Page 91 of And Then Came You

My response? Three sneezes, in succession, followed by a groan as I flop back on the bed. “Leave me here to die. Tell them to drag my body outside later.”

Sam chuckles, placing a full box of tissues by my head. “The doctor will be here in a couple of hours. You’re to stay here, living off gourmet room service, bubble baths and maids at your beck and call. Deal?”

“Sam, I don’t want to shack up in your suite. I can go home.”

“Stay here. That’s an order. Don’t want to make me discipline you, do you?” He plants a kiss on my forehead, the only relatively safe zone on my body, as he bounces up to answer the door.

His car is waiting to take him to the next leg of his wildly exotic life.

I struggle to sit up, my nose a never-ending faucet. Death by flu is never pretty. “Let me get dressed.”

Sam grasps my shoulders, his jaw twitching. “Stay. In. Bed. I’m not kidding. You’re sick and you need medical care. I hate that I have to be this far from you, but at least if you’re here, I know you’re safe. He can’t touch you here. Promise me, Lexi.”

He makes a valid point. Likely a good idea to lie low for a few days. Besides, he’s already paid for the suite for the next two weeks. “Fine. I’ll exist in the lap of luxury until I’m better. God, what you ask of me.” I manage a smile, which he returns in kind.

“I’ll be asking a lot more of you in the future, Lex Lex.”

“Can we start here?” I’ve no idea what the man is babbling about, but my head is too clogged to investigate. I need a nap. I’ve been awake a whole fifteen minutes.

Far too long.

“Deal. Back in bed.”

With a mock salute, I crawl under the covers, drifting off as the door to the suite closes behind Sam.

Chapter Sixteen

Sam

It’s been the longest week of my life. Seriously. Doesn’t matter that the shoot is cake or that I have ten bikini models clamoring for my attention, I don’t want to be there. In fact, their advances are annoyances at this point.

Why?

They’re not Lexi.

I thought I had it bad before.

There’s one highlight to my days—my video chat with Lexi every evening. She’s the only thing I look forward to, and everyone else can go pound salt.

But I’ve kept busy in between shoots. I’m reorganizing my life, much to the chagrin of some. I told my agent of my decision to cut back on my workload, and he’s less than thrilled. Actually, he’s ready to spit nails. I’m his meal ticket and he doesn’t relish going hungry.

Too bad, he’ll have to learn to eat somewhere else.

Thankfully, I have the best business manager on the planet. Handing over the financial reins to her a few years back has paid off in spades. She allocated funds for me to live the lush life while socking away the remainder into investments.

Profitable investments, it turns out. I don’t have to worry about money for the rest of my life, even if I never work a day again.

That’s a hell of a feeling.

It also allows me the time and energy to focus on a new lifestyle. One with Lexi by my side. Granted, the last two times we moved toward any level of intimacy, it ended badly. But she admitted that I’m her greatest love story. I’m taking her at her word, because I know she’s mine.

So, instead of some over-the-top idea about wooing her, I’m not planning anything. I just need to be near her.

But first, I have to get through one final night, while avoiding the most persistent of the models. This woman is tireless in her pursuit, beyond eager to suck me off whenever and wherever I choose.

Normally, that would be right up my alley.

Not anymore, and it’s all Lexi’s fault.

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