The CEO Buys In
Page 21
“Your doctor believes I should stay,” Chloe said.
“My doctor is an infuriating ass.” Trainor turned his glare on Cavill.
“You’re too weak to throw her out bodily,” Cavill said, “so you might as well be gracious.”
“I can fire her,” Trainor said, although Chloe detected a lack of conviction in his voice.
“Then I’ll hire her,” the doctor replied.
She felt caught in the clash of the titans as the two men squared off.
Trainor sagged back on the pillow. “You win this round, Ben. Just leave me the hell alone.”
“Gladly,” Cavill said, picking up his bag. “I don’t envy Ms. Russell having to spend the next few hours in your unpleasant company.” He turned to Chloe. “Arvind knows what to do medically. Your job is to calm the savage beast.”
Trainor muttered something unflattering under his breath, and Cavill chuckled as he walked out the door.
Chloe stood beside the cot, wondering if she was supposed to talk to her boss or encourage him to sleep. Trainor lifted his head and locked his gaze on her. “You can sleep in the guest room. If I become uncontrollable, Arvind can call you in to the rescue.” His tone became heavily ironic.
Now what was she supposed to do? “Dr. Cavill told me to stay in here.” She cast a glance of appeal at Arvind. He nodded.
“Oh, for God’s sake, sleep wherever you want.” Trainor closed his eyes. Now Chloe could see the dark circles under his eyes and the way the skin stretched too tightly over his cheekbones.
She felt awkward lying down on the cot even though Trainor wasn’t watching. Her gaze landed on the paperback on the bedside table. “Would you like me to read to you?”
His eyelids snapped open and he skewered her with a look of utter disbelief. “In the middle of the night? No, I would like you to let me sleep.”
She was tired and worried about Grandmillie or she wouldn’t have snapped. “I don’t want to be here in the middle of the night either, but your friend is concerned about you, so I agreed to stay as an act of kindness. Clearly, that quality is wasted on you.”
She heard the nurse hiss in a breath as Trainor stared at her. Now he would fire her, and Cavill wouldn’t be around to rehire her. She squared her shoulders and met his eyes straight on, refusing to show how horrified she was by her outburst.
Incredibly, the corners of Trainor’s mouth twitched. “It’s completely wasted on me. Remember that in the future. Now go to sleep, my grumpy little temp. We’re none of us at our best at this hour.” He shifted downward on the pillows and turned onto his side so his back was to her.
She sank onto the cot, her eyes tracing the line of Trainor’s spine under the form-hugging T-shirt. She could see his shoulder muscles flex and shift as he settled into a more comfortable position. It was weirdly intimate to listen to his breath begin to slow and even rasp in a near snore.
Dropping her head into her hands, she massaged her temples with her thumbs. He hadn’t fired her. However, he wouldn’t be going to work for at least a day or two, so that left her without a position in the executive suite. She sighed. So much for the extra pay she had been counting on.
She flopped over sideways and brought her legs up onto the cot, pulling the pillow under her head and giving it a frustrated punch.
As always, it was the people like her who lost out when the big wheels had a problem.
CHAPTER 6
Nathan rolled over with a groan. His arms and legs felt like they were made of rubber, and someone seemed to be rapping on his skull with a hammer.
With a Herculean effort, he opened his eyes, and once again found Chloe Russell asleep beside his bed, bathed in the pale light of dawn. At least this time he remembered how she’d gotten there. Too exhausted to move, he let his gaze roam over the not-unattractive picture of her streaked, sleep-tousled hair spread over the pillow, and the swell of her breast highlighted by her up-flung arm. Her lips, so firm and prim when she was awake, were full, and a soft shade of pink without their usual lipstick.
He felt an unexpected tightening below his waist and sprawled onto his back to fix his gaze on the ceiling. If he was lusting after the temp, he wasn’t as sick as Ben thought. The surge of desire dissipated as he remembered the long list of appointments he’d missed the day before. Not to mention the ones he would miss today, because he wasn’t kidding himself about being able to go into work. He’d barely been able to stagger to the bathroom last night, and he was probably contagious.
The thought made him turn back to Chloe with a frown. She’d been breathing in the germ-laden air around him, so she was likely to be the flu’s next victim. Then he’d have that on his conscience.
On the other hand, she’d already been exposed, so further contact with him couldn’t make it any worse. She could stay and help him work from home.
He felt more cheerful at the prospect and wondered why. He was accustomed to working from home without any assistance. It must be another sign of how badly the flu had undermined his strength.
One of the monitors beeped, and Chloe’s eyes came open. Their gazes met, and for one moment, those full lips of hers curved into a smile. The smile disappeared as confusion clouded her face and she sat up, clutching the covers to her chest as though she was wearing something more revealing than the now-wrinkled blouse she’d worn to work the day before. Guilt jabbed at him; Ben had upended her schedule without much concern.
“Wha—?” Chloe shook her hair out of her face. He saw the moment her memory of the situation clicked in, and she said, “You look better. How are you feeling?”
“My doctor is an infuriating ass.” Trainor turned his glare on Cavill.
“You’re too weak to throw her out bodily,” Cavill said, “so you might as well be gracious.”
“I can fire her,” Trainor said, although Chloe detected a lack of conviction in his voice.
“Then I’ll hire her,” the doctor replied.
She felt caught in the clash of the titans as the two men squared off.
Trainor sagged back on the pillow. “You win this round, Ben. Just leave me the hell alone.”
“Gladly,” Cavill said, picking up his bag. “I don’t envy Ms. Russell having to spend the next few hours in your unpleasant company.” He turned to Chloe. “Arvind knows what to do medically. Your job is to calm the savage beast.”
Trainor muttered something unflattering under his breath, and Cavill chuckled as he walked out the door.
Chloe stood beside the cot, wondering if she was supposed to talk to her boss or encourage him to sleep. Trainor lifted his head and locked his gaze on her. “You can sleep in the guest room. If I become uncontrollable, Arvind can call you in to the rescue.” His tone became heavily ironic.
Now what was she supposed to do? “Dr. Cavill told me to stay in here.” She cast a glance of appeal at Arvind. He nodded.
“Oh, for God’s sake, sleep wherever you want.” Trainor closed his eyes. Now Chloe could see the dark circles under his eyes and the way the skin stretched too tightly over his cheekbones.
She felt awkward lying down on the cot even though Trainor wasn’t watching. Her gaze landed on the paperback on the bedside table. “Would you like me to read to you?”
His eyelids snapped open and he skewered her with a look of utter disbelief. “In the middle of the night? No, I would like you to let me sleep.”
She was tired and worried about Grandmillie or she wouldn’t have snapped. “I don’t want to be here in the middle of the night either, but your friend is concerned about you, so I agreed to stay as an act of kindness. Clearly, that quality is wasted on you.”
She heard the nurse hiss in a breath as Trainor stared at her. Now he would fire her, and Cavill wouldn’t be around to rehire her. She squared her shoulders and met his eyes straight on, refusing to show how horrified she was by her outburst.
Incredibly, the corners of Trainor’s mouth twitched. “It’s completely wasted on me. Remember that in the future. Now go to sleep, my grumpy little temp. We’re none of us at our best at this hour.” He shifted downward on the pillows and turned onto his side so his back was to her.
She sank onto the cot, her eyes tracing the line of Trainor’s spine under the form-hugging T-shirt. She could see his shoulder muscles flex and shift as he settled into a more comfortable position. It was weirdly intimate to listen to his breath begin to slow and even rasp in a near snore.
Dropping her head into her hands, she massaged her temples with her thumbs. He hadn’t fired her. However, he wouldn’t be going to work for at least a day or two, so that left her without a position in the executive suite. She sighed. So much for the extra pay she had been counting on.
She flopped over sideways and brought her legs up onto the cot, pulling the pillow under her head and giving it a frustrated punch.
As always, it was the people like her who lost out when the big wheels had a problem.
CHAPTER 6
Nathan rolled over with a groan. His arms and legs felt like they were made of rubber, and someone seemed to be rapping on his skull with a hammer.
With a Herculean effort, he opened his eyes, and once again found Chloe Russell asleep beside his bed, bathed in the pale light of dawn. At least this time he remembered how she’d gotten there. Too exhausted to move, he let his gaze roam over the not-unattractive picture of her streaked, sleep-tousled hair spread over the pillow, and the swell of her breast highlighted by her up-flung arm. Her lips, so firm and prim when she was awake, were full, and a soft shade of pink without their usual lipstick.
He felt an unexpected tightening below his waist and sprawled onto his back to fix his gaze on the ceiling. If he was lusting after the temp, he wasn’t as sick as Ben thought. The surge of desire dissipated as he remembered the long list of appointments he’d missed the day before. Not to mention the ones he would miss today, because he wasn’t kidding himself about being able to go into work. He’d barely been able to stagger to the bathroom last night, and he was probably contagious.
The thought made him turn back to Chloe with a frown. She’d been breathing in the germ-laden air around him, so she was likely to be the flu’s next victim. Then he’d have that on his conscience.
On the other hand, she’d already been exposed, so further contact with him couldn’t make it any worse. She could stay and help him work from home.
He felt more cheerful at the prospect and wondered why. He was accustomed to working from home without any assistance. It must be another sign of how badly the flu had undermined his strength.
One of the monitors beeped, and Chloe’s eyes came open. Their gazes met, and for one moment, those full lips of hers curved into a smile. The smile disappeared as confusion clouded her face and she sat up, clutching the covers to her chest as though she was wearing something more revealing than the now-wrinkled blouse she’d worn to work the day before. Guilt jabbed at him; Ben had upended her schedule without much concern.
“Wha—?” Chloe shook her hair out of her face. He saw the moment her memory of the situation clicked in, and she said, “You look better. How are you feeling?”
