Page 32 of The MC's Surprise
“Oh my gosh, Justin. You’re a lifesaver. I seriously considered turning around and going home after it started to rain. I don’t have an umbrella and just walking from my car to the building, I would’ve been soaked.”
Shaking out my umbrella through the open automatic door, I grimaced at the sheets of rain coming down. “More than likely. Having an umbrella in the desert seems like a wasted effort until a day like today comes around.”
We walked together to the front desk to check in with the overnight staff. Sierra wasn’t there when we got there and an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. She said she’d been borrowing her dad’s truck, but she wouldn’t be able to if the weather was bad. I’d hoped she got a ride. I should’ve asked before I left that morning.
Sierra stepped inside the casino soaking wet and dripping not five minutes later. Charlotte and I hadn’t split off to our areas yet, catching up on what needed to get done for the week, so we were both in the lobby when she arrived.
“Oh, my god. What happened?” Charlotte asked, staring at Sierra.
Sierra grimaced. “Got caught in the rain after my dad dropped me off.”
“You’re dripping on the floor,” Charlotte pointed out with a frown.
Sierra huffed, irritation written all over her face. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ll dry eventually. Let me just–”
I cut her off, knowing she’d immediately jump into work if I gave her the chance. “Sierra, you can’t work like that. You’re soaked. Let me give you a ride home to change.”
She shook her head quickly, waving me off. “That’s way too far. You’ve got enough to do. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
Charlotte seemed to accept her dismissal, heading off to start her day with a shrug. I knew I should respect Sierra’s decision, I promised I wouldn’t coddle her, but she was already shivering. I didn’t want her getting sick while she was pregnant.
I strode to her side, catching her elbow before she could head for the breakroom to put her things away.
“If you won’t let me take you to get fresh clothes, at least let me lend you mine. I’ve got clothes for the gym in my car. They’re clean. I was going to go after work. Please? You’re freezing.”
Embarrassed, she wouldn’t make eye contact with me, but she didn't pull away either. And when I reached up to cup her cheek, stroking my thumb along her jaw to soothe her discomfort a little, she leaned into me, resting her face in my palm.
“Please, Sierra. Let me help.”
She let out a heavy sigh. “I just… I hate being a burden. I swear, I’m fine.”
I understood the feeling and tipped my head to catch her eye line. “Think of it this way. I’d be distracted all day worrying about you freezing and soaking wet. You and the baby shouldn’t have to suffer like that. You’ll actually be helping me by letting me grab you some dry clothes.”
She rolled her eyes, but her smile was indulgent. “Well, if it’s going to help you, then I guess I can’t say no.”
Chuckling, I reluctantly released her, grabbing my umbrella from where I’d tucked it by the front desk in case anyone else needed it. Charlotte called out to the staff for their morning meeting, keeping Sierra’s attention long enough for me to run out to my car for my bag. Of course, now that Sierra was inside, the rain had lightened up so you could at least see more than a few feet in front of you. I decided to keep that bit of information to myself. There weren’t that many windows aside from the lobby door, to prevent glare on the machines, so Sierra might not notice right away.
When I came back in, Sierra was handing Charlotte a cup of coffee with a flat expression. I frowned as I got closer to them.
“No offense. I just don’t want you dripping all over the carpet. You should probably head to the back and help the laundry team or something so the guests won’t think we employ drowned rats.”
Zoey pressed her lips into a thin line, but didn’t reply aside from heading in the direction of the breakroom. I frowned at theinteraction. I didn’t think a guest would comment about a damp staff member, especially if they noticed the rain outside, but Charlotte was always careful with the casino’s image. Maybe she knew better than I did?
Pushing that aside, I jogged up to Sierra before she could disappear through the staff door and offered her the gym bag. “Here. Take your time. I’ll be on the floor for a little while. I’ve got this.”
Almost like I was asking for it, two different people called out to me and a guest started complaining about a frozen machine. We both looked at each other, shocked, and started laughing at the same time.
“You sort of asked for that,” she snickered.
“Yeah, yeah,” I replied with a grin. “Just go change. You’re shivering.”
She gave me a mock salute, her voice teasing when she said, “You got it, boss.”
Chuckling, I headed for the floor to see what I could do about whatever needed my attention. There was a coffee waiting for me when I eventually made my way back to my office. I smirked to myself. The only person I could think of who would take the time to do that was Sierra. Even dripping wet and miserable, she still went out of her way to make my day better.
Still smiling to myself, I sat at my desk, starting up my computer and pulling up my emails. Most of them were the usual business related emails, a couple of spam emails, that sort of thing. There was one that surprised me, though. A link to a secure message that blew my damn mind.
Dear Justin Taylor,
