Page 74 of Sassy Love
“Alright, Cowboy.” A cheeky grin pops on her face as she goes back to her show.
Cowboy? What on earth has Carlie been telling her?
I grab a glass of water from the tap and stretch, checking my phone.
Missed call from Ma.
A text from Miles.
Where are you bud? Missed you at Murphy’s tonight.
Sorry, man, taking care of a sick friend. Catch you up next week, hey?
I send the text and turn the screen off.
I’ll get to them tomorrow. I look around for a clock before remembering my phone is in my hand. Man, I’m exhausted, too.
9:15 p.m. stares back at me.
I use the main bathroom and head back to Carlie. She’s awake when I come in, and her gaze doesn’t leave me as I cross the room to her bedside. She holds up a hand. “Why are you so nice to me?”
I sit on the bed by her side, and her hand reaches for my face. Her fingers brush over my jaw. Sweet Christ, how the contact sends my body into an unregulated frenzy.
Tenderness from this woman will be the end of me.
“Why do you say that?” I ask.
“I thought you hated me . . .”
“I’ve never hated you, Carlie.”
Her eyes narrow. “You sure?”
I chuckle. “Yep.”
“No.”
“No?”
“Not yep.”
Realizing what she’s asking for, I brush a stray strand of hair behind her ear and say, “Yes ma’am.”
Her lips part, her gaze drops to my mouth. “If I wasn’t sick and ridiculously disgusting, I would?—”
Her eyes close. Her chest plummets, and I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with the illness.
“Get some rest. You text me if you need me, okay?”
“No, don’t leave,” she whines.
“I don’t think I should stay, not this time.”
Her face slackens, as if the penny’s dropped and she picked up on the ‘next time.’ I cup her cheeks and press a kiss to the crown of her head. A promise to return.
A promise, period.
“Night, Princess.”
