"I heard you on the phone before, Olivia," he admitted. I know you were calling friends, and no one was available to help you."
"Oh... you listened in on my private conversations, did you?" I felt my cheeks grow warm and red, caught in my little white lie.
"I couldn't help it. Besides, I knew you would act as if everything was fine, even if it wasn't."
Well, he had me there. I had made some calls right before dinner and either discovered my network of friends were out of town or otherwise unavailable. My best friend, Maria Nuñez, would be able to open the shop, but with five children of her own and her mother in the hospital, even ever-faithful Maria didn't have much time to help me out.I bit down on my lip. "I still have a few more friends I can call. Someone will be able to help out."
"Okay, I'll make a deal with you," he offered as he strolled over to where I sat. He sat on the couch next to me and while I had the sudden impulse to jump up and move away, my sprained ankle prevented any fast moves. "What kind of deal?" she croaked.
"If you get someone to come and help you, I go. But I mean, really help, not just dump a bag of groceries on your doorstep or give you a five-minutes Visit. If you don't, I'll stick around and help you and Noah."
He was going to stay here to take care of me?Why, he'd barely been here twenty-four hours so far and I felt as if my life.....me very peace of mind -had been turned totally upside down.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Olivia? Don't you think I can do whatever needs to be done around here? he asked quietly,
"No...it's not that," I replied with a shake my head. His arm was resting on the edge of the sofa behind her, not quite touching me but close enough to my shoulders and the bare skin on my neck to be distracting.
"It's just that you don't need to stay here just because you feel guilty."
"You've already told me that. I'm not staying just because I feel guilty, okay?"
His sincere look got to me again. Those big brown eyes of his did something to me every time. I tried to ignore an inner melting sensation. I still didn't believe him
"What about your life back in New York?" How can you afford to miss so much time away from your office?"
"The place won't fall apart without me, as much as I hate to admit it." He smiled at me. Besides, once I can get out to my car, I have everything I need to stay in touch with the office--a cell phone, notebook computer, modem hookup for e-mail and all that."
"Of course. I should have known, I replied lightly. A top-of-the-line model like Brian Adams came complete with all the state-of-the-art, high-tech gadgetry. How silly of me to ever think otherwise
"Yes, you should have," he replied with a sexy grin. He put a pillow on the coffee table and then leaned over and raised my injured leg so that it was comfortably propped up.
"What are you doing? I asked, alarmed to feel his touch on my bare skin. It had been easier to dressin a long, casual wrap skirt and a T-shirt for dinner than to struggle with pants again. At least I'd managed to shave my legs in the bathtub, I thought
"Your leg should be elevated. It will keep the swelling down." With his large warm hand resting on my shin, he looked down at my ankle. "It still looks pretty swollen. We ought to get over to the doctor first thing tomorrow. I really think you need an X ray."
He gazed up at me with concern, his hand lingering on my leg, softly gliding up and down on my shin, then reaching around to massage her calf muscle, which was tight from overuse.
"I hate to go to the doctor," I admitted.
He laughed lightly. "I had a feeling you might say that. He continued gently massaging my leg. The featherlight sensation was hypnotizing, sending a warm relaxing languor throughout my entire body. His other arm was draped around my shoulder. I'll take care of any bills, don't worry, he added, avoiding my gaze.
His comment made me sit up and grow tense again. I took his hand off my leg. "That won't be necessary, she assured him ....Though I didn't have much insurance coverage and wasn't looking forward to the unexpected bill
"We'll see. He sat back and continue to gaze steadily at me. You know, I've heard it sad that sometimes people come into one's life for a reason...to teach us a lesson."
I smirked at him. Don't tell me. you've been sent into my life to teach me not to open the door in the middle of the night to strangers?"
He laughed at the reminder of their first encounter
"No, not at all. I think l'm here to teach you to accept help a little more...graciously."
"Oh." I frowned and crossed my arms over my
chest. She had thought for an instant that he was going to say something more...romantic. But that was just silly of me.
"And what am I supposed to be teaching you, Brian?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Maybe I need to learn not to jump to assumptions about people...or something like that."
"Well, Noah will be happy to hear you're staying longer," I said, trying to move the conversation to a more neutral topic.
"He's quite a kid," Brian said sincerely