Michelle Celmer - Bedroom Secrets

“No matter how bad things are, running away isn’t the answer. And I can get in a lot of trouble letting you stay here.”

“I doubt that.” At least not for the reason he was thinking. Harboring a fugitive maybe.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of statutory rape. I’m twenty-eight years old, and you’re what? Sixteen, seventeen?”

“Twenty-one.”

He lifted a skeptical brow. “Uh-huh. Sure you are.”

“Seriously, I am. My driver’s license is in my backpack in the bedroom closet. Go get it if you don’t believe me.”

He made no move to get up. “If you’re twenty-one, why did you run away from home?”

“I didn’t have a choice. It wasn’t my home anymore. My aunt died and my cousin…kicked me out. I have no money, no home and no family. And no, that’s not a sob story to make you feel sorry for me. It just is what it is.”

He was quiet for a minute, then he said, “What about your parents?”

“My mother died a long time ago and I never knew my father. I’ve been trying to find him, and I traced him to Chapel. That’s why I’m here.”

“But you don’t have any money?”

She shook her head, because it was too humiliating to say out loud.

“And how long ago did your cousin kick you out?”

“Five days. I figured I would have found my father by now and he could help me. But all I’ve found are a bunch of dead ends.”

“Why should I believe anything you say?”

“I guess you don’t have to. But if you have any compassion at all you won’t fire me. I need to pay Mae back and find my father. I need the job.”

He sighed again, rubbing his red-rimmed eyes. “I should boot you out on your behind, but for some reason I actually believe you, so I’ll let you keep the job. But only if you promise to be nice to me from now on.”

She froze and bile crept up her throat. No way. This couldn’t be happening to her again. And to think she’d trusted him. Would he try to force himself on her like Ray had, or did he just expect her to lie back and let it happen?

When she sprayed him earlier she should have run. She should have gotten out when she could. And now here they were, her in his clothes and him in his underwear. Why hadn’t she seen this coming? How could she be so foolish?

Ty leaned forward, as if he was going to get up, and Tina scrambled to the corner of the room, as far from him as she could get. “Don’t touch me!”

He looked up, surprised. “What?”

“I’ll leave as soon as my clothes are dry, just stay away from me.”

“Tina, what are you talking about? I said you could have the job.”

“I don’t care how bad I need it. I’m not having sex with you.”

He blinked, looking impossibly confused. “When did I ask you to have sex with me?”

She frowned. Why did he not seem to know what the heck she was talking about? “You said I had to be nice to you. I thought…”

“I meant nice like, you won’t attack me with your pepper spray again. Why would you think sex would be part of the bargain? I mean, besides the obvious, that I’m sitting here in my skivvies and I accidentally grabbed your breast in the shower?”

She didn’t answer. She couldn’t. It was too humiliating. And she didn’t even have to, he figured it out all by himself.

He cursed and shook his head. “Who was it? Don’t tell me your cousin.”

“He’s a cousin by marriage. Not blood.”

He tossed his hands up. “Well, that makes it so much less perverse.”

“I should have seen it coming,” she said. “He always was kind of creepy.”

Ty said firmly, “Don’t you dare tell me it was your fault. No one should have to see something like that coming. What were you doing living with a guy like that anyway?”

“I wasn’t living with him. It was my aunt’s house. My cousin Ray told me I would get the house and half my aunt’s money when she passed away.”

“But you didn’t,” Ty said. It was stated as a fact, not a question.

“It was all a lie. He never intended to give me a dime. But at least I had a roof over my head and food on the table. Then I found out that came with a condition.”

“What kind of condition?”

“I had to be ‘nice’ to him.”

“Sick bastard.” Ty tunneled his fingers through his damp hair. He’d figured when she showed up in his office that she was pretty desperate for a job. He just hadn’t realized how desperate.

And it occurred to him suddenly that he’d been sitting in the same room with her for a while now, in his underwear no less, and he hadn’t once felt even a hint of anxiety. He still found her attractive, but he was feeling this brotherly protectiveness toward her that overshadowed any romantic feelings. “So, you think your father is here in Chapel?”

“I hope so.”

“This is a pretty small city. Maybe I would recognize his name.”

“Martin Lopez?”

“Doesn’t sound familiar to me, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t live here. I’ve got a P.I. I use for background checks. I could have him look into it.”

Her eyes lit for a second, then the hope fizzled away. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t have money for that.”

“I didn’t ask you for money.”

“I can’t take charity from you.”

“You were planning on staying in my house tonight, weren’t you?”

“That’s different. You were going to pay me to clean it. And it was that or sleep on the street.”

“And what about tomorrow night and the next?”

“I was going to get a motel room.”

“There’s only one motel in walking distance and it’s not exactly cheap.”

She chewed on her lip. “I’ll figure something out. Maybe I can find a shelter.”

“Not in Chapel. This is a small city. We don’t have the funding for that—or the need.”

She began to wring her hands together and he could tell she was on the verge of panic.

“Tell you what,” he said. “You can come home with me.”

“With you?” she said warily.

If someone had told him yesterday that he would make her an offer like that he’d have laughed at them, but was it really such a bad idea? He could be in the same room with her and not hyperventilate. Maybe they could spend some time together and in doing so he could work through this anxiety thing. Maybe this was exactly what he needed.

Not only that, but he liked her. And admired her bravery. The women he dated wouldn’t last an hour on the street. This girl—woman—was tough. But soft and sweet around the edges.

“I have a vacant flat above my garage. You can stay there as long as you need to.”

She looked as if she was seriously considering it for a second, then shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. I have no way to pay you.”

“So you’ll pay me later, when you have money.”

“Suppose I never have enough money? What then? I couldn’t take advantage of your hospitality. Unless…”

“Unless what?”

She shook her head. “Forget it. It’s a dumb idea.”

“Tell me.”

“I was thinking, maybe if you needed a cook…”

He leaned forward. “You can cook?”

She gave him an indignant look. “I’m half Italian. Of course I can cook.”

The only thing Ty enjoyed more than a beautiful woman was a home-cooked meal. Unfortunately, he hated cooking and the food his mother prepared typically had the flavor and consistency of cardboard. “What are we talking here? Just dinner, or do I get breakfast, too?”

“Do you want breakfast?”

“Hell, yeah. I’d say breakfast and dinner every day are definitely worth a month’s rent. To be fair, I should probably give you the house and I’ll take the flat.”

“Oh.” A shy smile curved her mouth. “The flat is fine. I don’t take up much space.”