by Laura Iding
Crutches were really a pain in the butt.
Once she had the clothes divided and a load in the laundry basket, she looked around for her keys.
Of course, she couldn’t find them.
After ten minutes of looking, she gave up. The last time she’d seen them had been when Simon had taken them to go grocery shopping.
Had he inadvertently taken them with him last night?
Possibly. Maybe she should call him. Her heart leaped at the idea. But she just as quickly shut it down.
Pathetic. She was truly pathetic.
The building manager had a spare key. She could just as easily get it from him. She had, in fact, done that very thing the last time she’d accidentally locked her keys inside the apartment while doing laundry.
There was no need to bother Simon.
But she needed to prop the door open somehow, so she jammed a pair of dirty scrubs beneath the apartment door to keep it from closing. From there, she pushed the laundry basket full of clothes down the hall in front of her until she reached the elevator.
Once she had the load into the washer, she was able to grab the empty laundry basket with the edge of her fingers and carry it back up to her apartment. She made better time, although the empty basket was bulky and kept bouncing against the wall along the way.
When she reached her apartment, though, the tip of her crutch got tangled up in the scrubs she’d jammed beneath the door. For a moment she teetered precariously as she tried to regain her balance while untangling the tip of the crutch, but then she toppled over. And hit the floor.
Hard.
More bruises, she thought with a weary wince as she tried to catch her breath.
“Hailey? My God, are you all right?”
Sprawled inelegantly on the floor just inside her apartment, with the empty laundry basket on lying on top of her, she glanced up to find Simon standing in the doorway. He looked incredible in a long-sleeved denim shirt and well-worn blue jeans. She shoved her hair out of her eyes.
Seriously, the man had the absolute worst timing.
Simon scowled as he tossed the empty laundry basket aside and looked Hailey over, assessing the damage. He saw the scrubs stuffed under the door and figured they’d gotten tangled in her crutches, causing the fall. His fault for taking the stupid keys in the first place. He should have dropped them off late last night before she’d gone to sleep. “Are you sure you didn’t hurt yourself?”
“Only my pride,” she muttered, pushing herself upright.
“Here, grab my hands and then bend your good leg,” he instructed. “I’ll help lift you up.”
“I swear I’m not usually this clumsy,” she said, as he hauled her upright with a smooth motion. Once she was standing on her good foot, he put his arm around her waist to steady her.
“I know,” he said reassuringly.
“You seem to have a knack for seeing me at my worst,” she grumbled, as he helped her over to the kitchen chair.
“Hailey, you look fine. I’m glad I was here to help.”
Once he had her safely seated, he pulled the scrubs out from beneath the door and then closed it. He picked up the rest of the clothes scattered across the floor, tossing the items into the empty basket.
“Please, just leave them. I’ll pick them up,” she protested.
He ignored her, finishing the task while taking care not to examine the frilly, lacy items too closely. He pushed the basket out of the way and glanced at her. “I guess you realize I accidentally took your keys,” he murmured, pulling out a chair to sit next to her. He was somewhat surprised to see his phone number still sitting on the kitchen table. “Why didn’t you call me? I would have brought back your keys and hauled your stuff down to the laundry room, too.”
She avoided his direct gaze. “I needed the door to stay open anyway, because it’s too hard to maneuver it along with the crutches. And the keys were no big deal. I would have borrowed a spare set from the manager.”
“I see.” He stared at her, trying to figure out why she seemed to be going out of her way to avoid him. He blew out a heavy breath. “Hailey, I’m sorry about hitting you and causing all this. I feel awful. I wish there was something I could do to make it up to you.”
“Simon, you have to stop acting like I’m badly injured,” she said, clearly exasperated. “You’ve already helped me a lot. More than anyone else would have done. You wouldn’t even let me pay you for the groceries.”
No, he wouldn’t. And now that he was here, he didn’t plan on leaving anytime soon. She was obviously too stubborn for her own good. She was lucky she hadn’t hurt herself worse with that earlier stunt.
Why on earth she’d had the burning need to do laundry first thing this morning was beyond him. No lounging around and resting for Hailey. He reached over to lightly grasp her hand. “I’m not working today, so my entire day is free. Just tell me what you need. I’m all yours.”
Her head jerked up, her surprised gaze colliding with his. A sizzling awareness shimmered in the air between them. For long seconds neither one of them said anything. Belatedly, he realized how his last words might have sounded.
I’m all yours.
For the first time since Erica, he wished they were true. After the constant emotional drama, and the subsequent loss, he’d been more than content to live his life alone, without the entanglement of a relationship.
Yet looking down into Hailey’s bright blue eyes, he understood what he’d been missing. Until now, he hadn’t realized the restlessness he thought he’d been feeling might actually be pure loneliness.
When the silence stretched to the point where it became downright uncomfortable, he let go of her hand and cleared his throat. “So what are your plans for the day? Aside from laundry,” he added, glancing at the basket. “I’d be happy to finish up the loads for you, but that won’t take long.”
“No plans, really,” she said with a careless shrug. “What can I do? I don’t have a lot of money, especially now that I can’t work for the next two weeks. I was actually thinking of calling Theresa to see if there was any way I could do something to get a few hours in. But other than that, I’m pretty much stuck here. There isn’t a whole lot of things to do within walking distance.”
He made a mental note to approach Theresa himself to plead Hailey’s case. Surely there were some chart audits for their upcoming joint commission survey she could do. And he could actually use her help with the quality-of-care cases that he’d only just begun to review.
“Okay, then, let me ask you this,” he said. “What would you do today if you could get out of here for a while?”
“Go to the park,” she answered, seemingly without thinking. “Maybe stop at the library or the video store to rent a few movies. But you certainly don’t have to be my babysitter, Simon. I plan to give Rachel a call later. I’m not totally helpless, you know.”
He stared at her for a moment. He didn’t want her to call Rachel. Or anyone else for that matter. “Hailey, I never once thought you were helpless. Quite the opposite.”
Her smile seemed a bit sad. “Well, thanks for stopping by to return the keys. I’m sure you have better things to do with your day off.”
He understood that she’d continue to shove him away unless he made her understand how he really felt. Opening himself up wasn’t easy. But neither was walking away. “What if I told you I didn’t want to spend the day alone?” he asked softly. “What if I told you I’d much rather spend time with you?”
There was another pause, and he almost wished he’d kept his big mouth shut.
But she smiled. “I’d say I’m glad to hear that, because I’d like to spend the day with you, too.”
He grinned, a feeling of relief sweeping over him rather than the usual sense of dread that normally curled in his gut whenever he’d considered seeing a woman on a personal level.
Hailey was different. Or rather his feelings toward her were different. And right now he couldn’t find the energy to
care if he was walking along the edge of a slippery slope as long as Hailey was beside him.
Hailey watched Simon haul her laundry bag of dirty clothes out of the apartment, wondering if she had rocks for brains.
Why had she agreed to let him help? Especially with something as personal as her laundry? Just the thought of him looking at her intimate wear made her blush.
But even worse, why had she agreed to spend the entire day with him?
She wanted to think he’d simply caught her in a weak moment but, in truth, she’d agreed because she wanted to spend the day with him.
Treading into dangerous territory? Maybe. But she shoved her misgivings aside. For too long her response to men had been non-existent, and now that her emotions had thawed, she found she liked having them. And the thought of being cooped up inside the tiny apartment wasn’t at all appealing, so why not take advantage of Simon’s generosity?
He didn’t have to know how much she admired him. She’d treat him like a friend. Surely everyone could use a few friends?
Thankfully, Simon didn’t insist on doing everything. He brought the clean clothes up from the basement laundry room and gave her the opportunity to fold the items and put them away.
He was on the phone when she emerged from the bedroom. He quickly finished his call and snapped the cell phone shut when he saw her.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have much to wear other than this,” she said, gesturing to the slit-up-the-side-seam sweat pants.
“That’s okay,” he said, waving away her concern. “We’re only going to the park, to the library and to the video store.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think we have to cover everything I mentioned.”
He simply cocked a brow. “Well, as the sun is shining and it’s a balmy sixty degrees outside, why don’t we go to the park first? If you’re up to it we can make another stop or two at the library or the video store on the way home.”
“Sounds good.” She went over to her purse to pull out her sunglasses. She followed Simon down the hall, going through the doors he held open for her.
“I can’t believe how nice it is outside after the storm yesterday,” she said, squinting in the glare of the sun.
“I know. Good thing the storm didn’t do any major damage.” Simon held the passenger door open for her.
She hesitated just for a moment. Riding in a car as a passenger wasn’t her favorite pastime, but she’d managed to get over her fear to a certain extent. And she didn’t have much of a choice now that she’d broken her leg. This would be the beginning of many car rides.
She could do this. No problem.
Taking a deep breath, she slid into the passenger seat, extremely conscious of Simon’s hand under her elbow. His touch, even as light and impersonal as it was, helped distract her from being in the car.
She could get used to having his hands on her.
Giving a mental eye roll, she stared forward through the windshield, determined not to let her idiotic fantasies ruin the day.
When they arrived at Cedar Bluff park, there were two paths, one that climbed up to the top of the bluff and one that lead down to the lakefront. If not for the crutches she would have preferred to go up, but when Simon started out along the path leading down to the lake, she fell into step beside him.
The sun was warm on her skin, and the light breeze coming off the lake felt refreshingly wonderful. She loved the rhythmic sounds of the waves crashing over the rocky shore.
“I’m so glad we came,” she said, pausing for a moment to tuck her hair behind her ears to keep it out of her eyes. “I didn’t realize how much I needed to get out of that stuffy apartment.”
“I’m glad we came too,” Simon murmured. He walked slowly alongside her, keeping pace with her awkward gait, his hand resting lightly on the small of her back.
She imagined that anyone watching them would think they were a couple. The thought caused a tingle of awareness. She glanced around, thinking it was a good thing the lakefront was deserted on a Tuesday in the middle of the day.
“Hailey, do you mind if I ask you a question?”
She glanced at him in surprise. “Of course not.”
“The day we took care of that young seventeen-year-old motor vehicle crash victim, you seemed to take his death pretty hard. Was that because he reminded you of your fiancé, Andrew?”
They’d reached the lakeshore so she stopped, staring out at the rippling water for a moment. “Yes.”
“Because he died in a car crash too?” Simon asked persistently.
“Yes.” She turned toward Simon, suddenly tempted to tell him the truth. All of the truth.
Even the parts she’d never told anyone.
But the words stuck in her throat.
“Is that why you don’t drive a car?” he asked. “I mean, I had this brilliant idea to offer to share my car with you, but even if I did, you wouldn’t drive it, would you?”
Obviously, he had all the answers, so why bother with the questions? She blew out a breath, amazed that he’d nailed the truth. She’d already told him about Andrew so it wasn’t much of a stretch to put two and two together and come up with four. “No, I wouldn’t,” she finally admitted. “But thanks for the kind offer.”
“Why not? You seemed fine riding as a passenger. Why not drive a car?”
“I can’t,” she said helplessly, avoiding his gaze. “I don’t enjoy riding in a car as a passenger, either. But the reason I go everywhere on my bike is because I haven’t driven a car since the accident. Because I was driving that night. The crash—Andrew’s death—was my fault.”
“Hailey,” he murmured, and suddenly he took one of her crutches out of the way so he could pull her into his arms. His musky scent intermingled with the fresh air coming off the lake. “No, don’t say that. Sometimes things happen. Like you and me colliding in the rain. Didn’t you tell me that hitting you wasn’t my fault? It’s the same thing.”
No, it wasn’t. He didn’t know the whole story. How she’d insisted on driving that night because Andrew had had a few drinks. They’d argued, heatedly. And in the end her decision had cost him his life. If she’d let him drive, she would have been in the passenger seat.
She didn’t want to relive the painful memories. She could feel Simon’s intent gaze. It was tempting, so tempting to hide her face in the hollow of his shoulder. To simply give herself over to his warm embrace.
Gathering her courage, she forced herself to meet his compassionate chocolate-brown gaze.
But before she could say anything to make him understand, she was distracted by his mouth, dangerously close to hers. And whatever thought she was about to voice flew right out of her head.
She must have been a little too obvious because he murmured her name again, almost like a plea, before his mouth came down to capture hers.
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE urgency of Hailey’s response, the way her lips parted invitingly, made it impossible for Simon to pull away. Instead, he broke every one of his rules by deepening the kiss.
He wanted her. More than he could ever remember wanting anyone else. Her taste was like a drug and he was willing to suffer any consequences in order to have more. In some distant part of his mind he remembered to be careful of her broken leg, although he crushed her close, enjoying the way her soft curves pressed against him.
She fitted in his arms perfectly.
Reluctantly, he broke off the kiss when he heard a dog walker approaching. They were standing right in the middle of the narrow path so they needed to get out of the way. He steadied Hailey with one hand and bent over to pick up her discarded crutches from the ground.
Hailey gripped his arm like it was a lifeline, balancing her weight on her good leg. The dazed expression in her eyes only made him want to kiss her again.
How would she look if they made love?
His pulse skyrocketed at the mere thought. He pulled himself together with an effort, ignoring his body’s physical respo
nse. Even this kiss shouldn’t have happened.
He couldn’t take things between them any further. Giving in to his libido had cost him more than he could bear with Erica.
“Sorry about that,” Simon murmured, tucking each of her crutches beneath her arms.
She grasped the handles of the crutches and moved out of the walker’s way. She looked up at him, her expression uncertain. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re apologising for,” she said.
He swallowed a curse. This wasn’t Hailey’s fault. It was his. He didn’t know what in the hell he’d been thinking to kiss her like that. And no matter how much he wanted to avoid the topic, Hailey deserved the truth. “I—uh—shouldn’t have kissed you.”
Her gaze dropped to the ground. “I see.” Without saying anything more, she pivoted and continued walking down the path toward the lakefront.
Dammit. Now he’d made her feel bad. He quickened his pace to catch up to her. “Hailey, I’m sorry.”
“Yeah. You already said that.” Her clipped tone and hurried pace were the only outward signs of her anger.
“Let me explain, please?” She was crutch-walking at a fast pace and he had to lengthen his stride to keep up with her. “It’s not that I didn’t want to kiss you—” he began.
“Don’t.” Her sharp tone interrupted him. “Don’t bother giving me the it’s not you, it’s me speech, okay? I get it. I already heard from Rachel how you have a rule about not dating women you work with.”
He couldn’t completely hide his surprise. “She told you?”
She flashed him a disgusted look. “Yes, she told me. And, really, it’s no big deal. We’ll just forget that this—uh—interlude ever happened.” She grimaced and kept her gaze purposely away from his.
Forget about their kiss? Not bloody likely.
Although maybe she wasn’t as affected by what had happened as he was. The thought was sobering.
He sighed, and found himself wanting to explain. He’d never told anyone about Erica. He’d been too embarrassed to admit how far over the top she’d gone.