I even met Violet, Cade's wife, so that was another mini highlight. I liked her immediately.
Lyndall had a recital, and she shone. Bright and breathtakingly good. She mesmerized the room.
I knew she was good, but I didn't know how good. The girl's going to be a star.
The scent of something reaches me.
It's so gag-inducing my head spins, and I don't know what it is.
Hot chocolate.
I push back the covers, knocking Enzo as he comes into my suite, and the drink goes flying. With it, the equally disgusting and vile smell of melted cheese on toast.
Running, I fall to my knees in front of the toilet, hugging the porcelain as I throw up whatever's in my stomach.
When I raise my head, cheeks wet with tears and my face burning, Enzo is standing there, frowning.
Shit. I need an excuse. "I just..."
Honestly, I don't know how to finish that.
"Are you okay? You've been tired and a little peaked."
He tries to feel my forehead for my temperature.
I push him away. "Stop that. I'm just...I'm...I'm okay."
"Are you? Because unless you're secretly partying all night, you don't seem that okay. Not this morning." He goes to thesink and wets a cloth, then crouches down and wipes my face with the cool, wet flannel.
Why is he being so damn nice?
"I'm just tired, and I couldn't handle the smell."
"Of cheese? Hot chocolate?" His frown deepens. "I got you the warm drink because you don't seem to want coffee anymore. If you really hate chocolate that much, I'll banish it."
I laugh weakly, trying to get up, but he pushes down on my shoulder, stands, and then scoops me up and carries me to the bed.
"I'm not an invalid." I put my arms around his neck. Then I glare at him.
"No. You've got a secret war against chocolate."
I close my eyes, listening to the strong thud of his heart as I snuggle against the warmth of him, the strength.
His arms make me feel like I'd be safe forever if he was there, holding me.
"It's not that. It's...the dairy. I think maybe I'm lactose intolerant."
"And you know that how? With your online medical degree?"
"No..."
He lays me down, tucking me in. "Then how?"
"By the throwing up." And I toss some of the blankets off.
He tucks them back around me.
He frowns again. "Sudden onset lactose intolerance, got it."
