Page 56 of Accidentally Mine
Infatuated?I cringed inwardly.I would’ve loved to hear that,ifit hadn’t been for that damn accident where I nearly destroyed him looming in my mind.And was I a good woman?I felt like a piece of shit.
I shot her a fake smile.“I’m glad I met him too.”I was.I’d always wanted to know what had happened to that man in the Porsche.And now, the night he’d worshipped my body and made me feel so loved, so important, easily ranked as the best night of my life.Even if he hated me and I never saw him again, that wouldn’t change.No matter what happened, I would cherish that night, forever.
She smiled at me.“So you really like him?”
I nodded, saying truthfully, “I do.He’s amazing.”
“Well, the feeling is mutual, definitely,” she said.“I know I sound really protective of him, but before the accident, he was a lot more happy-go-lucky.And then after, he became darker and more troubled.Not to mention all the medical problems.”
I swallowed.I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear this, but I needed to.“What sort of medical problems?”
“I’m sure you’ve probably noticed.Everything else has healed pretty well, but he gets bad headaches.He has some short-term memory loss, so he’s constantly forgetting things.Insomnia.Nightmares.”
I shook my head slowly.“He’s mentioned some of that.”
“That’s the point,” she said.“Just a couple of weeks ago, he was living life like he was a machine.But now, he’s happy, like I never saw him even before the accident.And I think it’s because of you.”
Happier than he was before the accident.
I turned that over and over again in my head.I’d destroyed him, totally and fully, and nothing I did could make him whole again.Or, maybe there was…I could give him a kind of parting gift, one that would give him something to look back on once I was gone.
Side by side, we got massages and facials, all the while sipping spearmint tea.She did most of the talking, because I was too afraid to spill something that would make her realize I was that horrible woman who should be in jail for her brother’s accident.But I really liked her.She reminded me a lot of her brother, with her thick brown hair and expressive dark eyes, but she was peppy and extroverted, while he seemed more like an introvert with a commanding presence.By the end of the day, most of the tension had melted out of my body.
As we were checking out, she put a hand on my purse when I went for my wallet.“Please.It’s on me.It’s been fun just to spend time with you.And I know you’ve been very hassled lately with your aunt having health problems, so I’m happy to give you the chance to relax.Brent told me about your aunt.”
“Thank you,” I said with a smile, dropping my gaze to hide the tears gathering as we walked out to the Uber that was waiting for us.“This was so very relaxing.”
We got into the car and Claudia began to talk a little more about what she did for a living.She was so interesting and animated that it took me a minute to notice we weren’t headed to South Boston.
Claudia’s eyes sparkled mischievously.“I have one more surprise for you.”
Ah…so this is where she takes me to jail.
I looked at my watch.“Well, I do have to get home.My aunt is still in rehab and I haven’t seen her today.”
We came to a stop on Beacon Street, outside the Public Gardens, right in front of Brent’s house.I had the fleeting fear that they both knew, and this was a setup for who knows what.Then the door opened, and Brent stood there on the stairs, his lips curled in a smile.Oh, lord, he was gloriously beautiful, standing there in just regular dark slacks and white shirt.He came down to the car and extended his hand to me.
“Surprise!”Claudia blurted.When I looked back, she gave me a grin and motioned me to go.
I took Brent’s hand and he helped me out of the car.When I was standing toe to toe with him, I looked up into his hypnotizing brown eyes.
“Hello,” he said, working around me to slam the door.
“Hi.”My voice was breathless.I looked back for Claudia’s Uber, but it had already sped away.I bit my lip as he pointed the way to his door, the command leaving no room for argument.I followed him up the stairs.It was the least I could do.
“I hope you weren’t too traumatized by Claudia’s kidnapping you for the day,” he said as we walked through the immaculate white foyer into the granite kitchen.“Forgive her.She was acting on my direction.”
I raised an eyebrow.“You asked her to do that?”
“I did.I didn’t think you’d come if I asked you myself, with the way you ran off last night.”
He brought me into the dining room with the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the gardens.I gasped at the glass table set with a candlelit late lunch for two.When I turned to him, his gaze met mine, making me wobble in the knees.
“I don’t know how you can still want me here,” I whispered.He bridged the distance in one long step and placed a finger over my lips.Then he took me into his arms, ducked his head, and kissed me, lazily and sweet.
“I’ve been thinking about you all day,” he said, holding me in his strong, protective arms.
I took a deep breath.“Why?”
