“I would know if you were my boss.” Lex seems to have lost his mind.

“I am.” I go to slide out of bed. “Stay in the fucking bed. I won’t tell you again.”

I’m unsure if it’s his tone or how he looks at me, but I sit back. There is something about Lex that I can’t seem to want to disobey. What the heck is wrong with me? I’m about to say something when I suddenly feel cold. A shiver comes over me. It feels like the bedroom is an icebox.

“What?” Lex asks, standing beside the bed.

“I’m so cold.” I hugged myself, not understanding what was happening to me.

“Gio—” Lex calls out.

I move the pillows to try and get under the blanket. I’ve been sick before, but nothing like this. My body begins to ache.

“Gio—” Lex calls again as he helps me with the blanket.

“I’m right here,” Gio answers, walking inside the bedroom with a woman behind him.

“I’m assuming this is the patient, Lex.” The doctor states.

I look between them and don’t like how she looks at him. It’s like she is undressing him, not caring that there are people in the bedroom.

“What seems to be the problem?” She asks, reaching Lex.

“She has a fever.” She sets her Gladstone bag on the dresser.

“Okay.” She tells Lex.

She takes a few items out of the bag. Then, as she approaches me, she grazes her body against Lex’s. She doesn’t see it, but he looks annoyed and makes me smile on the inside. Darn, this fever has me thinking wild.

“You can step out of the bedroom. I will get you once I’m done with my examination.” The doctor orders.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Gio says, already at the door, but Lex remains in his spot.

“Lex, it’s best I examine the girl privately. It doesn’t seem appropriate for you to be present.”

“Cut the bullshit, Rebecca. Examine her.” His tone is cold. I might even say cruel. She flinches and then faces me.

“How long have you been feeling sick?” She asks as she takes my temperature with a thermometer.

“I haven’t felt sick. This just happened suddenly. There was no warning sign.” I answer as the thermometer chimes.

“Her temperature is 102.2 °F.”

“What does that mean exactly?” Lex asks before I can.

“I’ll do a rapid flu test. It’s going around, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the results were positive.” As Rebecca returned to her bag, I couldn’t help but stare at Lex. He looks annoyed. Is he regretting having me brought to him?

“I’m sure fluids and over-the-counter medicine will be fine,” I say as I push the blanket to the side to slide out of bed.

“You aren’t fucking going anywhere,” Lex says coldly.

His voice rattles me. It makes Rebecca take a step back. The bedroom fills with a heavy silence. Rebecca walks over with a flu test. She almost looks scared to reach me. Why are people so afraid of him?

“It will take about ten minutes to get the results. I’m going to call the pharmacy for medication that—”

“Cassie,” I say before Lex can speak.

“That Cassie will need regardless of whether the flu test returns negative.” She adds quickly, walking away.

“You can’t tell me what to do,” I tell him, finding my voice.

“My word is final.” He closes the distance so he is standing beside me. “You will obey me.” He moves strands of hair away from my eyes. His fingers leave a trail of heat behind.

“I can take care of myself.”

“I never said you couldn’t.”

We stare. I don’t know what to make of Lex. Despite his cold tone and intense eyes, he acts like he cares about me — a stranger. It feels so odd. Why would a man like him be interested in helping someone like me? I'm a no-one.

“It has been confirmed. Cassie has the flu.” Rebecca says, entering the bedroom. I didn’t even notice that ten minutes had gone by. “Gio is having someone collect what she will need to make her better.”

“Thank you,” I tell her.

“I’ll expect your call, Lex,” Rebecca tells him sensually.

“Send the bill to Gio. That will be all.” He dismisses her without looking at her. Is it weird that I’m glad he did?

“Lex—”

“Don’t finish that sentence, Rebecca. That will be all.” He repeats.

Rebecca quickly gathers her things to leave. As she does, she looks in my direction and gives me a dirty look. It's odd since I didn’t do anything to her. It’s not my fault he dismissed her the way he did. I wait until Rebecca is out of the bedroom before I speak.

“Thank you for calling a doctor. But as you see, it’s just the flu. I have to leave for school. I can't miss class.”

“You’re in no condition to attend school. You need rest.” He says, walking toward the door.

“You can’t expect me to stay here. I don’t even know you.”

“Cassie Walker, I already told you. I’m your boss, and you will do as I say. Gio will bring your prescriptions, and a maid will bring you something to eat. In the meantime, rest. We will speak in a few hours.”

Before I can speak, he closes the door. When I reach it, I hear the sound of a lock. I turn the knob, and the door won’t open.

“You can’t be serious,” I say through the door.

“Rest.” It’s the only thing I hear, followed by footsteps moving away.

_____

A few hours later…

The sound of me muttering startles me awake. It takes me a second to orient myself. My clothes feel plastered to my body. I’m so hot it makes me feel like I can’t breathe. I jump out of the bed and walk to the nearest door. When I turn the knob, it reveals that it’s a bathroom. I’ve never felt more grateful.

Immediately, I turned on the shower and started undressing. I feel like I’m being burned at the stake. The cool air from the water calls me into the shower. I’m so desperate that I don’t finish undressing. As the water hits my head, it reveals that it isn’t cold enough.

“I’m going to burn alive,” I tell no one.

“Cassie, what are you doing?” A voice calls, startling me.

“Who are you? Get away.” I scream.

“What’s wrong?” The voice is clearer — Lex is in the bathroom.

“I said, go away,” I repeat, walking as far to the wall as the shower allows me.

“You need to get out of the shower. The cold water isn’t what you need.” He adds, stepping closer.

“Stop, getaway. How are you in here?” Confused, I ask as to why Lex would be in my room at the Motel 6.

“For fuck’s sake. You have to come out of the shower, or you’ll catch pneumonia.”

“How did you get in here? I can’t leave the shower. I’m being burned alive.” I tell him like he should know.

“I’m not about to let you freeze to death because you think under the cold water is the only thing that will make you feel better.” He gets in the shower, ignoring that he is getting wet. Then he turns off the water.

“What are you doing?” I ask as I get a whiff of his musky scent.

“You out of the fucking shower.” He steps out of the shower, and I watch his every move. Lex returns with a large white fluffy towel. “I’ll drag you out of the shower if I have to.” He orders me, making me shiver. Not because of fear or because I'm cold but because of how close he is to me. “You need to take off the rest of your wet clothing.” He orders me.

“You can’t see me naked. I don’t know you.” I grab the towel from him and hold it tighter.

“Don’t be childish. We are adults.”

“You will not be the first man to see me naked. That privilege is reserved for my husband.” I say before I can stop myself.

He stands in place momentarily, uncertain what to do next. I get it since I don’t know why I would confess this. It’s not his business that I’m a virgin or that no one, not even Brennan, has seen me naked. He runs his hands over his face and then takes a deep breath. It almost looks like he is searching for control.

“Take off the wet clothes, NOW!” His voice is so loud that it echoes in the bathroom.

I don’t object and manage to take off whatever remaining clothing I have left while still holding on to the towel. It's the only thing keeping me covered.

“I’m cold,” I say the moment everything is off.

“You have a fever. Let’s get you in bed.” He orders, closing the distance between us.

I stand in place. His scent hugs me. Lex’s intense look is paralyzing. Before I can top myself, I place my hand on his cheek. It feels cool to my touch.

“You’re beautiful,” I say.

He doesn’t say anything. Instead, he stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. Perhaps he is right.

“You need to get in bed. The doctor needs to examine you.”

“I don’t need a doctor. She was already here.”

I think he is going to counter me, but he isn’t. He picks me up and carries me to the bed. Lex laid me in bed and then removed my towel. Immediately, I grab the blanket and cover myself. He needs to see that I wasn’t lying when I told him I didn't want anyone looking at me naked. Not even Brennan has seen me naked.

“I’ll have someone bring you a broth.” Before he turns to leave, I grab his arm.

“Why are you helping me? What do you gain by ensuring I get better?”

“As your boss, I need you to be healthy.”

“You aren’t my boss.”

“It doesn’t matter how often you say I’m not your boss — I’m your boss. You won't change that.”

I want to say more, but his words, tone, and demeanor… Is it strange that I want to be his employee? There is this need to be near him. There is an unexplainable pull.

“What is exactly my job title?”

“My nanny.”

“What? You’re an adult. Why would you need a nanny?” He pulls his arm back and steps forward. Lex pulls the blanket further up and a few strands of hair away from my face. Then he turns to leave like the last ten minutes didn’t happen. “Lex—”

“You need to rest. Stay in bed unless I say otherwise.”

“Excuse me?” I move to sit up. The sound of me moving prompts him to stop and face me.

“If you leave the bed without my permission, you will be punished.” His threat is seductive, a calling for my defiance. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

He turns and walks again. This time, I don’t stop him. My curiosity takes over. What sort of punishment is Lex talking about? And why do I want to be punished by him?