Page 42 of Patrick’s Seduction

“This is a tonic that’ll help you feel better in a few minutes,” Buffy said, and put the cup to her lips.

Fallon’s eyes were open now. They looked bloodshot, and for a second, Patrick wished he’d put even more of his blood into the cup to eradicate whatever was causing this.

Without a word, Fallon drank the liquid and swallowed it, gagging and scrunching up her face in disgust.

“Yuck, that’s sweet,” she commented.

Good. That meant she hadn’t picked up on the metallic taste of the blood.

“It should work pretty fast,” Buffy commented. “I suggest you rest now.”

She lifted her head to look at Buffy. “Do you know what’s wrong with me?”

“Not yet, but I’m running blood tests. In the next 12 to 24 hours, we should know what’s happening with you. In the meantime, this tonic will temporarily dull the symptoms you described. All you can do now is rest and wait.” Buffy turned to him. “Patrick, you can take her home. I’ll call you when I’ve got the results.”

“Alright,” Patrick said. “Thank you, Buffy.”

“Yes, thank you, doctor,” Fallon added.

“I’ll take you home myself,” Patrick said, then looked at Lydia. “Take the rest of the night off. I’ll stay with Fallon at the house. I’ll need you to take over mid-morning.”

“No problem,” Lydia replied. “Just text me when you want me back at the house.”

“Will do.”

When Fallon tried to get off the gurney, Patrick stopped her.

“You’re not wearing any shoes. Stay on the bed until I get you to my car.”

By the time he reached the parking garage and his designated spot close to the elevators, Fallon’s face had taken on a more natural color, and the feverish look was waning. His blood was doing its job, healing her from the inside and getting her body’s functions back to an even keel. When they sat in the car, he could hear her heart beat at a slower tempo than when she’d arrived with Lydia.

As he merged into light after-midnight traffic, he reached for Fallon’s hand and squeezed it. He gave her a sideways look, and it appeared that she finally took in her surroundings again. In fact, it almost looked like she only now realized that she was wearing only a bathrobe over a T-shirt, no shoes, no shorts, her shapely legs exposed under the short robe.

He navigated the car through almost deserted side streets until they reached his parents’ home in Nob Hill, where he parked the car in the garage. He wasn’t going to return to the office tonight. His colleagues were following any leads they could during the remainder of the night, and he would take care of other issues in the morning. But for now, even he needed a few hours of sleep. It had been a long and eventful day.

“You must be tired,” he said to Fallon as he led her into the house.

“I was. I guess I am. I feel better… But my T-shirt is soaked with sweat.”

“Let’s go upstairs. I’ll give you one of mine to sleep in so you’ll be comfortable.”

“Thank you.”

Fallon looked stable enough to walk up the stairs without his assistance, and he was happy to see that she was feeling better. He opened the door to his room, and entered, intent on fetching a T-shirt for Fallon, when his gaze fell onto the bed.

It was unmade—somebody had slept in it.

He looked over his shoulder at Fallon.

“You slept here?”

She cast him a slow smile. “You said I could if I wanted to…”

“I’m glad you did.” He reached for her hand, and she stepped closer. “Do you want to sleep here, with me, or would you rather stay in the guestroom so you can rest?”

“Can’t I stay here?” She smiled at him now.

He slung his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “Of course you can, though Buffy said you need rest.” And he wasn’t sure how much rest she would get if they slept in the same bed.