arranging s ome crackers on the plate. I poured her a glass of Gatorade and brought it all over to the coffee table in front of her. “Have you taken anything?” I placed the back of my hand on her forehead. She was definitely running a fever.
She shook her head again, and I frowned at her. I went back to the table and pulled out some cold and flu medicine.
“ Here.” I handed her the pills and then gave her the glass of Gatorade to wash them down. After she took them, I set the bowl of soup on her lap. She looked at me like she might argue, and I raised my eyebrows at her. She just shook her head and sighed, lifting the spoon to her mouth.
“ Mmmm,” she moaned softly, and I felt a small pull in my stomach at the sound she made.
“Does it taste okay?” I smiled as I asked. Based on her reaction, it did.
She looked at me and n odded. “Yes, thank you, Garrett. I’ll be fine, you can go now.”
I sat b ack and folded my arms. “Nope. I’m not leaving.”
Her mouth fell open , and I bit my lip so I didn’t laugh. She lifted her chin slightly and mumbled, “Really? You seemed pretty good at that before.” Ouch! I totally deserved that.
“I know … I’m sorry.” I leaned forward and put my head in my hands. This was a bad idea.
“ It’s fine, Garrett. You don’t owe me anything, and I don’t need you here.” She set the bowl back on the table.
“Maybe not, but do you want me here? I can tell you that I want to be here.” I stood up and grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around her, kneeling in front of her so I could look at her. “Well?”
She shrugged her shoulders . “Whatever.”
I smiled, sitting back down next to her. I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. “Anything you want to watch?”
“It doesn’t matter.” She leaned back and closed her eyes.
“Do you want to go lay down in your bed?”
“No, I’m tired of being in there.”
I started flipping through the channels and finally stopped on one of those restaurant/bar rescue shows where they fix up the place and re-launch the business. There wasn’t much else on.
Within fifteen minutes I felt Payton shift slig htly as she leaned against me. I could smell her shampoo—cinnamon and vanilla—and feel the warmth of her feverish body. I carefully lowered her so that her head was on a small pillow in my lap. She curled her legs up and slept. She looked so incredibly peaceful. I ran my fingers over her hair, smoothing the dark, wild strands that escaped her ponytail. Her puffy, chapped lips were parted slightly as she breathed so softly in a steady rhythm of little puffs of air. She was beautiful, and I knew right then that I should have known all along. I couldn’t stay away from her. Maybe she didn’t need to know about Jackson. After all, she never saw his face or anything, right? I struggled with the internal argument for quite some time before just giving in.
I watched her sleep for almost an hour before she stirr ed and opened her eyes. “Hey,” I spoke softly so I didn’t startle her. I expected her to move when she realized she was lying on my lap, but she didn’t. She just looked up at me, blinking. “Are you really here?” she mumbled sleepily.
I chuckled, “Yes, Payton, I’m really here. How do you feel?” I brushed her hair away from her face. It appeared that her fever had broken while she slept as her hairline was damp with sweat and so was her shirt that was now sticking to the front of her stomach and breasts, defining every curve. She didn’t appear to be wearing a bra, and I instantly became aroused as I took in the beautiful sight before me, quickly chastising myself for being such a jerk and perving on her when she was sick.
“I think a little better.” She sat up and looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes . “I’m sorry I fell asleep on you.”
“I’m not.” I laughed when she looked up at me with her mouth open, making sure to keep the pillow
She shook her head again, and I frowned at her. I went back to the table and pulled out some cold and flu medicine.
“ Here.” I handed her the pills and then gave her the glass of Gatorade to wash them down. After she took them, I set the bowl of soup on her lap. She looked at me like she might argue, and I raised my eyebrows at her. She just shook her head and sighed, lifting the spoon to her mouth.
“ Mmmm,” she moaned softly, and I felt a small pull in my stomach at the sound she made.
“Does it taste okay?” I smiled as I asked. Based on her reaction, it did.
She looked at me and n odded. “Yes, thank you, Garrett. I’ll be fine, you can go now.”
I sat b ack and folded my arms. “Nope. I’m not leaving.”
Her mouth fell open , and I bit my lip so I didn’t laugh. She lifted her chin slightly and mumbled, “Really? You seemed pretty good at that before.” Ouch! I totally deserved that.
“I know … I’m sorry.” I leaned forward and put my head in my hands. This was a bad idea.
“ It’s fine, Garrett. You don’t owe me anything, and I don’t need you here.” She set the bowl back on the table.
“Maybe not, but do you want me here? I can tell you that I want to be here.” I stood up and grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around her, kneeling in front of her so I could look at her. “Well?”
She shrugged her shoulders . “Whatever.”
I smiled, sitting back down next to her. I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. “Anything you want to watch?”
“It doesn’t matter.” She leaned back and closed her eyes.
“Do you want to go lay down in your bed?”
“No, I’m tired of being in there.”
I started flipping through the channels and finally stopped on one of those restaurant/bar rescue shows where they fix up the place and re-launch the business. There wasn’t much else on.
Within fifteen minutes I felt Payton shift slig htly as she leaned against me. I could smell her shampoo—cinnamon and vanilla—and feel the warmth of her feverish body. I carefully lowered her so that her head was on a small pillow in my lap. She curled her legs up and slept. She looked so incredibly peaceful. I ran my fingers over her hair, smoothing the dark, wild strands that escaped her ponytail. Her puffy, chapped lips were parted slightly as she breathed so softly in a steady rhythm of little puffs of air. She was beautiful, and I knew right then that I should have known all along. I couldn’t stay away from her. Maybe she didn’t need to know about Jackson. After all, she never saw his face or anything, right? I struggled with the internal argument for quite some time before just giving in.
I watched her sleep for almost an hour before she stirr ed and opened her eyes. “Hey,” I spoke softly so I didn’t startle her. I expected her to move when she realized she was lying on my lap, but she didn’t. She just looked up at me, blinking. “Are you really here?” she mumbled sleepily.
I chuckled, “Yes, Payton, I’m really here. How do you feel?” I brushed her hair away from her face. It appeared that her fever had broken while she slept as her hairline was damp with sweat and so was her shirt that was now sticking to the front of her stomach and breasts, defining every curve. She didn’t appear to be wearing a bra, and I instantly became aroused as I took in the beautiful sight before me, quickly chastising myself for being such a jerk and perving on her when she was sick.
“I think a little better.” She sat up and looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes . “I’m sorry I fell asleep on you.”
“I’m not.” I laughed when she looked up at me with her mouth open, making sure to keep the pillow
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