Page 56 of Even if It Hurts

“It wasn’t.”

I slowed in scooping up the next bite, but didn’t ask Peyton to explain. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know because I preferred my version of that day.

Still, she said, “Ash is good at what he does, and he sees and understands things most people don’t. If he said you were about to be kidnapped, then you were, and you were lucky he was there.”

At her solemn words, my head dipped in acknowledgment and fear gripped at my chest. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t currently in danger or that the encounter happened nearly a year ago.

“Well,” she went on after nearly a minute had passed in strained silence and began walking out of the kitchen, stopping only when she was about to round the corner to meet my eye, “qualified or not, happenstance or not, my brother’s going out of his way to makeyoucomfortable and happy when you’re supposed to be here for Kaia and Kaia alone.”

“I never?—”

“I heard you the first time,” she said over me, once again reminding me so much of Asher. Hesitation poured from her as something close to worry settled over her features. “Just don’t hurt him.”

Heat rose to my cheeks as my mind raced with the images I’d played out hundreds of times over the past year, negating my next words. “You’re really misunderstanding why I’m here,” I said gently. “He’s my boss; that’s it.”

A disbelieving sound left her as she slipped around the corner, out of sight.

With a shaky breath, I faced where Kaia had part of my hand in her tiny grasp, lifting it to her face in a terrible attempt at getting another bite of food.

“Sorry, sweet girl,” I whispered as I scooped another spoonful for her. “Here you go.”

But as Peyton left without so much as agoodbye,and I finished feeding Kaia and took her to the living room to play, my thoughts were a dangerous mixture of Peyton’s words and a brooding, terrifying man who continued surprising me in ways that had me falling for him a little more each day.

And for just a moment, I let myself believe that Peyton’s insinuations could be real.

“Are you smiling?”

I quickly slipped my phone into my pocket, my narrowed eyes snapping up to see Rush leaning against my doorframe with a knowing smirk.

Pushing from his position, he shut the office door behind him, seeming to think as he did. “That’s the...I dunno, fifth time I’ve ever seen you smile?” he said, making the statement sound like a question. “On an unrelated note, I’m sure, how are things working out with the nanny? Has there been a second kiss?”

I rolled my eyes and asked, “What do you need?” as I focused on my computer, trying to figure out what I was looking at and what I’d been working on before Lainey had texted me with a video of Kaia crawling.

Because it hadn’t been Kaia’s excited screech or giggles, or even the fact that she was crawling, that had me playing the video again and again. It’d been Lainey’s soft, adoring laughter as she’d gently encouraged Kaia to crawl to her. It’d been the light in her eyes and that bright smile I couldn’t get enough of when she’d flipped the camera around so it’d been on her. Theway she’d playfully whispered,“No stopping her now,”before ending the video.

Because that dangerous girl was all I could think about, and she was dating someone whohurther.

Over the weekend, I’d tried telling myself my attraction to her had been the product of finding the girl I’d thought about for so long in the middle of an emotionally stressful week. Even still, I’d found myself staring at all the additions to my living room, equally hating them and admiring the girl behind them. I’d bought things for her just so she would feel more comfortable at my place. I’d looked at the time far too often because days without a glimpse of her felt excruciating after months of hoping she would fall back into my life.

When she’d finally shown this morning—long after I’d started worrying something had happened to her—I’d nearly forgotten about my company and every responsibility. There’d only been her and my indescribable need to be near her...until I’d seen the red marks on her jaw.

Small and subtle but discernable enough to let me know what they were and how she’d gotten them, even before she’d flinched.

It didn’t matter how many women in abusive relationships we encountered, my anger for them never dimmed, but the rage I’d felt in that moment was unlike anything I’ve ever known. It was consuming and dark, and I’ve never wanted to give into anything so much.

So, before I could upset Lainey more, I’d forced myself to leave.

Hadn’t stopped me from casually asking for her boyfriend’s name when I’d finally made it to the office. Hadn’t stopped me from visualizing a dozen ways to makeJackson McCoypay in the slowest, most painful ways when Ada had told me he was sure to propose any day now. Hadn’t stopped me from doingevery background check on him because I had no intention of letting Lainey’s tear-streaked face, or those marks on her body, go.

“I’m sure whatever I came in here for was important,” Rush began, his tone almost goading when he added, “but your constant evasion when it comes to the nanny is?—”

“Lainey,” I said over him, correcting him.

And I knew in the way his meaningful smirk widened that I’d fallen into a trap I should’ve seen. “Yeah,” he muttered as he sank into one of the chairs, “this is much more interesting.”

“We’re not doing this, Rush. What’d you come in here for?”

“And why aren’t we?” he challenged. “I’ve never seen you like this. You werelookingfor her, Briggs; you can’t pretend nothing’s happening.”

---