Page 32 of Undone, Love Times Three

The women all cheer. Blue turns back to me. She folds her arms and lets out a heavy sigh. What can I say to defend Reed? Why I want to do that is anyone’s guess. She drops her arms and steps closer.

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

CEO

Adele

I’m asking for trouble now. I should have kicked him out with his ‘friend’, who he says isn’t a friend. It’s not my business what is going on between the two of them.

Just like everyone else, I witnessed him standing up to the prick. What I also saw was him stepping in front of the women to prevent them from being hurt.

That’s the only reason he is here, in my private bathroom in the back office. Running a washcloth under the warm water, Ihold it out to him to wash his face, then hold out the bag of ice I picked up from behind the bar on the way back here.

His jaw is already bruising. He rotates it and winces.

“I’m guessing it’s not broken?”

“He didn’t hit methathard,” he says, peering at his reflection a moment, then turning around to face me.

I’m suddenly aware of how small this bathroom is. And the insanely attractive man is right there in front of me. Now that we’re standing this close his scent overwhelms the room. A mixture of vanilla and sandalwood and heady musk. He smells divine.

In his dark shirt and pants, the bruise forming on the side of his mouth and the remnants of blood on his lip, are completely at odds with one another. Is it wrong to think of him bruised and bloody as sexy? Oh God. Stop it.

I lean back against the wall and cross my arms over my chest, watching him pick up the ice and wrap it in the washcloth before putting it against his bare skin.

“You’ve done that before,” I lift my chin at him.

“Once or twice,” he sighs. “I’m pissed he hit me.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation it was a sucker punch,” I shrug. He looks at me as if that is the most annoying thing he ever heard. I ignore the look. “You said he wasn’t your friend. Explain that to me, because my gut is telling me I should have let my security throw you out too.”

“Whydidyou stop them?” he counters.

“You stood in front of them.”

His eyes narrow for a moment, then he realizes what I mean. He turns and rests his ass against the sink. For a moment, I wonder if the weight of him is going to knock the tiny ceramic basin off the wall, but it holds. It wasn’t obvious in the dim light in the bar, but the man is built. He takes care of himself.

I get why he’s pissed about the other guy laying one on him. Male ego.

“He’s the son of a potential business partner. We just made an important deal between our companies,” he winces as he talks, and shifts the ice. “Luckily, it was only verbal.”

“You’re not going to go ahead with it?” I ask, trying not to show how much I hope he doesn’t let dollars override good sense.

“No,” he growls. “I’m not in the habit of doing business with an asshole who gets drunk, harasses women, and is violent.”

“Good to know.” I let my arms drop but keep my shoulders pressed to the wall. “He better not show his face in here again.”

“He lives in Boston, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Not worried. We can take care of assholes like that.”

“I don’t doubt it,” he dips his head, but keeps his eyes on mine.

There is no reason for us to be standing in here like this. He’s cleaned up, taken care of the swelling as best he can. I should show him out. There is this weird pull between us.

“You sound local,” I say. “Like you’re trying to hide it. But it’s there, the accent.”

“Are you asking if I live in Chicago?”

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