Jake reaches for the sponge and shower gel and gently begins washing my skin.
The feel of his hands on me is insanely arousing. I really wish I weren’t sick right now.
“This would have been so much easier if this villa had a bath,” I muse, thinking how nice it would have been to sit in a tub together. “But you do make a great nurse.”
“This is just an excuse so I can touch you,” he says, his voice sounding hoarse.
“You can touch me whenever you want,” I reply, voice serious.
“Mine,” he murmurs, sweeping a soapy hand between my legs, cupping my sex.
My body instantly reacts. Desire pools between my legs. My mouth waters at the thought of tasting him. Even sick, I crave him.
After Jake is done cleaning every part of me, kneeling in front of me, he says, “I need to rinse you off and wash your hair, sweetheart, but these damn shower heads are fixed to the wall. Here, wrap your legs around my waist and put your arms around my neck and hold on tight.”
Not wanting to argue, knowing I probably could manage to stand—but honestly just enjoying the attention he’s lavishing on me—I do as he says.
Jake stands with me wrapped around him like a koala bear and puts us both under the running water.
I feel so safe and loved here in his arms.
He reaches for the shampoo bottle and begins washing my hair. The feel of his fingers on my scalp is like pure heaven.
“Tilt your head back under the water,” he instructs.
I do as told and let the water wash the shampoo away. Without even being asked, Jake applies conditioner to my hair, knowing my thick hair needs it.
He combs the conditioner through my long hair to the ends with his fingers.
“I love you, totally and completely,” I say, looking at his perfect face. “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”
“No need to thank me, baby. I want to take care of you. I kind of love you totally and completely too, you know.” He gives me one of his trademark beautiful smiles. Not the one for his adoring fans. No, these smiles are reserved for me only. As he is. Mine, and mine alone.
How did I ever get so lucky to get this beautiful man back in my life? He is everything that means perfect to me.
“I’m sorry I’m sick, spoiling our holiday,” I say.
“Hey.” He chucks my chin with his finger. “It’s not like you asked to be sick. I came here to spend time alone with you, sick or not. That’s what we’re doing, right?”
“Right,” I say with a smile. “You know…” I continue softly, adding a touch of seduction to my tone. “If I weren’t sick, I would so absolutely be on my knees right now, taking you in my mouth, sucking this water off you.”
I feel Jake tense, his grip on me tightening. “And I would have been so totally on board with that. When you’re better?”
“Absolutely.”
After our shower, Jake wraps me in a soft bath towel and carries me to the bedroom. He dries my skin with tenderness and precision, then dresses me in clean shorts and a vest and puts me back to bed and climbs in beside me.
Suddenly exhausted, I shuffle over, resting my head against his hard chest and closing my eyes. Jake’s arms wrap around me. Kissing my damp hair, he whispers, “Sleep, baby.”
And I do.
I wake to the sound of Jake’s hushed, angry voice coming from somewhere nearby.
“This is a f**kin’ joke. I can’t believe this even happened. What are we paying these f**kers for? Aren’t they supposed to notice shit like this early? I can’t believe it slipped through.”
Then I hear another male voice I don’t recognise.
“I know. I thought they were reliable. They’ve worked for us for years. Never missed a thing. I take full responsibility on this, Jake. I was the one who hired them.”
“No, it’s not your fault, Zane. It’s the shit who’s been skimming for the past six months. I swear, when I get my hands on that f**ker…”
Glancing around, I see it’s 7:30 a.m. on the clock. I can’t believe how long I’ve slept.
Feeling a whole lot better than yesterday, and wanting to find out what’s making Jake so angry, I climb out of bed and make my way to the living room.
I find him sitting at the dinner table, taking a video call on his laptop.
He looks up, his face taut, his eyes piercing blue, but they instantly soften.
Zane is still talking. “The accountant is still working on getting the exact amount, but he figures it sits around five hundred. When he gets back to me, I’ll call you straightaway.”
I see Jake’s jaw tighten. His eyes flicker from mine back to the screen. “Okay. I’ll speak to you later.”
Jake closes the laptop. “What are you doing out of bed?” he asks in a soft voice. Much softer than the tension lines around his eyes.
“I missed you.” Padding across the floor, I walk over to him.
He pushes his chair back, allowing me to climb in his lap. I snuggle my head into his chest. He smells of everything Jake—shower gel, cigarettes, and mint. I never thought I could love such a combination until him. But then I didn’t think I was capable of a lot of things until Jake.
“How are you feeling?” he asks.
“Better than I did.”
“Are you hungry?”
I shake my head. The thought of food still makes me want to gag.
“Baby”—he presses a kiss to the top of my head, his hot breath blowing through my hair—“it’s been ages since you last ate; you really should try something. How about some toast?”