by Andrews, Amy
‘It sounds clear,’ she murmured, pushing him gently back and out of reach.
Nathan shut his eyes, the effort to sit up rendering him completely exhausted. He was drifting off when something was pushed into his ear canal. ‘Hey,’ he protested, opening his eyes.
‘Shh. It’s just a thermometer,’ Jacqueline said, pulling the tympanic device out of his ear and looking at the digital display. ‘Thirty-eight point nine degrees.’
Nathan looked at her for a long moment, trying to work out why his wife was here. Jacqui was here? ‘I s’pose I should be grateful you only stuck it in my ear,’ he murmured, before the effort to keep his eyes open became too much again.
Jacqueline rolled her eyes at the old vet joke she’d heard a thousand times. His stubble was heavier now, but no less fascinating. He’d drifted off again. He was bound to do that for probably most of the day — maybe even tomorrow as well. So she’d better get used to him lying on her couch looking all shaggy and fascinating.
It was going to be a very long weekend indeed.
Saturday evening, after a slow, rainy day in her clinic, and multiple trips up the stairs to check on Nathan, Jacqueline found her Enya playlist on Spotify and hit play, keeping the volume low as she collapsed on the couch opposite a still sleeping Nathan and an ever-present Shep.
She opened her book. Not that she could get into it. Her gaze kept flicking to his face, checking on him. His lashes, so long they cast shadows she could see from across the room on his cheekbones, were endlessly fascinating.
An hour later she realised she’d read the same page over and over. The clock said eight and the evening stretched ahead of her. She looked at him again, and was startled to find him looking back at her.
‘Hi,’ he said.
‘Hi.’ Neither of them said anything for a moment. ‘Are you feeling better?’ His gaze was clearer, the fevered glitter it had been sporting since he’d landed on her doorstep had dulled.
Nathan shook his head, and winced as his neck protested the sudden movement. ‘Marginally.’
‘Are you hungry? I can make you something. Some toast, maybe?’
He gave a weak smile. ‘Ah, toast. Jacqui’s cure for everything.’ The woman he’d known would have been happy to eat tea and toast the rest of her life. It was like the sixth food group to her. His stomach turned at the mere thought of food. ‘Pass.’
Jacqui ignored his dig. ‘You’re due a couple more tablets.’
Good. His sore throat had settled, and he didn’t think his head was in imminent danger of exploding from his shoulders, but he did feel as if he’d gone ten rounds with a giant. ‘Where’s your bathroom?’ he asked.
‘Out the door to the left.’
Nathan sat gingerly. He took a moment to gather his energy and stood, his legs disgustingly weak. A wave of dizziness hit him square in the solar plexus, distracting him momentarily from the sudden realisation that he was naked. And then Jacqui was there, holding him around the waist, the thin multi-coloured bangles adorning her wrists jangling, the metal of her rings cool against his heated flesh.
He figured it wasn’t anything she hadn’t already seen a thousand times before.
‘Sorry.’ He grimaced.
Jacqui swallowed, her face hot. Was he apologising for needing her, or for his full-frontal nudity? ‘It’s fine. Just hold on to me.’
He allowed her to lead him to the toilet, and while he was taking care of business she placed his clean underwear and a spare toothbrush on the vanity. She hovered outside the bathroom, waiting for him to finish, relieved to see him slightly less exposed for the return trip. She handed him the tablets and water as he climbed back under the covers.
‘Thanks,’ he said, swallowing the entire contents of the glass, grateful beyond words for her help, just too exhausted to convey it adequately.
He shut his eyes and felt instant relief. But a strange nagging sixth sense pulled at his leaden lids and he looked up to find her watching him.
‘What?’ he croaked.
He’d been here for less than twenty-four hours, but already her house was filled with him. After he left Jacqui would never be able to sit on that couch again without thinking of him lying there buck naked.
‘Why are you here, Nate?’
Good question. If only it didn’t hurt his head so much to think. He shut his eyes. And then he remembered.
Fixing her with an intense stare he said, ‘I need my wife back.’
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