Page 110 of The Billionaire Boss and the Barista

“I don’t need another exam.”

He meant that he’d be doing a background check on the new doctor, to verify the worthiness of his credentials, but didn’t say so. Emma didn’t need to know how thoroughly he investigated everyone who treated her.

“Did he at least give you a refill of your pain meds?”

“I took one of my old ones,” she said, touching his arm when he made a face. “They work better.”

Garrett sighed. “It’s because they’re too strong.”

It was a traditional analgesic with a significant percentage of an opiate to make it effective.

Emma’s skull had been fractured in the accident, so Garrett understood the need for such a strong painkiller in the beginning, but the newer formulations would be better for her in the long term.

But that wasn’t good enough. Not when she kept going back to the old pills for real relief.

“What can I do?” he asked, settling down more comfortably on the floor.

“No, here.” She patted his normal spot next to her. “Come lie with me for a minute.”

He didn’t need to be asked twice. He finished undressing, leaving his boxers on before climbing onto the bed next to her, grateful he’d sprung for the deluxe mattress. It barely moved when he climbed next to her. But he was still careful notto jostle her.

To his surprise, she turned toward him, cuddling up against him. His muscles relaxed, some of his tension dissipating. If she could move, her pain wasn’t as bad as he thought.

Garrett wrapped an arm around her, pressing his lips to her hair. “I know you don’t like the new pills, but perhaps we can try again. Find a better formulation. Perhaps DNA testing might help. That’s the new frontier for drugs—finding the ones that work for you on a genetic level and tailoring the dosage to you.”

She hummed, tilting her head up a touch to face him. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” Emma could ask him anything. “Do you need a kidney? If you think it will help, I’ve got a spare.”

She poked him. “See, it’s things like that. You do so much for me, but I’m not sure why you’re so hell-bent on changing my meds. I’m not saying that isn’t a good idea. It is. But you seem so invested in it.”

“Ah.” He let his head fall back, tightening up again despite himself. “Caught that, did you?”

Her fingers shifted to rest over his heart. “You’re not as subtle as you think you are.”

Yeah, she had him there. He hadn’t done a good enough job hiding the anxiety and discomfort he felt whenever she took certain pills.

“Did I ever tell you about my ex?”

Emma didn’t react, just a small betraying twitch of her stomach muscles that he wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t been holding her.

He didn’t call attention to it. He just stroked her until she lay quiescent in his arms.

“No. You never speak of her.”

There was a hint of something in her voice. Curiosity, of course, but also caution.

He couldn’t reassure her fast enough. “It’s not because she’s special. I married Ekaterina Hermes in the European equivalent of a drunken Vegas weekend.”

Her eyes widened. “For real?”

“Not my proudest moment,” he admitted. “I wasn’t in love.”

“Then how did it happen?”

“Too much booze, a big boat, and a jaded captain who had seen it all. He was happy to take the tip-slash-bribe Ekaterina slipped him to marry us despite the copious amount of alcohol we’d imbibed.”

A line came and went between her brows. “It was her idea?”

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