I passed what looked like a home office and went into a gigantic kitchen.
I went by several more rooms before I entered a hallway where the sound of that painful coughing got even louder.
Okay, he doesn’t sound good at all, and why is he not answering me?
I kept calling his name until I got to the entrance of the master bedroom. He still hadn’t uttered a single word to let me know that he heard me.
There was a muted light on in the master bathroom, and I could see Cole sprawled across the king-sized bed.
His eyes were closed, and he appeared to be asleep.
Worried, I clicked on a small lamp next to the bed.
I knew I shouldn’t be here invading his privacy, but I could hardly just leave if he was really sick.
One look at Cole’s face in a brighter light told me that he was indeed sick, and that he looked absolutely terrible.
Empathy immediately overrode a sense of guilt that I had about being in his house without him knowing.
He was pale.
He had dark circles under his eyes.
And he was shivering underneath the heavy comforter.
My heart clenched as I put my palm on his face.
“He’s burning up,” I said aloud, my concern ramping up even higher.
Had he taken anything for his fever before he’d fallen asleep?
He probably hadn’t because it felt like his fever was sky-high, and his entire body was shaking.
I suddenly squeaked as a strong hand wrapped around my wrist so fast, I hadn’t even seen it coming.
Cole’s eyes flew open, and he rasped, “What in the fuck are you doing here?”
His hazel eyes were wild, and I instantly realized that he wasn’t completely aware of what was happening.
“Millie sent me with a care package. She was worried,” I said softly. “Let me go. You need something for your fever.”
“Leave,” he snarled.
I might have been a little intimidated if he hadn’t suddenly broken into a coughing fit that made him release my wrist.
The man was as weak as a kitten at the moment.
There was absolutely nothing he could do to me.
I shook my head. “Not happening, big guy. I’m not leaving until your fever is down. You look and sound terrible. I’ll be right back.”
I hurried into the kitchen after I’d collected Millie’s bag.
At the moment, Cole was in desperate need of the cough syrup, the fever reducer, and some hydration.
Time would take care of the rest.
The first few days of the flu could be brutal.
