Serious Ink

by Ranae Rose

  It took a moment for the meaning of what he was saying to hit her. “You mean…” Her mind whirled as she thought back to the night before. Had she locked up? “Was I the last one in the office? Before we were robbed, I mean.”

  He nodded, his sensual mouth turning down at the corners in an expression of mingled pain and pity that she couldn’t stand. “I stopped by this afternoon. The door was unlocked and our stuff was gone.”

  The bottom fell out of her stomach – or at least, that was what it felt like.

  “I must’ve forgotten to lock up.” Her voice came out robot-like, mechanical. She couldn’t remember doing it. The theft was all her fault. She’d been in a rush, thoroughly distracted by her visit with her dad and Paul’s upcoming fight. She’d dropped the ball. “I’m sorry.”

  She was, but she was still mad. “Why did you mention my dad to Jay?” Hearing him say that, hearing him talk about her “money crisis” had felt like a betrayal. It was embarrassing enough to know that he felt sorry for her – the fact that he’d tried to get Jay, her other boss, to feel the same way, was humiliating.

  “He was mad,” Noah said, obviously toning down the truth. “About the stuff getting stolen.”

  “Because now there’s an insurance deductible that has to be paid?” She arched a brow.

  He grimaced. “Yeah.”

  “How much is it?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  The anger that had been simmering inside her reached boiling point. “What do you mean it doesn’t matter? Of course it does! I overheard your conversation. Jay thinks I should pay it and he’s right!”

  It hurt to say out loud. Another debt, on top of everything? The thought crushed a part of her, but it was only right … only fair. She wouldn’t be Elite East’s little charity case. She was an adult. She could deal with the consequences of her mistake. Couldn’t he see that?

  “No he’s not. He’s being a dickhead. Look, I don’t want you to worry about it. Just be more careful next time.”

  The casual command he tacked onto the end of his statement grated, reminding her that he was her boss, even if he was standing in the hallway of their home in jeans and a t-shirt, his feet bare.

  “He brought up our relationship, didn’t he?” she asked, a needle-sharp sense of certainty rising up inside her. “He thinks you’re giving me special treatment because we’re sleeping together.” All of the guys probably thought it. And hell, if that was the case, they were right.

  Noah was silent, but the look in his eyes said it all.

  “Damn it!” Suddenly, Zoe’s anger was overwhelming. Hot tears pricked at the backs of her eyes, painful, adding to the sense of humiliation boiling inside her. She wouldn’t let them escape. No matter what. Her shame was already deep enough without her bursting into tears like a baby. Noah would probably only feel more sorry for her then, and the thought was unbearable.

  “You’re not paying the deductible,” she said, infusing her voice with as much firmness as she could muster. “And I’m not – I’m not living here anymore. I can’t. It’s unprofessional.”

  Zoe had never seen Noah fight, but in that moment, he looked like he’d been hit. An expression of shock flashed in his eyes, and his jaw dropped. “Hold on a minute. You can’t just move out. You told me the other day that your brother and his fiancée moved into that one-bedroom place they wanted.”

  “I’m not going back home.” A pang of agony sailed through her as she realized how quickly she’d come to think of Noah’s apartment as home. “I have other options. I don’t need you taking me in like I’m some stray cat.”

  Maybe she had, at first, but her pride wouldn’t let her admit that now.

  “Don’t,” Noah said as she spun on her heel, marching out into the living room. “Zoe! It’s not that big of a deal. You’re overreacting.”

  She shoved her arms into the sleeves of her coat. “Deduct the cost of the insurance deductible from my next paycheck. Or paychecks, if that’s what it takes. I’ll see you at work.”

  He took another step toward her, coming so close that she could smell him – faint whiffs of soap and his natural, masculine scent – the scent of a body she knew so well she could’ve traced the outlines of his tattoos in the dark. “Don’t go. You like living here, right? I mean, it’s been good?”

  He sounded unsure, and though that fact weighed down Zoe’s heart, it didn’t chip away at her resolve. It had been good – too good to last. “You’ve poured your blood, sweat and tears into Elite East. Now you’re fighting with the co-owner because of me. This was a bad idea from the get-go, and it’s humiliating for me to know that all my co-workers think the only reason I’m around is because you’re fucking me.”

  She snatched up her purse before Noah could lock her in eye contact. “I’m going. I have to go.”

  * * * * *

  Noah knew Zoe was pissed, but he’d never expected her not to show up for her scheduled shift at the office. Just over a week after she’d walked out of his apartment though, that was exactly what she did.

  He double-checked the schedule he’d made for her, just to be sure. It confirmed what he knew – she was supposed to have shown up at nine that morning. It was a quarter after ten now.

  Was this her way of quitting? She’d shown up for her last several shifts. She’d done her job well, too, even if she’d been … cold. At least, she’d treated him like he was her boss – nothing more – and after everything they’d shared, that had seemed cold to him.

  Was she right – had their behavior been too unprofessional?

  A part of him kicked and screamed at just the suggestion. Fuck no. Or at least, who the fuck cared? It was his company and he was crazy about her. So what if they’d had fun while they were at work – if they’d taken their lunch breaks together, or blown each other’s minds on her desk when no one else had been around?

  Work had still gotten done. Elite East was on track, and it was, in part, thanks to her. He hadn’t had to deal with the moral dilemma of whether or not to keep a substandard employee around because of his feelings for said employee because she’d never been a substandard employee. She’d been exemplary – reliable and efficient – until today.

  He pulled his phone out of his pocket, ignoring the notification that popped up to remind him of his meeting with Jed, the owner of the Hot Ink Tattoo Studio, that he had scheduled for that afternoon.

  The meeting had nothing to do with the tattoo Jed had done for him – Jed had called and asked to speak to Noah about possibly becoming a sponsor for the championship. That was another thing Zoe deserved all the credit for, and she wasn’t even there so that Noah could thank her.

  He scrolled down his call history until he saw Zoe’s name and hit call. Their most recent phone conversation had been more than a week in the past, the one when he’d called and asked her to stop by the office for that file.

  By the time she answered, he’d resigned himself to leaving a message on her voicemail.

  “Hello?” Her voice sounded heavy, almost gritty.

  Was she sick or something? He had no way of knowing if she was. Hell, he didn’t even know where she was living, only that it wasn’t with her brother – she’d told him that. His lack of knowledge – his lack of ability to help if something was wrong – made him long to punch a hole through the drywall.

  He’d liked being a part of her life, damn it. He wanted all that back, even if she didn’t. And a part of him was seriously worried that she was living in someone’s closet.

  “Zoe? Where are you? Your shift started an hour and fifteen minutes ago.”

  For a moment, there was only silence. Had she hung up on him?

  “Shit.” Her voice was clearer now. “It’s a quarter after ten already?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I— I’m sorry. I fell asleep. I’m at the hospital. I was up all night. I—”

  “Hospital?” Alarm bells went off inside his head, intensifying his frustration. “What the hell
are you doing there?”

  Regret rushed through him in an avalanche as he imagined her hurt, or sick. Why had he just let her walk out? Why hadn’t he insisted on her keeping in touch outside of work, on her at least letting him know if she was doing okay?

  “My dad had another stroke last night.”

  “Another?” He hardly had time to feel relieved that she wasn’t the one who’d been admitted before what she’d said settled in.

  “It’s his second one.”

  So that was what she’d meant when she’d said her dad had “health issues”? Shit, that was serious – something he’d typically imagine happening to a man older than however old Zoe’s father probably was. She was only in her mid-twenties, after all. “I’m sorry.”

  “This one’s not as bad as the last one,” she said. “Or at least, they don’t think so. And the staff at the nursing home caught it early – made sure he was treated right away. All in all, they gave him the best possible chance we could’ve hoped for.”

  Still, he heard the pain in her voice. And … nursing home? “I didn’t realize your dad lived in a nursing home.”

  “Azalea Hall,” she said, her voice cracking a little on the second word. “One of the best in the city.”

  Silence stretched, and suddenly, everything made sense. No wonder she needed a second job – nursing home care cost a fortune. He’d had a grandmother who’d spent the last few years of her life in one, and the expense had been hefty. He couldn’t imagine being in his twenties and having to foot the bill for something like that. His gut told him Zoe had been doing exactly that – or trying, anyway.

  “Is that why you’ve been under such a financial strain?” he asked, wanting to know for sure – wanting her to trust him enough to let him in on what was going on in her life.

  She hesitated, but only for a moment. “Yes. At first, when we realized we had no other choice but to find a facility for him, we were able to choose a good one because of the money my mother’s life insurance policy paid out when she died. But that only lasted for a little while, and now… We’re behind. We’re behind, but working hard to get caught up.”

  A pang of emotion shot straight through the center of his chest – something more than sympathy, more than simple pity. He could hear the determination in her voice – there was no trace of the way it had cracked only moments ago. He didn’t just feel sorry for her; he admired her. “Is there any sort of … I don’t know, government program that’ll help pay for his care?”

  He didn’t know what he was talking about, really. But he had to try to be helpful somehow, even if it was only with a dumb question she’d probably asked herself a hundred times already.

  “We are receiving some financial assistance from the VA, now that the money from mom’s life insurance policy is gone. My dad’s a Vietnam veteran. The amount he receives pays for part of his care, but not all of it.”

  “Right.” He felt suitably stupid as he stood there clutching his phone, unable to offer any helpful suggestions. “Sorry about what happened to your dad. I don’t expect you to come in today, of course. Take all the time you need. If you can’t be here Wednesday either, it’s fine.”

  “Right,” she echoed back. “I’ve been babbling. I’m tired – it’s hard for me to shut up when I’m tired. I’d better go.”

  He sensed her walls going back up, even over the phone connection. “Look, is there anything I can do to help? I could bring lunch by the hospital for you if you need something to eat. Which one are you at?”

  “Actually, Mina already volunteered to do that.”

  Great. Thanks to her co-worker’s generosity, he couldn’t even bring her takeout.

  “Just let me know if you need anything,” he said, feeling a million miles away from her even though they were in the same city.

  She said she would, but he knew she wouldn’t call him if she needed anything. He knew it, and it renewed his desire to put his fist through the nearest wall.

  CHAPTER 11

  Zoe collapsed in a heap on the air mattress she’d set up in one corner of her new bedroom. As she lay on the cheap thing, she didn’t care, for once, how uncomfortable it was. She’d worry about moving her bed from Noah’s place later – for now, all she wanted to do was lie there, unmoving. Maybe get some real sleep for the first time since she’d received the emergency call from Azalea.

  The noise of reality TV blared down the hall and into her room, courtesy of her roommates. Too tired to be seriously annoyed, she rolled over and stared at the bare wall, knowing she should be grateful for the college-aged girls she’d moved in with.

  The day she’d come home to discover Noah arguing on the phone with Jay, Tyler had informed her that one of his little sister’s roommates had moved out and that they were looking for someone to take her place. At the time, Zoe had thanked him, but hadn’t taken the suggestion seriously. She’d been happy living with Noah – deliriously happy.

  Hours later, that happiness had been shattered by a serious dose of reality and she’d called Tyler, asking if she could meet with his sister and the other girl.

  She’d moved in that night and had been camping out on her air mattress since, trying and failing not to miss Noah and the bed they’d shared. It had been a queen sized one – big enough for two people, but small enough that they touched during the night, their bodies molding together so that when they woke each morning, they were inevitably tangled together.

  Now, those memories were bittersweet. Sweet because they’d been the best nights – and mornings – of her life. Bitter because they’d jeopardized her new job and – worse – Noah’s dream. She didn’t know if he and Jay fought regularly, but she’d bet the answer was a big fat no. How would they have built a company together if they couldn’t get along?

  Whatever bad blood there might be between them now was her fault. She should never have accepted Noah’s offer to live with him – or at least, she should’ve kept looking after she’d moved in, not settled down and let herself be content. She couldn’t blame him for being kind enough to offer to let her stay; he was just that kind of guy, as Schubert evidenced.

  Even now, acknowledging the charity he’d treated her with grated. It grated a hell of a lot, actually. And yet, she couldn’t stop thinking about those nights spent in his bed – about waking up in his arms. The conflicting emotions whirled inside her, combined with worry for her father, plus Paul and Britney, who were currently settling in at the hospital, prepared to spend a sleepless night with him. Even though she was fatigued down to her bones, she tossed and turned, and her sleep was restless.

  * * * * *

  Noah was on his way back from the brand new mini-fridge that stood in one corner of the office when a sound drew him up short.

  Holy hell, what was happening to Zoe in there? As he passed by the restrooms, it was obvious, even through the thick wooden door that sealed off the ladies’ room, that she was throwing up. He had no doubt that she’d be furious if she knew he’d heard, but he had, and he couldn’t help but worry.

  Was she sick? It was April. The cold temperatures they’d been having meant it was still flu season, right?

  Obviously, she was way under the weather for one reason or another, and that presented a moral dilemma: should he send her home, or pretend he hadn’t heard? Sending her home would mean admitting that he’d accidentally eavesdropped on her being sick, which wasn’t exactly an appealing option.

  On the other hand, he knew her well enough to know that she wouldn’t ask to go home on her own. Hell, she’d probably rather drop dead on the office floor than clock out early.

  Before he could come to a firm decision, the bathroom door swung open, and Zoe stepped directly into his path.

  He gripped the sports drink he’d just retrieved from the fridge, fingers slipping against the condensation on the outside of the bottle. How was it that her narrowed gaze felt like a laser beam cutting straight through him when she looked so weak, otherwise?

  He
r normally porcelain skin was downright pale, and her mouth looked more sad than luscious. Not that she wasn’t still beautiful, but she looked miserable – miserable and suspicious.

  “Were you listening to me throw up?” She cut right to the chase.

  “Not on purpose.” Well, at least he hadn’t had to work up the will to confess. “But now that you mention it, I did hear. And I think you should go home.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, unwittingly emphasizing breasts that made his cock stiffen. Standing there with a burgeoning hard-on, he tried hard to shame his dick back into softness. She was sick and angry; no way should he be thinking about grabbing her by her hips, thrusting her thighs apart and burying himself deep inside her.

  And yet, it had been weeks… Weeks, and he wanted her. Bad. He couldn’t help it – the semi was there to stay.

  “I don’t need to go home,” she said. “Don’t worry – I don’t have anything contagious.”

  She sounded sure, and he knew she wasn’t a liar. What was wrong with her, then?

  A thought hit him like a bolt of lightning – jolting, paralyzing. Damn, she wasn’t pregnant, was she? It was only ten in the morning, and she was puking her guts out. There was a reason they called morning sickness morning sickness, wasn’t there? But they’d been careful every time...

  “How can you be sure?” he asked, trying to play things cool as his head spun. Maybe it was a dumb conclusion to jump to, but… Fuck, if he’d gotten her pregnant…

  He didn’t know what to think, what to feel. But he certainly didn’t want her any less, and his dick was still partially stiff – the possibility was less terrifying than he would’ve imagined.

  “I’ve been glutened,” she said, crossing her arms a little more tightly.

  “What?” The. Hell. Glutened?

  “I accidentally ate some gluten. One of my new roommates got into some rice I’d made – scooped it out of the container with a contaminated spoon she’d stuck in some gravy. I didn’t realize, and I ate some…”