Page 40 of This Time I'm Keeping You
“My mom still does it if I’m sick.”He bent to kiss her softly on the lips.She tasted of toothpaste.Funny how that was a turn-on.
“Night, Nick.”
“Night, Tinker Bell.I’m close if you need me.Just call.”He ran a finger down her cheek.
“Thank you… for everything.”
Walking away from her, lying there vulnerable and hurting, was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.
Chapter16
She lay in the dark feeling the bed shake.
“You have no fleas,” Poppy hissed at her cat.“I’m sure you just do that to annoy me, Hercules.”
But he wasn’t really the reason her eyes were open.She’d rolled over and landed on her wrist, and the bite of pain had woken her.
It was dark; no light slipped in through cracks in the curtains.Sitting up, she reached for the lamp on the nightstand.Her hand connected with the glass of water and sent it crashing into the wall.
“Well, hell.”Fumbling for the switch, soft light soon flooded the room.
The cat gave her a look as she pushed aside the covers.
“You’re no picnic to sleep with either, bud.”
Looking down, Poppy saw the water had mainly hit the wall and carpet.Getting out of bed, she grabbed the pain meds and went to the bathroom.Turning on the lights, Poppy headed to the sink and swallowed a couple of pills, washing them down with water.
It wasn’t the wisest idea to look in the mirror, but it was over the sink, so it was the natural thing to do.She looked like she’d slept in a dumpster.Her hair was a mess, eyes bloodshot.“Not your best day, Poppy.”
Grabbing a towel to soak up the water, she headed back into the bedroom.The tap on her door had to come from only one person.
“I’m okay, Nick.”
The door opened, and there he was.Sweatpants and no shirt.Hair standing off his head and eyes sleepy.Who looked that hot when they woke in the middle of the night?
“Can’t sleep?”His voice was raspy.
“Go back to bed, Nick.I just needed to take the pills.Why are you awake anyway?”
“I heard a thud.”
“Light sleeper?”
“Not usually.”He yawned.“What’s the towel for?”He came closer.
Poppy wondered what his skin would feel like.Still warm from sleep, or cool?Dragging her eyes from the nice slopes of muscles across his pecs and down his abdomen, she lowered herself to the floor.
“What the hell are you doing?”Hands grabbed her, and soon she was back on the bed.
“I spilled water and was clearing it up!”
“You’re injured.”He glared at her, but seeing as his eyes were all squinty from sleep, it held little weight.
“I made the mess.I can clean it up.”
“Shut up.”He dropped the towel onto the water and stomped on it.
“Don’t tell me to shut up,” Poppy snapped back.
