She was such a ninny. Staring at him. She probably made him feel uncomfortable staring at him like sex on a stick. “Sorry,” she cleared her throat. “I checked her in last night when she started complaining of stomach pains and threw up.” That was new and had scared the crap out of her.
“Wait, you’ve been here all night? Why didn’t you call me then?” He almost sounded hurt she hadn’t informed him before now.
She loved Mike, but she didn’t want to overburden him with her problems. Every time something happened to her grandma, she was calling Mike. “I know you’re getting ready to leave soon.” Her voice dropped even though there were only two other people in the cafeteria and they were on the other side of the room. What Mike did was top secret. Something even she shouldn’t know. She had put two and two together when a coded message came in about a potential threat and Mike left town shortly after. For a guy who was supposed to work a desk job, it hadn’t made sense.
Destiny had asked him about it when he came back, but he never confirmed nor denied he left. She knew the first thing about secrets. It’s what she did for a living so she left it go, knowing the truth even without him saying it.
“Destiny,” There was a warning in his tone.
“Don’t treat me like an idiot.” She spoke up, interrupting any stupidity that was sure to come out of his mouth next. “I know you can’t say one way or another and that’s fine. But you have enough on your plate, it’s selfish of me to ask you to come every time something happens.”
Mike chuckled at her. “You are the least selfish person I know.”
Oh, that was so untrue. When it came to him, she was selfish. She wanted all of him to herself. “Regardless, I didn’t want to bother you.”
“You could never bother me.”
His words warmed her heart. “She’s already looking better. I think they’ll let her leave this afternoon as soon as she can eat something and keep it down.”
“They still don’t know what’s wrong with her?” He sounded just as frustrated as she was.
“Unfortunately not. They said she was a little dehydrated but nothing to point at specifically. Maybe dinner didn’t agree with her.” Destiny had questioned Grandma’s helper, Milly, but she seemed just as concerned. Doctors just chalked it up as she was growing older, but Destiny didn’t believe that for a moment.
Yes, Grandma was older, but she was only in her seventies, and up until two months ago she had been healthy as a horse. Grandma never got sick. Destiny couldn’t even remember her getting a cold or the flu. Something else was going on, but she didn’t know what.
“What’s that look for?”
“Just thinking.” It was uncanny how easily he could read her. Most likely a skill he learned in his job he refused to talk about.
“About?” He prodded her. He was worse than a dog with a bone. Unwilling to let it go.
She hadn’t wanted to voice her suspicion. It sounded crazy even in her head. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”
“I can think of many ways to describe you, but crazy isn’t one of them.”
How would he describe her, she wanted to know.
Focus.
“So tell me what’s on that beautiful mind of yours.”
Her heart fluttered at his words. He thought she was beautiful? She who never did anything with her hair but throw it up in a bun and when she wasn’t working wore baggy clothes. Destiny felt her cheeks heat. Men had paid her compliments in the past, sure, but most were after her grandma’s fortune not her. Mike didn’t know anything about it, at least not that she knew of.
“Destiny?” He prodded her smiling.
Good lord, she needed to keep her thoughts on track. She had a habit of letting her mind wander.
Right, her suspicion.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence Grandma keeps getting sick. I don’t have proof, but it doesn’t make sense that two months ago she was hale and hearty and now she is in and out of the hospital almost every week. You think I’m crazy, don’t you?” She watched Mike’s face for any reaction to her words. Would he think she was crazy or believe her?
Mike’s face remained muted, not giving anything away. “I don’t know her well enough yet to say one way or another, but if you think something is off, I believe you.”
Destiny felt her whole body sag in relief. Mike caught her and held her close. Out of reflex, her hands gripped his biceps for support. The muscles bunched and flexed under her fingers. So strong and yet so gentle. It took all of her willpower not to stroke her fingers over his arms as she had longed to do. Find out if they were made out of granite like she suspected. So many things she wanted to do to him. Ruffle his short curly brown hair. Stroke his strong, powerful jaw. Kiss those sweet delectable-looking lips.
“Destiny,” Mike’s voice remained hard as stone. She hated that the attraction was so one sided. She was entrapped as easily as a fly in a spider web, only she didn’t want to escape. She wanted to stay in Mike’s arms forever. If only he wanted her. If only she could think of him as just a friend and not yearn for more. Yearn for something that was just out of reach.
“Mike,” Her voice was deep and husky; she didn’t recognize it as her own. She didn’t know what she was going to say. Let her go, hold her close, kiss her. She never got the chance.
