Overcoming Fear (Growing Pains #2)(35)

But still, it was shocking. And she’d only been with him a little over a year! To think, some women endured that for decades!

Krista cuddled into her blankets. Sean might have run, but he didn’t prey on her weakness. At least there was that.

~*~*~*~

Sean walked the few short blocks home in turmoil. He hadn’t wanted to leave. She had looked so sad and alone. She needed someone.

He stopped walking, debating. Should he go back?

Her confession came back to him. The things she’d suffered.

His fists clenched. If he ever saw that man, he would rip his face off his head. He would hurt that bastard for what he’d done.

Sean turned back toward Krista. But then what? If he climbed in bed with her, he’d wrap her up in his arms, then he’d strip her down and make love to her. He wouldn’t be able to stop himself. He knew this.

Sean turned back toward his home. She wouldn’t think it was genuinely from his heart. He couldn’t have that.

His feet ate the pavement. He didn’t bother ignoring the soft pull in his navel. It wasn’t lust, and it wasn’t sex. She’d worked her way deeper. She’d burrowed down to a place that he was scared to admit existed.

“Hey,” Cassie said as Sean entered the house. “I’m making lasagna. How is she?”

Sean collapsed into the barstool at the kitchen island. He shook his head. “She’s had a hard time of it. She’s…fragile.”

Cassie paused with her hip cocked out and a spoon with red sauce in it out to the side. “But I thought you said she was tough? She looked like shit today, that’s for sure. What’d you do to her last night?”

“Language,” Sean said automatically, rubbing his temples. “She is tough. She’s had abuse in her past. Not emotional stuff like us—hers was.” His jaw clenched. He shook his head.

“So…but…that doesn’t explain why she left your house and tried to drown herself in wine.”

“I didn’t do anything. I didn’t try anything.” He met an accusing stare. Cassie knew every detail of his history, and she never pulled the punches. Besides Ray, she was the one person who kept him honest.

She cocked an eyebrow.

“Honest Cass. Not this time. I’ve been good with her. Kept my distance. Tried to keep her comfortable. But…she’s gun shy. She likes me, but she’s afraid of getting hurt.”

“Smart girl,” Cassie said, turning back to her boiling pot.

“Yeah,” Sean said dryly. “People keep saying that.”

Chapter Nine

Krista got to work the next morning late. She didn’t care. Her head was splitting open and her stomach was threatening to empty its contents all over the floor.

When her phone started ringing she flinched, “Hello?” She put her head down on her desk.

“Krista?” It was Sean.

Krista’s stomach flipped, and then gurgled menacingly. She pulled the garbage can closer just in case. “Oh, hey Sean. What’s up?”

“Could you come to my office, please? I need to go over an assignment with you.”

“Sure thing. Be right there.”

She stared at the phone for a second. She’d sounded half-alive just there. Good stuff.

She painfully walked to Sean’s office, trying to look normal. She heard a ruckus and saw that the rest of the team was already there, Ben included.

“Wow, Krista--had a good weekend?” Marcus asked, moving away from her.

“Overdid it a little,” she admitted to the crowd.

“You look bad with a capital ‘B’,” Ray said moving closer. He was immediately in dad mode. “Do you feel okay?”

“I feel like shit, Ray, capital ‘S’. Self-induced, though, so it’s my own fault.”

“You should have called in with the brown bottle flu, honey!” Marcus said as Judy laughed. Everyone was in great spirits.

“I think I will save the assignments for tomorrow,” Sean declared with a little heat in his voice.

Krista spared a moment to feel guilty that she was affecting his job, but only until her stomach gurgled again. She stopped herself from moaning in misery as Ray rubbed her back.

“I will just say that our two helpers, Jasmine and Kate, have decided to join us. Which you all probably know. Kate will be here in one week and Jasmine in two. They will immediately pick up the slack.”

“Only one week?” Krista asked from the tabletop. The cool wood felt good on her head.

“Apparently her boss was leaving in a week, so she decided to jump on board.”

There was a cheer. Sean smirked, and then looked at Krista. His smile faltered. “Also, in three weeks we will be all be meeting with our clients, so I will be going over each person’s role. They want to meet the team.”

“Geegee might just be recovered by then,” Ben said.

Krista wasn’t in the mood for jokes. Especially since Ben was probably right. She needed a toilet. She was definitely going to throw up soon.

“Alright, everyone clear out. I wanna talk to our star researcher.” Sean was looking around, but his gaze never far from Krista’s face.

There were jokes and mirth at that. They all thought Krista would get a talking to. She didn’t really care. There were worse things Sean could say.