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“I will.”After I hung up, I took a deep breath and headed toward the kitchen.I needed some fucking coffee.
“Hey, is everything okay?”I heard footsteps behind me, and I frowned.
“I’m fine.”Valentina was standing there in a long T-shirt and nothing else.
“I hope it’s okay.I didn’t want to sleep in my clothes, and I found one of your T-shirts.”She gave me an impish little smile, and I nodded.Why did she have to look so damn cute?
“I was just making some coffee if you want some.”
“Oh, thanks.That would be really nice.”She nodded.“Do you want me to make it?I don’t want you to hurt your head or …”
“I’m fine,” I said gruffly and turned away.I was trying not to look at her long, slender legs, but fuck, I could imagine them wrapped around my waist.
“How’s your face?”she asked.When she touched my back, I almost flinched.“Is everything okay?”
“I’m okay.”
“Is your brother okay?Did he win his fight?”
“He did.Thanks for asking.”
“Okay.”She looked taken aback, almost upset.
“Are you okay?”
“I'm fine.You just seem very standoffish this morning.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.I just got some bad news.That’s all.”
“Oh no.Is everything all right with your family?”
“It’s fine.Thanks for asking.”
“No worries.Sam,” she said softly.
“Yes, Valentina?”
“Are you mad that I stayed the night?Are you the sort of guy who prefers women leave before the morning?”She rubbed her forehead, and I could see she was concerned and nervous.My heart broke for her, not because it wasn’t true, because it was, but I didn’t want her to feel bad.I didn’t want her to feel like she was imposing.I didn’t want her to feel like I didn’t want her here because, frankly, waking up to her had been the best thing that had happened to me in a while.
“It’s okay,” I said.“My brother just got contacted by someone we never wanted to hear from again, so we’re just processing.”
“Well, if you need to talk.”
“I don’t,” I said.“Let me make this coffee, and then you can go about your business.”
“Oh, okay.”She chewed on our lower lip.“I mean, I can leave now if you…”
“Sorry, that came out wrong.I didn’t mean you can go about your business.I just meant that I’m sure you have a lot of things to do today, and you don’t need to worry about me and whatever drama’s going on in my life.”
“I’d be more than happy to listen.”She smiled.“I don’t have anything until eleven o’clock today.”
“Oh?What do you have going on at eleven?”If she said meeting up with Shane, I would scream.
“I’m going to check out a space for the café.My dad, well, he said he’d help me if I come up with a good business plan and I find a place that costs less than five grand a month.”
“Cool, cool,” I said.“I guess your dad has money?”I felt bad for lying and pretending I didn’t know her dad was absolutely loaded.
“He does okay for himself,” she said, looking away.I guess she didn’t want me to know either.
Did she not trust me?Did she think I would only be interested in her money, or did she think I wouldn’t respect her if I knew she came for money?I wasn’t sure, and the answer bothered me, not that I would actually ask her.
“You can come with me if you want.I mean, I’m sure you have stuff to do.”She paused and looked at me.“What is it you do again?”
“What do I do?”I chewed on my lower lip.I didn’t want to have to lie to her more than I already had.“I’m a private detective,” I said.“My brothers and I run a detective agency.”
“That sounds really cool.Do you have any interesting cases?”
“No, not really,” I said quickly.“And yeah, I’ll go with you today.I’d like to see that space.”
