Hitched by Erin Nicholas Read Free Book Online Page A

be more comfortable, and for another, he couldn’t very well burn the dress with her still in it.
    “Allie? Babe, let’s get you out of this thing,” he said, pulling her up to sitting.
    She pulled back, trying to lie down.
    “No, no, come on,” he said, tugging her upright.
    He reached behind her and lowered the zipper on the dress. The bodice gaped and slipped forward on her arms. Gavin stoically kept his eyes from dropping lower than her face. This wasn’t sexual. That wasn’t what was happening here. He was going to undress her, put her in one of his T-shirts and tuck her in. Period.
    The dress hadn’t dropped away from her breasts completely, so he also unhooked her bra and then rose to grab a T-shirt from his dresser. She’d flopped back onto the pillows, the bodice loose, but still covering her when he returned to the bed. He slipped the T-shirt over her head and then pulled it down as he pulled the dress and bra down. He didn’t see any bare body parts—but he knew they were there. And his body reacted.
    Gavin stubbornly ignored the tightness behind his zipper and slipped the dress and bra out from under the shirt, pulling the dress the rest of the way off her hips and down her legs. He left her panties on and tossed the dress to one side. He was going to roast marshmallows over the fire he made with that dress tomorrow.
    Then he stripped off his own clothes except his boxers and managed to get the comforter and sheets pulled down from under Allie. She sighed contentedly, burrowing down into the pillow, and he slid in next to her, flipping the covers over them both.
    The big windows were covered with blackout shades, making it feel like it was nighttime in the bedroom at least. But there was enough light from the light in the hallway that he could lie and watch Allie’s profile. She was here. He finally let his body and mind relax enough to absorb that fact. He and Allie were in his bed together in Alaska.
    This was where she belonged. With him. And finally it was going to happen.
    His actions and reactions had been fueled by emotion—panic, fear, love, determination—for the past twenty-six hours. Now everything just drained out of him. It was over. He’d gone to her. He’d done the right thing. He’d rescued her.
    Everything was good now.
    Gavin felt his body start to sink into the mattress, and he reached to pull Allie against him. She wiggled close, her butt right in his groin, her legs against his, her back to his chest.
    His body hardened as his heart softened.
    Everything was very good now.
     
     
    “Walking pneumonia.”
    There was a beat of silence then, “What the fuck? She’s actually sick ?”
    “It’s a mild pneumonia. Treated with antibiotics. She’ll be fine.”
    “It’s not just stress and liquor?”
    Allie heard Gavin mutter something else and the other male voice say, “Extreme stress, fatigue, lack of sleep, not eating well—all of that can contribute to physical and mental exhaustion and, yes, getting sick.”
    Extreme stress—check.
    Lack of sleep—check.
    Not eating well—check.
    That all sounded about right to her.
    Allie buried further under the covers of the most comfortable bed she’d ever been in and closed her eyes again. The guys were just outside the bedroom, the door open, and she didn’t want them to know she was awake.
    “What the fuck were they all doing? Just sitting around, picking out his and hers towels and thinking that it didn’t matter that she was obviously not doing well?”
    Allie felt her chest get warm at Gavin’s words. Obviously he was frustrated. He’d never been very good at hiding his feelings. She’d always loved that about him. If he was happy, you knew it. If he was angry, you knew it. If he wanted you, you knew it.
    But this frustration was over her. He was concerned, protective, willing to fight battles for her.
    A shiver of desire went through her but, as always when it concerned Gavin, it was twisted up with a bunch of