“And I’m in charge and I’m telling you to get up.”
Realizing Ronan wasn’t going to let me off the hook, I rolled onto my back and slid toward the headboard so I was half sitting. I crossed my arms over my bare chest and sighed, studying the shape of his face in the darkness of the bedroom.
“I have a client meeting in the morning.”
“You don’t get to lie to me,” Ronan said in answer. “You’ve never lied to me before.”
“Ronan.” I scrubbed my hand down my face, the weekend-long length of my beard abrading against my palm. “I clearly wasn’t sleeping. It was hardly a lie if you could see the truth for yourself.”
“We agreed to do this differently, for it to be more intense,” he explained, reaching for my hands. His palms were sweaty and his cuticles were ringed red. “But we can’t do that without communication.”
“I tried to communicate when Foster called in the middle of the night asking you to play doctor.”
He tightened his hold on my hand.
“He’s wrapped up with that man from New Year’s,” Ronan explained. “He’d been stabbed.”
“Foster?” I lurched forward, fingers instinctively tightening around Ronan’s hand for comfort and protection.
“No. Sage.”
“By who?”
“I didn’t ask.” Ronan dragged his thumb across my knuckles and kissed the top of my hand.
“Should you have?”
Ronan shrugged and frowned. “You can go to sleep. I just…”
“I’m sorry I lied,” I blurted, sliding back onto the pillows and pulling him with me. He settled and faced me, reaching out and pushing my hair away from my face.
“I know. I’m sorry too.”
“I won’t again.”
“I know.” Ronan gave me a small smile and a big yawn.
“I’ll do better,” I promised, sliding closer and wrapping Ronan in my arms. I pressed my face against his chest and sighed.
“I know that, too,” he said, and then together, we fell asleep.
* * *
The alarm went off too soon,and I did my best to untangle myself from Ronan’s vise grip of an embrace. I didn’t know what time he’d gotten home, but I knew seven was too early for him to be awake. Slipping out of bed, I grabbed clothes out of the closet and padded down the hallway to the shower in the guest bathroom.
The water was hot, and I thought about the night before as I shampooed and conditioned my hair. We’d both mis-stepped the night before—me by lying to avoid an important conversation, and Ronan by not validating my concerns about him leaving for Foster’s house. Unfortunately, we’d both done what we’d done, and while I could promise to be truthful about my feelings going forward, there was no guarantee of how Ronan playing doctor would affect us in the long term.
If I let myself dwell on it, I would worry myself to death, so instead I finished my shower and quickly dressed. I’d grabbed something casual enough, a pair of dark slacks and a white button-up. I didn’t need to wear a suit, and I rolled the sleeves up to my elbows while I waited for my coffee to brew in the kitchen. The bedroom remained silent, so I slipped out, hoping that Ronan would take advantage of the opportunity to catch up on some sleep.
The drive to the Savino-Sharp site was easy enough and finding Ben Harper, the general contractor, even easier. He was a good-sized guy, tall and thin, with light hair and birdlike features. When he saw me, he pulled off his hard hat and headed my direction, offering me a tight smile and a handshake.
“What brings you around, Kevin?” he asked, glancing back at the job site.
“I just wanted to check on the updates to the office.”
“Right. Come on then, I’ll show you.” He detoured me to the office trailer and grabbed a hard hat for me, and I followed him into the condo, which had practically been reduced to the studs. The office had been completely gutted, after being the former master bedroom, and Ben’s guys had already framed out the secret addition to the space.
“Weird request, am I right?” he asked with a laugh.
