Corporate Fire: Corporate Romance Book 1 (6 page)

He knew all the right things to say. Grace relaxed her grip a fraction. “Why are you being so nice to me? You could be drinking at the bar with beautiful women surrounding you. Please, go and enjoy your Saturday night.”

He moved his hand to the back of her neck. She tensed her muscles in an attempt to prevent from shaking. She imagined what it would be like if he kissed her right then. Amazing, she was sure.

He said, “When you bounced into the office Friday morning, you were so excited and filled with energy that I knew I had to meet you. Do you know how rare your attitude is? Most people I lay off are going through the motions, but you're so passionate. I listened to your program manager and CFO fight about you and hoped your boss would win. I don't want to be at the bar surrounded by beautiful women. I want to comfort this one gorgeous woman sitting in front of me.”

She caught her breath. He understood how much she loved her job. And she'd never been called gorgeous.

The nurse returned, and Royce pulled away. She gave Grace Vicodin with a small cup of water and said to Royce, “I'm going to wheel her into the X-ray room. You can wait here if you like, and she'll be right back.”

After that speech Grace wanted him to stay more than anything, but she didn't want him to feel obligated. “You don't have to wait,” said Grace. “I'll be fine now. I can feel the medicine taking the edge off already.” Not exactly true.

“I'll go if you want me to, but I'm happy to wait.”

She nodded, and the nurse wheeled her away. Royce would be perfect if it wasn't for his job. He was great at building her up; he shouldn't be tearing people down for a living.

In the X-ray room Grace wished they'd given the painkillers a little more time to kick in. The nurse set her leg this way and that, making Grace want to yell, but she kept her mouth shut. About halfway through, numbness set in, and all her muscles relaxed. Her hand felt empty without Royce's hand to grip. His palm had been so soft and his strength so reassuring. Maybe it didn't matter anymore that he'd fired her. She didn't know any guy who'd stick by her through this after knowing her for one day. Just a day. It seemed like forever.

Whoa. The medication was really kicking in. Euphoria pulsed through her veins and made her forget everything but Royce and his concerned eyes. A small worry pushed itself in: maybe he'd left. She hadn't answered his question about staying or going.

The Vicodin stole her worries. She returned to blissful thoughts about seeing him again. She was sure she would. He'd stuck through the worst part after all.

The nurse wheeled her back out saying, “The doctor will see you soon,” but Grace hardly heard her.

Royce was gone.

Her euphoria tumbled down. Logically it was silly to think that he'd wait for her. The discussion with the nurse had been embarrassing for both of them. She imagined talking to the doctor wouldn't be much better. Maybe he finally realized that skiing or drinking at the bar would be a lot better than sitting in a clinic with a crazy programmer. At least his company had gotten her through the worst of it.

The medicine wouldn't allow her mood to bottom out completely, but she definitely heaped on the self-pity until she heard a knock at the door. Thinking it was the doctor, she said, “Come in.”

Royce opened the door.

She sighed in relief. “It's sooo good to see you.”

Royce grinned, closed the door and sat down next to her. He said, “You know, you were my first target to ever tell me it was good to meet me. I kept playing those words over and over in my mind on the drive here.”

“Well, I had nooo idea why you were there. I just knew you were the most handsome man I'd ever seen.” She slapped her hand over her mouth

“Really?” He folded his arms across his chest and smiled. “I thought you hated me. Tell me more.”

She lowered her hand and said, “You're trying to take advantage of me being all drugged up.”

“Naturally. I take what I can in this job.” He leaned over and took her hand again. “Tell me what you were thinking when you walked into work early and we couldn't stop staring at each other?”

He paused, and Grace widened her eyes. Even on drugs she didn't think she could open up about that.

He continued, “Because what I was thinking was, 'Please don't let that beautiful, determined woman be in my files. Please let her be somebody who will come skiing with me this weekend.'”

Grace drew in a raspy breath. She blurted out, “I was hoping you were a skier too and would come skiing with me this weekend. I was really stretching rule number one to make you fit.”

“Ah, the rules. Time to tell me about them so I don't break them.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. She should never have brought them up. “You don't want to know those. It'll make me seem freaky.”

“I think it will make you adorable.”

She giggled. “Welllll, okay. I only date people who know people I know. I don't like touching, even sometimes on the second date. I don't kiss until the third date, and I don't have sex for ten point five dates.”

“So precise.”

“I'm a programmer.”

He looked down at their hands and said, “I'm afraid I'm touching you. Should I withdraw my hands?”

She shook her head slowly. “No. I don't know why it doesn't bother me when you do it.”

Before Royce could reply the doctor came in and introduced herself. “Hi, I'm Dr. Young.” She held out her hand to shake, and Grace had to let go of Royce.

She shook the doctor's hand and said, “Hi, I'm Grace Arden. And this is the most handsome man who will ever fire you, Royce, whose last name I forgot.”

The doctor tried to hide a smile and shook Royce's hand. “Hendrix,” he said.

The doctor said, “Sounds like the drugs are doing their job. I have some for you to take tonight and tomorrow until you can get home and fill a prescription. Your leg is definitely broken, but the good news is it's only in one place.” She put the X-ray up on a lit board and showed them. She used a lot of technical terms that Grace was too drugged to follow. Royce asked some questions like he was her husband. She should've found it strange, but mostly she was relieved to have someone paying attention for her.

She heard the doctor say, “So I'll wrap it to keep you from moving it, but you should make an appointment at home with an orthopedist to set it in about three days. Are you her ride home, Royce?”

The question jolted Grace, and she said, “No,” just as Royce said, “Yes.”

“I can't impose on you like that,” said Grace. “I've got friends and family I can call.” She thought of Jill and the unanswered texts. She really needed to call her.

“And what?” said Royce. “Make them drive all the way up here to get you? What are you going to do with your car? I can drive you home in your car, and Ted can follow in the rental. It's really the best solution. I'm a safe driver. You can call all the places I've rented from if you need references. They love me there.”

Grace envisioned him staying at her apartment and letting Ted drive on alone to the airport. She gave her head a shake. That was the medicine talking. She never allowed men inside her apartment. “Are you sure?” she said.

He took her hand and said, “It's the least I can do.”

“So if that's settled,” said the doctor, “here are your instructions for the next few days.” She handed Grace a sheet of paper and started going over them. Grace understood the first ones and then sort of glazed over thinking about Royce taking her home. And about tonight. She hoped he was still going to have room service with her. Pain thrummed at her leg reminding her she wasn't exactly in shape to do much, but she didn't want to think about parting from him.

7| In the Room

Grace hoisted herself on crutches through a back door of the clinic and down a hotel hallway. A bag of ice tied to one of the handles crunched against the metal as she went. The wood paneling and dim lighting made her wish she was curled up in front of a fire—with Royce. Too bad her room didn't have a fireplace.

She paused to catch her breath, steady herself and try to figure out how she was ever going to make it all the way to her room.

Royce put his hand between her shoulder blades and said, “I can't believe they couldn't spare the wheelchair to get you to your room at least. I would've brought it back.”

“I guess I have to get used to these some--” her voice trailed off as she noticed him carrying her ski boot. “My skis! What did they do with my skis? Did Eric take them?”

He rubbed his hand in a circle on her back, causing tingles to arc through her skin. “Don't worry. While you were being X-rayed, I snagged them off the snowmobile and took them to a rack next to mine by the outdoor bar. I'll get them later.”

She wanted to lean in and kiss him, but fortunately or not the crutches made it too difficult to try. “Thank you...again. This weekend has been such a disaster. It's strange how happy I am right now.”

Royce grinned. “I'd like to think it's me, but I'm sure it's the drugs. I'm just hoping you don't hate me when they wear off.”

“Hate is the furthest thing from my mind right now. You've been really, really, sweet during all this.”

He pressed his palm into her back and stepped closer. Definitely in kissing range. “I'd like a little clarification on the rules. Since I've done so well holding your hand, and you haven't shrugged off my hand on your back, any chance for snuggling while we watch a movie tonight? I'll keep my lips to myself, I swear.”

She wanted him to kiss her now. She recalled how last night she wished she could live without so many inhibitions, and the drugs had certainly lowered them. She should take advantage of the situation.

Grace pushed herself upright, stood on her toes and tilted forward slightly. Her lips brushed his for one second of heaven. She kept her eyes closed savoring the tenderness. When she opened them, Royce's eyes were popping out of his head.

“I'm so sorry,” rushed out Grace. “Did I do something wrong? You look horrified.”

Royce stepped around so his body was right in front of hers. He grabbed her by the waist and kissed her again—several times. No tongue, but his lips teased hers, telling her his desire without words.

When he stopped he said, “I was surprised, not horrified. I've gone from being the object of your wrath to sharing intimacy you rarely give. I've never been so intrigued by a woman.”

Grace's breath hitched. She wouldn't say it was a mistake to have kissed him, but she wasn't prepared for the rush of emotions coursing through her body. She'd never experienced them before. She attempted to push through them and said, “I think I need to get to my room before I collapse.”

“I'm sorry. I keep forgetting you're probably in a lot of pain.” He stepped aside, and they started their journey down the hall again.

Grace moved slowly, and neither of them spoke. There was no discomfort to the silence because Grace was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to wonder what he was thinking. Had she really experienced love at first sight back at the office? Had she somehow known in their first glance that he wouldn't need to jump through her carefully placed hoops?

The thought of sex with him didn't terrify her or make her shrug in indifference. The thought of sex with him made her hope he'd help her into her room and fall into bed with her right away—her broken leg be damned.

In the elevator, he brought her out of her thoughts by saying, “Did I push too far back in the hallway?”

“No, I'm sorry. I'm trying to sort through events. I don't understand why everything is different with you. I'm not even mad at you anymore over losing my job.”

A bell sounded, and the elevator door opened. He held it open while she hoisted herself through. He said, “I'll probably sound like a monster, but a little bit of me is glad you broke your leg. I'm sure you would've won otherwise and sent me packing.”

“Well, I would've won. But I was already having second thoughts about sending you packing.”

He grinned, and they arrived at her room. “Then can I arrange room service for us tonight?”

“I'd love that.”

She managed to pull her wallet out of her coat pocket while slumped on her crutches. He took the key that she slid out and unlocked the door. After he pushed the door open, he flipped a light switch because it was already dark enough outside to shine little light into her room.

The room had one queen sized bed and the standard furniture of a dresser, TV and small table. A picture of a skier spraying powder everywhere as he went down a trail hung over the headboard of the bed. Her app books were on top of her laptop case, her phones were on the table and her suitcase was zipped up on the luggage rack, with her boot and ski bags against the wall behind it. It hardly looked like anyone was staying in the room at all.

“Hand me your crutches. I'll help you inside.”

She had to lean on the doorframe holding the door open when he took her crutches. He tossed them and the ski boot at the foot of her bed and turned to her. She thought he intended her to hold onto him and hop into the room, but he lifted her into his arms.

She didn't take her eyes off of him while he pressed her to his chest and let the door slam behind them.

He said in a low voice, even though they were the only ones in the room, “I barely squeaked by the first of your dating rules. I was the bastard who told you you'd lost your job. And you could blame me for your broken leg. Why is it you broke your second rule for me?”

His arms gave her peace. His voice filled her with desire.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and said in a more lucid voice than she felt, “It seems that first moment we had was interrupted by a lot of things outside of our control. If I set those aside, you've been nothing but patient and thoughtful with me. Do you think Doug would've been a comfort in the waiting room? He would've told me all the things I did wrong to cause the accident and how superior he is. Seems like I've run into a lot of Doug's in my life, but you're the only Royce.”