Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
He raised one brow, and I quickly lifted my arm and smelled. Oh my, yes, I needed a shower. Shit. “I’m not, um…hungry.” Now I was stressing about the fact that Gannon had held me nearly all night while I stunk like God knows what.
Gannon reached for my hand. “You have to eat, Addie. It’ll help. Feed a fever and all that. But do you want to take a shower first? I can help.”
Palmer brought her hands up, stopping me from replying. “And this is where I leave. Have fun, you two!”
How unfair was this? I was going to be naked and wet with Gannon, and I felt too poorly to even think about sex.
I opened my mouth to tell Gannon no, but what came out instead was, “Maybe a shower is what I need. You don’t mind helping me?”
His eyes turned dark, and I watched as he swallowed hard. “Your dad might be chasing me out of this house again after all.”
Gannon
She’s sick.
She’s sick.
She doesn’t feel good.
She has a fever.
I chanted it over and over as I helped Adelaide up and to her bathroom.
“I haven’t felt this bad in so long,” Adelaide mumbled, leaning against the counter.
“Do you need me to help you undress?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady and calm. Adelaide’s normally pink cheeks were drained of color, and she looked so pale. I knew she wasn’t feeling good, and she probably wasn’t thinking about this in a sexual way at all.
Unlike me. Hell, I was thinking of all the ways I could bring color back into those cheeks.
“Do you mind?” she asked. “I feel so damn weak.”
“The shower will help, then we’ll get you some food.”
Adelaide nodded and allowed me to take off her shirt. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and my knees nearly buckled at the sight of her.
“Christ,” I whispered, dropping the shirt to the floor and trying not to look at her perfect breasts.
“I’m so sorry, Gannon. You don’t…”
Her voice trailed off as I dropped down and pulled her sweatpants to her ankles. “Keep hold of the counter while I help you step out of these.”
She did as I asked. Then it came time to remove her panties. When I glanced up at her, our eyes met. Adelaide dug her teeth into her lip, and I nearly fell on my ass. I was still in my boxer briefs, and I knew she could see my hard-on.
With shaking hands, I reached up and pulled her panties down, letting them drop and pool at her feet.
As she stepped out of them, Adelaide’s cheeks turned the loveliest shade of pink. I stood and cupped her face in my hands.
“You’re so beautiful, Adelaide.”
She swallowed hard. “I’ve put on a few pounds over the years, but I’m…I’m…”
“Perfect,” I stated before I leaned down to brush my mouth over hers. She lifted her hand and pressed it against my chest. It was enough to make me stop in my tracks. “Do you not want me to kiss you?”
Her fingertips dug into my chest as she closed her eyes. “I want that more than anything, but I’m sick, Gannon. If you kiss me, you’ll get sick too.”
I brushed my thumb softly over her cheek. “I don’t get sick, remember?”
She smiled softly.
“I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve dreamed about you, Addie.”
“You have?” she asked with raised brows. “You’ve dated other women, though.”
With a nod, I said, “I did. Just like you’ve dated other guys. But none of them compared to you. I was always holding out hope you’d come back to Seaside.”
“And here I am. Sick.”
I laughed. “Let me get the water ready. Do you need help in the shower?”
She drew in a long breath before letting it out. “As much as I’d love to take a shower with you, I’m afraid it won’t go how either of us really want.”
“Fair enough. You shower, and I’ll head downstairs and see if I can raid your folks’ fridge to make you something to eat.”
Adelaide nodded. “Okay, sounds good.”
I held her hand and helped her step into the shower after I adjusted the water to lukewarm. I set a towel on the counter and then headed back into her room to get dressed. Walking away from a naked and wet Adelaide was one of the hardest things I’d ever done.
In the kitchen, I quickly got to work making us some breakfast. Palmer had already left, and the house was silent except for the sound of the rain outside from the summer storm that had moved in earlier this morning.
Minutes later, the floor creaked behind me and I glanced over to see Adelaide standing there. She was dressed in a Seaside Grill T-shirt and another pair of sweats. Her wet hair was pulled up and piled on top of her head, and she had a bit of color back in her cheeks. She looked so beautiful.