The room was silent, the air heavy with the scent of the cool water and the soft, rhythmic sound of Keifer's labored breathing.
Jay had guided him onto the bed, her movements frantic and full of worry.
She tried to pull away to run to the bathroom for a fresh bowl and a towel, but she stopped short.
Even in his feverish daze, his fingers had found her wrist, gripping her with a desperate, subconscious strength.
She looked down at him, her heart aching. She saw his face pale, she took a step towards him, leaned in close, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to his burning forehead before gently brushing the damp hair away from his face.
"Just a second, Keifer," she whispered. Slowly, she untightened his grip, finger by finger, and rushed to get what she needed.
When she returned, she placed the cool, wet towel over his brow.
A wave of guilt washed over her-she felt like it was her fault he was lying here like this, shivering while his body fought the fire.
She carefully fed him the medicine, watching as he swallowed it in his sleep.
The task was done, but Jay couldn't move. She climbed onto the bed, sitting quietly beside him.
With one hand, she held the towel in place, but her eyes... her eyes began to wander.
In the dim light, she observed his face. Even pale and weakened by fever, he was strikingly handsome.
Her gaze roamed slowly, tracing the familiar lines of his forehead, then dropping to the curve of his lips.
She watched the slow, heavy movement of his Adam's apple as he breathed, then looked down at the expanse of his chest and his broad shoulders.
Everything came rushing back. The way his voice had sounded when he whispered "I love you."
The feeling of being trapped between his arms in the bathroom. Her eyes fixed back on his lips, and the memory of their almost-kiss in the bathtub felt so real she could almost feel the heat of his breath again.
She sat there in the quiet of the night, caught between being his nurse and being a girl hopelessly in love, watching the man who had risked his own health just to make sure she was safe.
The room was dangerously quiet, the only sound being the soft, frantic thud of Jay's heart against her ribs.
She was still sitting there, perched on the edge of the mattress, but she felt like she was hovering on the edge of a cliff.
She had fallen for him many times before, but today felt different.
Seeing him like this-vulnerable, quiet, and hurt because of her-made something in her soul break open.
But, despite of guilt and all, her eyes were no longer under her control; they had a mind of their own.
They again start wandering traced the sharp line of his jaw, the slight flutter of his closed eyelids, and finally, they landed again on his lips.
Her body seemed to move without her permission. It was as if she were being pulled by an invisible thread.
She bit her lower lip, her breath hitching as she began to lean down.
She paused, her heart hammering. She looked at his eyes to make sure he was still fully asleep.
He was. She looked back at his lips. They were slightly pale from the fever, look-ing soft and inviting in the dim light.
She leaned down again, her pulse racing so hard she felt dizzy.
She stopped just inches away. Her eyes remained fixed on his mouth, her mind screaming at her to pull back, but her heart demanding she stay.
She wanted this-even if it was just for a second, even if he never knew.
She lowered herself further, stopping when there was less than half an inch of space between them.
Their shadows merged on the pillow. They were breathing the same air now, her warm, nervous breath mingling with his heavy, feverish exhales.
The heat radiating from his body made her skin tingle.
She was so close she could see the tiny tremor in his lips. The world outside the room had ceased to exist. There was no mansion, no fake marriage, no Sophia.
There was only this half-inch of space and the suffocating urge to finally close it.
The tension in the room snapped as Jay finally pulled back,she didn't kiss him, her chest heaving as she let out a long, shaky exhale.
She looked up at the ceiling, trying to regain her composure, her heart still drumming a frantic rhythm.
She turned her attention back to him, her movements now soft and full of a quiet, newfound confidence.
She reached out, her fingers gently brushing through his messy hair, and carefully removed the damp towel from his forehead.
Seeing that his skin was finally cooling, she felt a wave of relief wash over her.
Jay didn't go back to the chair. Instead, she lay down on the bed beside him, propping herself up on one elbow.
She stayed close-so close she could feel the radiating warmth of his body.
With her face resting against her hand, she watched him with a faint, tender smile.
She felt a strange sense of power and peace, like she could do anything in this moment as long as he was there.
She began to trace a slow, invisible line down his face with her fingertip.
She started at his forehead, moved down the bridge of his nose, paused for a heartbeat at his lips, and finally traced the curve of his chin.
"You big dummy," she whispered, her smile widening.
Suddenly, Keifer stirred. Before she could pull her hand away, his arm moved with sudden, instinctive strength.
He turned onto his side, his large hand sliding around her waist and pulling her firmly toward him.
Jay gasped, her breath catching in her throat, as he tucked his head down, pressing his face right against her chest.
He let out a deep, contented sigh, his grip tightening as if he were holding onto the most precious thing in the world.
He wasn't fully awake, but in his fever-hazed sleep, he had found exactly what he needed to feel safe.
Jay froze, her hands hovering in the air. Her heart was no longer just drumming; it was practically exploding.
She was trapped in his embrace, the heat of his face against her and his arm locking her in place.
For a moment, Jay stayed perfectly still, her breath held tight in her chest.
The weight of his head against her and the strength of his arm around her waist made her feel small, yet strangely powerful.
She looked down at the dark mess of his hair, seeing him not as the cold, untouchable CEO, but as the man who had exhausted himself taking care of her.
Slowly, her hands descended from the air. She didn't push him away.
Instead, she let her fingers sink into his soft hair, gently stroking the back of his head.
Her other arm moved tentatively, sliding over his broad shoulder until she was fully holding him.
She leaned her chin against the top of his head, she didn't close her eyes yet, happy sigh escaped her.
"I've got you, Keifer," she whispered into the quiet room.
As the medicine fully took hold, Keifer's breathing deepened and evened out. He didn't let go; if anything, he pulled her even closer in his sleep, his face nuzzling into the soft fabric of her shirt.
Tucked together like two puzzle pieces, the exhaustion of the night's drama finally claimed Jay, too.
With her arms wrapped securely around her "big dummy," A real, radiant smile spread across Jay's face, one that she didn't bother to hide because the darkness was her only witness.
She felt a sudden, fierce spark of affection. With her fingers buried in his hair, she began to gently twirl the soft locks around her finger, marveling at how soft they were.
She leaned down, her lips lingering in a soft, tender kiss on the very top of his head. "You really scared me, you big dummy," she whispered into his hair.
She didn't stop there; she began to trace small, soothing circles on the back of his neck with her thumb, watching as his brow finally unfurrowed and his breathing became deep and even.
She felt like she could stay like this forever-protecting him the way he always tried to protect her.
She even took his hand, the one draped over her waist, and pressed a shy kiss to his knuckles before tucking it back against her.