Page 96 of Mistaken Intention

“She didn’t call to tell you she was leaving?”

“No. If she had, I’d have tried to stop her.” He purses his lips and then says, “Has something happened between the two of you?”

I stare up at him. “You mean like a fight?”

He shakes his head. “No… I mean, like sex.”

How does he know? “Why do you ask?”

“Because of what Josie said when I asked if she was leaving so suddenly because of something you’d done.”

“What the hell did you think I would have done?” I say, raising my voice a little. “You know me, even if I don’t. What kind of guy do you think I am?”

He shakes his head. “I didn’t mean it like that. I wasn’t accusing you of anything. It just felt strange, when she’s been so concerned for you, that she’d walk away like this.”

“No shit…” I shake my head. “So? What did she say?”

“She said you hadn’t done anything she didn’t want you to. It implied…”

“I know what it implied.”

“And? Did you sleep with her?”

“Yes. But, like she said, she wanted me to.”

He tilts his head to one side, narrowing his eyes. “This matters, doesn’t it?”

“She matters, yes.”

His eyes widen, although I’m not sure what that means, any more than the slight shake of his head. “She suggested I should contact Doctor Sweeney at the hospital to get a replacementnurse, but when I said I didn’t think you’d want that, she said she thought you would, once you knew the truth. What was that about?”

“I don’t know. Did she say anything else?”

“Not really. She was crying when she hung up, though. I could hear her. I don’t think she wanted to leave, and she asked me… no, she practically begged me to look after you.”

“I don’t need looking after. I just need her,” I say, struggling to control the emotion in my voice. Hunter leans over, resting his elbows on the countertop.

“Do you want me to take you to her apartment?”

“Yes. I need to talk to her. I have to know why she’s done this, and what I have to do to get her to come back to me.”

“Okay.”

I get up, making for the front of the house, but he calls me back. “Not so fast. You need to go shower first. You look like a wreck.”

“You think I care?”

“You will when you see her again. We know where she lives. She won’t have disappeared by the time we get there. Just go back to the cottage and smarten yourself up.” He smiles. “You could consider taming that beard a little, too.”

I rub my hand over my chin. “I would, if I had anything to tame it with. So far, I’ve only found a razor and some shaving cream, so I’m guessing I was clean-shaven before the accident?”

He doesn’t confirm or deny, but just chuckles, rubbing his hand over his own stubbled jaw. “I’ll get you a beard trimmer. Then you can decide how far you wanna go with your facial hair, but in the meantime, go shower. I’ll let Livia know what’s going on, and I’ll bring your car around front.”

“I have a car?”

“Yeah. It’s the Range Rover I drove you here in the other day.” I nod my head. “Do you remember it?” he asks.

“From the other day? Yes. From before? No.”

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