“Nothing happened, baby. I wouldn’t take advantage of you that way. You passed out at the office and I brought you here and put you to bed. You’ve slept sixteen hours straight.”
Her eyes widened in shock and then horror. “Oh my God. I should be at work! What time is it?”
His eyes narrowed and his lips turned down into a frown. “Don’t get any ideas. You aren’t going near the office any time soon. What you’re going to do is stay here and catch up on much-needed rest. You aren’t going to so much as lift a finger for the next several days and that’s not negotiable.”
She had absolutely nothing to say about that. What could she? She stared at him in bewilderment. Why was she here? Why hadn’t he washed his hands of her?
“What are you thinking?” he murmured, his brow furrowing in concentration.
“I’m wondering why you’re here, or rather why I’m here,” she blurted. “I can’t imagine why you didn’t run as fast and as far away from me as possible after what happened.”
His expression softened and he stroked a hand down her arm to rest on her hip. “I’m not going anywhere, baby. And neither are you for the time being.”
“You can’t possibly want me after what happened,” she whispered.
“I can and I do,” he said simply. “You’re going to have to work a hell of a lot harder than that to scare me away. You and I are inevitable, Kylie. I’ve accepted that. Now you have to as well.”
Warmth rushed through her veins and with it, relief. Overwhelming, mind-boggling relief. She sagged against the pillow, her strength leaving her. Why was she so relieved? Shouldn’t she be pissed? Shouldn’t she be arguing the point? Convincing him that they weren’t possible and that he should leave her alone?
What did it say that the only reaction she could conjure to his autocratic demand was . . . relief?
“I seem to do nothing around you except freak out,” she muttered. “You have to be some kind of a masochist to sign up for more.”
Humor glinted in those dark eyes. “We’ll get through it, baby. Together.”
Longing like she’d never experienced flooded her heart. And hope. Genuine and unfettered hope. He wasn’t giving up on her. He was sticking it out, and he’d seen her at her absolute worst. If he could get past that, he could get past anything, couldn’t he?
She hadn’t realized just how much she’d hoped for such a thing until now. She’d braced herself for the inevitability of his rejection. She’d known with absolute certainty that he’d drop her like a bad habit after the ass she’d made of herself on their date. And yet here he was, resolve shining in those beautiful eyes.
“Together,” she whispered.
Hope flared in his own eyes. Had he been as convinced that she’d reject him as she had been that he’d reject her?
“Are you hungry?” he asked. “It’s obvious you haven’t slept since I left, but have you not eaten either?”
She struggled to remember, to get through the fog of the last few days.
“I’ll take that as a no,” he muttered. “Okay, you stay put. Don’t even think about getting out of bed. I have a T-shirt you can change into and some sweat pants too. But that’s it. Get up long enough to change if you like but then you get your ass back in bed and wait until I bring you something to eat.”
“Yes, sir,” she said crisply.
He grinned and tousled her hair affectionately. “I like that attitude, baby.”
Then he pushed off the bed and she saw that he too was fully dressed. She was touched by the knowledge that he’d taken such care to make sure she had no doubts as to what went on when he’d brought her here.
The man had to have the patience of Job because God knew he was dealing with a complete head case.
She watched as he walked away and then glanced down to the end of the bed where the clothing he’d set out for her was. She felt grubby and wanted a shower, but that might get her into trouble since he’d been adamant that she stay in bed. And, well, the idea of going through the motions of taking a shower exhausted her. She was still tired and the idea of staying in bed certainly appealed. Breakfast in bed? Even better.
She hurriedly changed, not wanting to chance him returning and seeing her naked. She tossed aside her work clothes and slid into the much more comfortable shirt and sweat pants.
They smelled of him. It was almost as good as having him wrapped around her. Almost but not quite. She slid back underneath the covers and inhaled deeply, savoring his scent on the pillow next to her.
It was a ridiculous thing to do but she quickly exchanged her pillow for his, glancing guiltily at the doorway to make sure he hadn’t seen. But she wanted his pillow. Wanted his scent surrounding her.
She settled back down, closing her eyes, savoring the warmth and comfort of his bed, his pillow and his clothing. Him.
A few moments later, he came back into the bedroom carrying a tray. She hastily sat up, plumping her pillow behind her back as he set the tray in front of her.
Waffles and bacon. Perfect.
“This looks wonderful,” she said huskily. “Thank you.”
He scooted onto the bed beside her so they were shoulder to shoulder.
“Eat up,” he encouraged. “I don’t want a single bite left over.”
She grinned as she swallowed a scrumptious bite. “Admit it. You love getting to boss me around. It’s that whole dominant thing you have going on.”
He looked surprised at the ease with which she spoke of the matter. It surprised her as well. It should freak her out. Certainly everything else had. And yet she knew to her soul that this man would never willfully hurt her. She might not know much else, but she did know that. Maybe it made her a trusting fool, but she felt safe with him. He’d seen her at her most vulnerable and he didn’t lord it over her. He didn’t try to press his obvious advantage. He treated her like she was precious. Breakable. With tenderness she didn’t fully comprehend but that she savored wholly.
“You’ll learn in time that you have all the power where I’m concerned,” he said in a serious tone. “And that I have none.”
She swallowed hard, the food stuck in her throat as she processed his declaration. Everything about him radiated authority and yet he was saying she had all the power? How was that even possible?