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“What’re ye lookin’ for, gorgeous?”
“Oh.” She jumped with surprise. “I thought ye were workin’.”
“Nope, watchin’ you instead.”
Her cheeks flushed pink. “I’m just lookin’ for locations like your daddy asked me to.”
JJ looked over from his bay. “Locations for what exactly?”
“The hand sanitiser dispensers,” Ina answered with a chirp. “I need to figure out locations, so I know how many of them to order.”
“Why’re ye orderin’ them in the first place?”
Ina shrugged. “Your daddy read an article about them being a necessity in the workplace.”
“Waste of money if ye ask me.” JJ peered into the engine he was working on. “We were gloves ninety-nine percent of the time, and we wash our hands in the staff room before and after lunch.”
“That one percent when ye don’t is normally when ye meet with clients who want a word, and ye shake their hands. Ye don’t wear your gloves then.”
“So?”
“I know the waitin’ room on most days would argue against this fact, but the majority of our clientele are men.”
“Still not graspin’ what you’re sayin’, Ina.”
“Every man’s hand ye’ve ever shook has likely touched his own penis without washin’ it afterwards at some point. Maybe some of them do it before they stop by and pick up their cars. Think about that for a second.”
I looked at my brother, then we both looked at Ina. “Order twenty bottles of hand sanitiser,” JJ stated.
I bobbed my head in agreement. “And have them installed everywhere.”
When Ina laughed, it was like the sun rose, and I didn’t need a genius to tell me that it meant I was already knee-deep in my feelings about this woman and that it scared the ever-lovin’ shite out of me.
“Six dispensers,” she said with a bob of her head. “That should be enough for the whole premises.”
She made a note on her tablet that was becoming more and more like an extra limb for her. With a smile, she returned to the reception, and I found myself wishing she’d walk slower just so I could look at her arse a little longer. The sway of her hips was transfixing. I leaned to the side just so I could stare at it a little longer.
“You’re done for, bro.” Ryder snorted. “I’ve seen that look; I’ve given that look. She’s definitely your woman. You’re in it for the long haul.”
“I’m thinkin’ you’re spot on, mate.”
“This whole shop is gonna be married within the next few years.” He looked around. “Mark my words.”
Harley glared. “Don’t fuckin’ threaten me, Slater.”
Laughter flowed as we got back to work. The day went by swiftly, and before I knew it, I was in the lobby of my building. Ina left work before me, so on my way up to her apartment, I stopped by the security room and knocked on the door. I explained to the security guards that Ina had a problematic ex-boyfriend and made sure that they knew that if a man showed up looking for her that they were to call me before they notified the guards.
They agreed with no hesitation.
I was walking towards the lifts when my phone rang. I was surprised when I saw Kalin’s name flash across the screen of my phone. As far as I could remember, neither of us had ever phoned one another before. I answered the call and when I brought my mobile to my ear and I heard shouting, screaming and a baby crying, my blood ran cold.
“Kalin!” I shouted. “D’ye hear me?”
She spoke rapidly, but I didn’t catch a single word.
“Slow down, honey. I can’t understand a word you’re sayin’.”
“Date,” Kalin sobbed. “Date, please. They’re gonna kill him. They’re gonna kill Gavin!”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ina
* * *
Dante wasn’t coming by.
I checked my phone for the millionth time, and each time, my stomach twisted when I saw I had no texts or calls from him. When I had asked him to stop by after work, he seemed eager to come and spend time with me. Maybe he regretted what happened between us in the staff room? I wondered if he finally realised that he wasn’t attracted to me after he touched me the way he did. Or maybe he thought I was a selfish lover because I didn’t touch him like he touched me? The questions running through my head were killing me.
I checked my phone again. It was 9:32 p.m.
If he was going to stop by, he should have been here by now. As the minutes turned into hours, I gave up hope that he would have the decency to phone me and let me know he was okay. I had kept my hearing aids in as I hovered around my hall door’s peephole for most of the night, and when I finally spotted Dante walk down the hallway at one in the morning, my stomach felt utterly sick. He was shirtless and had angry red scratches on his back. He paused at his door, looked at mine, then shook his head before he closed himself inside his apartment.
