Frenemies With Benefits (Geek To Chic Book 2) (18 page)

Picking her up in his arms, he easily carried her to his
bedroom, to make love to her for the last time.
 
Izzy thought as they fell onto the bed together.
 
Her body was wrapped up in the pleasure as he
touched and kissed her before grabbing a condom.
 
Her heart was wrapped up in the emotion of
the moment.
 
Once he had the condom in
place, he took his time entering her.
 
As
he did her mind acknowledged what her heart already knew to be true, she loved
this man with everything within her.
 
Her
brain knew though, that she had to let him go in a matter of hours.

Before she was ready for the moment to be over, both of them
were screaming out the other's name as they found their pleasure
simultaneously.
 
For long minutes they
held onto each other, stroke one another and cuddled as close as two people
could.
 

When his breath grow even and steady, and the heart beat
under her ear slowed, she knew he was deep asleep.
 
Raising her head from her resting place on
his chest, she lightly kissed his lips, stroked his cheek and whispered,
"I love you Alexander Porter."
 
She then fell into a content sleep in his arms, not wanting morning to
ever come.
 

Lying on her couch,
Izzy eyed her kitchen trying to determine exactly how many steps it would take
her to get there.
 
Too many, was the
answer.
 
Her left eye felt as though it
was trying to violently rip itself from her head, her sinuses were on the verge
of exploding and her body hurt… everywhere.
 

This was the downside
to teaching the germ infested kindergartners, eventually every teacher will
fall victim to their lack of hand washing, germ spreading ways.
 
Now she was barely functional.
 
She was unable to even summon the energy to
get a glass of water.
 
She wondered how
long it would take after her death before someone discovered her body.
 
The fever was making her a little
dramatic.
 

Deciding if she wanted
to live, she better crawl to the kitchen for some water, she hoisted herself
from the couch.
 
Once she was on her
feet, she sat right back down on the coffee table.
 
She put her head in her hands, in an attempt
to stop the world from spinning.
 
She
needed to lie back down.
 
She curled up
right there on the coffee table, closing her eyes.
 

“Izzy, Izzy, honey, why
are you asleep on the coffee table?”
 
Alex’s voice pierced through her exhaustion.
 

“What?”
 
She croaked out.
 

A hand was suddenly on
her forehead. “Jesus, Izzy, you’re burning up.”
 
Without warning, he lifted her into his arms.
 
“Have you taken any medicine?”

Wrapping her arms
around his neck, she leaned her head on his chest. “Medicine?”
 

“Izzy, how out of it
are you?”
 
Alex sounded concerned.
 

Feeling the softness of
her bed against her back, she let go of Alex’s neck.
  
“Alex, I don’t feel good.”
 
Izzy mumbled.
 

“I know, baby, I’m
going to take care of you.”
 
Alex spoke
softly.
 

Opening her eyes for
the first time since he had woken her, she watched as he struggled off his suit
jacket, placing it gently on the chair in her room.
 
As he rolled up the sleeves of his dress
shirt, he walked back over to her, tucking her under the covers. “Why are you
in a suit?”
 

He laughed a
little.
 
“Business meeting, remember, you
were going to meet me after for dinner.
 
When you didn’t show I got worried.
 
And when you didn’t answer the door, I let myself in.
 
Now let me take care of you.”
 

“Why are you taking
care of me, you don’t even like me? I can take care of myself.”
 
She pouted.
 

His facial features
were soft and full of compassion.
 
He brushed
her hair away from her face, “Of course I like you, Izzy.
 
Now, let me take care of you.”
 
He kissed her gently on the forehead before
stalking out of her room to the bathroom.
 

A moment later he
returned with a wet wash cloth, a bottle of pills and a glass of water.
 
“Sit up for a minute to take some ibuprofen
for your fever.”
 
Easing her to a sitting
position, he gave her the pill and the water.
 
Once she had swallowed it down, he settled her back in bed and laid a
cold wash cloth over her forehead.
 

“That’s cold!”
 
She screeched! Her body wracked with
shivers.
 

“I know, I know, but we
have to get your fever down or I am going to have to take you to the
hospital.”
 
He stroked her cheek,
comforting her.
 
“Why didn’t you call
me?”
 

His voice was strained
with need.
 
She was too sick to analyze
what that meant.
 
“I came home from work
early.
 
Most of my kiddos are sick.
 
I was only lying down on the couch for a few
minutes.
 
I thought.”
 
She had no idea what time it was or how long
she had been asleep.
 

“I am going to get you
something to eat and some more fluids.
 
Then, you can go back to sleep.
 
I
will wake you when it is time for more medicine.
 
I’ll be right back.”
 

Before he even slipped
through the door, Izzy was asleep again.
 

~*~*~*~

A few hours had passed
since Alex had arrived at Izzy’s.
 
When
he saw her lying on her coffee table in a ball, his gut clenched with fear that
something terrible had happened.
 
It was
a relief when she said she was sick.
 
That is until he realized how sick she was.
 
Gently placing the digital thermometer in
Izzy’s ear, he prayed her temperature had gone down.
 
The little device beeped at him.
 
Fuck!
103.1, not good!
He wasn’t able to get her to drink much, nor had she eaten
anything.
 
Her fever had spiked, even with
him stripping her down to her undies and putting ice cold wash clothes over
her.
 

Deciding it was time to
go to the emergency room, he opened her dresser drawers to find a pair of
pajamas for her.
 
As he dressed her she
moaned in pain.
 
Not the type of moaning
he liked to hear from her.
 
“Hang on,
honey, I’m taking you to the hospital.”
 

Moving quickly he
picked her up and carried her to his car.
 
Mr. Guzman was kind enough to help Alex get her into his car.
 
“Cold.”
 
She whimpered as he sped down the dark street.
 

Panic itched at the
base of his neck.
 
He needed to get her
to a hospital.
 
His foot hit the
accelerator, when another pained groan came from her.
 
He pulled into the only available spot near
the emergency room entry, a handicap spot, fuck it he didn’t care if his car
was towed.
 
Izzy needed help.
 
Gently lifting her from the car he carried
her into the emergency room.
 

“May I help you?”
 
A young woman at the desk asked
politely.
 

“Yes, my girlfriend has
a high fever and is semi unconscious.”
 
Alex tried to keep the worry out of his voice.
 

The woman flew into
action, calling for a stretcher, and a doctor.
 
Within minutes Izzy was whisked away to a room behind the locked doors,
while Alex was told to wait.
 
Logically,
he knew she was going to be fine; she needed an IV and maybe some
antibiotics.
 
Unfortunately, his panic
had kicked the crap out of his logical side.
 
He gently laid her on the stretcher, turning her over to the care of the
hospital staff despite his instincts to keep her close and never let her out of
his sight.
 
Dropping into one of the
bright orange plastic chairs in the waiting room he leaned his forearms on his
knees and his head in his hands.
 
His
foot tapped the ugly vinyl flooring relentlessly.
 
His body tense, with the need to help her, be
with her.
 

After almost an hour a
doctor finally came out to talk to him.
 

 
“Mr. Porter?”

His head snapped up to
see an older doctor, with white thinning hair standing over him.
 
“Yes?
 
Is she ok?”
 

The doctor, adjusted
the glasses on his face, and smiled.
 
“Yes, she is going to be fine.” Alex stood as the doctor spoke.
 
“It is a good thing you brought her in.
 
She was dehydrated and has walking
pneumonia.
 
We have given her IV fluids
and antibiotics. I will send her home with a script for oral antibiotics she
will need to take.
 
She is asking for
you.” The doctor turned, nodding his head for Alex to follow.
 

“Thank you.”
 
Alex said, still not feeling any better.
  
He needed to see that she was ok for himself
before his anxiety would fade.
  

The doctor led him to
her room saying he would be back by in a little bit to check on her and
left.
 
Taking a deep breath, he opened
the door, taking in the sight of her.
 
She was awake and some of the color was back in her cheeks.
 
“Izzy, you’re ok.”
 
Making his way the few steps to her side, he
ran his hand gently down her cheek and kissed her forehead.
 
Resting his forehead to hers he whispered,
“You had me worried pixie.”
 

“I’m sorry, I scared
you.
 
I didn’t realize I was so
sick.
 
Thank you for taking care of
me.”
 
She said hoarsely, clearly still
overly tired.
 

“You’re forgiven for
scaring me.
 
And you don’t have to thank
me.
 
This is what friends do.”
 
The word friends stuck in his throat, almost choking
him.
 
Alex didn’t want to use the word
‘friend’ when he spoke of Izzy.
 
However,
she had him squarely in the friend zone.
 

~*~*~*~

“Right, I forgot we made it to the point of
friends
.
 
We were supposed to go out and celebrate our
friendship
tonight.
 
Sorry, that me being sick ruined our plans."
  
Izzy spat out.
  
She had no idea why she suddenly went into
ultra bitch mode when he had been so kind to her.
 
The month was over and she needed to put her
shields back in place so that she would be ready for the day when he showed up
at some event they were both invited to with another woman.
 

He suddenly had a broken little boy look to him.
 
A look that made her heart want to reach out
to him.
 
He opened his mouth to speak,
but she held up her hand to stop him.
 
"Hey, I'm sorry that was not very nice of me.
 
I am not a very good patient to say the
least.
 
You taking care of me is very
sweet. I would have probably ended up running down the hallway naked at some
point, deranged from fever.
 
So thanks
for saving me from that embarrassment."
 
She faked smiled.
    

The sad boy look was replaced with a trouble maker
grin.
 
"Sorry I deprived the world
of that view.
 
Actually, I'm not that
body is for my eyes only, but feel free to go ahead and give me a floor show
later in the privacy of my condo."
 
He said with a wink.
 

She could only shake her head at him, she tsked him and gave
him a finger wave, as she pulled the thin covers over her body, playfully
hiding herself from him.
 
"No way
buddy, pal, friend of mine, this body is no longer for your viewing pleasure."
 

"We'll see about that."
 
He whispered.
 
Luckily, the doctor chose that moment to come check on her.
 

He quickly looked her over, listened to her chest and
checked her pulse. "Ms. Newport, your vitals are where we wanted to see
them. Your oxygen level is up and your color is much better.
 
I think it is time we kicked you out.
 
I will have the nurse bring in your discharge
papers.
 
I assume Mr. Porter will be
taking you home?"
  
The doctor asked
as he jotted down noted in her chart.
 

With a quick confirmation look toward Alex, who nodded, she
answered the doctor.
 
"Yes, he will
be."
 

"Good.
 
The nurse
will be in shortly."
 
With that the
doctor left.
 

"Alex, thank you again for bringing me to the
hospital."
 

"You're welcome.
 
I would do anything for you, Izzy."
 
He kissed her forehead, his voice so serious for a brief moment, before
it took on a hint of humor.
 
"Since
we didn't get to have dinner, to celebrate our new found friendship.
 
How about we pretend we still hate each other
and continue on with our affair?"