Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Jenner moved around him to grab some tissues and leaned over Immy, wiping her nose. Then he spoke to her quietly as he brushed the hair off her face.
“Don’t worry about Eric and his obsession with your bottom. You know he’s just a bit old-school. He thinks that a rectal thermometer works better than an oral one.”
This wasn’t good.
Not good at all.
And he wasn’t talking about Eric’s obsession with Immy’s bottom. Although he didn’t like that.
He was talking about the way Jenner was looking at Immy. As though she was his world. And she seemed to be just as wrapped up in him.
Was Tobias losing her? When he’d just gained her attention?
“Go to sleep now, baby,” Jenner said to her quietly. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Promise,” she said as she hugged her owl.
“Yep. Right here. I’m staying all night.” Jenner wasn’t looking at her as he promised her that.
Nope. He was staring straight at Tobias.
Tobias got the warning. But that didn’t mean he would heed it. He waited until Immy was snoring adorably, before he nodded at the bathroom.
Jenner leaned over Immy and placed a kiss on her forehead.
Yeah, Tobias was getting the message loud and clear. He stepped into the bathroom and waited for Jenner to join him.
“What were you doing in her room?” Jenner demanded.
He raised an eyebrow at the aggressiveness in the other man’s voice. Not that he could blame him. He’d likely be going for blood if he’d found someone in his girl’s room who wasn’t supposed to be there.
So he couldn’t quite understand why he wasn’t more upset about Jenner being here with her.
Maybe because no one knows she’s your girl yet.
Maybe . . .
“I came to check on her.” He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the vanity.
It was curious that he didn’t feel like going for Jenner’s blood. There was obviously something between the two of them. And he’d just said that he was staying with her the whole night.
So yeah, he should be feeling bloodthirsty.
“At eleven-fifteen at night?” Jenner asked.
Tobias shrugged. “Nobody would tell me how she was. No one would let me in here to see her. So I had to do it myself.”
Jenner eyed him. “If I told Alejandro you snuck into her room, what do you think he would do?”
Shoot first and ask questions later.
But Tobias didn’t allow that thought to appear on his face. He simply shrugged. “We’ll never know since you’re not going to tell him.”
“I’m not? Why not?”
“Because Immy likes me. If Alejandro has to send someone else here, she might not like them. She might not listen to them the way she listens to me.” Sometimes. He was still working on that part. “And I don’t think she’d be happy if I ended up six feet under. Plus, I’m here to protect her. I was concerned about her. It’s not wrong to be concerned about your charge.”
“It is wrong to sneak in here.” Jenner sighed.
“I’m the one who has been taking care of her while you’ve been ignoring her.”
Jenner flinched.
It was a low blow. He knew that. But all was fair in war and winning Immy.
The prize was worth whatever low blow tactics he had to engage in.
“That was a misunderstanding and it won’t be happening anymore. I won’t tell Alejandro about this, but you aren’t to sneak back into her room. Understand me?”
“Sure. I understand.” Didn’t mean he agreed. But Jenner didn’t seem to see the difference or the fact he hadn’t given his word.
The other man wasn’t a fool. But he did look exhausted. Tobias guessed he’d been taking care of Immy since she got ill.
Something that he should be doing.
“You look tired,” Tobias told him. “You should get some sleep.”
“I’ll sleep when she’s better.”
“You’re pretty worried considering it’s just a flu. Not usually something you’d get a doctor in for.”
Jenner startled, then looked at him. “Shit. I don’t know why I thought you would know. She wouldn’t tell you. Immy hates talking about her health.”
Yeah. Tobias really didn’t like that he didn’t know what was going on. Someone should have told him. Immy had just brushed it off as vitamins.
He was beginning to see that Immy lied sometimes.
“I don’t think I should say too much,” Jenner added.
“Yeah? And what if she gets sick when I’m the only one around?”
“Then call someone.” Jenner sighed. “Look, she has a poor immune system. Likely that way from birth but it didn’t help that she missed a number of vaccinations growing up because the Deity didn’t believe in the Devil’s medicine. So now, she gets sick easily and when she does, she can get really ill. It doesn’t take much for a cold to turn into pneumonia and for her to end up in the hospital. I know it might seem like we’re all overprotective of her, always pushing her to rest and take her medication . . . but for years we’ve watched her suffer. She’s been in the hospital a number of times and it’s fucking scary. So we try our best to keep her healthy.”