Page 28 of Love Unavoidable
Chapter 7
sadie
I wake when the nurse comes in to check on me. She is quiet about it and we both whisper since Ethan is asleep in the chair next to my bed. I remove my hand from his grip and place his hand on his thigh when she wants to check my blood pressure. He held my hand all night long. The thought surprises and endears me.
After she leaves, I lay back down on my side facing him so I can watch him while he sleeps. His face is relaxed, and he looks so peaceful. In the short amount of time that I have known him, I’ve seen his face with so many varying emotions on it: desire, impatience, mirth, anger, worry. It’s nice to see it serene in sleep.
God, he is a beautiful looking man.
Tan, square jaw covered with scruff, full lips, strong straight nose, eyelashes fluttering slightly against his cheek. And that’s just his face. His long, muscular body slouched slightly in the chair, feet resting on an overturned bucket and crossed at the ankle, arms also crossed at his chest. His shirt stretching deliciously across his biceps, outlining every muscle.
I sigh aloud, not even realizing I’ve done it until it escapes my lips.
“How long are you going to watch me try to sleep?” Ethan asks, his voice gruff.
I giggle. “I can’t help it if you are beautiful to look at.”
He opens one eye. “Did you just call me beautiful?”
I smile and nod.
“You know that it’s handsome, right?” he asks, closing his eye.
“What is?”
“When you want to compliment a man. Beautiful to look at is fine, I suppose, buthandsomeis more universally appealing to men. Either that or hot as fuck. Maybe sexy as hell. Even fuckable works better. It makes us feel studly. Which is good, especially if your goal is to catch the guy’s attention.”
I laugh. “Are you throwing my own words back at me?”
His eyes remain closed, but he smiles with half his mouth. “Maybe.”
“Clever.”
He opens both eyes and sits up and looks at me. “How are you feeling this morning? How are the headaches?”
“I feel good. I mean, I’m tired, but I haven’t had another headache like that one since my mother left. Just a small dull pain that doesn’t go away, but nothing super intense.”
He nods, then moves to the foot of the bed to grab my chart. He looks at whatever the nurse notated this morning and nods again as though satisfied.
“Does my progress meet with your satisfaction?” I ask.
“It does,” he smirks. “And good morning, Grace.”
His voice sends shivers through my body and down to my toes. I look up and meet his eyes. “Good morning,” I whisper. “Hey, how long are you planning to milk this whole ‘grace’ joke, anyway?”
“I don’t know. I kind of like it. Does it bother you?”
“No.” I smile. “I kind of like it too. But only if you are referring to Grace Kelly and not a klutz.”
He smirks. “Of course.” Then continues, “It looks from your chart like you are still on track to be released this morning. So, as long as you are feeling okay, I’m going to run home to shower and change, and make sure my guest room is clean then I’ll be back. They should release you by then. Is that okay with you?”
“Yes. Definitely. Go, get on with your day. I’m fine.”
He looks down at me. “You are my day, I’m just going to prep for it a bit. I’ll be back soon. Okay?”
I nod. He leans in and kisses my forehead again, then heads for the door. He opens it, then stops and turns back around and says, “I almost forgot, do they have your hotel room key with your things? I was going to run by, grab your stuff and bring it back here with me so you’ll have a change of clothes to leave in, and that way you will have all of your stuff at my house. That okay?”
I smile and nod, not trusting myself to speak.
