Ruthless King

“You don’t need to worry since I’m paying,” Regent told her.

She eyed him. “I hope you don’t want any favors in return for payment.”

This was said right as a tall, blond man stepped into the room. His pale blue eyes swung to Regent accusingly.

What the hell? Where did she get that from?

“Of course I don’t require any favors.”

“I should hope not,” Alister said lightly.

Regent narrowed his gaze at Doctor Stanley’s nephew. The older doctor could get away with a lot since Regent had known him since he was a teenager. His nephew could not.

His attractive, far younger nephew.

“This isn’t going to work,” he stated.

Jilly coughed. “Told you. Waste of money. I don’t want anyone looking after me.”

“That’s tough. Because I’m going to look after you. No arguments.”

23

I’m going to look after you. No arguments.

Jilly woke upand looked around her bedroom.

Huh. That had been a strange dream. Regent had decided that he was going to take care of her while she was ill. And he’d also said he would give up smoking forher.

Lord. What an imagination she had.

She sat up and glanced down at herself. Why did she feel like she’d been run over by a truck? Her head was thumping and her throat was hot.

Oh no.

Was she really ill?

Shit. What day was it? What time was it?

She must have been asleep for a while because she had to pee so bad.

Obviously, she’d been wishing for someone to take care of her and that’s why she’d dreamed that Regent had been here when she got home. That he’d swept her into his arms and declared that he would look after her.

Huh.

As if that was going to happen. He’d only come to see her in the first place because her mother had asked him to.

Urgh.

She needed to call Mama before she roused her neighbors to come check on her.

Maybe she’d just have a shower first. She was all sweaty and gross. Her pajamas were clinging to her. Hopefully, that meant that the fever had broken.

Pushing back her covers, a cough rattled through her.

Shit.

Jilly was going to have to douse herself up on cold meds to get through her sets tonight. Wait, was it Saturday?