“Sorry. Force of habit. You were really sick yesterday.”
He brushes a wisp of hair away from my face in return.
My eyes widen at his touch, and my heartbeat speeds up. Well, okay then. I guess the familiarity works two ways.
“So, how long have you been awake?” I ask, breathless.
“Not long. A noise woke me,” he says with a secretive smile.
I pray my blush isn’t as bright red as it feels. He couldn’t have heard my sexy-time dream. I’ll die.
Deflection needed, I gaze out the window and at the rain that’s still falling in buckets. “Wow. It’s really coming down out there,” I say, my words flying fast. “You probably don’t remember, but it was storming all night.”
He turns to look. I stand on shaky legs and wander over to the window to get some space. There are no cars or people on the street down below. The water pools onto the road, turning it into a shallow stream, and trees list to the side with the force of the wind. While the storm rages outside, the two of us are in a peace-filled bubble, with only the gray light of the rain-soaked day and the sound of the storm lashing against the windows to keep us company.
I sense his movement behind me, and I turn to him, worried.
“Are you sure you feel better?”
He nods. “The worst of it is gone. I’m just a little tired. And I’m desperate for a shower.”
“Well, I should get going, then,” I say, unsure of myself.
Now that he’s better, there’s no excuse for me to stay.
“Look at it out there. You won’t get anywhere. The road is practically flooded.” His eyebrows come together.
“But I can’t stay here now that you’re well. I don’t want to bother you.”
“You spent the night taking care of me.” He smiles gently. “So, no, I’m not going to thank you for that by sending you out in the middle of a storm.”
“It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Olivia, you’re stuck with me until the rain stops, so you might as well get comfortable.”
The look in his eyes, as if he likes what he sees, melts away any objections I might have. Not that I have many; his company is addictive, storm or no storm.
“Okay, Chase, you win.” I can’t help but grin back at him.
“You finally called me Chase.” His smile grows even more devastating. “About time.”
“Why wouldn’t I call you Chase? It’s your name.”
“You usually call me by my full name. Not just Chase.”
It’s true. I still have a hard time seeing him as just a regular guy. He isn’t regular—he’s special. He’s magnetic. His talent and face belong on film. They blind and disarm.
But watching him sick and vulnerable changed the way I view him.
I’m not sure how to explain that to him without sounding like a lovesick lunatic, though, so I go for a light, breezy change of subject. “So, Chase, what’s on the agenda for today?”
“Well, Olivia, I can think of a few things,” he murmurs.
Down, girl, I scold my overeager imagination.
“Such as?” I ask, pretending he doesn’t affect me.
“We could play some games.” His smile is mischievous, as if he knows what he’s doing to me.
“I’m great at Scrabble.” I force myself to say blandly.
“I’m thinking more along the lines of truth or dare.” His mouth tilts up.
Is he flirting with me?
“Um, sure, ’kay,” is all I manage.
“Great,” he says. Our gazes hold.
He looks away first and clears his throat. “But before that, I really do need a shower. Do you want the bathroom first?”
“I’d love to freshen up,” I say, hopping up.
“It’s down the hall on the left.”
I grin. “I’ve been here all night. I found it.”
He laughs. “Right.”
“I’m just going to…” I point my thumbs toward the hallway.
He watches my awkwardness with a raised eyebrow.
“There should be an extra toothbrush in there.”
Does he keep extras for girls staying over?
“Don’t look at me like that,” he says. “It’s from the hotel.”
“Hey.” I hold up my hands in innocence, as if I hadn’t been thinking of how often he gets female visitors. “It’s none of my business.”
The truth is, I hate the thought of another woman being here, especially one who could freely explore his body. I’m his guest, but only by default. I have no right to the jealousy that’s like acid in my belly.