He somehow knows where my bedroom is, but I don’t ask any questions since my energy is waning again. Tyler motions to my cozy chair that I sat in a lot when doing remote work. “Will you be okay there right now?” I nod, and he helps me settle into it, grabbing a fresh blanket and pillow from the top shelf of my closet and placing them on my lap. Winston curls up on the ground beside the chair, resting his head on his new stuffed duck toy. “Text me if you need anything.”
“Okay,” I murmur just before sleep overtakes me again.
Everything around me is fuzzy when I come to. I feel groggy, my eyes heavy with sleep. But I can tell I’m in bed with Winstonlying dutifully beside me. I don’t remember falling asleep here, but the sheets are silky and smell fresh.
The door to my room squeaks as it slowly opens, and I see Tyler peeking in. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” He grimaces. “You doing okay?”
“My sheets aresosoft.” My voice is heavy in my groggy state.
“I’m glad you like them.” My eyes are closed, but I can hear the smile in his words.
“You did this?” I burrow into them. “I love you.”
“Ah, so you don’t hate me?” His voice sounds teasing, but I detect a hint of vulnerability there.
“How can I hate you and all your rugged handsomeness?” I yawn, feeling like I’m going to be pulled back into a deep slumber soon. “If they put doctors with faces like yours on billboards, there would be a shortage of available appointments worldwide.”
His laugh is beautiful, filling the whole room. “That’s a high compliment. Especially coming from you.” My bed jostles, but I’m too tired to open my eyes and see if it’s him or Winston. “Does this mean you’ll call me McSteamy now instead of Frankenstein or Doofenshmirtz?”
“You’re not McSteamy.” My brow furrows. That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I sigh, feeling my lips pull up into a content smile as I burrow under the clean sheets and snuggle Winston closer to me. “You’re more of a McDreamy.”
I stretch in bed, feeling more like myself after a few hours of rest. Aches and stomach pains aren’t racking my body anymore.Instead, my stomach growls loudly like she’s sayinghow dare you deprive me of food.
“Sounds like your appetite is back.”
I gasp, jumping and opening my eyes to find Tyler beside me—err, underneath me. Pure mortification hits me when I realize what I did. I slept on TylerfreakingReed’s chest.
I’m unable to meet his gaze or even move. Maybe if I squeeze my eyes shut really hard and then open them again, he won’t be there anymore. It’s just a trick of my imagination.
“What are you doing?” Mirth fills his tone. I squeeze my eyes shut even harder. If there’s ever a time for me to wake up with magical powers like Harry Potter, this is the moment.
I sigh when nothing happens, slowly opening my eyes to look at Tyler. In my bed. “What areyoudoing here?”
“In your bed?”
I pull the covers up, trying to hide my pajamas from sight. “Yes, and in my house.”
“You let me in hours ago, and I remade your bed a while ago when the sheets were finished in the dryer. I carried you into your bed so you wouldn’t hurt your neck sleeping in your chair.” He rubs the back of his own neck, looking bashful. “When I checked on you later, you pulled me next to you, snuggled into me, and immediately fell asleep. I knew you needed your sleep, so I didn’t move.” Tyler leans over and pets Winston. “If it makes you feel any better, this guy eyed me the whole time. But I think we have an understanding now.”
Winston licks his hand. The little traitor.
As I watch them interact, memories from the day flood my mind. No. For the love of biscuits. Please tell me I didn’t call TylerMcDreamyand comment on hisrugged handsomeness.
“You’ve been here all day?” My voice jumps an octave. I’m praying with everything in me that I’m wrong. That I just woke up from a crazy dream-turned-nightmare.
“My handsome self has been here since lunch.” His lips tilt up at one corner into a cocky grin. “Though, I’m sure my appointments will be fully booked for the year if we use your billboard idea.”
I press my lips together, wishing I could grab a paper towel and some cleaning spray and wipe away the humiliating memories on replay in my brain. “Can you please forget I said any of that?” I groan. “I’m sick and had no clue what I was saying. I didn’t know you were actually here.”
I lay my head back down before realizing that’s a terrible idea because it means Tyler’s chest is my pillow. I shoot out of bed like a Derby horse out of the gate…which is yet another terrible idea. It feels like the world is spinning around me. I grab my head and close my eyes, trying to stave off the dizziness. It would bebeyondembarrassing to faint in front of Tyler.
Peeking an eye open, I watch Tyler get up from my bed and rush over to me. He takes hold of my forearms, steadying me. Once he seems certain I’m not going to keel over, a cocky grin pulls at his lips. “So you weredreamingI was here?”
“Stop putting words in my mouth.” I suppress an eye roll.
“I will when you stop saying them.”
I wish I could wipe the smug grin off his face.
