Page 32 of Bleed for You
“Want me to have a word with Flint?”
A quiet chuckle. “I wish, but he’s my problem to deal with. I might be leaving anyway.” Craig leaned back into Jinx’s arms, placing his own on his. “I need a vacation to reboot.”
“Arrange one, and I’ll be there with you.” Jinx kissed Craig’s cheek. “There is no place I’d rather be than with you.”
Craig turned in his arms and kissed him. “I let what’s happening at work spill onto us. Forgive me.”
“Nothing to forgive.” Why would he forgive Craig when Jinx was hiding something from him? It wasn’t like he was going to admit to it. “Love you, and this weekend we can talk about us and what we both want.”
“You know what I want.” Craig stepped back. “I shouldn’t force you, though until you’re ready.”
“I’m not, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want us.”
“I know.” Craig picked up his suit jacket and put it on. “I have to go, but we’ll talk later. Want to go out for a meal?”
Jinx winced. He had to work, then go back to the cabin to do a final cleanup. “Can we do it tomorrow?”
Craig licked his lips, his eyes moving over Jinx’s face. “Need to do things for work?”
“Yeah,” Jinx chuckled. “Who knew the dead could fall behind schedule?”
“Yeah.” Craig kissed him, then turned away. “I’ll call you later.”
Jinx heard the door open and shut, then slumped on the sofa, staring at the fire. “What the fuck?” He rubbed his face, then dropped his hand into his lap. “I need to do better, or I’ll lose him. I don’t want to lose him.”
Chapter Twenty
The day was horrendous. Flint was on the warpath, shouting at anyone unfortunate enough to cross him. He’d been into Craig three times already and each time Craig had reported him to HR once he’d left. Everything Craig did was wrong according to Flint, the man who didn’t know what a rectangle was. It was embarrassing having to deal with someone who lacked basic knowledge yet held a position above you because of family.
A shout outside his office had Craig wincing, and he finally had enough. Picking up the phone, he called HR. “Lacey please,” he said to Brenna, who answered.
“Hold on. She’s just wrapping up a call now.”
Snorting, Craig asked, “Raj or Jemima?”
“You know I can’t tell you, Craig,” she told him, her voice soft. “We’re doing all we can, and you didn’t hear that from me.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“She’s free now. Give me a minute and I’ll transfer you over to her.”
Craig waited, then heard Lacey’s voice. “I’m having a busy morning with your department.”
“If he wasn’t—” Flint barged into his office without knocking and glared at Craig. Leaving the phone uncovered so Lacey would know who had entered his office, Craig asked, “How can I help you, Flint? I’m just on a call right now.”
Flint’s jaw moved from side to side. “End the call now. We need to have a meeting about your appalling work.” He crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his foot on the floor.
“I have to finish this call. Once I have, I’ll come find you.”
“You will do what I tell you or face the consequences.”
Craig breathed deeply, then nodded. “One moment while I end the call.”
“Sorry about that Lacey.” He looked right at Flint when he said her name and saw him jerk in response. “I need to go—”
“You need to come to me right now and make an official complaint. I heard everything he said. What if I’d been a client? Idiot.”
“Right. I’ll do that now.” Craig hung up, then stood. “I need to go, Flint.”
