The CEO’s Unspoken Love (Eleanor and Derek) novel Chapter 173

Chapter 173

Eleanor POV

The pain pulsed behind my eyes like a metronome, steady and unrelenting. I squeezed them shut, trying to will away the throbbing

that had woken me from restless sleep. My breath came out hot against the pillow, my throat raw when I swallowed. The fever that

had taken hold yesterday hadn’t released its grip.

I became aware of the warm weight around my waist-Derek’s arm, solid and secure. He was pressed against my back, his chest

rising and falling in a rhythm that should have lulled me back to sleep. Instead, I shifted uncomfortably, unable to escape the vise

tightening around my skull.

A small whimper escaped before I could stop it, and instantly the arm around me tightened.

“Eleanor?” Derek’s voice came, thick with sleep but alert with concern.

“I’m fine,” I whispered, the lie transparent even to my own ears.

I felt him shift behind me, propping himself up. His hand moved to brush away strands of hair that clung to my damp forehead. The

cool touch of his fingers against my fevered skin provided momentary relief.

“You’re not fine,” he murmured, his lips pressing against my temple. Your fever’s up again.”

When I didn’t respond, he leaned over, his face appearing in my limited field of vision. In the dim glow from the nightlight, his

features were softened with concern.

“Don’t be stubborn,” he said, his voice impossibly gentle. “Tell me what hurts.”

“My head, I admitted finally. “It feels like it’s splitting open.”

Derek’s weight shifted on the mattress as he moved closer, his hand sliding beneath my neck. “Come here,” he whispered, guiding

my head to rest against his chest. His fingers began to work small, methodical circles at my temples.

“You shouldn’t be this close,” I protested weakly. “You’ll catch whatever I have.”

His chest rumbled with a soft laugh. “I told you, I never get sick.”

Everyone gets sick, Derek,” I argued, though I lacked the strength to pull away from his touch.

“Not me,” he insisted, his hands continuing their gentle ministrations. “Besides, if I was going to catch it, it would have happened

already.”

I wanted to argue further, but the pressure of his fingertips was gradually lessening the pain. I found myself relaxing into his

embrace despite my better judgment.

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Chapter 173

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“My head really hurts, I murmured, the admission easier in the darkness.

“I know,” he soothed, his voice dropping to a whisper that seemed to wrap around me like another blanket. “But I’m here. I won’t

leave you.

His hands moved in practiced motions, easing the tension from my brow, my temples, the base of my skull. Gradually, the sharp pain dulled to a manageable ache, and I drifted back into a fitful sleep, anchored by Derek s steady presence.

Morning light filtered through the curtains when I next opened my eyes. The space beside me was empty, the sheets cool to the touch. My head still felt heavy, though the stabbing pain had subsided. My throat, however, felt worse-raw and painful with each

swallow.

I pushed myself up against the pillows, wondering if Derek had left. The thought brought an irrational pang of disappointment, quickly dismissed. Of course he would have gone. He had a company to run.

Just as I was contemplating whether I had the strength to make it to the bathroom alone, the bedroom door opened. Derek appeared, holding a glass of water.

“You’re awake,’ he said, approaching the bed. “Think you can eat something?”

I stared at him, taking in his appearance. He was dressed casually in a gray cashmere sweater and dark jeans-not his usual office attire. His hair was slightly tousled, as if he hadn’t bothered with his usual styling routine. There was something disarmingly intimate about seeing him this way in my bedroom.

He tilted his head, studying me with a small smile playing at his lips. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

I blinked, realizing I’d been staring. “Nothing,” I said, my voice scratchy.

Derek set the water on the nightstand and leaned down, pressing a light kiss to my forehead. The gesture was so natural, so tender,

that it momentarily stole my breath.

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The CEO’s Unspoken Love