In the bathroom, Miss Parker dropped onto the toilet seat. Holding her throbbing head in both hands, she closed her eyes and wondered why bathroom lighting always had to be so bright.
A deep breath and her attention was sinking, moment by moment. She didn't even notice that Jarod entering the bathroom with a bowl in his hands.
She lifted her gaze and looked at him. "Why the bowl and most importantly, why am I here?"
The gaze, his gaze. Was stubbornly focused on the bowl in the bathtub. No response to her question. Hell, he didn't even look over his shoulder from the bathtub.
"Great." She massaged her temples and closing her eyes in pain. "I'm in hell."
"Put your feet in here." Jarod put the bowl before her on the floor. But didn't look up at her.
"You're kidding me."
Jarod grabbed her bare feet and placed them in the bowl of almost too hot water. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
"That's hot, you idiot." Reflexively, she tried to pull her feet out, but he stopped her with his bare hands. Just the contact of his skin on her feet, take her breath away. He was too close, too determined, too fearless. It frightened her. Because Jarod knew exactly how far he could go and mostly how to destroy her.
"Why are you doing this?"
"If it's about you," he began with a boyish grin looking into her blue eyes. "Am I very possessive."
Miss Parker closed her eyes with a groan. "Why am I always surrounded by freaks?"
Jarod smirked. "Maybe, it's because you're a freak too."
Normally she would have countered. Normally, she would yell at him. Damned, She would be at home with a glass of Scotch. Now she was sitting here, in the middle of fucking nowhere.
Jarod noticed her thoughts and changed the subject. "I'm going to brush your hair out of your neck."
"Just leave me alone. Please." Miss Parker looked up at him. She had no longer the strength to defend herself. Before she could even wait for his response, she felt something ice-cold on the back of her neck and wanted to jump up.
"Don't move," Jarod held her in place. "It will relieve your migraines."
Looking at her feet, his huntress began to laugh under his hands. "I don't know anyone who is jealous of migraines. You surpass everything." Too much light and she groaned in pain. "Fuck," she began to curse.
"You hold your breath."
"No shit, Sherlock. What would I do without your genius."
Jarod grinned. "Put your hands in the bowl too and breathe with me."
"What! Never. You're insane."
"Be a good patient for once, Parker, and listen to me. Listen to my voice. In and out."
After moments of pain, she was forced to do the same and waited for the promised relief. She had no other choice and trusted Jarod. At least until tomorrow, when her head stopped pounding and she could think clearly.
"It was never this bad." she whispered and hoped that Jarod didn't understand her confessed words. But his deep breath and the twitching of his hand on her back. Made it clear, that he had understood her. What Jarod was doing worked and the sleepiness set in her tired body.
"Parker?"
"Mhm…"
"Are you sleeping?"
"Mhm…"
She was too tired to answer anything else. Even if she tried, her eyes were too heavy.
Jarod helped her, threw the washcloth back into the bathtub, and both entered his bedroom again. Without saying anything. She fell into bed and fell asleep immediately. In front of the bed, Jarod looked at her sleeping form. No other woman had ever captivated him like this. Every woman, sooner or later, has to compete with her. Jarod swallowed, leaned down and breathes a kiss on her forehead. "Sleep off your migraine," he whispered and pulled the blanket over her shoulders.
"Don't leave me."
It took a moment for Jarod, to realize, that she wasn't actually speaking to him. No, she was looking for someone.
Maybe Thomas or… One breath and Jarod let the thought die. He didn't want to think about it. Didn't want to think about what Thomas had told him.
That Parker used warning words to stop him from buying her a ring, and that getting married would be the most dangerous thing they could ever do. Thomas didn't understand.
One last look at Parker, and Jarod carefully closed the door behind him. With a deep breath, he leaned his back against the wood. His plan ruined by his own thoughts and feelings.