Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Maverick had kicked off the sheet and had his arm thrown up, covering his eyes. I took the moment to study him again. I’d never seen a man so beautifully built. Not even Ben looked as good as Maverick. Probably the age difference and the hard labor of Maverick’s job, I told myself.
Something caught my eye, and I moved closer to see a scar on Maverick’s side. It appeared to run around to his back. I set the two cups down and leaned in closer. Had he been cut? It was a pretty big scar, and I had the urge to roll him over to see how far it went.
When Maverick suddenly moved, I nearly screamed and jumped back.
With a hand over my heart, I pulled the sheet back up to his waist. First, I wet the washcloth in the ice water and placed it over his forehead. Maybe I was supposed to put it on his wrists? I remembered being overheated one time, and my mother putting an ice-cold bottle of water against my wrist.
“She also put a washcloth over your head when you had a fever,” I muttered to myself.
Next, I sat on the bed and took a piece of ice in my hand. “Maverick?” I whispered as I placed a hand on his chest. My fingers itched to feel every inch of him, and I silently berated myself for having such thoughts when he was unconscious. And anyway, Maverick was like a brother to me.
Chewing on my lip, I looked down at his abs.
“Okay, maybe not a brother,” I softly whispered. I’d never truly thought of him that way; he was just too damn good-looking. I was just trying to rein in my thoughts.
“Maverick?” I said again as I tapped my hand lightly on his chest.
His eyes flew open, and his hand covered mine, causing me to jump.
“Jesus! You scared me.”
He frowned. “What’re you doing here, Lily?”
I swallowed and forced myself to speak slow and clear. My heart pounded in my ears, and I wasn’t sure why. When I looked down at his hand over mine, I realized his heart was racing as well.
From the fever, you idiot, not your touch.
“You have a fever, Maverick. A very high fever. Have you taken anything like Tylenol or Motrin?”
He shook his head.
I put the ice back into the cup and slid my hand out from under his and reached for the water. “Can you lean up and drink some water for me while I give you some Tylenol?”
Maverick’s gaze searched my face. “Why’re you here?” he asked again.
“I was worried about you when Clay said you were sick, so I rode over to check on you.”
Something in his eyes changed, and his stare became sharper. “You came here for me?”
Smiling, I nodded. “Of course, I did. When you answered the door, it was clear you weren’t feeling well. I helped you to bed, and when I suggested a bath, you said no.”
His brows drew in some. “A bath?”
“To help lower your fever. Here, put these in your mouth, then take a drink of water. Let me help you.”
Putting my hand behind his neck, I helped lift his head slightly so that he could take a drink of water. When he finished, I slowly put his head back on the pillow. He sighed and closed his eyes. The simple act of leaning up and drinking seemed to wear him out.
“How long have you been feeling sick?” I asked as I took an ice cube out of the cup.
He shrugged. “Don’t know. Hit me when I got home last night and just got worse from there.”
“Were you not feeling good at the reception?”
Drawing in a breath, he slowly exhaled. “I…I don’t remember. I think I felt fine. I brought Stella home and was gonna go out, but I…started…feeling tired and hot.”
I made a mental note to check on my grandmother since she’d spent so much of the evening with Maverick.
“Here, open your mouth a bit.”
When I pressed the ice to his lips, he jolted.
“It’s okay, it’s only ice. Suck on it.”
His eyes lifted to mine, and I swore they grew dark with…was that lust? Desire?
With the ice pressed to his lips, I waited for him to open his mouth. The water was melting quickly, and I watched it roll down his neck and onto the pillow.
“Maverick, please. You need to cool yourself off.”
He opened his lips, and I held the ice so it would drip into his mouth.
“Can you put it in your mouth and suck on it? I don’t want you to swallow it or anything.”
He groaned.
“I know, I know. But it’ll be okay. I promise we’ll get you feeling better soon.”
Reaching up, he grabbed my hand and pulled it away from him. Then he maneuvered my wrist until I was pressing the ice against my own mouth.