Addison wanted to break something.
To her unpleasant surprise, the feral's venom had a higher potency than they'd expected. One dose of the antivenom wasn't enough to neutralize it. Despite her accelerated healing, her symptoms had resurfaced with a vengeance a few hours later.
If that wasn't enough to put her in a bad mood, she had to listen to Naomi piss and moan because Gray refused to let Addison leave his apartment until the venom was completely out of her system.
"She can recover just as well at home—better even, because she'll be more comfortable in her own bed," Naomi argued as she glared at Gray with her arms crossed.
They faced off next to Gray's bed, where Addison hadn't moved from since she'd been put there the night before. Gray had already given her a second dose of the antivenom, and the worst of the symptoms had finally dissipated.
"Are you planning to skip work until she's in the clear?" he asked, his voice calm and reasonable. "Because there's no telling how long it'll take for that shit to work its way out, and she'll need constant monitoring in case she takes another turn."
"I'll manage," Naomi ground out. "Besides, you work, too."
"I can work remotely while my guys on site keep me updated on progress. There's plenty of paperwork I need to get caught up on, anyway."
"You can't miss work, Naomi," Addison interrupted, her voice a croak. She was exhausted. The last thing she wanted to do was move. "I'll be fine here." She was tempted to add that Gray's bed was actually more comfortable than her own but keep it to herself.
Naomi's irritable gaze swung between Addison and Gray before she eventually let out a sigh bordering on a growl. "Fine, fuck it. What do I know?" She dropped her hands to her hips and glared at Gray. "You better find me a spare key to this place. I'm not leaving her here unless I have full access."
To Addison's surprise, Gray didn't argue. "There's one stashed outside. I'll show you where it is."
As he left the room, Naomi looked to Addison. "I'll grab you some clothes from home and be back in a bit, okay?"
"Fine." Addison wouldn't admit she didn't mind wearing Gray's clothes. There was something personal about it, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't like it.
****
For the next two days, Gray's bed was Addison's home. The only times she left it were the occasional trips across the hall to the bathroom. Still unsteady on her feet, she allowed Gray to help with the short treks.
While the worst of the venom's effects had dissipated over the last day, she'd maintained a fever that would kill a human. The body aches hadn't been a picnic, either, but her condition was gradually improving.
Instead of leading her back to the bed after the most recent bathroom trip, Gray steered her toward the couch. "I'm going to change the sheets," he said, easing her onto the sectional. "You were sweating like crazy with that last flare up."
"I know," she grumbled. Her head felt too heavy to lift. She dropped it against the backrest. "I feel grody."
"I'll grab a bowl of water and a washcloth." Gray snagged a blanket from the end of the couch and draped it over her. "You can wipe down while I change the bedding." He'd had to switch out the sheets at least four times over the last forty-eight hours, but he'd done it without complaint. Addison wondered if the man was starting to regret watching over her. Most of the men she'd met over the years weren't the caretaker type.
Her brows were almost too tired to lift. "Do you see this rat's nest?" She pointed to her hair, which was tied up in a stringy, snarled mass at the top of her head. "I need a shower, not a sponge bath."
"You can barely stand on your own." Gray frowned. "The last thing you need is to slip and fall in the shower."
Addison closed her eyes and groaned, knowing he was right. She let herself fall sideways onto the couch and grunted when her head hit the cushion. It was petulant, but she didn't care. She hated feeling grimy.
Gray let out a sigh and retreated. A closet door opened; the linen closet, if she had to guess. A few minutes of rustling and padded footsteps passed. Addison kept her eyes closed the entire time. No radio or television played, but a low electrical hum of a laptop was running nearby. Beyond that, the apartment was quiet.
She must have dozed off because a touch on her shoulder had her jolting awake. Her eyes flew open to find Gray standing in front of her again. They widened when she realized he no longer wore pants.
It took her a moment to respond. "Why are you in your underwear?" She forced her gaze to lift to his face rather than stay glued to his black boxer briefs. Or rather, the sizable bulge in them.
He quirked a brow. "Because I'm going to help you take a shower and I doubt you want me naked for it."
Heat filled her chest that had nothing to do with her vampire radar. "Really." It wasn't a question. She eyed him, both skeptical and curious. "And how is that going to work?"
"With this." The hand he lifted held a blue bandana.
Addison blinked. "A blindfold?"
"Unless you'd rather shower with clothes on."
She shook her head what little she could. That definitely wasn't an appealing idea.
"Didn't think so. I'd promise to keep my eyes closed, but I figured you'd rather have something more foolproof. Ergo," he lifted the bandana, "blindfold."
She stared at him, saying nothing, then tugged the blanket over her head and groaned, "Fuck my life."
Gray snorted. "It's either I help you now, or you wait for Naomi to come check on you tonight. Your choice."
Another groan. He was right. She could barely stand on her own. Trying to shower alone in her current state would be just plain stupid. She considered taking a bath instead, but she needed to get clean, not sit and brew in whatever filth came off her.
Did she want to wait another eight or more hours for Naomi to come back? Not particularly.
Was she completely against Gray's offer of help, blindfold included? Questionable.
It wasn't that she didn't trust him to behave himself. He'd already had the opportunity to take every advantage when he'd cleaned her up and changed her clothes the first night. As much as he flirted, she knew he wouldn't push or disrespect her like that. Gray was a man who respected women, and despite their roles, he extended that respect to her. He wouldn't hesitate to kill her if necessary, but that was just part of his job. She wouldn't fault him for it.
Addison's hesitance laid solely in her own mind. The idea of being naked and having Gray touch her, even in a purely innocent capacity, seemed far too vulnerable a scenario.
Vulnerable, but also—if she was being honest—intriguing.
She sighed through her nose. "This is a bad idea," she mumbled. When Gray didn't respond, she dragged the blanket from her face. "Fine. Let's just get this over with."
Sitting up was a challenge. Her limbs were heavy and everything ached. She shoved the blanket away and allowed Gray to pull her to her feet. When they reached the bathroom, he propped her against the sink before pulling bath towels from a cabinet, along with three washcloths.
She frowned. "I'm not that dirty."
Gray chuckled low as he hung one of the washcloths in the shower. "One for you, two for me." He started the shower and adjusted the dial. He turned back. "I don't have any rubber gloves, so these will have to do."
It took a moment for that to sink in. "You're going to use them to cover your hands?"
"They'll give me a better grip in case you slip." He lifted the folded bandana to his eyes and tied the ends behind his head. A teasing smirk tilted the corner of his mouth. "Slippery soap and all that."
Addison couldn't help the snort that came out. "You think of everything."
His smirk grew into a grin. "I try. Do you need help undressing or can you manage?"
"Let's find out," she mumbled.
Seeing his blindfold was firmly in place, she proceeded to painstakingly remove the shirt she wore. It took her a few tries to pull her arms through the sleeves. Getting the fabric over her head was a little easier, but not by much. Taking her hair down was the hardest part. Her arms seemed to weigh fifty pounds each, and untangling the hair tie proved a challenge. The boxer briefs came off without issue, thanks to gravity.
Finally naked, she took a deep breath. "Okay. Ready."
With a washcloth covering each hand, Gray steadied her as they stepped into the shower together.
The spray of hot water made Addison almost moan. She stood there for a minute just letting the soothing heat wash over her. Water streamed over her face when she leaned her head back to soak her hair. She swayed a little but Gray's hold was solid.
"Naomi brought shampoo and stuff for you," he said, pulling her from her revelry. "It's on the shelf next to you."
Sure enough, there sat Addison's preferred brand of shampoo and conditioner, along with face scrub and body wash.
"God, I love that woman," she said with a grateful sigh. Her roommate hadn't missed a beat.
She washed her face first, scrubbing away the sweat, dirt, and dead skin that had built up over the past couple of days. While the task had taken little effort, applying the body wash was a different story. Her arms quickly grew tired with the exertion, and she concluded she was incapable of bending to wash her legs. Her balance was currently shit and dizziness would have her taking a nosedive if she tried.
"Shit," she cursed under her breath. Even then a slight wave of lightheadedness had her grabbing Gray's arms for support.
"What's wrong?"
She sighed, knowing what would come next. "I can't bend down."
Gray stilled for a beat. "Would you like help?"
Addison's knee-jerk reaction was to tell him no, she could do it her damn self. But she knew she couldn't. So, she tamped down on the urge and gave herself a mental slap. That morning she had decided to tone down the hostility. It seemed she might need an occasional reminder.
"I would appreciate it," she managed, then amended with, "if you don't mind."
The corner of his mouth twitched. "Not at all." He lifted one of his cloth-covered hands from her waist and held it palm up. "Soap?"
She squeezed some body wash onto the cloth he held. When she set the bottle down, he tapped the built-in ledge at hip level.
"One hand here, the other on my shoulder." When she was situated the way he wanted, he said, "Let me know if you're feeling faint."
She nodded, but then remembered he couldn't see her. "Okay."
Gray removed his other hand from her waist and brought the two washcloths he held together, massaging the soap into both pieces until a rich lather built.
Without another word, he lowered to his knees.