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“You did the right thing.” If she stayed in that car, things could have gotten worse. Hell, getting out, she could have gotten swept away. She could have been hurt or worse. She could have… I tried to ignore the heart stuttering reality, but I couldn’t. The thought gnawed at my gut, twisting and churning my insides.
Steam filled the bathroom, coating the mirror and turning the air hot and thick. “Take a shower. I’ll get you something to wear, and I’ll call my friend who has a tow truck.”
“I don’t know how I’m going to get around without my car. How am I going to take Gio to the museum?”
Her words sunk into my chest. After everything she’d been through, and her biggest concern was taking my son to the museum.
“Let me worry about that.” I hooked my finger into the hem of her shirt. “Lift your arms,” I said, and she didn’t hesitate. I peeled the soaking wet material from her body and dropped it in the sink. I stood up and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Yell if you need me.”
I wanted to stay and help her out of the rest of her clothes, but I didn’t want to cross any boundaries. She nodded, and I closed the door behind me.
Downstairs, I called Bill, the only tow truck and mechanic shop in town. Hopefully, he wasn’t at Don’s Bistro, and he could swing by and grab Quinn’s car. I sent up a silent prayer as the phone rang.
Fifteen minutes later, Quinn came downstairs wearing one of my t-shirts and a pair of boxers Mom had bought me for Christmas. Did all moms buy their kids underwear and t-shirts for Christmas every year from the minute they’re born? Or was that just my mom?
Seeing her in my clothes did something to my chest. I pressed a palm near my heart and rubbed.
Quinn towel dried her hair as she walked into the living room. Her red strands were drying in a mix of waves and curls I wanted to thrust my fingers through. I kicked my feet off the coffee table and stood. “Feel better?”
“Much. Thank you. I’m just worried about my car.”
“Bill is on his way to pick it up and bring it to his shop. He said he can take a look at it sometime tomorrow.”
“That’s great, but I’m not sure if I can afford the repair.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
She shook her head. “I couldn’t ask that of you. It’s my car and my responsibility. I’ll borrow money from my mom if I need to.”
“I should never have let you walk out that door.” I flung my finger toward the door, trying to control the anger that was brewing. “I should have known better. Or I should have at least warned you to not take the fucking road. It’s my fault. And I’ll take care of it.”
“If I was paying better attention. If I wasn’t cr—” She stopped herself before she could say the word, but it didn’t take a genius to figure it out.
I stepped toward her, cupping her cheek. “I hate myself right now,” I admitted. Shame clung to me like the wet strands of her hair on her forehead.
Her big brown eyes blinked up at me. “Why?”
“Because I made you cry, and that was never my intent. I should have never crossed that line.” Realizing I said that while holding her face, I quickly dropped my hand and stepped back. I was finding it harder and harder not to keep jumping over that line.
“No.” She flung herself forward, her hand landing on my chest. “I wasn’t… It wasn’t… The tears weren’t about you. Though, I do think for Gio’s sake, and the fact that you’re my boss, we shouldn’t—”
“Make out on kitchen counters and strip each other’s clothes off?”
The apples of her cheeks plumped with her smile. “Yeah that.”
I wanted to say fuck it all and pick up where we had left off. But she was right. I hated that she was right. Hated that her hand on my chest was making me feel too many fucking emotions I couldn’t sort through.
“It’s for the best.” Her hand fell away, and my heart cracked in two.
“You can sleep in the guest room for tonight. The sheets are fresh and there’s a TV in there.”
“What about tomorrow? I don’t have a car.”
My head told me to stay in place, but my body was desperate to feel her warmth beneath my touch. I moved toward her, reaching up and cupping her cheek again. She nuzzled against my palm, and I was happy to see I wasn’t the only one losing the fight.
“I told you I would take care of it, and I’m a man of my word.”
“I know you are.”
