Page 122 of Breaking Point
He ducks just in time but Bella charges over to him, her other sneaker in hand, which she uses to whack him on the arm. “You were dropped as a child! What is wrong with you? You can’t go blurting that out!”
Kieran glares in my direction. “Come get your woman!”
Bella growls low in her chest as she finds new vigor and continues to chase him around the living room with the sneaker.
Chuckling at the scene playing out before me, I shrug helplessly. “Sorry man, have my hands full with the dishes.”
Bella huffs, throwing her shoe at his head before turning on me. “Tell your dimwit of a friend that I did not sleep with myboss.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I think you have the situation sorted just fine.”
Spinning on her heel, she snatches up her sneakers and points them at Kieran like a weapon. “We didn’t sleep together. You know this is a fake arrangement.”
She calls it fake, and yet the two times we’ve kissed have been in private, with no true reason to kiss one another. I knew she would be avoiding me coming in here today, but I didn’t expect this reaction.
I’m surprised that I’m genuinely hurt by her words, my chest utterly crumbling. “Kieran, we should probably go, otherwise we’ll miss our flight,” I find myself saying. Moving through the room, I avoid Bella’s gaze as I snatch up my duffel.
“Oookay,” Kieran drawls out. Jumping up, he says sincerely to Bella, “Sorry about the cereal everywhere and sorry for…assuming.”
“Thank you,” I hear Bella say, and yet for some reason, I feel like her eyes are on me the entire time.
Lifting my chin, I look somewhere over her shoulder, not wanting to face how stupid I’m being for feeling hurt over a comment that is true. “I’ll be back in four days. You only need to come in the mornings to grab the mail and any packages that arrive. Besides that, take time off.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks, Grayson.”
At my name, my eyes flick to her face. I can’t help it, I’m a moth to her flame.
Our gazes clash and hold, like they always do. I have a million things to say and yet no words come to me.
“Do you want me to pick you up from the airport when you land?” Bella asks instead.
That stumps me. I’ve never had an assistant pick me up before. “That would be nice.”
She dips her chin and pivots, making her way to the kitchen, only to stop in her retreat. A small gasp flies from her mouth, and I even hear Kieran whistle under his breath.
“Grayson, are those…”
“Red and yellow gummy bears,” I finish for her.
She doesn’t take her eyes off them as she whispers, “In a jar.”
“Yes.”
“For me?”
“Yes.”
She’s still, her entire body like a statue. Without taking my gaze off Bella, I call over my shoulder, “I’ll meet you in your car, Kieran.”
I stride across the room, an apology on the tip of my tongue for…I’m not sure what reason, but despite my hurt feelings I don’t wantherto hurt?—
My thoughts cease as I find tears streaming down her cheeks.
The duffel in my hand drops to the floor as I dart forward, placing my hands on her arms and rubbing them up and down in a soothing motion. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry. The opposite actually. But I can take it back if?—”
She leaps, burying her face in my T-shirt as she wraps her arms around my waist and squeezes. “No one has ever done something so thoughtful for me before. Thank you.”
I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until it escapes me in a rush. “These are tears of joy?”
