Dani lifted her head enough to swallow. “Thank you.”
“Open your mouth,” he said. He pushed the button on the digital thermometer, and she complied immediately. He smirked. “Remind me to tell you to do that under different circumstances.”
She managed a weak guffaw. “Keep dreaming, Riddick.”
“Sshh. Take your temp, woman.”
“So bossy.”
“You and I both know you like my bossy side.” He nailed her with a stare. “Now put that in your mouth before I hold you down and make you.”
“I’m mildly aroused right now,” she mumbled around the thermometer while fighting a grin.
“Jesus,” he said, enjoying talking to her. Liking being able to take care of her even though he hated that she didn’t feel good. And that made him think about the conversation they’d had in the middle of the night. He wasn’t sure he’d ever talked to another living soul about his mother, but it just felt so…easy with Dani. And God, the way she’d fought with him—fought for him—when he’d told her about the fire and how he felt he’d failed his team. It’d knocked his world off its axis a bit if he was being honest.
Which was when realization hit him over the head even harder than that truck had managed to do—he had feelings for Dani. His gut checked that assessment and decided that wasn’t stating the case strongly enough. He didn’t just have feelings, he…loved Daniela England.
No, he was in love with her.
Jesus Christ, he was in love. For the first time in his whole fuckin’ life. He was in love with this gorgeous, brilliant, brave, caring, fierce, ball-busting woman. Now what was he going to do about that?
Beeping interrupted his thoughts. “One-oh-two-point-one. Not terrible.”
“Uh, that’s pretty terrible in my book, D,” he said, head kinda spinning from worry and love. Apparently. “You rest for a while. I’ll be back in a few.”
“Why don’t you take me home so I don’t get you sick, too?” she said.
“Fuck that, D. If you really think you can make the trip home and you’d be more comfortable at your own place, I’ll take you. But I’ll be staying. No way I’m leaving you alone right now.” He nailed her with a stare, a fierce feeling of protectiveness roaring through him. Damn. Was this what love felt like? ‘Cause right about now he’d do anything to make Dani feel better, to make sure she was okay.
Shit, she had to be okay.
She put her hand on his. “No, you’re right. I’ll stay.”
He was too concerned to even make a joke of her saying he was right. “Good. Okay. Hang tight.”
“I’ll be here.”
Right where I want you to be. But he just nodded and made for the door. Downstairs in the kitchen, he debated what to do. Was it ‘feed a fever, starve a cold’ or ‘feed a cold, starve a fever’? Fuck if he knew. So he googled that shit to learn that the medieval dude who came up with that saying in the first place was talking out of his ass. So, feeding was fine. Now, what did he have that might work for how Dani was feeling.
Rummaging through his pantry and fridge, he began pulling things out onto the counter. Saltine crackers, a banana, bottles of water and Gatorade. He also had a few popsicles left. From the laundry room, he grabbed a washcloth that he soaked with cold water. And then he remembered the bottle of Pepto in the junk drawer and added that to the mix, too. What else? He grabbed a big glass and filled it with crushed ice from the dispenser on the fridge door. Nodding, he surveyed the situation. He needed a way to carry all this up there. He snapped his fingers, opened the cabinet by the stove, and grabbed a cookie sheet. When it was loaded up, he made his way upstairs.
Back in the bedroom, he moved as quietly as he could even though cookie sheets seemed to amplify every fuckin’ little noise. But no matter because Dani was still awake.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hey. I brought provisions.” He pushed the clock and lamp on the nightstand to make room for his makeshift tray.
“Did you bake me cookies?” she asked, smirking. Which at least was a sign of her normal self.
Sean arched an eyebrow. “No, ball-buster. I improvised. Now, what would you like?”
Chuckling, Dani propped herself up a little. “Looks like you thought of everything. Let me try the ice and see if that will stay down.” He handed her the cup of ice and a spoon, too. “Aw, you even brought a spoon? That’s so thoughtful.” She looked at the spoon for an oddly long moment before she finally took a bite of the ice.
“I didn’t know if you’d be able to lift your head enough to eat them right out of the cup,” he said, hovering by the side of the bed and wanting to do something more.