Page 33 of Take Me Home

I looked under the blanket. “Honestly, Darce, they just look like feet. If you don’t quit talking about them, I’ll be tempted to rub them or tickle them or something.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” she gasped.

“Don’t tempt me.”

“So I can add foot fetish to your pee and thong fetishes?” she said, an evil grin on her face.

“You know way too much about me after today. I’m just going to go home. Maybe I should quit and never see you again,” I said, sitting up like I was going to leave.

“You can’t quit! Who else could I hire that does medical care and machine repair all in one?”

“Is that all I am to you?” I said it jokingly, but then realized my words were a bit heavier than I meant. Oh, Lord, we were our own mini-Jim and Pam workplace drama. I wanted to say more, but I couldn’t think of what to say. Her face was panic-stricken. There it hung in the air: both of us knowing that we weren’t just coworkers, or a boss and an employee, or maybe even just friends.

“Jake, I’m sorry—” she started.

“Nope. I’m not letting you freak out. It’s fine. We were just joking around and I said the wrong thing,” I told her. “Though for the record, feet, pee, and thongs aren’t my limits on my interests.”

She kicked my leg. “Dammit, Jake,” she laughed. Phew. That got heavy quick, but I brought us back.

The next time I looked over to say something to her, she was knocked out. The second time that day she fell asleep with me. I watched her for a minute, the glow of the TV lighting her features. I turned out the lights and went to wake her up. Only she didn’t wake up.

I shook her arm. I said her name. I checked her pulse when she still didn’t respond. It wasn’t as high as it was earlier in the day. Her forehead didn’t feel overly hot. She blinked for a second and tried to focus on me, then fell right back asleep.

“Darcy, baby, can you hear me? You in there, babe?” I rubbed my thumb across her cheek and finally, she bolted upright. “There you are,” I said, relieved.

Whoops, there went the babe/baby floodgate.

She threw her blanket off and checked her cheek for drool. Half of her ponytail had come loose, curls falling haphazardly around her face.

“Sorry…how long was I out?” She was in a daze, her hands flopped limply in her lap.

“I think you only missed half an episode before I noticed,” I assured her, tucking one of the errant curls behind her ear. She shivered under my touch.

“You cold?” I put the blanket she’d thrown off around her shoulders, knowing I may have just given her goosebumps and feeling admittedly a little self-satisfied about it. I liked to see her react to me.

I got her upstairs, and we did our bedtime routines. When I went to check on her one last time, she was on the far side of her bed like she’d been when we snuggled.

“Need anything else?” I whispered, not sure if she was already asleep again.

“I don’t think so. Just sleep,” she said with a yawn.

“Do you want me to stay for a slumber party or go to my hotel room?”

Darcy let out a sleepy giggle. “Whatever you want. If you stay, I don’t think I’ll be much of a conversation partner.”

“Alright. Can I tell you something before you pass out?”

“Shoot.”

I sat on the edge of her bed. “I know you felt like shit today, but it was kinda fun getting to know you better. I feel like you don’t give a lot of yourself away to other people, and I got to see the inner you today. It felt like a special prize,” I said, hoping to fuck I wasn’t saying too much and freaking her out again. “I guess what I’m saying, poorly, is, thanks for letting me in.”

Darcy sat up, the sheets dropping to her waist, her eyes rounding. She looked like she might cry again. “Jake, I don’t know what to say. You took care of me all day and instead of being annoyed, you come up with maybe the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

Bingo. Got it right, Jake. Sometimes honesty is the best policy.

“Well, I mean it. The more I get to know you, the more wonderful you are.”

Darcy flung her arms around my shoulders and I returned her hug. “Likewise, bub. You’re really something else. I’m the lucky one. Thank you so much for today.”

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