My gaze dropped to his mouth. Darn kissable lips. “Is that an order?”
“It’s your choice.”
“I want you to leave,” I said far too breathlessly. My heartbeat was racing double time.
He inclined his head and turned toward the door. I followed when he stopped and faced me. “Oh, I almost forgot.” He held out a small card, like a business card. “This guy stopped by today looking for you. He said he’s in town for a few days and would like to speak to you.” He set the card in my open palm and disappeared out of my room as I felt the color drain from my face.
I used my other hand to close and lock the door, something I hadn’t done since I arrived, but the card had caught me off guard. They were getting bold and showing up at my place of employment. There was no more time to hope this would go away. I needed to go back home and settle things once and for all. I leaned my head against the door, a war raging on two fronts in my head.
First there was Mitchell. I had resigned to giving myself to him hoping the fire between us would die off after that. But he’d turned me down flat, and I’d felt stupid.
Second, there was this. I looked at the card in my hand again. Old scores needed to be settled, my family affairs put into order.
I could take a bus to Mountainside and hike up the mountain to get home. I’d done it a million times before. Only this trip, I needed a car because there were things I couldn’t leave there. The closest place to rent a car was in Billings. I knew that because I’d rented a car a few times while I was in school. The fastest option would be to ask Mitchell if I could borrow the truck. There was Shaina, but I didn’t know her well enough to borrow her jeep and I couldn’t bring her. I wouldn’t involve her in the nasty business I was caught up in.
So Mitchell it was. I couldn’t ask him now. He was on the phone as usual, negotiating this or that. For someone who didn’t work in a traditional office, he was a busy guy. In fact, a friend of James’s had stopped by to talk to Michell about a will. I was grateful I had nothing to leave anyone and didn’t need to plan for such things.
By next weekend, Avery should be here. With the extra set of hands to keep Zoe entertained when her father was working, I could take a full day off to make the trip.
I flopped on my bed. I could get some clarity about my first problem if I talked it out. I dialed Shaina. When she answered, I said, “Are you busy?”
“No. What’s up?”
“Well, I could ask what happened between you and Gunner the other night.” She’d left early that next morning, and I hadn’t seen her.
“A big fat nothing. I mean, things got hot and heavy for a second, but then he put the brakes on it.”
That sounded familiar. “Did he say why?”
“He said he’s still in love with his wife and though she left him, they aren’t legally separated. He didn’t want to bring me into a messy situation.”
“Sounds like he did you a favor.”
“Maybe,” she said. “Though I won’t lie and say I wasn’t hoping to get beard burn between my thighs.” I let out a laugh, and it felt good. “How about you?”
“I asked him to kiss me, and he went all lawyer on me and said something like I needed to be of sound mind and body to make that kind of request.”
“Is he a lawyer?”
I silently agreed before remembering we were on the phone. “Yes. Actually, he is.”
“So, he’s playing by the rules, being that he’s your boss. He can’t have you claiming sexual harassment. I can’t say I blame the guy.”
“Really?” From the little I knew of her, I hadn’t expected this response.
“You see it in the news all the time. Women or men in positions of power have to be careful, especially if they have something to lose. Is he rich?”
I had no idea. “I don’t know.”
“His brother is, right?”
“I guess. I really hadn’t thought about it.”
“We’ll assume he is for argument’s sake. He can’t risk you changing your mind and making a claim he manipulated you.”
“I would never do that,” I said.
‘’You know that, but does he?”
“He flirts with me all the time and when I give in—”
“You were a little drunk.”
I blew out air. “Okay, maybe. It’s just I don’t know what to do.”
“There is something I should tell you. It may be nothing, but you know how town gossip goes.”
My stomach dropped. “What did you hear?”
“Rumor has it that Mitchell and Ashley might have a thing going. She took him to the back of the diner the other day and when they came out, they were all smiles and giggles. She even comped them pie and ice cream.”