Page 39 of Turn Up The Heat

“I do, actually. So, what do I have to do to get the transmission here?” The stubborn look returned to her face with a vengeance.

Shane laughed without humor. “You have to wait, that’s what.”

“But you said Friday.”

“Jesus, Bellamy. I get it, you’re mad. But, come on. I can’t control the weather!”

The tears that filled her eyes took him by complete surprise.

“One thing,” she murmured in a voice so quiet that Shane barely heard her. “All I wanted was forone thingout of this whole disastrous weekend to go right. I can’t even get stranded in the mountains without it blowing up in my face.” She closed her eyes and took a deep, trembling breath. “I’m sorry I came out here to yell at you. I just…I just…” Tears started to flow from beneath Bellamy’s closed eyelids, and her breath made her chest hiccup under her cream-colored sweater. “I’m sorry. I’ll be at the resort. Just call me when you have an update.”

“Bellamy, wait.” Shane took a couple more steps toward her, until he was within arm’s reach. “You can’t drive back to the resort in weather like this. It’s too dangerous.” The wind howled, rattling the windowpanes in agreement.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I made it here just fine,” she said, but there was no fire in her voice. She turned her face from his, presumably to hide her tears.

He stepped right in front of her. “You don’t look just fine.”

All the heat he’d felt when he’d seen her standing in the doorway coalesced into something a lot softer but just as strong, and Shane’s hands moved before he could register the thought that he’d commanded them to.

“I’m sorry about your car. If I could get the parts here any faster, I would.” Without thinking, he lifted a hand and brushed a tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb.

Her eyes jerked open and flew to his, and he froze. “I, uh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Ah, hell. Screw startling her. He shouldn’t have even touched her.

But then she leaned against his shoulder, fighting the sobs even as they escaped from her chest, and Shane was powerless not to put his arms around her and gather her in.

* * *

Bellamy was a simpering idiot.

The thought crossed some back hallway of her mind, but it was drowned out by the bawling she just couldn’t stop. Shane put his arms around her, steady and unyielding, which only egged the waterworks on.

“I could handle the stupid Derek thing, you know? That would’ve been fine. Itisfine. I’m not even upset he’s moving to California,” she rambled into Shane’s chest. “And my boss, I don’t know, ex-boss, I guess. If I hadn’t lost my cool, that would’ve been okay, I could’ve sucked it up.” More shaky breathing, during which Shane patted her hair. Oh, God, here came more tears. “But I really do hate my career, even if I couldn’t admit it until now, so where does that leave me? And now, with the car, I just heard your message and snapped. I have no control over anything, and it’s just…it’s…”

Nope. She was no good. The tears took over, and Bellamy couldn’t do anything but let them have their way as she blubbered into Shane’s chest.

“Okay. Hey, it’s okay,” he whispered into her hair, squeezing his arms around her shoulders and enveloping her with that intoxicating, woodsy scent.

Bellamy’s throat knotted around another sob. “It issonot okay. I have no job, I hate my chosen field, and my ex-boyfriend is a consummate ass. I’m stuck in the mountains, which probably wouldn’t be too bad, except that I’m standing here like a total basket case, bawling over something I can’t control.” Surely, the ground was late for its cue to open up and swallow her whole. Bellamy gave a loud, ungraceful sniffle, followed by a groan. “And I’m getting snot on your shirt!”

Shane’s chest rumbled beneath her cheek, and her head sprang up in shock.

“Are you laughing at me?”

Shane pulled his head back and blanked his expression, but his twinkling eyes gave him away. “No! Nope. Not at all.”

But itwaskind of funny. In a complete meltdown kind of way.

“You totally are,” she accused without anger, a tiny smile dancing on her mouth.

Shane’s cough was completely contrived as he tried to cover up a laugh. “Okay, but only about the snot thing, I swear.”

Oh, God. She yanked her arms out from around him and covered her face with both hands, realizing that now she had no recourse but to wipe her nose with either her fingers or her sleeve. She was absolutely mortified.

He laughed again, this time out loud. “Come on. There’s a bathroom in the office.”

Bellamy shook her head, trying to surreptitiously give her nose a delicate swipe with her fingers. “I’m really sorry. I’m such a jerk.” She followed him through the garage, and he stepped back to usher her into the small office.

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