Chapter 253 Hold on, Okay?
Jessica was so startled that she coughed violently. She grabbed a tissue to cover her mouth, her eyes wide with shock as she looked at him.
Just then, the doorbell rang from outside the room.
Gabriel shot her another glance. Jessica looked bewilderedly in the direction of the door. This was his house, not hers, and at this hour, it was unlikely someone would be visiting her.
However, when Gabriel went to open the door, he came back with a pot of soup and placed it on the dining table. As he opened it, the familiar aroma wafted out, and Jessica exclaimed, "Is this the soup Caroline made?"
"She was worried about you and made some soup to bring over," Gabriel said, glancing at the soup. "It's very nourishing, but since you're still on fever medication, just have a little."
Jessica nodded. She was already quite full from Gabriel's breakfast, but she didn't want to waste Caroline's kind gesture. So, she served herself a small bowl, took a few sips, and set it aside, planning to reheat it at lunchtime. She couldn't bear to throw it away.
After the meal, she took her temperature: 101.5°F.
Gabriel watched her drink water and urged her to lie down and rest. She had no choice but to return to the bedroom, where she eventually dozed off.
But she woke up just two hours later. Gabriel came in to change her ice pack and, seeing she was awake, gently touched her forehead. "Does your head still hurt?"
Jessica shook her head. "Do I still have a fever?"
"100.4°F," he said, sitting by the bed and feeling her hand under the blanket.
Jessica stiffened slightly at his touch under the covers.
Gabriel noticed her subtle reaction and looked at her face. "If your fever keeps fluctuating, we might have to go to the hospital. Physical cooling isn't very effective; we might need to use an old method."
"What method?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Gabriel suddenly lifted the blanket and lay down beside her. He pulled the covers tighter around her and tucked them in at her neck.
Under the blanket, Gabriel's strong arms pulled her close. Jessica, already feeling like a furnace, felt like she was going to spontaneously combust as she was pressed against his shirt. She struggled slightly.
"Don't move," Gabriel said, holding her tighter and wrapping the blanket more securely around her. "We need to make you sweat. Be obedient."
"It's too hot." Jessica protested.
"Bear with it," Gabriel said sternly, holding her even tighter.
Jessica, feeling smothered, looked up at him. "Are you trying to suffocate me?"
Gabriel glanced down at her and, taking advantage of her raised head, kissed her on the lips. "Sweating will help break the fever. External cooling methods aren't working for you, so we have to try this. Hold on, okay?"
It was stiflingly hot under the blanket.
Her heart felt even hotter.
Jessica's face, though haggard from the fever, had lips that looked redder than usual. She kept her head raised, staring at him.
Gabriel, after a moment of her staring, pressed her head into his chest, his voice slightly hoarse. "Stop looking."
Jessica lay quietly against him, enveloped in his scent and warmth. She didn't move.
But she still needed to breathe, and her feverish breaths were hotter than usual. She kept breathing in and out through his shirt in his arms. Not only was she feeling hot and stuffy, but Gabriel, who was holding her forcibly and trying to make her sweat, also obviously felt uncomfortable.
Initially, Gabriel just wanted her to sweat.
Now, she was in a bit of a dilemma.
Jessica tried to find a more comfortable position, moving her leg slightly. Her knee accidentally brushed against something it shouldn't have, causing her to freeze. Gabriel's body also tensed up.
She quickly tried to move her leg, but it was hard to find space in the hot, cramped blanket.
Suddenly, Gabriel's voice, low and a bit strained, came from above her. "Jessica, if you don't want anything to happen while you're sick, stop moving!"
Jessica immediately froze.
Eventually, she got used to the heat. Gabriel's embrace was so secure and comforting that she drifted off to sleep.
She didn't know how long she slept, but she vaguely heard the sound of water running in the bathroom. She turned over and continued sleeping, feeling her sweaty, sticky forehead and body. She frowned but was too tired to care, falling asleep to the sound of the running water.
When Gabriel returned from his shower, he pulled the now-sweaty but fever-free Jessica back into his arms. In her sleep, she felt the coolness of his body.
In this cold weather, he must have taken a cold shower.
She groggily turned to him, mumbling, "How long did I sleep? Is my fever gone?"
"Three hours," Gabriel said, stroking her damp hairline. "Keep sleeping. Then take a shower when you wake up."
"Yeah." Her voice was also soft. She hid her head in the quilt, feeling that his body was very cold at the moment. She wanted to turn over, but his arm held her tightly.
She sleepily opened her eyes and saw Gabriel's still-damp hair and freshly washed face. She asked, confused, "What are you doing?"
Gabriel, in the dim light, cupped her chin. Despite just having showered, he didn't seem to mind her sweat. His warm breath brushed her cheek as he leaned down for a deep kiss.
Jessica, having just broken her fever, was exhausted and just wanted to sleep.
But Gabriel obviously saw that her fever had subsided and didn't give her the chance to sleep too soundly.
He kissed her ear.
It was an extremely sensitive spot.
She shivered in his arms.
Gabriel held her tighter.
"Gabriel..." Jessica couldn't take it anymore. She raised her hand to push him away. "I'm still sick. Don't..."
She was afraid that if they started having sex while kissing, she wouldn't be able to handle it in her current state.
Gabriel kissed her ear again, his voice husky. "Is your period over?"
