“I’m sorry. The girl on the next shift was late, and then I hit a crazy amount of traffic.”
He stood and crossed the room, stopping a foot in front of her. The shadows under her eyes cut right through him, and he ached to pull her into his arms.
“How was Casey?”
“Good. She just went for round two in the pool with Marcy about an hour ago. Lucky you had her suit in the car. She’s had a big day.”
Paige closed her eyes in a long, exhausted blink. “I’m so sorry. It’s late. I know everyone doesn’t work this late.”
“I told you, we’re always here late. A lot of people come for PT after work. Stop worrying.” God knew she had enough to worry about.
“Okay.” She breathed out a long sigh.
“Bad day?”
“No. You know.” She shrugged. “Just the usual.”
“Like?”
“Like I have a test in two days and I’m not ready, for one thing.”
He brushed back a few strands of hair that had slipped from her ponytail. Who worried about Paige? Who made sure she ate and rested and smiled? For someone who didn’t want to take care of anybody but himself, he had this urgent need to take care of her.
“Let me take you home. I’ll feed you, you can study.”
She gave him a suspicious look, and after his thoughts in the shower he didn’t blame her, but he could do what was best for her. “I’m serious. Best behavior.” He held his hand up like a Boy Scout. “I promise. You’ll eat, Boulder and I will entertain Casey.”
“She does love Boulder,” Paige said with a small smile. “I mean you’re right up there, but…”
“Are you saying I’m second to my dog?”
She smiled and the muscle between her eyes relaxed a little.
“That’s okay. I can take it. Boulder does have a certain charm.” He studied her a moment. “Paige. You’re tired. You’re going to burn yourself out if you keep going like this, and then what good will you be?”
She bit her bottom lip and he could see her wavering.
“Come here.” He reached for her hand and tugged until she leaned against his chest. He closed his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head.
The tension went up a notch as she battled with herself, then it seeped out of her slowly like a pin-pricked balloon. Her shoulders sagged and she leaned into him.
She remained there against him for a full minute, proof of just how exhausted she really was.
“Okay,” she finally agreed. “Thank you.”
—
Jake lived in a gated community, beautiful from what she could tell driving in. The yards were dark but filled with landscapes backlit with tiny garden lights. The backseat was quiet. Casey, her chaperone, her buffer, the one who allowed her to spend more time with Jake without losing her head, had fallen asleep halfway here.
They entered quietly and Jake directed her to a guest room to lay Casey down. She told herself it wasn’t like she’d planned for this to happen. It was only eight thirty and who would have thought Casey would fall asleep? But two rounds of swimming and no nap? She shouldn’t be surprised. Boulder joined them and jumped up, making himself comfortable at the foot of the bed.
Paige returned to the main room of Jake’s sprawling ranch-style house and found him standing at the stove. She stopped at the entrance to the kitchen, partly unsure what to do next, partly dead on her feet. “Hey.”
“Hey. Is she asleep?”
“Yes. With Boulder at the foot of the bed. Hope that’s okay.”
“Sure. He usually sleeps with me. If she doesn’t mind, I don’t mind. Spaghetti okay? I already made the sauce. Shouldn’t take too long.”
She smiled at the man who was becoming all too familiar. “Yes. Thank you.” And he cooked too. “I figured you for a man who ate out a lot.”
“No. Not really. Just the diner,” he said, looking back at her over his shoulder with a sexy grin. “Though that wasn’t just about the food.”
Good Lord. His brown eyes melted her from across the room and his voice finished her off. The man should be illegal. Just his presence brought life to places inside her body she didn’t even know could feel lively.
He stalked across the room, not stopping until he was close enough she could smell him. He touched her cheek softly then laid his hands on her shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “You’re exhausted.” He kissed her temple.
She was. She’d stayed up until almost one in the morning studying and had been on her feet almost ten hours straight.
“Have a seat and I’ll pour you some wine.”
He went back to the oven and she walked around the granite peninsula that divided the large, open room. Oversized brown leather furniture dominated the space and a giant flat-screen hung over the mantel. The walls were mostly bare except for a long built-in bookcase packed with books, no knickknacks.
“Casey had chicken fingers in the dining hall. Did I tell you that?”
“No, but thank you.”