily. Now he’d see a woman with no intention of carrying out her threat. But her childish actions allowed her to vent anger she couldn’t decide where to direct and she needed the release.
“No, you’re not” He sneezed.
“Bless you. Why shouldn’t I?”
“Chelsie, I’m sorry. I was tired. Irritable. Worried about Alix.”
“Right. So you turned on me, the person you’d kissed hours earlier. Says a lot about your character.”
He had to suppress a grin. Her sarcasm gave him a foolish hope that she didn’t really want to leave. “My character leaves a lot to be desired. My taste in partners does not. Come on, give a guy a break.”
Her hands stilled on the box. “How’s Alix?” she asked.
“Napping. Fever’s gone. My guess is she’ll be raring to go in about”—he glanced at his watch—”one hour.”
“Then you go on and get some rest. I’ll handle Alix.”
He sneezed again. She looked at him in concern. “Feeling okay?” she asked.
“Just tired. So if you don’t mind, I’ll take you up on your offer.” At least if she had to watch Alix, Griff could be sure she’d still be there when he woke.
“Go on.” She prodded his back with her palm. “Despite that nasty temper of yours, I might have lunch made when you wake up.”
“Is that your way of saying we’re still partners?”
“It’s my way of saying you might get another chance.” Her lips twitched as she tried to suppress a smile. “Speaking of chances, is that your third or fourth?” she asked.
He opened his mouth to reply and she snapped his jaw shut with her hand. “Quit while you still have a partner, partner.”
Her dark-eyed gaze settled on his, unnerving him.
“Go get some sleep,” she said in a husky voice.
He let his finger trail over her moist lower lip before turning and doing as she suggested. He didn’t trust himself not to touch further. At this point, a solitary nap was the safest place for him to be.
He awoke with a scratchy throat and a pounding headache. His skin hurt to the touch. He groaned, which only caused the first two symptoms to increase in severity. A hangover, which he hadn’t had since his college days, would feel better than this.
Chelsie knocked.
“Come on in.” He propped himself up higher in bed.
“You must have been exhausted, because you slept through lunch and dinner. I figured I’d wake you so you could at least have something to eat before I left.”
“How’s Alix?” he asked.
“What’s wrong? You sound like a frog.” She walked to the side of the bed and snapped on a table lamp, causing him to squint until his eyes adjusted to the light. “She’s fine. She woke up, played all afternoon, watched a video or two, and went back in for the night.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “And I slept through all that?”
She nodded. “You look awful.”
“Thank you. I can’t remember the last time a woman’s compliment turned my head like that.”
“Be serious. Your eyes are glassy, your face is flushed. How do you feel?”
“As lousy as I apparently look.”
“Where do you keep the aspirin around here?”
Grateful that she seemed to be taking charge, he gave in to his aching muscles and leaned back onto the pillows. “Bathroom medicine cabinet. Through that door,” he said, and pointed to the master bath.
“Someone should have told me that baby-sitter and nursemaid would be part of the partnership agreement. I would have upped my percentage.” He was about to dispute that, then realized he couldn’t. Apologizing seemed like the next best alternative. But she softened her words with a genuine smile before heading in the direction he’d indicated.
“You probably caught some form of what Alix had. Open up,” she said, upon exiting the bathroom.
He complied and she cut off any answer by sticking a thermometer in his mouth. “Don’t go
“Leaving,” Chelsie said without turning to look at Griff. At times, he read her too easily. Now he’d see a woman with no intention of carrying out her threat. But her childish actions allowed her to vent anger she couldn’t decide where to direct and she needed the release.
“No, you’re not” He sneezed.
“Bless you. Why shouldn’t I?”
“Chelsie, I’m sorry. I was tired. Irritable. Worried about Alix.”
“Right. So you turned on me, the person you’d kissed hours earlier. Says a lot about your character.”
He had to suppress a grin. Her sarcasm gave him a foolish hope that she didn’t really want to leave. “My character leaves a lot to be desired. My taste in partners does not. Come on, give a guy a break.”
Her hands stilled on the box. “How’s Alix?” she asked.
“Napping. Fever’s gone. My guess is she’ll be raring to go in about”—he glanced at his watch—”one hour.”
“Then you go on and get some rest. I’ll handle Alix.”
He sneezed again. She looked at him in concern. “Feeling okay?” she asked.
“Just tired. So if you don’t mind, I’ll take you up on your offer.” At least if she had to watch Alix, Griff could be sure she’d still be there when he woke.
“Go on.” She prodded his back with her palm. “Despite that nasty temper of yours, I might have lunch made when you wake up.”
“Is that your way of saying we’re still partners?”
“It’s my way of saying you might get another chance.” Her lips twitched as she tried to suppress a smile. “Speaking of chances, is that your third or fourth?” she asked.
He opened his mouth to reply and she snapped his jaw shut with her hand. “Quit while you still have a partner, partner.”
Her dark-eyed gaze settled on his, unnerving him.
“Go get some sleep,” she said in a husky voice.
He let his finger trail over her moist lower lip before turning and doing as she suggested. He didn’t trust himself not to touch further. At this point, a solitary nap was the safest place for him to be.
He awoke with a scratchy throat and a pounding headache. His skin hurt to the touch. He groaned, which only caused the first two symptoms to increase in severity. A hangover, which he hadn’t had since his college days, would feel better than this.
Chelsie knocked.
“Come on in.” He propped himself up higher in bed.
“You must have been exhausted, because you slept through lunch and dinner. I figured I’d wake you so you could at least have something to eat before I left.”
“How’s Alix?” he asked.
“What’s wrong? You sound like a frog.” She walked to the side of the bed and snapped on a table lamp, causing him to squint until his eyes adjusted to the light. “She’s fine. She woke up, played all afternoon, watched a video or two, and went back in for the night.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “And I slept through all that?”
She nodded. “You look awful.”
“Thank you. I can’t remember the last time a woman’s compliment turned my head like that.”
“Be serious. Your eyes are glassy, your face is flushed. How do you feel?”
“As lousy as I apparently look.”
“Where do you keep the aspirin around here?”
Grateful that she seemed to be taking charge, he gave in to his aching muscles and leaned back onto the pillows. “Bathroom medicine cabinet. Through that door,” he said, and pointed to the master bath.
“Someone should have told me that baby-sitter and nursemaid would be part of the partnership agreement. I would have upped my percentage.” He was about to dispute that, then realized he couldn’t. Apologizing seemed like the next best alternative. But she softened her words with a genuine smile before heading in the direction he’d indicated.
“You probably caught some form of what Alix had. Open up,” she said, upon exiting the bathroom.
He complied and she cut off any answer by sticking a thermometer in his mouth. “Don’t go
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