Page 37 of Incurably Cupid

Minutes passed. His shivering didn’t stop.

I exhaled through my nose, resigned.

“For the record,” I muttered, “I am not trying to feel you up like that nurse was. This is strictly for health-related purposes.”

I studied his face.

“I will not enjoy this at all,” I added. “Promise.”

With that whopper of a lie told, I slid even closer to him and wrapped my arm around his. Then, when that didn’t help, I entwined one of my legs with his. Normally, I would just wrap my arm around him and cuddle—erm, share body heat as closely as possible—but with his chest so injured, I didn’t dare. This was the best I could come up with. I definitely didn’t want to move my arm any lowerthan his chest, so I shoved it under my pillow to help support my head. These hospital pillows were really thin.

Slowly, his body began to relax. The shivering eased, the tension melted away, and warmth returned to his skin.

I could almost hear his body sigh in relief.

Exhausted from my insanely long day, I let my eyes drift shut.

And I slept.

Chapter 13

Indie

“Lasting love is built moment by moment, day by day, and year by year.”

Cupid Inc. New Recruit Training Manual

Iawoke feeling center of the sun hot. Groggily, I flailed with the covers, trying to fling them off, but the covers unexpectedly grunted. My entire body froze.

Blinking my eyes open, I found Mesmer’s face inches from mine. We were both lying on our sides, facing each other, tangled together like a pair of overgrown ivy vines. One of my arms was wedged beneath his neck, the other draped over his ribcage, and somehow, our legs had intertwined.

“Not that I’m complaining,” he murmured in that deep, gravelly voice of his, “but I wasn’t expecting to wake up to someone cuddling me this morning.” A slow joyful, smile tugged at his lips. “I like it just as much as I thought I would.”

Most people would have been embarrassed to wake up in this situation, but I wasn’t most people, because I saw the humor in it.

I grinned sardonically. “You were cold, and I kept you warm. Good to know that my cuddling skills have improved since that last porcupine incident.”

He snorted. “You tried to cuddle a porcupine?”

“In my defense, I was eight, and he looked sad.” I gently disentangled myself and slid off the bed, using the button to call the nurse. “We’re getting sprung today.” I fixed a basilisk glare on him. “And then you will explain why you blinked in to the rescue without your wheelchair.”

He tried to sit up but struggled, so I moved to help him. “Because I couldn’t maneuver very well in a wheelchair if I needed to chase after someone.”

“I could have chased after them just fine,” Lance interjected, materializing via the ether with Mordecai in tow. “Certainly better than what you did, my man.”

I laughed. “Yeah, he kind of got here and passed out.”

Mordecai pulled me into a hug, which I grumbled about because, well, principle. Hugs couldn’t go without repercussions. "I'm glad to see you both up. Lance showed up at my house at five-thirty this morning, demanding I bring him to you, Mesmer. I hope you appreciate his devotion.”

Mesmer nodded, bro-style, to Lance. “Thanks, Lance. Sorry I took off without you.”

Lance maneuvered so he was right next to Mesmer’s bed. “Just don’t leave me behind again.”

Mordecai and I helped Mesmer into his wheelchair. “You have another week and a half in this thing. Your timeline for returning to work will get messed up if you keep trying to be a wheelchair rebel,” I warned him.

I almost shook my head at myself. That sounded suspiciously like nagging. But that couldn’t be right—I didn’t nag. I had never nagged anyone in my life.

I expressed strong displeasure and told them to fix it, but that wasn’t nagging.

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