Page 24 of Come Home to Me

Frank

Sarah’s smile greets me from reception Tuesday morning. That evening, I sit across from her at Derby’s, eyeing her while I nurse my one and only drink. People ask her questions and I memorize her answers, a bunch of carefully crafted, happy-sounding bullshit that fools everyone but me. Sarah works hard to look like a carefree woman living the life of her dreams, but she’s not.

She’s hiding something that hurts.

Something that makes her eyes go distant when she talks about growing up on a farm in Ohio, the only girl after two boys.

The rest of the week passes in a series of flirty texts and captured moments in the breakroom. With each passing day, I feel more and more comfortable talking to her at work, like I don’t have to hide the way I feel about her after all. I grow bolder during the time we spend together, dropping innuendo wrapped in long, meaningful looks if I think no one’s around.

Try as I might, I can’t keep myself from touching her when we’re alone.

A hand on her arm or on the small of her back.

A finger on the tip of her nose.

Maybe Jason was wrong. Maybe our chemistry isn’t that noticeable, seeing as how no one has said anything to us. I’ve started to wonder if trying to hide is worth all the effort. Besides, Sarah isn’t permanent. She’s living out of a hotel, for fuck’s sake. I’d be a fool to let fear keep me from spending time with her. From getting to know her. From allowing whatever this is between us to grow…while I can.

By the time Saturday arrives, I am so excited to spend time with her without worrying what other people are thinking that I have to make a concerted effort not to show up at her place too early. I waste time at a coffee shop. Then at a gas station. Then again, by driving around the hotel twice before finding a parking spot. Still, even after all that, I sit for five minutes in the lot outside the shabbiest extended stay I’ve ever seen before I give up and decide to see if she’s ready.

“Hey, you,” Sarah says as she opens the door. “I just need a couple more minutes, if you don’t mind waiting.” She steps back and makes a sweeping gesture. “Welcome to the humblest of all the abodes.”

“Whoa.” My eyes go wide as I take in my surroundings. “I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s disgusting, right?” Sarah runs her hands into her hair and shakes it out. “I actually made a trip to the store specifically to get extra cleaning supplies. I’ve scrubbed that spot at least five times.” She points to a dark splotch above the bedframe and wrinkles her nose.

“I don’t even want to think about what that might be.” I grimace and wrench my gaze away from the offending spot. “Please tell me you have gloves.”

“I bought four pairs.” Sarah smiles and indicates a worn chair beside the bed. “I won’t be long. Make yourself at home,” she says, before padding into the bathroom.

“I hate to think of you living here,” I call out as I sit, still surveying the grimy room.

Sarah pokes her head around the corner. “Just part of the adventure. Imagine the stories I’ll have when this is all said and done.” She waggles her eyebrows and then disappears from view.

It doesn’t take her long to finish getting ready and she emerges with her hair piled high on her head and good humor twinkling in her eyes, looking stunning in a fitted T-shirt and simple pair of jeans, dark red toenails peeking out of sandals. She gathers her things, slinging her purse over her shoulder and sliding her aviators into place. I lead her outside, shielding my eyes against the sun while she locks up.

We fill the drive with more conversation, music from the radio flowing between our words, sunlight filtering into our laps. With no one here to judge us, I finally give all the way in to my desire to touch her and let my hand rest on her thigh just above her knee. She traces a nail along each of my fingers, before running it along my wrist.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Sarah turns to me and pushes her sunglasses into her hair. “Hey. So. About the flirting at work thing…”

I glance at her and grin. “Yeah, I’m really sorry I even said anything about that. I’ve been thinking maybe I was being too cautious.”

I flash back to that day in Brian’s office and the warning in his eyes, then push the thought away. Sarah isn’t Violet, nor is she Bree. Besides, I’m not the kind of guy that falls prey to scandal. I’m a good guy. Talented. Hard-working. And I make McDougan & Kent a ton of money.

“I’m glad to hear you say it’s nothing to worry about.” Sarah laughs and shifts in her seat. “We haven’t exactly been stealthy this week. It’s probably a good thing if we don’t really need to worry about people catching us. Because the way we’re going, they’re going to catch us.” She traces a line along my hand again and then places her hand in her lap.

I drop my jaw. “Haven’t been stealthy? Are you kidding me? Do you know how much restraint I’ve shown around you?” I flash back to the hours we spent in the elevator. How much I wanted to bend her over and fuck her against the wall. Haven’t been stealthy, my ass. I’ve shown the restraint of a saint!

Sarah rolls her eyes. “Not half as much restraint as I’ve shown around you. They need to install a cold shower in that breakroom.”

“Now that is a good idea.”

My GPS interrupts our conversation by congratulating me for arriving at our destination. I flick on a turn signal and pull into a parking spot, then kill the engine. “Just so I have all the info in case these guys decide to try and pull a fast one on us, what did the insurance adjuster say when he came out to inspect the damage?”

Sarah draws her brows together and tension seethes in her eyes. “I called my insurance the day after the accident, but haven’t gotten a call back. Should I be worried about that?” She sucks in her lips and clenches her jaw.

“Honestly, I’ve never been in an accident, but I expect you’ll hear from them sooner or later.” I swing open the door before climbing out into a perfect spring day, the heat from last week having dissipated in the wake of a few rain showers.

“Smells like rain,” Sarah says before thumping her door closed. She takes a deep breath in through her nose and lets it out through her mouth, then repeats the process. It looks more like she’s trying to calm herself down than take in a scent and I feel bad for mentioning the insurance adjuster, though I don’t know why.

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