Page 59 of Ride By Your Side

“Good boy,” I tease, my fingers reaching for the bottom of his T-shirt as I lift it over his head, doing my best not to get distracted by the abs that are still as toned and sexy as ever.

“You’re ridiculous,” he says, the newly formed smile betraying his act of annoyance.

“And you’re stubborn as hell. We both have our issues, but since I put up with you, it looks like it’s your turn to put up with me.”

Thankfully, that seems to shut him up, at least for now, as I bend down to take care of his gym shorts and boxers. Of course, my horny-ass brain needs to take a moment to appreciate how good he looks as my mind also drifts back to the other night, but I shove those thoughts aside as I remind myself why I’m here and what I’m supposed to be doing.

He’s just about to take a step toward the shower when I reach down and lift my shirt over my head.

His mouth drops open. “Whoa, wait. What are you doing?” he says, his eyes blinking rapidly, his gaze falling to my bralette-covered chest before his eyes find mine.

“I’m showering with you.”

He seems to stutter for a moment as he does his best to put together a complete sentence. “I-I don’t understand,” he finally manages.

“This way, you can just relax and stand under the water, and I can take care of all the rest.”

He tilts his head to the side, but I shake my head, knowing exactly what he’s going to do—tell me he doesn’t need my help. But once again, I don’t care.

“Just get in. You already know I’m going to do this anyway, so stop using what little energy you have trying to fight me on this.”

His lips form another tight line, but finally, he releases a large exhale before moving to stand under the water.

I take this as my sign to finish undressing before he can stop me and climb in after him.

The water is cooler than I’d like, but I can tell it feels amazing on his overheated skin as he closes his eyes, doing exactly what I wanted him to do as he finally lets go and relaxes.

I use this as an opportunity to grab his bar of soap, working it into a foamy lather in my hands before running them down his arms.

He opens his eyes as he watches my movements, our gazes meeting for a moment before I finally avert mine. I can’t get distracted. As good as it feels to run my fingers across his slick skin, and as much as my body has a completely normal reaction to this intimate act, I don’t let it stop me from completing my mission.

A soft moan of appreciation crosses his lips as he closes his eyes. Glancing down, I can see his body is also reacting, and as much as I’d like to fuck him with either my hand or my mouth, I know now isn’t the time. That will be for when I get him back to his healthy self, but right now, making him feel better in a different way is my mission.

I already feel like we’ve crossed off a major milestone here. Letting someone else take care of him doesn’t come easy, but feeling his body relax under my touch tells me I’m making a difference. The real challenge, though, will be seeing if he allows this to continue. Sure, I expect him to push back—he’s Miles Bennett, after all—but I’m determined not to let that stop me.I’m fully committed to nursing him back to full health, even if it takes everything I’ve got. Because the truth is, just like with his sister, I’m realizing I’d do just about anything for this man.

34

Miles

“Youreallydidn’thaveto do this,” I tell Veronica for what feels like the millionth time as she carefully hands me a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup.

“Of course I did,” she says, brushing me off before walking around to the other side of the bed and climbing in.

I’m not entirely sure what I did to deserve the kind of care she’s giving me. Honestly, it’s taken every ounce of self-restraint not to tell her off, kick her out of my room, or even out of the apartment altogether. But if I’m being honest, I can’t deny that it’s been... well, nice. I’ve never had someone take care of me like this, and while letting go of so much control has been hard, I can’t say I hate it either.

“I’m not sure I agree, especially since I’m pretty sure most people don’t get showered by someone else,” I counter, considering no one has ever done that for me, nor is it something I’d have ever thought about doing for someone else.

“Just because it’s not something that happens often, doesn’t mean it’s something that shouldn’t happen at all.”

I try not to roll my eyes, especially since I’m not sure I even have the energy. Veronica may have been right about the shower breaking my fever, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t tire me out, even with her doing the majority of the work.

I suppose one thing I can be grateful for is that I no longer feel like I’m teetering on the edge of death. I might have downplayed how sick I actually was when I told Veronica I was feeling better, but the truth is, I was completely wrecked. Without her stepping in—forcing me to rest, take medicine, and actually relax—I’d probably still be fighting off the worst of it.

“Well, don’t go thinking this is going to be some recurring thing,” I warn her as I dip my spoon into the bowl and take a bite, the warmth of the broth spreading through me. Damn. Yet another thing she gets to be right about. If this were like any other time and I’d gotten sick, I probably wouldn’t be feeding myself or constantly drinking my liquids like she’s been forcing me to.

“Eh, I don’t know. We’ll see.” She casually shrugs while reaching over me to grab the remote off my bed as she flips on the television. “So, what are we watching?” she asks, changing the subject, which is likely for the best. I’m not sure I have it in me to keep arguing about this.

“We?” I ask, glancing over at her as I pause my spoon mid-bite. “I’m not even sure you should be hanging around me. This is probably contagious, and the last thing we need is you ending up sick too.”

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