Page 73 of Forced Proximity

Like my fingers are acid, she bolts from the bed. ‘I’m going to get you some water.’

‘No wait, please.’ I sit up and immediately regret it. As the room spins, I lower myself back into the mattress and reach for Doc. ‘Almost everyone in my life is on my payroll. Everyone I interact with is because I pay them, or they’re makin’ money off me. Studio, manager, agents. Even Zane, who’s … basically my best friend … is paid by me.’ The walls narrow and widen, and I shut one eye to stop the nauseating movement. ‘Even you, Doc. Once this job is over, you’ll be gone. Just like everyone else. I’m just a job to you. I’ve got no one.’

‘That’s not true.’ Her voice cracks. ‘Even after the job, you’ve got me.’

‘But I don’t.’ My eyes are too heavy, my heart too heavy. Everything is so fucking heavy. The alcohol, yeah, but the world, my life, the pressures … it’s all weighing on me. ‘I’ve got no one.’

‘Justin.’

Her voice is so soft, barely a whisper. Did I doze off? So many moments pass of her not speaking that I’m not sure if she’s still in the room with me, or if I’m dreaming. I hear a deep, breathy inhale, and a soft hand touches the top of mine.

‘If you want, you can call me by my real name. Lexi.’

Lexi. This is something much bigger than I can comprehend at this moment. But it’s huge. A gift. A beginning. My chest relaxes into the mattress. ‘Lexi. Beautiful name …’

A door softly closing clicks in the distance, and I drift to sleep.

Chapter 34

Lexi

For two weeks, I never mention a word about that night, or Conner, or families, or feelings. Nothing. But an undeniable shift occurs in the employee–employer power dynamic, combined with the protector–protected dynamic, and I don’t stop it. Seeing Justin so vulnerable opened a piece of my heart. This bond, kinship, something more … has only happened one other time in my life. It’s stupid, definitely, and a bit terrifying. But also, kind of amazing.

When Justin opened up, it took all my strength not to pull him into me and tell him how incredible he is, what a gift he is to the world. I spent that night replaying every moment. The pain from his parents, the shame he feels from leaving his sister, him telling me I’m beautiful. Oof.

‘Lexi?’ Justin calls from the kitchen.

I never thought I’d love hearing my birth name coming from someone’s mouth as much as I do. But two weeks after giving it to Justin, it creates a tingle every time. ‘Yeah?’ I call out and move to the kitchen where Justin is bouncing on his feet. Literally. Not that I blame him. When Mia decided to do a quick, surprise trip and flew in two days ago – which just so happened to be my two days off from work‚ Justin text me with lines of emoji. Emojis. This man does not do emojis.

‘Ready?’ he says, handing me a granola bar. I grin at the food, put it in my bag and glance at my watch. We’re going to be super early, but I refuse to point this out. He clearly wants to spend every last second with his sister and squeezed in a quick lunch before she flies back, so I could meet her.

Never before has a client ever wanted to introduce me to their family for any reason other than work. And I’m not calling it out because I have the distinct sense that this is not work related, and for now, I can’t let my heart go there.

‘I don’t understand why she didn’t stay at your house,’ I say as I strap in for the forty-five-minute ride. ‘You have like a million bedrooms.’

‘Mia’s just like that. Ultra-independent. One of the things that I both love and drives me insane about her.’ He snaps his seatbelt and shoots me a grin. ‘Or maybe I should accept the fact that she finds me too annoying to be around longer than quick visits.’

Oof. That grin. Those dimples get me every time. Lately, it’s been striking me, stronger, directly to the chest. And that shirt he has on today isn’t helping. Ninety percent of the time, Justin tears around the house in a white T-shirt and jeans or shorts. But today, the tailored button-down seems to be dyed the exact jade and moss hue of his eyes swirling among the amber color, and its damn near impossible to look away.

At the hotel, I follow two steps behind Justin. While he searches the lobby for his sister, I scope the exits and scan the crowd of travelers, looking for potential security threats. Soon, Justin’s entire face lights up. He beelines to his sister and gives her a hug.

‘Doc, meet Mia,’ he says, waving between us, and I so appreciate that he keeps my personal name private. Mia is beautiful. Long dark hair, bright green eyes, nose ring, sleeve tattoos and carries the same dimples as Justin. I reach out to shake her hand, but she pulls me in for a hug instead.

I like her already.

‘I finally get to meet the person Justin has complained so much about,’ Mia says with a giggle.

‘Mia!’ Justin smacks his palms together. ‘Don’t you follow some sort of family code? You’re not supposed to tell her these things.’

I narrow my eyes at him, holding back a laugh. ‘You were complaining about me?’

‘My God,’ Mia says as she adjusts her backpack, ‘he wouldn’t shut up about – and I quote – what a pain in the ass you were.’

‘Justin!’ Thinking back at how much we used to fight is kind of embarrassing. I had no idea he’d end up being so … amazing. ‘In all fairness, I probably was a pain in the ass. But in my defense, I was doing my job.’

‘I’d never heard anyone complain so heavily, in so much boring, excruciating detail in my life,’ Mia continues. ‘And I loved every second of it. I wanted to meet you the second I had an opportunity.’

‘Okay, okay, we should get some food,’ Justin says as he grabs Mia’s backpack and we head inside the hotel restaurant. ‘Before my bodyguard quits for good.’