“I…”
Aida’s hand settled over his when Julianshook his head. From across the room, she sensed his strain as thecaterer rushed away and his shoulders hunched up. She hadn’tunderstood it, but her instincts said he needed her. Even mad athim, she couldn’t resist the pull toward him, and she couldn’tstand to see him suffer.
She resisted drawing him into her arms; thiswasn’t the place. Her fingers moved over his skin as blood welledfrom between his fingers. The top and bottom of the champagne glasspoked out of his fist, but his hand swallowed the middle. They hadto get into the bathroom so she could see what he’d done tohimself.
“We have to clean you up,” she said.
“I’m fine.” His skin was already healingaround the stem, and the flow of blood was easing. Once he lefthere, he’d remove the glass and wash out the wound.
“Is something wrong here?” Nicolette asked asshe arrived at Julian’s other side.
“Just a little accident,” Aida assured her.“The glass broke and cut him.”
“Oh, no!” Nicolette’s hand flew to her mouth.“We’ll get that cleaned up now.”
“I’m fine,” Julian said and moved his handaway from Nicolette when she tried to touch him.
“I’ll take care of it,” Aida assuredNicolette as she cradled his injured hand protectively against herbelly. “Julian is an old friend of mine.”
A suspicious gleam came into Nicolette’s eyesas she glanced between the two of them. Aida almost rolled her eyesas she suspected Nicolette was thinking they were setting her upfor a lawsuit or something. She was sure she would hear about thislater, even if there was no lawsuit.
Seeming to sense this, Julian said, “I’msorry for the inconvenience, but sometimes I’m a klutz.”
Aida had never seen him take a misstep in hislife, and he moved with a fluid grace that was mesmerizing, but hissmile and words worked as Nicolette looked a little lessdoubtful.
“I’ve been admiring the paintings and wouldlike to purchase one of them,” he continued.
Nicolette’s skepticism vanished as shebestowed a beautiful smile on him. “No inconvenience at all,”Nicolette assured him.
The pointed glance she shot Aida said she’dbe in trouble if he didn’t walk out of here with a painting. Thedoor to the bathroom opened, and the pretty blonde who was talkingwith Julian earlier emerged. Aida suppressed a groan when thenblonde’s eyes landed on Julian and a smile lit her face.
“Oh,” she said as she stuck out a hip. “Helloagain.”
Aida bit her tongue to keep from telling herto get out of the way, but Nicolette was watching all of them, andAida would end up on the unemployment line if she were rude to apotential buyer.
“Hey,” Julian muttered.
“When you get the chance, I’d like to finishour conversation from earlier,” the blonde said as she flutteredher lashes.
“Maybe later,” Julian said as he eyed thebathroom.
He had to get out of this room and somewherequiet for a few minutes. The blonde stepped out of the way as hestrode forward with Aida at his side.
“I’ll be right out,” she said to Nicolettebefore following him into the room and shutting the door. The lockclicked as she turned it into place. She hit another switch, and afan turned on. No one would hear them over the noise. “Whathappened?”
“I’ll take care of this.” She couldn’t seewhat he’d done to himself; it would only bring more questions. “Youshould go back out there.”
Aida inhaled a steadying breath as she buriedher irritation over his attempt to shut her out. “You came into mywork, which means you get no privacy while you’re here.”
She plucked the top and bottom of thechampagne glass out of his hand. She gulped when she saw the bloodstaining the jagged pieces before she tossed them into the trash.What had he done to himself, and why?
“I could lose my job over this,” she said.“And if I don’t have a job, I can’t pay my rent. Unlike you, Ican’t will my landlord into believing I paid him.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” he said.
She grunted as she tugged at the fingers herefused to open. “What did you do to yourself?”
“It was an accident.”
