Chapter Five

 

 

 

Cara was too anxious to wait for the car inside and opted to stand outside—a choice she regretted all the way to the restaurant. The rain had chilled her to the bone and it didn’t get any better by the time she reached Dao. She half expected her rage to have burned the cold away.

She stowed her coat in the office and put on her chef’s uniform and hat, tucking her damp hair into it. The heavy uniform didn’t help the uncomfortable sensation of her wet T-shirt pressed against her skin. She could only hope that she would dry out eventually.

The scene in the kitchen was nearly enough to make her snort. She’d never seen Daniel and Marco looking so contrite—like two puppies who had done wrong. That, and the bruises on their faces, made her feel a little better. Instead of launching into yet another lecture, she just shook her head. “We’ll talk about this later. I have food to prepare. You two will make yourselves useful in any way you can.”

They nodded and dashed off. Chelsea patted her on the shoulder and jerked her hand back like she’d been burned. “What did you do? Walk here?”

“Not exactly.” She leaned closer to the ovens, using the heat to warm herself. “Got caught in the rain.”

“Don’t you have a change of clothes here?”

Cara clapped a hand to her forehead. “With all the excitement of Jason visiting, I forgot to go to the dry cleaner.” She checked her watch and sighed. “I’ll never make it before closing.”

“I guess you’ll just have to dry off as best you can in here.”

“That’s the plan.”

Chelsea looked at her friend. “Speaking of plans…how’s it going with Jason?”

“Okay, I guess. We were just starting to settle in for a movie.”

“Sorry. Daniel and Marco are sorry too, you know. They know how important this weekend is to you.”

Cara just closed her eyes and sighed. “When will they just learn to get along?” She opened her eyes to glare at the vegetables as she chopped them viciously. “They’re both brilliant and passionate. That’s the problem.”

“They’ve got to get over themselves—that’s the problem.”

“Among many.” Sighing, Cara dove into work.

 

* * * *

 

The hours flew by and before she knew it, patrons arrived and orders began flying in, hard and fast.

“Hey, you should sit or something.”

Cara was so focused on work that she barely noticed Chelsea stood next to her with concern etched on her face. “Huh?”

“Have you had a break or eaten anything since you got here? You’re dead on your feet.” She felt Cara’s forehead and hissed. “You have a fever.”

“I’m fine.” The words sounded weak, even to her own ears, and she couldn’t summon the energy to push Chelsea away when she herded her out of the kitchen.

“No you’re not. You’re going to lie down while I call Jason to come and get you.”

“Just give me a minute to catch my breath. I’ll be fine in a little bit.”

Chelsea looked unconvinced but nodded. “All right but I’m getting you something to eat.”

Cara managed a watery smile. “Thanks.” She flopped onto the small couch.

She blinked and when she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a pair of long legs. It took too much effort to follow them up but she sensed Jason, so she didn’t try too hard.

He kneeled down next to her. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Cara tried to smile but it was just too hard. “Chelsea called you?”

“I thought I’d drop by to see how things were going.” He ran a finger down her cheek before cupping her forehead. “I’m glad I did. We need to get you in bed.”

“Any excuse to get me back in bed, huh?”

The weak attempt at a joke drew a chuckle from Jason. He shook his head. “No one should be this adorable when they’re sick.” He easily lifted her.

She took pleasure in the sensation of him carrying her until he tried to walk through the restaurant. Cara shook her head. “Can you go out the back? I don’t want to disturb the diners.”

Jason laughed softly at that. “Always thinking.”

Cara let her head fall onto his shoulder and enjoyed the ride.

The next time she opened her eyes, Jason carried her through her bedroom door. Her head throbbed while her skin burned. Dimly, Cara sensed being lowered then she snuggled in the familiar embrace of her bed. The sheets were so cool against her skin that it was like lying naked in a snowdrift. Her skin? They were skin to skin when he touched her arm and legs. When had that happened?

Cara was beyond caring, the coolness felt glorious. She leaned into his hand when he caressed her forehead. “Have I told you how much I love your hands?”

“A few times.” He brushed his fingers against her cheek. “But the situation was a bit different.”

She nuzzled it again. “It still goes, though.”

He smiled tenderly. “I think you’re delirious. Get some sleep. I’ll take the couch tonight.”

“Thanks, Jason. For everything.” And darkness closed in, blotting out his face.

 

* * * *

 

Cara stretched with a sigh, rousing herself from a strange dream where she was riding a flying whale trying to find something that eluded her grasp. When she finally managed to open her eyes, she found Jason hovering over her with a hopeful look on his face.

“You look a bit better, but your fever is hanging in there.”

Well, that was reassuring. “Can you hand me my phone?”

“Nope. You’re going to rest up and get better.”

“Jason, come on. I need to check in.” She held out her hand and waited. When he didn’t give it to her, she did her best to muster a scowl. “Jason…”

“Cara…” He pocketed her phone. “I’ve already talked to Chelsea. She’s got it all under control. You just concentrate on getting better.”

He stared at her until she fell back into the mound of pillows. “You’ll let me know if she calls. Right?”

“I will but I won’t have to. Chelsea can handle it.”

She knew her friend could come to grips with almost anything. It was what Chelsea couldn’t anticipate that worried Cara.

“You’ve got to learn how to turn off, babe.” Jason must have disappeared in the past few seconds because he now stood next to the bed with an impressive tray full of food. “I didn’t know what you’d be up for.”

“So you bought everything you could think of for breakfast?” It was cute and almost made up for taking away her phone.

“Yup. I wasn’t sure what kind of medicine either, so I asked the pharmacist and she suggested these.” He held out a small selection of cold-and-flu medications for her approval. “If they don’t work or you don’t like them, I can get others.”

“Sit. You’re making me dizzy.”

Jason immediately shut up and dropped to his knee next to the bed so that they were face to face. Cara put her hand on his cheek. “Thanks for doing all this. I really appreciate it. Have some breakfast with me?”

The tense expression melted away as he reached for a croissant. “It’s the least I could do. Anything you want buttered?”

Cara handed him a slice of toast, wondering if he had to practice making everything sound suggestive. “This isn’t the weekend I had planned, by the way.”

“No? I just thought your idea of a good time had changed.”

“Very funny.” She took a bite of her toast and chewed dutifully, though she could barely taste it.

“Not liking that, huh? Why don’t you try some of the fruit? It’ll give you some energy.”

“How can you always tell what’s going through my head?”

He feigned a look of concentration. “Well, whenever you lie, you get this twitch. Your left nostril goes crazy—”

“It does not!”

He laughed. “I guess I just know you so well that I can read you pretty easily. Can’t you say the same about me?”

Cara thought about it and it didn’t take her too long to realize he was right. She could read him just as effortlessly as he could read her. From his eyebrow arch of sarcasm and exasperated huff of breath, right down to the way his pupils dilated when he was aroused. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She reached for the fruit and he met her halfway with the tray.

Once she had what she wanted, he put the tray on the end table. “So I’m guessing whatever you had planned for this weekend will have to wait until the next time I’m in town.”

Not if she could help it. She gave him an impish smile that would have been impossible for him to misread. “The outdoor stuff I guess, but we’ve still got things we could do here.”

“Oh?” He leaned closer. “And what would—” He jerked back when she sneezed explosively in his face.

“I’m so sorry!” Cara wanted to be apologetic but she couldn’t stop herself from laughing at his expression. “I really am!”

The shock faded. A crooked smile replaced it. “Think that was funny, do you?”

“It was a little.” She edged away from him when he shifted closer with mock menace. The last time he’d done that, he’d tickled her until she’d begged for mercy.

Just as she’d anticipated, Jason dragged her close and went for every ticklish spot he’d found on her over the years. But unlike before, he eased up after a second or two and simply wrapped his arms around her—probably in deference to her illness. Contentment and warmth bubbled pleasantly through her system, although she could barely sit up.

“I guess we can just hole up in here for the rest of the time.” He squeezed her. “I can think of worse things to do.”

She could too. “We can’t spend all day in bed.”

“I might not be able to, but you will until you get better.”

“I never noticed you had a bossy streak.”

“Only when I need to be.” He slid the tray of food closer. “Have a little more and then I’ll leave you to sleep for a while.”

“Jason, I’m not a kid. I have been sick before and can take care of myself.”

“Well you’ve got me here now, so just let me help, okay?”

The idea of him helping did have its appeal. “I’m not promising I’ll be the best patient.”

He kissed her forehead. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Cara pushed him back with some difficulty. “And you should probably stay as far away from me as possible. I don’t want you to get sick too.”

“Now who’s treating who like a kid? Besides”—he grinned sardonically—“with that sneeze you just hit me with, it kinda makes that argument moot.”

Heat burned her cheeks at his reminder. “I just don’t want to ruin this weekend any more than I already have.”

“And I keep telling you not to worry about it. You haven’t ruined anything.” Jason fed her a slice of mango and picked up the tray. “Anything else you need?”

He looked so cute just standing there. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him to join her. But she had other more pressing matters. “Uh, yeah.” Heat crept into her cheeks.

Jason’s brows dropped. “What’s wrong? What can I do?”

“You can help me to the bathroom…”

“Oh. Right.” He put the tray down and scooped her up in his arms. “Just call when you’re ready to come back. Or do you want me to run a bath for you?”

A bath sounded heavenly but she could do it on her own. Later. When she could muster the strength. “It’s okay.”

He dropped her off at the door of her en-suite toilet. “Just holler. I’ll clear up breakfast in the meantime.”

One more ‘thank you’ from her would just annoy him, so she smiled and shut the door. So much for her sexy weekend.

By the time she emerged, Jason had cleared what was left of breakfast from the room. Feeling ridiculous and utterly exposed, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself. Jason was nowhere in sight so she slowly shuffled back to bed and flopped into it, burying her face in the pillows.

His deep voice behind her made her sigh. “Didn’t I say to call me?”

She rolled, lifting half her face off the pillow to mumble, “I think I can walk a few feet.”

He sighed. “Think you can walk down the hall?”

Truth was, she didn’t. “Why?”

He helped her to her feet and hooked an arm around her waist. “I have a surprise for you.”

Cara could smell it before they got there. He’d drawn her a bath, complete with bubbles. She hugged him. “You’re not really going to help me into the tub, are you? It’s not like I’m incapable of taking care of myself. It’s just a cold.”

“I’m here in case you need anything.”

Apparently, she was getting his help whether or not she wanted it.

It slowly dawned on her that his assistance wasn’t completely altruistic. He brushed his hands over her skin slowly, tortuously across her breasts before he untucked the towel. Jason didn’t let it fall. His nails gently rasped against her skin as he drew it down her body. He made sure that it grazed every bit of flesh possible, rubbing over her nipples and her torso, then her belly and down her legs. Without the barrier of fabric, he skimmed his hands over her as he stood up. Jason held her against him for a second before taking her hand and helping her into the tub.

Cara could barely breathe. What she wanted to do was drag him into the tub with her but she was curious to see what he had in mind. “Do I know how to plan a romantic weekend or what?”

“I’ve got you wet and naked. Can’t get more romantic than that.”

“You need to work on your definition of romance.” Cara could barely see him over the bubbles once she sat in the tub. “Did you use the whole bottle of bubble bath?”

“And how would I know how much to use? It’s not like I do this on a regular basis.” He laughed and swatted away the bubbles when they threatened to swallow her up. “I overdid it, huh?”

“Just a little.”

He scooped up handfuls and dumped them in the sink until she could settle back without the threat of being smothered. “Well, now I know.”

Once he put his hands on her body again, Cara wouldn’t have cared if he’d dumped five bottles in there and flooded the entire apartment with bubbles.

Jason quickly shucked his clothing and slipped into the tub behind her. Cara’s mind blanked as his body slid against hers. Luckily her tub was big enough to accommodate them both, a fact they’d discovered not too long after she had moved in. She remembered that night with a smirk.

The memory was fleeting. Jason didn’t give her much time to dwell before he started moving again. The rough feel of his thighs against hers had all thoughts evaporating except feeling more of him against her. Inside her.

Jason teasingly stroked her skin, his breath warm against the side of her neck. “Are you remembering the last time we did this?”

Cara hummed her reply.

“I think we can do better than a memory.”

She arched against him when he slid one hand to cup her breast while the other he curled around her hip to delve in between her thighs.

“Should we see if we can burn off that cold?”

Before she even had a chance to process his question, he moved his fingers again—delving, stroking, tantalizing—until she bowed and groaned his name, begging for release.

He made her writhe a moment longer before plunging two fingers into her and coaxed an explosive orgasm out of her.

When she finally caught her breath and stopped seeing double, Cara twisted to slide up his body to drag his head to hers for a long, dizzying kiss. At least she hoped it was the kiss that made her head spin, because she wasn’t done with him yet.

He curled his arms around her and held her tightly, a big contented grin on his face. “The water’s cooling. We should get out.”

Even though she gave him her best pout, he chuckled and levered himself up and took her with him. He wrapped her in towels before doing the same to himself then ushered her to her room.

He dried them off, surreptitiously watched her while they both dressed then got her to the couch where he had blankets and pillows waiting. “I thought we’d veg out and watch some movies. I’ll order in whatever you want to eat later. Unless”—he offered her a smile that dared her to accept what he offered next—“you want me to cook.”

Cara dropped into the couch with a smirk on her face. “No, thanks. I doubt my stomach could handle it in my weakened state.”

Bopping her head gently with a pillow before he fluffed it and shoved it behind her, he laughed. “Hey, be nice. No one’s died from one of my meals yet.”

“I’d rather not be the first.”

He sat on the other end of the couch, pouting. “Wow, and here I am being all nice and caring and stuff. You really know how to wound a guy.”

“Just shut up and help me pick a movie.” Cara tossed him the remote and commented every now and then when a movie that caught her interest came on the screen. By the time they’d settled on one that neither of them objected to too much, her stomach was growling and her head was swimming.

“I’ve got just the thing to fix that.” He pushed up off the couch and went to the kitchen. She could only assume he was talking about her stomach, because she heard him opening the fridge and putting something in the microwave. He returned a few minutes later with a steaming bowl of soup that smelled like heaven. “Chelsea ran this over last night. Said it would fix you up in no time.” He sat next to her with the tray in his lap and held out the spoon. “So open up.”

It was Chelsea’s grandmother’s chicken soup—Chelsea’s go-to cure for everything from sniffles to a broken heart. “That was so sweet of her and you too, but I can feed myself.”

“Come on. This is kind of fun.”

“You think me being sick and you treating me like a child is ‘kind of fun’?” She glared up at him and tried to get the spoon.

Jason lifted it deftly out of her reach. When her strength gave out and she had to let her arm fall to her side, he brought the spoon back to her mouth. “No. You letting me take care of you is. It’s not exactly something I get to do very often.”

True. It was just her nature to take care of everyone else. It wasn’t that he never took care of her, because he did. Just not like this. Jason was thoughtful and generous but he wasn’t the spoon-feeding type.

It was nice, but Cara liked it the other way around better. “Fine.” She figured he would get tired or bored of it after a few mouthfuls but he fed her steadily until she’d finished the entire bowl.

“See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?” He put the tray aside, got comfortable and pulled her over so that she lay half on him. “Is it okay to start the movie now?”

“You could have started it whenever. I doubt I’ll make it through the entire thing.” Cara doubted she’d last more than ten minutes. Her eyelids were already getting heavy as she snuggled against him. “If you’re not careful, I could get used to this.”

“That’s the plan.”

And that’s what she was afraid of, but Cara didn’t have the strength to argue.