There was a knock on the door, and she jumped, whacking her knee against the solid wooden cabinet door with a groan.
The door opened suddenly. “Kinley, what is it? What happened?”
“Nothing,” she said through clenched teeth, trying to convince herself the throbbing in her knee wasn’t that bad and that breaking down and sobbing like a baby in front of her boss—even if her boss seemed overly interested in her life—really wouldn’t be a good idea.
“I can see I’m going to need to rid you of the idea that you can lie to your Dom,” he muttered quietly. Or, in her delusional state, that’s what she thought he said. But he couldn’t have. Because he wasn’t her Dom, she didn’t have a Dom anymore, and that ache was deep and painful. More painful than any banged knee could ever be.
He walked over and picked her up once more. This time she didn’t even bother protesting. She was exhausted. She just wanted to curl into a ball and sob over the mess her life was.
He placed her back on the bed. But when she went to lay back, he grabbed hold of her shoulders. “Hold up, I need to get you out of these clothes. I brought you a shirt of mine to wear.” A tear rolled down her cheek.
“Hey.” He caught it up. “What’s this?”
She sniffled. “Nothing.”
He grasped her chin, raising her face so she was forced to look up at him. Then he just waited, and she knew he’d continue waiting until she answered.
“I’m just feeling sorry for myself,” she admitted. “I feel awful, my head hurts, my stomach is raw, I’m tired, and now my knee throbs.”
He narrowed his gaze. “You banged your knee?”
“You gave me a fright, yet again.”
He shook his head. “Come on, you’ll feel better once you’ve got all these clothes off and are in bed.”
A buzzing noise filled the room. “That will be Rick with your stuff. Get changed and get into bed. Don’t try to stand up and walk, though.”
She bit back the urge to salute him. Somehow, she didn’t think he would find that amusing.
It took her trembling hands longer than it should have to undo all the buttons on her shirt. Why had she worn a button-up shirt anyway? Stupid idea.
“Maybe because you haven’t done laundry in days and you’re running out of clothes,” she muttered.
After taking her shirt off she pulled his on, and his scent instantly surrounded her. The shirt was clean, there was the soft scent of laundry detergent, but it still felt too intimate, wearing his T-shirt. And she immediately grabbed the bottom, prepared to pull it off and sleep in her grubby shirt, but a knock on the door interrupted her.
“Are you in bed?”
“Nearly,” she called back, standing. She obviously moved too quickly, because her head swam, and she had to lean her hands on the mattress to steady herself.
She took a few shallow breaths then managed to stand and pull back the covers on the bed. She half-climbed, half-fell onto the mattress. As she lay sprawled, trying to find the energy to get herself fully into the bed, James walked in.
He didn’t say anything; he just grabbed her legs and gently placed them on the bed then pulled the covers up. He used the other pillow to prop up behind her before sitting so he faced her, his thigh against hers.
She shivered slightly. He frowned. “You’re cold.”
“I seem to be hot then cold.” Funny, after lying down she felt even worse. Maybe it was the adrenaline leaving her or something, but she just wanted to lay there in misery. Alone.
This was not the way she wanted her boss to see her. Especially when her boss was one of the hottest, most successful men she’d ever met.
He grabbed something out of the bag he’d been carrying, frowning down at the box that held a brand-new thermometer.
“Please don’t tell me you bought that just for me.”
He snorted. “I’m not the one who’s ill. I wonder if a rectal thermometer would have been better, though? Don’t they give more accurate readings?”
She shivered at the image of him baring her ass and pressing a thermometer deep inside her. She suddenly realized James was quiet and looked up at him to find him studying her carefully.
“Hmm,” he said thoughtfully. “I expected an instant refusal, but, instead, you look intrigued.”