Into Thin Air Read online

  “Sam. Sick.”

  I gasp. “Petie, can you at least give me some kind of warning that you’re there? You’re kinda freaking me out.”

  “Sam. Sick.”

  “Sam’s sick? Really?” I hop out of bed, ignoring the pain throbbing in my hand.

  He bobs up and down. Again, I can’t believe I’m talking to a parrot.

  “What’s wrong with him?” I turn toward the terrace, and Petie is gone. What if Sam’s not feeling well, like I am?

  I don’t even change my sweaty clothes before I run out the door. I pound on his door several times but get no response. If he’s really sick… The ladder!

  I dash through my house and out the back door to the ladder. There’s a huge iguana… or is it a chameleon? Whatever, it’s some kind of ugly lizard, and it’s on the ladder sticking its tongue out at me. I don’t have time for this. “Shoo, shoo,” I holler and wave my hands to scare him off. It doesn’t work right away, but eventually, the lazy ass moves. I’m up and over the wall in seconds. I’m getting good at this. Petie’s perched on one of the chairs on Sam’s terrace.

  I open the door and quietly step inside. “Sam?” It’s eerily silent.

  All the rooms and the bathroom downstairs are empty, and he’s nowhere. Do I go upstairs or not? I pace back and forth. I’d be invading his privacy, but what if he’s really sick and needs me?

  “Sam. Sick.”

  Screw privacy. I run upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. I peek through the bedroom door. I step inside thinking I’ll find the worst. His bed is empty, but the blankets are disheveled.

  My nerves are in an uproar. “Sam? Where the hell are you?” The bathroom door is open a crack.

  I approach the door like a monster will jump out at any time. “Sam, are you in here?” I peek my head inside and gasp. He’s lying on the floor on his stomach next to the toilet.

  “Oh, Sam! What’s the matter?”

  He twitches, then moans. I kneel next to him. “I’m here. Please let me help you.” I flip him gently onto his back, then rest his head on my lap. He’s sweating.

  “Migraine,” he murmurs. “Pounding. Loud banging noises… Can’t you hear it? It won’t stop.”

  “How long have you been in here?”

  “I don’t know,” he moans.

  I grab a towel that’s within arm’s reach. “It’s okay. I’m here now.” I wipe his sweaty forehead and check him for a fever. He’s cool to touch. What do you do for a migraine? Think, Ellie, think!

  “You need to get in bed. Do you think you can stand up? Would a shower help?” I look around the bathroom. “I think I need to call a doctor. Or how about a bath?”

  What am I thinking? It’s not like I can carry him.

  “Hot… bath,” he mutters.

  “But should I call for a doctor too?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, but if you get worse, I’m calling the lobby. I need you to sit up so I can get the bath ready for you.”

  He moans and slowly, with my help, sits up with his head resting in his hands. I turn the water on immediately, testing the water temperature. Maybe there’s a bath oil that will help him relax. Once the water is hot enough, I frantically search through the array of bath products, knocking some of them off the counter. Finally, something says it’s for the relaxation of muscles. I guess that’s good enough.

  I pour a generous amount into the running water. Bubbles form quickly. Sam places his hand on the floor and turns to his side.

  “Let me help you up.” I put my arms under his armpits and pull up as hard as I can. Man, he’s heavy. I help him walk to the tub. “Hold onto the side.” He does as I say.

  “You need to take your boxers off.” He sits on the edge of the tub and leans over, holding his head again. I can’t believe I’m going to say this. “Do you need me to help you take them off?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry. I’ve never felt this horrible before.”

  Okay, Ellie. You can do this. “You need to stand up again. Hold onto my shoulder to steady yourself.” When he does, I count to three, then pull down his boxers. Imagine you’re a nurse. But, wow, he is every woman’s dream.

  Migraines are supposedly horrible, I know, but I have no experience on how to take care of someone who is suffering from one. The only thing I know is that light can make it worse. I quickly close all the shades in the bathroom with shaking hands. Now, how do I get him into the tub? Again, act like a nurse. I remove my pajamas but keep my underwear on, which doesn’t make sense since I just removed his. Oh well. Then I step into the tub.

  “Sam, put your hands on the side of the tub and lift your left leg over the side. Then we’ll do it with your other leg.” I hold his upper arm with a firm grip.

  He follows my commands, painfully slow.

  “Now, let’s sit you down gently.” I stand at the end of the tub where his back will go. “Hold onto the sides and lower yourself down. Then lean back against me.” He can’t stay in the tub alone when he’s such a mess. He might fall asleep and drown.

  We relax, and the back of his head rests at the crook of my neck. This tub is the perfect size for us. I grab the sponge that’s floating in the water and begin to wipe his chest, then his face.

  “Is this okay?” I whisper. “Is the water hot enough?”

  “Yes,” he murmurs. “I’m sorry. You didn’t have to do this.”

  I wrap my arms around him and gently lean my cheek against his. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. You’re sick, and it breaks my heart to see you like this.”

  “I think it’s the alcohol here. I feel sick every time I drink it.”

  “Me too. I had a weird dream again. I woke up with a horrible pain in my hand. In fact, it still hurts but not as much. We should lay off the alcohol for the rest of this trip.” I squeeze him tightly, a smile on my face. He wraps his arms around mine.

  “Thank you. I can’t believe you’d do this for me. I’m not used to being taken care of.” He kisses my arm with the little energy he has left.

  “Always. I’ll always be here for you.”

  We sit in silence for a while. My mind wanders in every direction, because this vacation is nothing like I expected. How did I go from wanting to be alone to holding Sam in a bathtub? The funny thing is, I wouldn’t trade this for anything.

  I run my hand gently through his hair several times. “Does this feel good? I don’t want to make you worse.”

  “I love it when you touch me… I just wish it was for another reason.” I can’t see his face, but I can hear a smile.

  “Me too, but I’ll take any time I can get with you before we have to leave this place.”

  I’ve never taken a bath or a shower with a man. There was never a desire. But after last night’s kiss, I have every desire when it comes to Sam. When we got back to our suites, he kissed me senseless and then went inside his place like a gentleman.

  We both wanted more, but I wasn’t ready to take it any further yet. He agreed with me. We haven’t discussed our jobs, where we live, or our ages. I don’t even know his last name. But I’m okay with that. We were too busy having fun. An older couple came up to us at dinner and told us we made a beautiful couple. They asked how long we’ve been together. We looked at each other, laughed, and both blurted out one. They never let us say day. They just assumed it was one year. We didn’t correct them; they wouldn’t have believed us anyway.

  Is this summer love? Or is it like, instalove? They always say you’ll find love when you least expect it. Well, that’s for sure. I want to wrap us up in a cocoon and never leave this place. What will we do when it’s time to return to the real world?

  The water is getting cold. “Hey, Sam. Let’s get you out of the tub and into some fresh clothes. I think you should get some sleep. I have some pain meds I can give you.” This will be fun, trying to get him out of the tub. I’ll need a nap after this.

  Several minutes later, he’s in fresh clothes and asleep in bed. I tried to make the ro
om as dark as possible. Hopefully, the meds I gave him will help.

  Once I get the bathroom cleaned up, I rush back to my place to wash up and get fresh clothes. I want to stay with him in case he needs something.

  I shower quickly and get dressed in a flash. My damp hair drips on my shirt. The bag with my Kindle in it is on the couch. Suddenly the doorbell rings. I can’t imagine it could be Sam.

  I open the door to find a hotel employee standing there. “Hello, Ms. Crimson. I have a package for you.” A tiny white gift bag dangles from his fingers.

  “I’m sorry. You must be mistaken. I didn’t order anything.”

  “I was instructed to deliver it to you today. There’s a card inside.” I take it from him hesitantly, but my insides churn with excitement.

  “Thank you.”

  “Have a great day,” he says as he turns away.

  “You too,” drifts out of my smiling mouth as I close the door. I inspect the sweet little bag. Who could’ve sent me something? No one knows I’m here. It could only be from Sam. Sam! I need to get back to his place. I’ll open it there.

  I grab the tote bag with my Kindle and place the gift bag inside. I leave my place and go to his. Since I don’t have his password, I propped the door open ever so slightly so no one would notice. I’ve climbed enough walls.

  Once inside, I think about where I should sit. Originally, I thought about staying on the upstairs balcony so I’m nearby, but I don’t want to wake him if I walk in and out of his room. I guess the living room with his bedroom door open is the best bet.

  I tiptoe into his room to check that he’s okay. He sleeps in peace as he lies on his belly. I think he’ll be out for a while. My Kindle and a kitchen full of food is all I need until he wakes up. I kneel next to the bed and watch him inhale and exhale. He’s beautiful even when he’s sick. I want to spoon him to take away his pain. I wonder if he’d do the same for me if I were sick like this.

  A few minutes pass by until I think he can be left alone again. Well, that’s a little lie. I enjoy staring at him. Obsessed much? I kiss my finger and gently tap his lips with it. “Sweet dreams,” I whisper. I drape the sheet over his muscular back and walk out the door.

  The gift is calling me. Should I wait until he wakes up? I usually can’t wait to open a present, but I want the excitement to last. But he wanted it delivered. If he wanted to be with me when I opened it, he would’ve given it to me himself. He probably wanted it to be a surprise. Way to overanalyze, Ellie.

  I reach the bottom of the stairs, and I’m in a battle with myself. Is it wrong to be excited about this present when he’s upstairs sick? It takes the fun out of opening it, though. Maybe I should wait until he wakes up. Decisions, decisions.

  Chapter 10

  Sam

  I step out of the bedroom and brace myself against the doorframe. My heart skips and fills with warmth when I see Ellie twirling a strand of her gorgeous hair around her finger as she reads her Kindle. It’s not cold in here, but she’s curled up on the couch with a light blue blanket covering her legs, candles lit all around her. I stay quiet so I can observe her a little longer.

  “Hey,” I say to her with a voice I don’t recognize as I step off the bottom stair. My throat is rough and dry. “You’re still here.”

  She jumps off the couch. “Wow. You scared me. I’m glad to see you’re finally awake. I was about to check on you.”

  I wander over to the glass door. It’s not the nicest of days outside. “How long was I out?”

  “About five hours. How’s your head?”

  I turn around and stretch. “There’s still some pain, but I can function. I washed my face and brushed my teeth, so that helped. I hate migraines. The pain came out of nowhere in the middle of the night. It shocked me out of a dead sleep. Then this horrible pounding in my ears wouldn’t go away. I hope it doesn’t happen again.”

  She places her hands on her cheeks. “You don’t think it was from the lemon hitting you, do you? I don’t think it hit you that hard.”

  I shake my head. “No way. That’d be a funny story, though. I can just see the news headline. Concussion from a radioactive lemon the size of a mini football.”

  “I’m glad you can joke about it. Don’t think it didn’t cross my mind.”

  I pull her to my side and kiss her temple. “Even though I like that you worry about me, please don’t. I’ll be fine. I just need my daily dose of you.” I nuzzle her neck.

  “I’m glad you were able to sleep and the pain is less. I can give you more meds if you want. Are you thirsty or hungry?” She points to the couch she was sitting on. “Here, sit down. I’ll bring you whatever you want.”

  I ease myself down onto the couch. “Some water, please. My throat is like sandpaper.” I lean back and rub my dry, stinging eyes. “Did you stay here the entire time?”

  She pulls two water bottles out of the refrigerator and unscrews one of the caps. “Yes. You were in no shape to be alone. I was worried.” She hands me one and puts the other on a coaster next to a lit candle.

  “It’s pretty cloudy and windy out there. Has it been like this all day?”

  “Yeah, but I enjoyed it. My skin needed a break from the sun. I lit some candles to make it cozy in here and read a book.”

  I love that she was the first person I saw when I woke up and that she was comfortable enough to stay here. I was almost afraid she was only a dream and I’d walk out to an empty suite. She makes me feel things that no other woman has. We’ve only been together for a short amount of time, but I already can’t imagine my life without her by my side. I don’t understand this, but does it really matter?

  I gulp half of the bottle. “How did you know I was sick?”

  She sits down next to me and rubs my leg. “Believe it or not, Petie. I’m surprised he isn’t here now.” She glances out the glass door to see if he’s near the pool. “I don’t see him out there.”

  “That bird is bizarre.” I close the cap on the now empty bottle and open the other one.

  “I climbed over the wall to get in since I don’t know your password to get in through the front door. But I had to deal with a massive lizard of some kind first. I’m going to be a pro wall climber by the time we leave.”

  I pat my thighs. “Come sit here.”

  “Are you sure? I’m too heavy.” I pull her to me. She straddles me carefully as if she’ll break my bones.

  “You’re light as a feather.” I stroke her cheek with the back of my hand. “Thank you. I can’t believe you stayed.” I kiss her, then hug her tightly. In my arms is where she belongs.

  She rests her head on my shoulder, and the fresh scent of her hair invades my senses.

  “There’s no reason to thank me. I’d do it again, and again, and again. Until we’re old and gray.”

  That should have set off multiple warning signals in my head. But somehow, I can see us holding hands when we’re ninety, reminiscing about how we first met.

  “I don’t remember everything. Did we take a bath together or was that a dream?”

  She sits up to observe my face. “Yes, we did.” She grins.

  “Were we naked?” I tickle her sides.

  She squirms and giggles. “Yep. Well, you were. I left my underwear on. Don’t worry. I acted like a nurse, not some kind of perv. I tried not to look. Tried.”

  “I’m pretty pissed that I don’t remember all the details of our first bath. It’s not how I wanted you to see me naked the first time.”

  “First bath, huh. Does that mean there’ll be more? Don’t get my hopes up.” She wiggles against me. “You already got a cheap shot of my boob, so I think we’re even. And don’t worry, you looked pretty fine. I’ll be your nurse anytime.”

  “Sounds good to me.” I hug her again and notice a gift bag on the table.

  “Is that what I think it is?”

  She twists and looks behind her. “Oh! Someone from the hotel delivered it while I was getting dressed at my place. I haven’t opened
it yet.” She stands up.

  “Nothing worked out today. I wanted to surprise you.” I take it off the table.

  “No worries. I was more than surprised. I haven’t opened it yet because I wanted you to be here when I did. It didn’t seem fair to do it when you were sick upstairs. Believe me, I was tempted from time to time.”

  “Well, I’m here now.” I hand it to her. “Open it. I want to see your face when you see what it is.”

  She beams and sits back down, next to me this time. “Okay.” She unties the white ribbon wrapped around the handles. She peeks inside and pulls out the note I wrote. “Should I read the note first? Or will it embarrass you?”

  “Why would I be embarrassed? Read it out loud.”

  She pulls the note from the tiny white envelope with a huge grin on her face and begins to read. “Once I saw the excitement in your eyes, I had to buy this for you. It’s something to take home with you so you’ll never forget this trip or me. Love, Sam.”

  “I already love it.” She kisses my cheek.

  She removes the sapphire blue tissue paper and peeks inside again. She gasps. “No, you didn’t.”

  “You haven’t even opened it yet. You’re like a kid on Christmas morning.”

  She pulls out the blue Swarovski box and opens it with shaky hands. “Wow. It’s the sea turtle I was looking at in the hotel shop. It’s even more beautiful up close.” She lifts it and admires it in the light. “Look how it sparkles.”

  “I was told it’s a special edition because this hotel is near the turtle migration. You can’t find it anywhere else.”

  “I love it so much!”

  I’ve bought presents for women before, but none of them reacted the way she just did. Her smile lights up the room more than candles or the sun could. How could I not fall for her when I see her glow like this?

  She places it back in the box and climbs on my lap again. “I can’t believe you’d do this for me. No man has ever surprised me with a present like this.”