“No.”
He lifted his eyes to mine, searching them for the truth.
I shook my head. “No,” I repeated. “Not what you think.”
“Thank God.” He hauled me to his chest. His heart was racing, his hold tight. “I can’t even think—Jesus, Kelly. I can’t.”
“I’m fine.”
He pulled back, cupping my face. “You’re still suffering.”
“I-I have trouble sleeping at times,” I confessed. “And my appetite is off. But it’s getting better.”
I was shocked when he pressed his mouth to mine, his lips soft against me. “Kelly,” he murmured.
I covered his wrists with my hands. “Brett,” I breathed. “I’m fine. Promise.”
He kissed me. Just a light brushing of his mouth to mine. A press of gentleness to my skin. Then he sat back, taking me with him. He wrapped his arm around me, letting me rest my head on his shoulder.
“Will you tell me?” he asked.
“When I can.”
He nodded, threading our fingers together and holding my hand on his chest. “I’ll listen anytime.”
I only nodded.
I must have fallen asleep. Brett must have as well. And somehow, we ended up entangled on the sofa, me trapped between the back of it and Brett’s hard body.
I wasn’t sure what to do.
Then his eyes fluttered open, his sea blue meeting my gaze. He frowned, looked down between us, then around the room.
“I fell asleep,” I offered.
“Apparently, so did I.”
“What time is it?” I asked.
He glanced at his watch. “Six.” Then he sat up, getting off the sofa quickly. “I need to go grab a shower downstairs and change before the staff comes in.” He groaned. “Before Charly walks in and figures out I was here all night.”
“Okay.”
He bent and kissed me. Another soft press of his mouth. “Thank you for trusting me. Telling me. Promise me you’ll take care of yourself.”
“I am.”
“Does Charly know?”
“No.”
“Tell her,” he demanded. “Tell her as much as you can. You need to tell someone.” He paused. “Are you seeing a doctor?”
“No.”
“Charly has a good one. You tell her, and you go see him. You understand?”
I blinked at the worried, insistent tone of his voice. “Okay.”
“Today.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll see you in the garage in a while. Take your time.”
Then he was gone.
I touched my mouth, feeling the pressure of his lips. It had been brief and soft, yet I felt branded.
I sighed, sitting up carefully. I still got dizzy at times.
Brett was right. I should see a doctor. I needed to tell Charly.
I wasn’t sure how she would react, though.
BRETT
“Come on, Tom. You can do better than that price,” I insisted. “You have a shit-ton of those kicking around the junkyard. I saw them myself last time I was there.”
“I gotta make a living, Brett,” he replied, his gravelly voice even rougher-sounding over the phone than in person.
“And I’m trying to help a customer.” I waited a beat. “And I’m pretty certain Reynolds & Co. Restoration is your best customer, and you want to keep us happy.”
He chuckled. “Jesus, you’re worse than Maxx. Fine. Two fifty.”
“Two twenty-five.”
He cursed. “Send Chase. I’ll get it brought to the front.” He hung up.
I smirked. I would have paid the two fifty. The part was worth it.
But the customer would be happy. And Maxx would be happy with the markup. A win-win situation.
I glanced at my watch. It had been three hours since I left Kelly. Woken with her in my arms. It had been a strange sensation—something that had been rare in our relationship. At first, it was simply hookups. Each of us scratching an itch when she was in town. Except the visits became more frequent. The itch became stronger. When she came for Stefano’s wedding, she had stayed longer than ever, and we had spent some nights together. I liked waking up with her nestled into my side, her head on my chest. At one point, I thought it was the start of a more permanent stage in our relationship.
I had been wrong.
I shook my head to clear it. I had seen her walking across the grass, heading to the house. That had been well over an hour ago.
I couldn’t get over what she had told me. She had been drugged. The drugs made her ill, and she was still recovering. And that bastard Carl had left her to fend for herself. He stole her work. He was every bit the asshole I thought him to be.
And now she was here. I was still unsure what it meant. For her. For us. Would she strike out on her own? Take off again once she recovered and the wanderlust hit her, leaving me alone yet again? Did I dare put myself out there with her?
My thoughts were interrupted as Charly burst in the side door, heading straight over to Maxx. He straightened as she stormed over, bending his head to listen to whatever she was saying, his hands stroking her arms in long passes. He frowned, anger passing over his face. He lifted his gaze, meeting mine, then dropped it again to concentrate on Charly. I was out of my chair and heading toward them before I realized what I was doing. As I got close, I heard Charly’s furious voice whispering.