I was usually an early riser, but nausea swimming in my stomach at three in the morning had me waking up an hour earlier than normal. Usually, I was up at four and went to the bakery by five. I was hoping the vomiting would stop so I could actually get to my shop when I intended.
When I jumped out of the bed and rushed to the bathroom, Paxton was right behind me. The sounds coming out of me as I retched were not sexy at all. Shit, I’d be lucky if he ever wanted to kiss me again after what he witnessed.
As usual, Paxton was the sweetest thing in the world. He held my hair back, rubbed slow circles on my back, and got a cold washcloth for my face, all while murmuring soft words close to my ear.
What I really wanted to do was tell him to get back so he didn’t have such an up close and personal view of the show I had on display, but I was too weak. Plus I truly needed him there. He always made me calmer when shit was not going right.
Once I stopped throwing up and felt like I didn’t need to pray to the porcelain God anymore, I fell back on my butt, debilitated. Pax dropped down beside me, his arm around my shoulder and I curled into his side.
“You probably never want to kiss me again after that,” I said weakly, speaking what was on my mind moments before.
He gave a slight chuckle, squeezed me a bit tighter. “Sure I will. Right after you brush your teeth and swish with mouthwash.”
I couldn’t help the small slip of laughter that came from my throat, even as tired as I was. Paxton, as I said, had a way of putting me at ease and making things better.
“Good to know,” I muttered.
“You know,” he started. “I would kiss you right now even without your teeth brushed if it meant your sweet lips were on mine.”
Horror raced through me and faster than I imagined possible while feeling the way I did, I jumped to my feet and out of his hold, my hand covering my mouth.
“Oh no you won’t,” I told him, my voice muffled by my palm and my eyes strained like they were about to pop out of my head. He must have been out of his mind.
Paxton rose to his feet right behind me and threw his head back, laughing. I stood there, staring at him in shock as he walked right up into my personal space. My second hand slapped over my mouth and he laughed even harder.
“You’re horrible,” I tried saying from behind my palms.
“And you love me,” he said with conviction and winked. “Let’s get in the shower.”
I shook my head vigorously. I pulled my hands away from my face a little so he could hear me better. “I’m brushing my teeth first and then we can shower,” I said letting him know I wanted him to join me.
“Good idea,” he told me, his eyes heated at the idea of us in there together.
I knew he wouldn’t do anything knowing I was sick, just like he hadn’t the night we came home from the beach when I was too tired to barely walk, so it would be up to me to lead the way.
Suddenly, I was feeling a bit better and by the time we reached the shower, there was some hanky-panky going on.
* * *
The reprieveof nausea didn’t last long.
At least it settled in time for Paxton to have his way with me, but by the time we reached the bakery, I’d found myself hanging over the toilet again.
This time I was alone because the shop was open and I made Paxton handle things. He wanted to flip the sign to closed but I wouldn’t let him. He playfully called me a stubborn woman and took charge to step up once again saving me as he always did.
“Hey, now, what’s this about you being sick?” I heard from behind me.
My hair was tied up in a messy bun and I turned my head slightly to where I heard Brinley’s voice. The next second a wave of unease turned my stomach and I whipped my head back to the bowl, retching. I had nothing left to throw up and was dry heaving so hard the muscles in my belly felt like they were ripping apart.
“Oh my gosh, sweetheart, you really are sick.” Brinley rushed over and rubbed my back the same as Paxton had done earlier. “You poor thing.”
She sat with me for a few minutes and as things calmed down, she said, “I’m going to go find you something to put in that stomach of yours that hopefully won’t upset it again.”
I let out a pitiful groan.
“I know, I know, but you’re killing your stomach carrying on this way, girl.” She patted my back. “When did this start? Weren’t you just sick before the beach trip?”
“Yup, I was. This just came on all of a sudden this morning.” I sat on my ass and scooted back against the wall to look at my friend. “It’s so unfair to get sick twice in such a short time.”
