Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 99949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
“I’ve got you,” I murmured. Theo’s body fit perfectly against mine and I couldn’t help but press a kiss to the top of his head. “It’ll be better soon,” I whispered.
His response was spoken so softly I almost missed it. As I processed his words, I kind of wished I had missed them.
No, it won’t.
It was in that moment that something shifted inside of me. Yes, the nurse was still there, but he took a back seat in those brief seconds as I gathered Theo in my arms and did the opposite of what all of my training would normally be directing me to do. Instead of leaving Theo sitting there on the cold tile floor and assessing all of his injuries as I called for an ambulance, I tucked him against my chest, doing my best not to jar his injured arm.
Climbing to my feet with Theo in my arms was way too easy. The young man weighed next to nothing. He felt as light and frail as so many of the hospice patients I’d cared for did.
That scared me.
Badly.
“Can you put your good arm around me?” I asked though it wasn’t really necessary since I wasn’t having any trouble keeping Theo balanced in my arms. It was more to know he still had enough strength to do it.
And yeah, okay, maybe I needed his touch a little bit too. Maybe I needed the reminder that he wasn’t one of my typical patients. Maybe I needed the reassurance that life was still flowing through his veins.
The skin of Theo’s arm coming into contact with the back of my neck gave me the push I needed to get us moving. His skin was so fucking cold despite the fever that was burning through him.
I glanced at the closed door that led to Theo’s bedroom but then quickly turned and hurried to my own room.
“No, I want to go back to my—” was all Theo got out before I cut him off with a terse shake of my head. Since I was too tense to get any words out, I had to hope the motion would be message enough. When Theo fell silent, I had to assume it was.
It took only seconds to get Theo to my room and settled on my bed. Thankfully, my nurse brain had finally taken over and my moves became smooth and efficient as I covered Theo’s too-skinny legs with the blanket. I switched on the lamp next to my bed, ignoring Theo’s softly spoken protest. Even if I hadn’t needed the light to do my work, I would have insisted on it anyway so I could take in everything about Theo’s physical state.
I snagged my medical bag off the floor next to the nightstand and set it by my feet as I settled my weight on the bed so that my ass bumped up against Theo’s leg through the lightweight bedding. I rummaged through my bag and began pulling out the things I would need. Surprisingly, Theo remained silent, though he seemed well aware of what was going on around him.
Good, that meant the fever might not be as bad as I’d feared. I grabbed the thermometer and watched as Theo obediently opened his mouth enough to let me slide the instrument beneath his tongue. My body chose that moment to remind me that the line between caring for Theo and caring for Theo was razor thin.
I tore my gaze from Theo’s lush lips and pressed my fingers against his wrist. I managed to count the beats beneath my fingers as I watched the second hand on my watch tick by.
“Too fast,” I said more to myself than anything else. The thermometer chose that moment to beep.
The second I took hold of the instrument and gently took it from Theo’s lax lips, he said, “I’m fine. I want to go back to my room.”
I was ready for it when Theo tried to climb out of the bed. The sorely mismatched struggle lasted just seconds but ended with him nearly pressed up against my chest.
My naked chest.
Jesus, how had I managed to forget to put my shirt on? I slept in boxer shorts but always kept my T-shirt handy in case Walter needed me in the middle of the night.
“Lincoln, let go,” Theo demanded, his harsh breath washing over my collarbone. Our height difference meant his lips came to right around my shoulder. If his order had carried any real weight behind it instead of just pure desperation, I might have done as he asked.
But I didn’t release him.
I couldn’t.
Thankfully my body wasn’t imploding like it could have been, given that Theo’s mouth was right there for the taking.
I reached for his chin and tipped his head back enough that I could look at his eyes.
God, he looked so fucking tired.