Blow(54)

“How would you like the burger cooked, sir?” the operator asked.

“Medium.”

I wasn’t sure if she’d eaten, but I knew she needed ice.

“We’ll send it up,” the operator said.

“Oh, and can you send a few cartons of milk?” Babies drink milk, or most do, I thought. I hung up, then looked over at Elle, who was searching her bag. “Does Clementine drink milk?”

She gave me a small smile. “Yes, she does. But she should be out for the night.”

“I’ll put it in the refrigerator then, just in case.”

She nodded and went back in the bedroom. I felt like she was gone for hours before she emerged and carefully took a seat on the sofa.

I wasted no time. “How about you tell me what’s going on?” I tried to keep my voice down.

“It’s probably nothing,” she answered.

I sat on the sofa—not too close, but not that far away. “Tell me what happened. Where is O’Shea?”

She took a pillow and placed it behind her back. “Michael called me late this afternoon. He got called to New York City. Something last minute. It’s not unusual.”

“The f*cker left you alone with the baby?” I seethed.

She reached over and placed her hand on me. “Logan, he still doesn’t know anything about what happened yesterday. I hadn’t gotten a chance to tell him yet.”

The heat of her fingers on my thigh caused my pulse to race. I looked at where her hand was. My blood was roaring as the lust I was feeling coursed through my veins. She was trying to calm me down and instead I was getting aroused.

I shifted awkwardly in my seat. I couldn’t think while she was touching me. Needing to lose the connection, I shuffled to my feet.

I was such an *.

Elle quickly folded her hands together in her lap and I swear I saw a thankful look on her face. Had she done that without thinking? Did she feel what I felt?

Still way too close, the flames from the stoking fire were roaring. I glanced at her and hoped they would die soon. With a slight shake of my head and a step back, I refocused on what was important. “That’s bullshit. He shouldn’t be leaving you alone with his kid.”

What was his game? I’d seen him at the garage. What was on that paper? Did the f*cker run?

She just stared at me like I was the crazy motherf*cker.

Okay, so I was being a dick. I needed to let her finish. I drew in a breath. “Sorry, go on.”

She still looked at me.

I put a hand up. “I’m cool.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, Elle.” I tried to keep my voice tight.

“I might just be unnecessarily acting paranoid.”

“Tell me,” I urged.

“Well, after I picked up Clementine and we got to Michael’s house, my garage door opener was missing from the car.”

“And then what?” I asked her, impatient to get to it.

“I drove around to the front and noticed the lights were off. That’s unusual. They’re on a timer. I got out to check the house before I brought Clementine in and that’s when I saw someone inside. Or I think I did. I saw shadows moving in Michael’s office. I didn’t stick around to make sure. I just turned and ran. That’s when I fell.”

My heart in my throat, I hated to even ask this. “Was someone chasing you?”

She shook her head vehemently. “No, I didn’t see anyone. I didn’t go any farther than the walkway, though. As soon as I was certain I saw movement, I ran to my car and drove here. I’m sorry, Logan. I didn’t know what else to do.”

She was more scared than she was letting on. I went and sat beside her, closer this time. “Hey, don’t be sorry.”

“I didn’t know what else to do,” she repeated again.

Nothing mattered but making sure she knew she’d done the right thing. I took her face in my hands. “You did the right thing.”

We looked at each other.

Her lips parted. My breathing was heavy.

Was I really considering kissing her?

The knock on the door had me pulling my hands away. It saved me from making a dumb-ass move.

Elle, however, jumped.

“Hey . . . it’s okay, it’s just room service. I told you, you’re safe here,” I reassured her. I wasn’t being entirely honest. Yes, she was safe here, but she wasn’t safe with me. And somehow I had to tell her that.

The guy in white stood there with a tray. I didn’t let him past me. I searched the hallway, saw no one else, signed the slip, and then I wheeled the cart in myself. “Thanks,” I told him.

“Have a good night,” he replied.

With the door closed and locked up tight again, the first thing I did was grab a towel and pour some ice in it. Tying it up, I handed it to her. “Here, put this on your back.”

She took it and slid it behind her to rest on the pillow and then leaned on it. “Thank you.”

“Did you eat?” I asked, keeping my distance.

Close was bad. I couldn’t seem to control my libido.

“No, but I’m not hungry,” she answered.

Ignoring her comment, I took the plate of food and set it on her lap. “You should eat.”

She lifted the lid. “I’ll share it with you.”