Page 76 of Silver Secrets

“What?” he asked.

“I shouldn’t be surprised. This is completely in line with the man that you are, Gage Walker. And yet, I am. I’m sure whatever you have will work, at the very least until a more decent time to be awake in the morning. Thank you for being so considerate.”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. Do you mind if I grab something and jump in the shower? The warmth just helps with the cramps. But I don’t need to if the running water will keep you awake.”

He shook his head. “I was good and awake before you even came out here. Probably for the day, so the water won’t bother me. Why don’t you go in and I’ll grab the basket out of the guest bathroom. Do you… uh…”

Sloane’s brows furrowed. “What?”

“Well, Mel always liked to sleep in my boxer briefs when she had her period. They were just more comfortable and she could cram the heating pad we had in them. It would kind of stay in place for her better. Would you want to… I mean if that’s too personal then…”

She smiled. “I’d actually love to borrow a pair. That sounds really comfortable and honestly I just feel a bit out of sorts in my own skin right now. I’m not opposed to using the benefits afforded to me of having a boyfriend with an extensive, oddly adorable collection of superhero briefs.”

“Dr. Donovan, have you been snooping through my unmentionables?”

“Who, me? Never! But don’t worry, Clark, your underwear secret is safe with me.”

Gage laughed, until Sloane winced, her hand rubbing across her lower belly.

“Alright. Give me two seconds to get all that stuff together.” He leaned down, placing a kiss on her forehead before turning in the opposite direction as her, determined to make sure she was feeling better as quickly as possible.

* * *

“Hey, did the shower help?” Gage asked as he watched Sloane rub a fluffy towel over the ends of her hair.

“Not really. It’s not usually terrible. I don’t know if it’s just the stress of everything or what, but the cramps are kicking my ass this time.”

“I’m sorry. I put some painkillers next to your water and turned on a heating pad for you. It’s under the blanket on your side of the bed.”

“Thank you.” She lingered in the doorway, prompting him to stand and walk over to her. His eyes dropped, instantly widening as he traced her curves in his clothes. There was no way he’d ever get over seeing her in them.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Just can’t get over how beautiful you are, Red.”

She laughed and he shook his head, gripping her chin between his fingers. “Don’t laugh. It’s the truth. You look fucking delectable right now.”

“Gage, I’m bloated, and I’m wearing your boxers and old t-shirt.”

“Exactly. You look like a fucking goddess, and I can’t believe you’re all mine. Now, are you ready to go back to sleep?” Gage tipped her chin up, looking into her eyes to see if he could figure out what she wasn’t admitting to him.

“Yes. I just… I can’t sleep with my hair like this. I tried to avoid getting most of it wet, but the ends are still damp and they’ll tangle if I lay down before it’s dry. I’m trying to find the energy to drag out my hair dryer.”

He let out a sigh of relief. Drying hair he could do. “I’ll do it for you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Come on.” He led Sloane to the toilet, shutting the lid before holding out his hand to help her sit down. She faced the wall, resting her arms and head on the tank while he got the dryer plugged in and found her hair brush. Gage turned the dryer on the lowest setting, tsk-ing as Sloane picked up her head.

“Put your head back down and close your eyes. I’ll be fine drying your hair just like this.”

She smiled, her sleepy eyes drooping as she followed his directions. God, he’d missed moments like that. He’d always loved helping Melody with her hair. She wasn’t particularly fussy, and after sneaking away for a date night, they’d take a bath together, and Gage would wash her hair. Watching the stress melt away because he was taking care of her had always been so rewarding. And it was the same with Sloane.

As if she could sense what he was thinking about, she turned her head and popped open her eyes. “How did you get so good at this?” she asked over the sound of the dryer.

“I used to dry Mel’s hair.”

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