Free Stepbrother Romance 3 - Addicted: A New Adult Alpha Billionaire Romance by Tawny Taylor

phone service.
    “I’m fine.” He blinked in slow motion, leaving his eyes at half-mast.
    “You need rest. Medicine. A doctor--”
    “I’m fine,” he insisted. “Really. I’m okay. I’m not too proud to admit when I need help. If I needed a doctor, I’d tell you.”
    “I don’t know…”
    “Shayne.” He cupped my cheek. His palm felt hot. He was running a fever. I was sure of it. “Trust me.”
    I huffed. “Fine. I’ll trust you.” I’d never met a more annoying or stubborn man in my life. “Come here and keep me warm.” I pulled on his shoulders, coaxing him to recline against me. He did more than that. He lay completely flat, his head cradled in my lap. The knit hat he’d donned flopped off, so I combed my fingers through his silky waves, enjoying this quiet moment of vulnerability.
    His lips curved into a semi-smile. “Thank you.”
    “For what?” I asked as I played with his hair.
    “For saving my life. You could have fallen in, too. It was a selfless, brave thing to do.”
    A tear of joy slipped from the corner of my eye. “You’re welcome.”
    We were getting somewhere at last. It was sad it had taken a near-death experience for Kent to get to this point, but I wasn‘t complaining. His walls were crumbling. And I was finally able to see the man inside, the one who could be vulnerable.

 
     
     
     

Chapter 9
     
    That night the hours crawled by slower than rush hour traffic on I-75. The later it got, the worse Kent became. I couldn’t find a thermometer in the house anywhere, despite a frenzied search of every inch. But I did find some Motrin. And after hours and hours of my cajoling and pleading and demanding, Kent finally gave in and took some.
    He fell asleep at just before eight. In the morning.
    Exhausted from sitting by his bedside, bringing him water and blankets, I wriggled up beside him and closed my eyes for a few minutes. Those few minutes flew by, and when I opened them again, the clock said it was almost three in the afternoon.
    Kent was still sleeping. Sometime while I’d been out, he’d curled up to me, one leg thrown over mine, and an arm resting across my stomach. It wasn’t going to be easy wriggling out from under him. But I had to. Some things just couldn’t be put off.
    At least, I noticed as I gently plucked up his hand, he felt cooler. The fever was gone.
    Cringing, I moved slowly. He needed rest. I didn’t want him waking for at least a few more hours. If it wasn’t for my rumbling stomach and spasming bladder, I would have been tempted to stay put and sleep a few more hours too.
    His arm was easy to move. I set it on the mattress as I sat up. His leg was another story. It was heavy. And I was in an awkward position. Unlike his arm, it plopped down when I moved it.
    Thick, sooty eyelashes fluttered.
    “Where are you going?” His voice was gritty.
    “To get you some water,” I told him.
    “No. Stay here. “Please.” He flung his arm, knocking me down onto my back. Then he dragged me against him and draped his leg over my hips. He inhaled. “You smell so good.”
    “You’re delirious. I reek. I need a shower.”
    “I’m not delirious. And you definitely do not reek.”
    I gently peeled his limbs off me. “I definitely do.” Free at last, I made a trip to the bathroom first then went to the kitchen to cook up a little breakfast to go along with the water I’d promised. When I returned, the bed was empty. The shower was running.
    Did that man ever slow down?
    I set the tray I’d prepared for him on the nightstand and went to my room to get cleaned up. Once I was clean and presentable, I headed back to the kitchen to make myself something to eat.
    Kent was dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants, in the kitchen, at the stove.
    “What are you doing?” I asked, exasperated.
    “Cooking you some breakfast.”
    “You should be resting. You had a pretty high fever last night--”
    “I’m fine.” As if to illustrate exactly how fine he was, he held