Rock-a-Bye, Baby

“You’re at the airport?” he asked.

“Yes. And, apparently, it will take a miracle to get a car service or cab. So, send me Drew’s fucking driver, Moses.” I was a little quieter this time, but no less forceful.

I heard what sounded like a muffled chuckle but wondered if I’d imagined it when he growled, “He’ll be on his way in a few minutes.”

He gave me a specific location to meet the driver, somewhere we could avoid the crowds and keep me from being seen. I thanked him grudgingly, then sprinted to the exit where I would finally get on my way to Belle.

Once I arrived at The Lennox, I realized how stupid I’d been. I’d come here assuming Belle would be in her shop next door, but if she’d been sick, she might have gone home. And, I had no idea where that was since we’d spent our two days together in my hotel room.

I left my luggage with the driver and made a beeline for the chapel, hoping Aurora would be there since she managed the place. She was just hurrying out of her office when I approached and almost smacked right into me.

“Griffith! Dude, you better be here to make up with my sister or I’m going to make you pay, then hand you over to my brother.” Her brown eyes were narrowed, and I had the distinct impression that I needed to guard my balls.

“Where?” I asked, already pivoting on my heel to head back to the car.

“Wait!” Aurora called. “She got sick at the shop, so Autumn took her to their guest suite.”

I waved thanks and ran to the elevator. Since Autumn and Drew kept a guest suite on the same floor as their apartment, I was able to hop into their private elevator and avoid the crush of tourists waiting on the others in the lobby.

My foot tapped impatiently all the way up. When the car halted and the doors slid open, I could finally take a deep breath. I stepped off and turned to the left. I passed the first set of double doors, which led to Drew and Autumn’s place, and stopped at the next set.

The door wasn’t locked, so I burst inside without knocking or announcing myself. There were three bedrooms in the suite, but only one door was closed, and I sprinted over to it.

This time, I opened the door gently, not wanting to disturb Belle if she was asleep. But, damn, I needed to see her, touch her, and assure myself that she was okay.

The room was dark other than a small sliver of light shining from between the drawn curtains. It lit a path to the bed and gave off just enough glow for me to see the woman lying under the covers. I toed off my shoes and padded over to the side of the bed. Carefully, I pulled back the blanket, then slipped in next to her. She didn’t wake when I pulled her into my arms, but she snuggled deeper into my embrace and sighed.

Holding her close, I shut my eyes and listened to her cute little snores until I fell asleep. I was finally home.

The sound of someone getting sick jerked me out of a deep sleep. I was groggy for a few seconds until my mind cleared the instant I realized Belle was no longer in bed with me.

I jumped up and ran to the bathroom, skidding to a halt at the sight of Belle slumped over the toilet. I grabbed a hand towel and ran it under the tap before kneeling at her side. As I gathered her hair in one hand, she glanced up at me with bleary eyes.

“Griff?” she asked hoarsely.

I laid the damp towel on her neck before leaning in to kiss her forehead. Her skin was clammy, and I was happy there was no sign of fever.

“Hey, baby.”

“Of course, this is the moment you choose to show up,” she groaned.

A smile tugged at my lips, and I kissed her head again. “You look beautiful, Belle.” She scoffed, then moaned and basically face-planted into my chest. “Are you done?”

She nodded and mumbled a muffled, “I think so.”

I scooped her into my arms and took her to the sink. After searching a couple of drawers, I found several spare toothbrushes in clear packaging and a few different tubes of toothpaste. Belle shot me a grateful look when I squeezed some paste on a brush and handed it to her. After brushing and rinsing with mouthwash, I picked her up again and returned her to the bed.

“Are you here to break up with me?” she asked in a small voice. Her brown eyes were glistening and filled with sadness that broke my heart.

“What?” I reared back in shock. “What the fuck would make you think that?”