“You need ice—”
I slip my hand free and shake my head.
“Don’t say you’re fine, Audrey.Your fingers are swollen,” he says.
“They’re just a little bruised from getting pinched between his jaw and the tablet.I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
His scowl deepens.I don’t have the energy to roll my eyes.
“Honestly, they don’t hurt, and the worse they look, the better my case against him, right?Let’s just go.They’ll have ice at the station,” I say.
For a tense moment, he stares at me without moving.When he finally steps away, I blow out my breath and reach for my bags.
He takes them from me and hooks them onto his shoulder before grabbing my uninjured wrist and plopping two pills onto my palm.
“Anti-inflammatory and pain relief.Either take them or—”
I toss them into my mouth and swallow them dry before rushing out of the room.
After endless hours at the police station, I stand outside the automatic glass doors and fill my lungs with tainted city air.
The doors slide open and Mr.Diamond joins me on the sidewalk.
“He’ll be in the hospital tonight and jail for a day or two after that, so you don’t have to worry about running into him any time soon,” he says.“But if you decide going home alone is too much, I have several hotel suites—”
“No, Mr.D—”
“Audrey, we’re not in the office, nor are we discussing work matters.Call me Brennan, please.”
If he’d pushed an ounce of command in his voice, I’d refuse, but his gentle, imploring tone decimates my defenses.I can’t refuse him when he’s asking so nicely and especially not after the roller coaster of a day we’ve had.
I rub my brow, nod, and take a deep breath before meeting his eyes.
“Thank you for the offer, Brennan.”
His light blue eyes become bottomless pools, and his lips curve in a gentle smile.
My wounded heart melts.Even though I don’t fully trust him—and I’m still too broken to even consider giving him what he wants—my soul yearns to connect with his.My body’s confusing signals don’t help the matter either.Ice and fire take turns sweeping down my spine while tension throbs between my legs.
I don’t want to go to my crappy apartment.My paper-thin walls and noisy neighbors will keep me awake all night.
But I can’t accept his offer of a hotel room.That’s too… intimate, even if he never visits the room.
I consider sneaking back to the office to sleep on a random couch like I do when my nightmares are too close, but after today’s events and Brennan’s use of the security feeds, I don’t dare.
“A hotel room is too much, and I can ride the subway to my apartment, but I’ll take a ride to the nearest home goods store,” I say.
He nods and motions for me to lead the way to the vehicle.A few quiet minutes later, he parallel parks in front of a brightly lit store.
“Thank you,” I say as I open the door.
I pause as he turns off the ignition and reaches for his door handle.
“What are you doing?”I demand.
“I need a few things,” he says.
“No you don’t, and even if you do, you can either go to a different store or wait until I leave.The last thing I need right now is you following me around like a stalker.”
