she
knew that, as much as she loved having him around, she needed him to
leave soon so she could go to work. It would be a struggle. She still
felt exhausted, but she still had five cabins to clean today. Once he
climbed in she said, “I know that you've stayed longer than you
meant to already. Do you want to call Smoke and I'll drop you at the
airport?”
He looked across at her and cocked his head to one
side. “You really think I'm that clueless?”
She was shocked. “What do you mean?”
He rolled his eyes. “You think you're going
to get rid of me and then head up to the resort and start cleaning
cabins, don't you?”
She didn't say anything. She hadn't realized she
was so transparent, and she hated to admit that she had indeed been
trying to get rid of him. Yes, he was wonderful, she loved being
around him, but her priorities had to revolve around making ends
meet, not spending time with a gorgeous man.
“Not going to admit it?” he asked. He
didn't look angry, she wasn't sure what the look on his face meant.
She let out a big sigh. “Okay, I admit it.
Don't think it's because I want you to leave though. I really don't.
It's because I have to work. I need the money. I have to do this to
pay the bills. I know it's not something that occurs to the rest of
you, but it's a huge factor in my life, Dan.”
“That's not fair, Miss. You know where I
come from. I know all about struggling to get by.”
She did know that. He and Jack had grown up dirt
poor with an abusive alcoholic for a father. She nodded. “Yeah,
but it's not a factor for you anymore is it, Mr. Tech Genius? You've
made boatloads of money with your software. It's not like you have to
go out and scrub other people's toilets so you can feed your kid, is
it?” Oops! She hadn't meant to bite his head off. It wasn't his
fault. His gaze softened as he looked at her.
“You don't have to either. Please. At least
for this week, stay home. Rest. Get better?”
“I can't!”
“You can. You'll still get paid. I talked to
Ben last night. You'll still get a week's sick pay.”
How could that work? She wasn't employed by some
corporation. She didn't get any benefits, let alone a week's sick
pay.
“Think about it, Miss. It makes sense. It's
better to pay you to take one week off to get better now than it
would be to lose you for several weeks, or more, if you keep pushing
and make yourself worse.”
She frowned. What he said made sense, but it
didn't make sense that Ben should pay her to stay home and still have
to find and pay someone else to do all the work that she wasn't
doing. He started the van and pulled out while she was still trying
to figure out what to think, say, or do. “Where are we going?”
“I'm taking you home and you're not going to
argue.”
“You mean you hope I'm not!”
He laughed. “Nope. I'm telling you you're not . You're going to be a good girl and do as you're
told for once. You're going to go home and take a nice little nap
while I go get iron pills and groceries.”
She smiled. “Suitable ones?”
“Yes, suitable ones.”
How could she argue with him? “Okay, you win
and I do appreciate it, Dan. But seriously, don't you need to get
back yourself?”
He shrugged. “I don't want to.”
She laughed. “Now you sound like Scotty!”
He grinned. “Maybe so, but I don't really
need to either. Plus, I need to make sure you're not going to go
sneaking back to work as soon as I leave.”
“And how are you going to make sure of it?”
He shot her a quick look. “I could tie you
to the bed.”
Yep. Her body sure did remember what desire was!
“But if you did that, I hope you wouldn't leave?”
“No, ma'am. No way I'd be leaving.” He
reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze. “See, that's
another reason you need to take the whole week off. We can't start
misbehaving ’til you're all rested and better.”
She looked at him. He was looking way too pleased
with himself. “Hmm. That could be a
knew that, as much as she loved having him around, she needed him to
leave soon so she could go to work. It would be a struggle. She still
felt exhausted, but she still had five cabins to clean today. Once he
climbed in she said, “I know that you've stayed longer than you
meant to already. Do you want to call Smoke and I'll drop you at the
airport?”
He looked across at her and cocked his head to one
side. “You really think I'm that clueless?”
She was shocked. “What do you mean?”
He rolled his eyes. “You think you're going
to get rid of me and then head up to the resort and start cleaning
cabins, don't you?”
She didn't say anything. She hadn't realized she
was so transparent, and she hated to admit that she had indeed been
trying to get rid of him. Yes, he was wonderful, she loved being
around him, but her priorities had to revolve around making ends
meet, not spending time with a gorgeous man.
“Not going to admit it?” he asked. He
didn't look angry, she wasn't sure what the look on his face meant.
She let out a big sigh. “Okay, I admit it.
Don't think it's because I want you to leave though. I really don't.
It's because I have to work. I need the money. I have to do this to
pay the bills. I know it's not something that occurs to the rest of
you, but it's a huge factor in my life, Dan.”
“That's not fair, Miss. You know where I
come from. I know all about struggling to get by.”
She did know that. He and Jack had grown up dirt
poor with an abusive alcoholic for a father. She nodded. “Yeah,
but it's not a factor for you anymore is it, Mr. Tech Genius? You've
made boatloads of money with your software. It's not like you have to
go out and scrub other people's toilets so you can feed your kid, is
it?” Oops! She hadn't meant to bite his head off. It wasn't his
fault. His gaze softened as he looked at her.
“You don't have to either. Please. At least
for this week, stay home. Rest. Get better?”
“I can't!”
“You can. You'll still get paid. I talked to
Ben last night. You'll still get a week's sick pay.”
How could that work? She wasn't employed by some
corporation. She didn't get any benefits, let alone a week's sick
pay.
“Think about it, Miss. It makes sense. It's
better to pay you to take one week off to get better now than it
would be to lose you for several weeks, or more, if you keep pushing
and make yourself worse.”
She frowned. What he said made sense, but it
didn't make sense that Ben should pay her to stay home and still have
to find and pay someone else to do all the work that she wasn't
doing. He started the van and pulled out while she was still trying
to figure out what to think, say, or do. “Where are we going?”
“I'm taking you home and you're not going to
argue.”
“You mean you hope I'm not!”
He laughed. “Nope. I'm telling you you're not . You're going to be a good girl and do as you're
told for once. You're going to go home and take a nice little nap
while I go get iron pills and groceries.”
She smiled. “Suitable ones?”
“Yes, suitable ones.”
How could she argue with him? “Okay, you win
and I do appreciate it, Dan. But seriously, don't you need to get
back yourself?”
He shrugged. “I don't want to.”
She laughed. “Now you sound like Scotty!”
He grinned. “Maybe so, but I don't really
need to either. Plus, I need to make sure you're not going to go
sneaking back to work as soon as I leave.”
“And how are you going to make sure of it?”
He shot her a quick look. “I could tie you
to the bed.”
Yep. Her body sure did remember what desire was!
“But if you did that, I hope you wouldn't leave?”
“No, ma'am. No way I'd be leaving.” He
reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze. “See, that's
another reason you need to take the whole week off. We can't start
misbehaving ’til you're all rested and better.”
She looked at him. He was looking way too pleased
with himself. “Hmm. That could be a
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