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Not easily deterred, he comes and leans against the lip of my desk. His fabric-softener smell entices me to curl into him and sleep.
“You said that two hours ago, when the food was still hot. You can take five minutes, Mae.” He peers behind him to my screen. “Whatever this is can wait.”
Rubbing my tired eyes, I nod. “Yeah, okay. Will you heat it up for me? I know I’m asking a lot of you, but—”
“It’s fine,” Remi cuts me off with a smile. He’s lucky he’s cute or I would have cut his balls off.
Fuck, I’m doing it again—thinking like a dictator.
“Meet you downstairs?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Before he stands to leave, he reaches over and touches the hollows under my eyes. “You need rest, Queeny.”
Nodding to appease him, I resume work, vowing that I will stop to eat and put Isabel to bed. All too soon my tired eyes blink slowly until they fully close. I’ll only rest them a second before getting back to work…
There’s a jostling of my arm.
“Hey, Queeny?” Remi’s voice is distant.
I feel like I’m drowning and he’s my life raft. “Hmm, swim there.”
His soft chuckle makes me smile. “You want to swim to bed?” After a few precious seconds of peace, the jostling continues. “C’mon, let’s get you to bed. You’re drooling all over your laptop, and I’m pretty sure it will be fried by morning if you don’t get up.”
Rudely, I’m hoisted in the air.
“What the hell?”
“You are not sleeping at your desk, and don’t even get me started on you missing meals. I’m not happy, Queeny.”
He’s sexy when he’s all bossy, so I lay my head on his chest and enjoy the ride. “Are you going to spank me now?” Blame the twilight state because I have no idea why else I would say that.
“Thinkin’ about it.” He gently settles me on the bed.
I roll onto my side with closed eyes, still half asleep. “Over my pants or bare-cheeked?”
Remi pulls the blanket over me. “Christ, woman, you sure know how to torture a man.”
“I won’t sleep with him for a business deal.”
“What?” His voice sounds further away.
Even the tugging of my shoulder doesn’t bring me back.
“Why would you say that?”
I don’t answer because I have no idea what he’s asking. All I want to do is drift back off to oblivious bliss.
Tonight, I don’t sleep to dream.
The next morning, I drag myself to the kitchen to find an IV needle to flood my veins with caffeine. I haven’t bothered brushing my hair or teeth yet because I’m too tired to care.
Entering the kitchen, rich smells of butter and pancake batter hit my nose, and my stomach churns.
“Hey, sleepyhead.”
“Why are you always so goddamned chipper in the morning?” I gripe.
