A couple of days later, Cade and I lay in bed.
“Happy, baby?” Cade asked me drowsily after he had finished ravaging me.
I was curled up in his arm’s feeling sated. “Mmhmm.”
Cade kissed my head. “I’m glad you’ve got such loyal friends,” he murmured.
“Yeah, I’m pretty lucky. I just wish they didn’t have to leave,” I replied, thinking back to the tearful goodbye earlier today.
“I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of them, babe. Maybe we could take a trip to New York sometime soon?” Cade suggested.
My heart leapt at this. Going to New York with Cade? Despite some of the more recent terrible memories that city contained, it also contained some of the happiest of my life. I would love to create new ones with the man I loved. Not to mention, I couldn’t wait to see the leather clad Cade in some of my glossy old haunts. I giggled at the thought.
“I’d like that,” I whispered softly before drifting off.
Chapter Sixteen
I woke to Cade’s hands running down my body and his mouth at my neck, which was not unusual. What was unusual was the sharp pain in my stomach followed by an overwhelming wave of nausea.
I shoved Cade off me, which only worked because he wasn’t expecting it. I didn’t have time to take in his confused and angry “What the fuck?” I just pulled the covers back and ran to the bathroom.
I barely made it to the toilet before I emptied the contents of my stomach. Not nice. Especially when halfway through, Cade pulled my hair back and rubbed my back soothingly.
This was so embarrassing.
My super-hot and bad ass boyfriend was witnessing me throwing up. I grabbed a piece of toilet paper to wipe my mouth before trying to push him away with my hand.
“Go away, I don’t want you to see this,” I whined. I had no chance to hear his answer because my body had decided my humiliation was not complete and I heaved into the toilet again.
Cade’s hands left my back and neck and I breathed a sigh of relief, which was short lived as he returned quickly. I felt a cold flannel and the back of my neck. I sighed, the coolness soothing my burning hot skin. I decided I was not going to vomit again and therefore flushed the toilet and tried to snatch the flannel from Cade’s grasp.
“Please, I’ll be fine in a second, just leave,” I whispered, my voice hoarse.
Cade didn’t answer, he gathered me up in his arms and I gingerly peeked at his concerned face through my hair.
“You don’t have to carry me, Cade, I think I can walk,” I muttered, focusing on settling my uneasy stomach.
He deposited me on the bed carefully, not pulling the blankets over me, which I was thankful for. I felt his hand at my forehead, then the bliss of the cold compress replacing it.
“You’re burning up, baby.” Cade’s voice was full with worry and he frowned down at me. “What did you eat last night?” He stroked my face, speaking softly.
“Um, just pasta, then junk food with Amy. Nothing that will make me sick, just make my ass fatter,” I joked, feeling slightly better.
Cade continued frowning. “Your ass is not fat, it’s perfect,” he clipped, I tried to resist an eye roll. “I’m gonna call the doctors, make sure I can get you in as soon as possible.”
I grasped his hand as it reached for his phone on the bedside table.
“Cade, I don’t know if it’s necessary to call the doctor just yet, it’s probably just a stomach bug. I’m sure I’ll get over it in no time.” I tried to sound optimistic, but I still had a slight churning in my stomach.
Cade’s eyes softened slightly and he leaned back towards me. “I don’t like my baby being sick,” he declared.
“Well, it was bound to happen since the human race is susceptible to becoming under the weather sometimes.” I glanced at Cade, in all his naked glory finding it hard to imagine his head down a toilet. “Well, maybe not super bad ass bikers like you, who would be too tough to let anything as common as the cold get you down,” I joked, smiling at him.
My smile didn’t last for long as I felt another lurch in my stomach, which caused me to bolt to the bathroom. Cade was right behind me yet again, holding my hair and stroking my back tenderly. It was super sweet, but I would rather not have my probably invincible boyfriend witnessing me emptying the contents of my stomach into a toilet bowl. After I decided I was finished for the time being, Cade scooped me up in his arms yet again and directed us back into the bedroom.
“Wait,” I commanded, trying to get down.
“Stop it, Gwen, let’s get you into bed,” he replied softly but firmly, pushing my damp hair out of my face.
“Can I at least brush my teeth?” I requested quietly but my voice had a bit of a bite.
Cade set me carefully down and handed me my toothbrush and toothpaste before landing a kiss on my forehead.
“I’m going downstairs to get you some water and dry toast, baby, will you be okay here for a couple of minutes?” His arms were at my shoulders like he was afraid I would collapse.
The concern in his face and his actions made me warm up a little inside and I smiled at him. “I’ll be fine, honey, thank you. I’m starting to feel a bit better,” I told him truthfully.
He raised an eyebrow like he didn’t believe me but squeezed my arms. “I’ll be right back,” he promised.
I watched him a second, wondering how he could be the fiercest man I knew when it came to dealing with kidnappers and such, then also be heartbreakingly tender when it came to me.
After getting me toast and water and fussing over me for about an hour, Cade was hesitant to leave me alone.
“Cade, I promise the chances of me dying of the stomach flu in the short time you are away are slim to none,” I said, my joking words deepening his scowl. I sat up slightly in bed to meet his stare, he was standing beside the bed with his arms crossed.
“I’ll be fine,” I tried to convince him. I was feeling much better than I had an hour ago. Cade obviously didn’t believe me.
“It doesn’t sit right with me. Leaving my woman sick in bed, I wouldn’t be going unless I had to. But this is a pressing security job, I’ll try and be as quick as I can,” he said looking more than a little conflicted.
I took his hand, pulling him down to sit on my bed.
“I’m fine,” I repeated. “It’s a bug, and I’m already starting to feel better, and unfortunately it is beyond all your manly powers to heal me anyway. So instead of sitting here, watching me get over this when there is nothing you can do, go and provide some security for someone who I’m sure you can help much more than me at this moment,” I told him softly.
He paused for a beat then responded. “My manly powers?” His expression had changed and the corner of his mouth turned into a slight smirk.
I smiled back. “Yes, your manly powers, which include, but are not limited to, saving me from kidnappers, chasing away my demons, and giving me the best orgasms of my life,” I declared, watching Cade’s face grow soft.
“Well, you better rest up and get better so I can give you some more of those orgasms when I get back,” he ordered in a tone I couldn’t decipher. He leaned down and kissed me tenderly on my forehead. Before walking towards the door, he turned back to me. “I talked to Amy and she said she’s coming home at lunch to check on you, and I want you to call me if you feel any worse, then no arguments, I will be taking you to the doctors.”