Oh no. Oh no.
“Rugger!” Tom yelled, making her jump.
“I’m so sorry! Let me clean it up.”
You clumsy idiot, Arianna.
“Hey, it’s fine. It was Rugger’s fault for bumping into you. Just a broken cup. No issue,” Tom soothed.
“What’s going on? Ari? Are you okay?” Bain walked in.
She stared down at the mess she’d made. Her feet were stinging from the hot coffee.
“What happened? Shit! Don’t move!”
Bain strode towards her and operating on instinct she moved away from him, hissing out a breath as she stepped on a piece of sharp ceramic, cutting her foot.
“Rugger bumped into her and she dropped a cup of coffee. She might be burnt,” Tom told Bain.
His face darkened. Shoot. She was always causing him trouble.
“I’m so sorry,” she muttered. She crouched down to start picking up the broken pieces.
“Nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart,” Tom soothed her. “Please leave it. I don’t want you cutting yourself.”
“No. . .no, I’ll clean it up.”
Bain picked her up. She let out a cry of surprise. Rugger barked, then growled.
“Rugger,” Tom scolded as Bain carried her over to the counter.
“Bain! I can’t sit up here,” she worried.
“You’re fine.” He grabbed her cut foot, inspecting it.
“Put her feet in the sink, run the cold water over them,” Tom directed.
Bain picked her back up and set her down next to the sink. She shook her head; she couldn’t put her feet in the sink. She could just go upstairs to the bathroom. It was just a few small burns and a cut. Although she guessed Tom didn’t want her traipsing blood through his house.
No, that would just cement her role as the worst houseguest ever.
“I’m so sorry, Tom,” she said. “You’ve opened your home up and I broke your cup and made a mess—”
“Just a mug,” Bain told her. “No big deal.”
Maybe not to him, but if she’d done that growing up, her mother would never have let her hear the end of it.
But you’re not in your parents’ house. And it was just a cup. Although the coffee. . .
“I should mop up the coffee so it doesn’t stain.”
“I got it,” Tom told her with a gentle smile. He probably thought she was a complete twit. He left the room.
Bain had her feet in the sink by now and had turned on the cold water. Water splashed the bottom of her sweatpants.
She frowned. Damn man could have given her a chance to roll them up at the ends. She tried to pull her feet back out. That water was cold.
“Keep them in there,” Bain snapped.