Page 37 of Crazy In Love
She turned to look at me, slammed her car door, and held her hands up. “My car skidded off the road.”
I took her in, the long dark hair falling around her shoulders covered in white snowflakes. She shivered as she pulled her camel-colored coat closed.
“I can see that.” I moved closer to assess the damage, and she took a step back. That’s when I noticed she was wearing heels as she slipped around in my driveway.
“I’ll call and file a report when I get home.” And then she turned and started walking down my driveway toward the road.
Was she fucking kidding me right now? There was a whiteout blizzard happening around us, and she was clearly freezing. Let alone sliding all over the place.
I didn’t like the woman, but I wouldn’t let her walk in the cold dark night alone.
“Hey, you can’t walk home in this weather,” I said as I jogged up behind her, just as she whipped around, most likely to tell me to fuck off, because it was clear she wasn’t a fan of mine. But her momentum had her stumbling in those damn heels, and her arms flailed in front of her just as she started falling backward. On instinct, I snaked an arm around her waist as she took us both down.
I was lying on top of Emilia Taylor in a mound of snow at the bottom of my driveway.
Not the way I saw tonight going.
“Fuck,” I said as I placed my hands on each side of her in the cold powder to keep my full body weight from crushing her.
“Get off me, you jackass!” she shouted.
“I just saved your ass from slamming your head on the ground. You’re welcome,” I said, pushing to stand and then extending a hand to help her get up.
It was cold as hell out. I was in just a white tee and gray joggers, and I noted her bare legs, since her coat had bunched up around her hips when she fell.
“I don’t need your help,” she hissed, ignoring my hand and pushing herself up, but she started to fall once again.
“For fuck’s sake, stop being a stubborn ass and take my goddamn hand.”
Her eyes widened, and I noticed the way her bottom lip trembled. “No. I’m walking home.”
I was done with this conversation.
I moved so fast she never saw me coming.
I tossed her over my shoulder, fireman-style, and made my way to my front door as she punched her little fists against my lower back.
“What the hell are you doing?” she shrieked. “Put me down, now!”
I ignored her until we were inside, and I shut the door, just after a gust of wind had blasted through my foyer.
“It’s fucking cold. Your car clearly doesn’t have snow tires, and you’re not going to get very far in those damn shoes.”
She sighed as she ran her fingers through her long hair, now damp from the snow. “Are you that worried about getting your money to repair your truck? You’re going to hold me hostage?” She placed her hands on her hips. “I said I’d call and report the accident when I got home.”
“Hold you hostage? That’s a bit dramatic, Emilia.” I groaned, because I found her to be extremely aggravating. “I don’t give a shit about that. There’s a blizzard going on out there. Let’s just warm up and dry off, and I’ll give you a ride home.”
I made my way toward the kitchen, wondering if she’d follow or attempt to walk out the door. But I heard the sound of her heels clacking against my stone flooring.
I stopped in the kitchen and pulled out a few dish towels and set them on the counter for her. She didn’t say a word as she picked one up and used it to dry her face and hands. When she pushed the hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ears, I saw a gash on her forehead.
“Jesus. You’re bleeding.” I moved closer, inspecting the cut on her face.
Her hand moved there, and she shook her head, but no words came out.
And then her lip started quivering again, and she blinked up at me several times before tears started falling from her eyes. Her entire body was shaking now, and I moved to the great room, grabbed the flannel blanket from the couch, and came back to the kitchen.
I didn’t ask permission, as she was just standing in the middle of my kitchen sobbing. I unbuttoned her wet coat and tugged it off before wrapping the blanket around her. I reached for her hips and lifted her easily before setting her down on the counter.
