Page 26 of Love on the Run

“Yeah.” He didn’t mention that he’d barely been asleep anyway, thinking of her.

“Sorry.” Feeling him tense up, Callie began to pull away, and Jake loosened his arms around her. Immediately, Callie wished she hadn’t. The bad feeling of the nightmare came rushing back.

Jake looked at her, his eyes darker in the poor light. “You want to talk about it?”

“It was just a bad dream.” Callie said, trying not to notice the goosebumps that had broken out over her arms.

“Or a bad memory,” he said. “Whatever it is, I can tell it’s driving you crazy.”

“The only thing driving me crazy,” said Callie, suddenly hot, “is you and your damn questions.”

Jake refused to be put out by her comment. “I didn’t actually ask you a question just then.”

“You were thinking about it.” Callie’s grey eyes were accusing.

He’d been thinking about something else entirely—Callie’s lips, again—but he was glad she didn’t know that. “Will you be okay now?” he asked, knowing that he probably wouldn’t get any more sleep tonight.

Callie looked around the room. “You don’t have a light that you could leave on, do you?” What she really wanted to ask him was if he’d stay with her. But that was out of the question. He’d get the wrong idea.

Jake didn’t laugh as he got up and opened one of the little closets in the side wall. He pulled out a brightly colored object and plugged it in.

“Better?” he asked.

“Is that a Mickey Mouse nightlight?”

“My nephew uses it when he stays here.”

“Great. I now feel like I’m five.”

“Sleep tight, honey,” Jake drawled as he turned to escape the loft. Callie might feel like a kid at the moment, but she sure as hell didn’t look like one.

* * * *

Callie actually fell back asleep for a few hours after her nightmare, but she didn’t feel rested when the morning came.Bleary-eyed and cranky, she dressed quickly and went downstairs.Again, Jake was there before her.

“Don’t you sleep?”

“Occasionally,” said Jake. Certainly not much since she came, he thought wryly. “You look like you could use coffee.”

“By the gallon,” Callie replied, heading over to the coffeemaker.Jake didn’t mention her nightmare, and she hoped they could forget about it.She was embarrassed that she’d actually woken him up. She was also worried that it might happen again.What if she accidentally told him the truth next time?

When she turned around, she caught him eyeing her.“You don’t look too good.”

“Why thank you,” she said sarcastically.

“I mean you look like you’re a bit under the weather.”

Callie grabbed the bottle of antibiotics and popped it open. She took one with a sip of coffee, wrinkling her nose at the taste.“Yuck. Hot beverage and medicine do not go together.”

Jake vanished for a moment, then reappeared with the thermometer. “Temperature check.”

“Not again,” she protested, knowing it was futile.

“Sorry. Murphy was very explicit in his instructions.”

Callie grumbled, but she took the thermometer, knowing that both Jake and the doctor were perfectly correct. She stuck it in her mouth, and frowned at Jake, who laughed.

“I don’t think pouting will have much effect, honey.”

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