Page 64 of Game Change

“How did you know I was here?” I ask.

“I didn’t. I told you I thought you left hours ago.”

Something about his tone makes me not believe him, but I can’t think of any reason why he would know I was still here. Even if he did, I’m sure he wouldn’t come back for me. Especially not after the last fight we had. “Why did you come back?”

“I had to grab a file,” he says, but I don’t buy it. There’s nothing he can’t access from his laptop. “Let’s go.”

“I’ll stay here until the storm passes.” I take my coat back off and gesture for him to leave.

“There’s no food here,” he says.

“I can live off candy and water for a day or two,” I counter. The very thought makes me feel sick to my stomach. I don’t even like candy, and after just getting over a stomach bug, the last thing I need to do is eat poorly. “I saw some fancy chocolates somewhere.” Chocolate is probably my least favorite thing to eat on this earth.

“That’s ridiculous when I live across the street. I have three guest bedrooms. Pick one, but I can’t let you stay here.” He picks up my coat from my desk and hands it to me. The idea of sleeping in a warm bed sounds nice. I don’t think I’d get any sleep in this office by myself. Every little noise would wake me, and it’s cold, and there are no blankets. “Come on.” He helps me with my coat.

“Okay. Just one night,” I say. “And I have a packed bag in my car. I was supposed to spend the weekend with Raven.”

“Fine. I’ll go with you to the garage to get it.” He looks down at my feet and shakes his head in disbelief. “Are those the only type of shoes you own? There’s seven inches of snow out there.”

“They will be fine enough to get me across the street,” I say in my defense. I didn’t think this through, but I’ll never admit that to him.

He gestures for me to go and follows me out. Neither of us says a word while we take the elevator to the garage. When we get to my car, and I open the trunk, he takes my small suitcase out and tells me to follow him back to the elevator. The office lobby is empty and when we step outside, I’m assaulted by the wind and snow. I pull my hat out of my pocket and put it on. There’s so much snow coming down that I can barely see in front of me. The sidewalk is not plowed, and I slip. Strong arms catch me before I can fall on my ass.

“Are you okay?” he yells over the wind and I nod. He helps me stand, and I slip again. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He squats down and yells, “Get on my back.” When I make no moves to do it, he repeats himself.

“That’s ridiculous. I can walk,” I yell into the wind.

He straightens before turning to glare at me. “Okay then. Take a step.” He takes two steps away from me. “Walk,” he yells.

I take a deep breath, jut out my chin, and take a step. Then I take another one and fall forward. I land on his chest, and I push him down. He falls into a pile of snow, and I fall on top of him.

“Dammit,” he says.

I try to stand but slip and fall on him again. He wraps his arm around me and helps me to my feet, then turns and squats down. Realizing there’s no way I’ll be able to walk through this storm in these ridiculous boots, I do as he says and climb onto his back.

Chapter 33

Brynne

Like a shameless hussy, I close my eyes and inhale. Despite the wind and the cold, I can still smell his cologne. I tighten my arms around him as he maneuvers through the snow. Despite his snow boots, he slips, and I tighten my arms more. I can see he’s trying to retrace his steps from when he entered the building, and I’m left wondering why he returned. He didn’t take anything with him, and whatever files he needs, he’d be able to access from home. When he steps through the lobby of his posh building, I feel relief, but I’m reluctant to slide off his back. I don’t do it until we get inside the elevator. We don’t speak, and I’m kicking myself for not leaving the building hours ago like everyone else did.

The doors open on the seventh floor, and I follow him down the hall into the last unit. I’m shocked when I see that his apartment has two levels. The downstairs is open and has hardwood floors. There’s a fireplace in the living room, and I yearn to stand in front of it and get warm. He has a brown leather couch, a matching recliner, and a large flat-screen television, but the apartment’s smell gets me.

It smells like home cooking, and I remember him telling me that he cooks. I don’t know what it is, but my stomach growls loudly at the aroma. It growls so loud I get embarrassed, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t hear.

“If you want to change out of your wet clothes or take a shower, there are three bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs. My bedroom is over there.” He points to a door down the hall. “It has an adjoining bathroom. You’re free to use it if you want.”

I don’t bother to respond, especially to the last thing he said. I remove my boots and pull off my damp socks. My feet feel like two blocks of ice. After picking up my bag, I run upstairs. I feel his eyes on me, but I don’t turn around.

The first door I open is a large and lavish office. He has two monitors, an oak desk, and a black leather chair. But it’s what I see on the wall that gets me. He has the sketch I drew of him framed and hanging on the wall. Above that is my straw hat that flew into his yard on the first day. I promptly close the door and check the room across the hall.

It’s a small bedroom, and I drop my suitcase on the floor. I dig through it and find a pair of gray sweatpants and a matching sweatshirt. There’s no adjoining bathroom, but I find one down the hall. It’s pristine, with a clawfoot tub and a separate shower. It looks like a picture in a magazine. It’s so nice, I’m loathe to use it, but I’m shivering and desperately need a shower. The stall is decorated with tile in various shades of blue, with three showerheads above.

After putting on my shower cap, I turn the water on.

I get dressed, put on a pair of fuzzy socks, and return downstairs. Colin’s in the kitchen, and his back is to me while he checks something in the oven. I walk across the room, and by the time I get there, he’s closed the oven. That’s when I notice that the table is set for two. It almost looks romantic, and I wonder if he has plans with someone else.

“I can stay upstairs if Tigerlilly is coming over.”

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