Besides, he wasn’t in a relationship with her; he was free and single. However, as soon as he had decided to begin a relationship with her, he hadn’t touched any of the women. His sexual past was his, and she was going to have to accept it, just like he was going to have to accept hers.
He had never anticipated being in a relationship, although if he had given it any thought at all, the woman would have enjoyed the same sexual freedom he did. He had never once entertained the thought that the woman would, at the mere thought of having sex with him, go into a full-fledged panic attack. He had never assumed he would fall in love, but she had driven those misconceptions out of his mind.
Now it was his turn to change her mind about the type of man she wanted.
She finally climbed into the truck, and then Shade slammed the door closed before going around the front and getting back inside. When he put the truck in gear, driving out of the parking lot, Lily sat staring out the window, refusing to talk as he drove through the small town.
It wasn’t long before he pulled into a restaurant with a drive-thru, ordering food. He didn’t ask what she wanted since she would have refused. Besides, he knew the foods she liked and didn’t, because the lunches they had shared had shown him.
Shade took the bag of food, driving back onto the road without a word passing between them. As the aromas filled the truck cab, Shade noticed Lily turn a sickly shade of green, clutching her stomach. Hastily, he rolled down his window.
“Don’t you dare throw up. Rider will be pissed enough when he sees his truck is gone.”
Thankfully, after a few seconds of the fresh air, she regained a little color to her cheeks.
He pulled into the parking lot of the local hotel, stopping in front of the room he had rented. Picking up the bag, he walked to the room and unlocked the door before placing the bag inside then going back to the truck for Lily. If she fought him, he didn’t want the food dumped in the parking lot.
He opened the door on her side to see her staring back at him with a stubborn expression, which was okay with him. It was better than the lifeless one he had seen her walking around campus with over the past couple of days.
“Get out.”
“Quit ordering me around. I’m not going in there.”
He wasn’t going to argue with her. Lifting her into his arms, Shade then slammed the door closed with his shoulder before carrying her struggling form into the room.
The room was small but it held two beds, a small table, and a dresser with a television. He sat her down on one of the chairs by the small, round table in the room. When she would have jumped to her feet, he leaned down, placing a hand on each side of the chair she was sitting in, effectively blocking her in.
“Lily, I am a man with infinite patience, but you are trying me. I advise you to keep your ass on that chair. Do you understand me?” He would not allow her to keep neglecting her health. She was self-destructing, and he wasn’t going to tolerate it.
Shade straightened, going to the other chair and sitting down. Then he opened the bag, pulling out a small cup of soup as well as several packs of crackers and setting them in front of her with a plastic spoon.
“Eat.”
“Will you please quit ordering me around?” Lily asked again, her voice as cold as ice.
“I’ll think about it.” Shade’s lips twitched in amusement at her frosty gaze.
As Lily took the lid off the soup and started turning green again, Shade remembered when he had been on an assignment and went without food. Afterward, his stomach had wanted to reject what it needed most.
“Eat a cracker first.”
Lily’s trembling fingers tore open a pack of the crackers, removing one. She nibbled on it slowly then ate another.
Shade ate the large burger and fries he had bought for himself, watching her as she struggled to eat her soup and crackers. Gradually, her appetite returned, and she began to eat more.
Shade finished eating then set a chocolate shake in front of her. It would give her some much needed calories. During their lunches over the summer, he had asked for whoever made their lunch to make her a milkshake a couple of times a week because he enjoyed watching her enthusiasm when she received the delicious treat.
She started to cry as she drank it. “I hate you.”
“I know.” Shade removed his sunglasses, letting her see his remorse. She wasn’t ready to hear the words yet, but he wanted her to see that he hadn’t wanted to hurt her.
She quit eating, sitting there with tears coursing down her cheeks, turning her face away from him.
Shade stood, picking her up and carrying her to the bed where he laid her down. “Sleep, Lily. You’ll feel better when you wake up. You’re exhausted.”
Lily closed her eyes, curling into a small ball with her hand under her cheek, and Shade sat down on the bed next to hers as she gave a shuddering breath. When her body went limp and her breathing slowed, he stood up and took the blanket off his bed to cover her.
He leaned forward, brushing his lips across her cheek before lying down next to her, easing her back against his chest with his arm across her waist.
“Sleep, baby. I’m here. I’ll always be here.”