Page 30 of Release Me

I move toward her, placing my hand on her forehead again. She’s still a little warm, but not as bad as before. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” I murmur, just as she looks up at me. I’m standing close to where she sits, my leg resting against hers, my hand on her forehead and her gorgeous blue eyes watching me.

Fuck, she’s beautiful.

Suddenly her eyes widen as she drops her spoon and says, “Oh my god, Tracy and Brandon, I was supposed to show them—”

“Hey, don’t worry,” I reply, pulling my hand away. “They’re here for a couple more days, I told them you were sick.”

“I’m so sorry,” she moans, her head now falling into her hand.

I reach over, tilting her chin up so she’s looking at me again. “It’s okay, Zoey,” I say softly. “You’re sick. I don’t ever expect you to work when you’re unwell.”

She huffs out a breath. “Yeah, but these are your friends, and I don’t want to…” she trails off.

Smiling, I gently brush my thumb against her jaw before reluctantly taking my hand away. “It’s all good, I promise.” Zoey nods, although I’m not sure she believes me. “Eat,” I say, gesturing to the bowl.

With a smirk, she picks up her spoon and starts eating again. “So did you actually get some work done while you were here? Cameron said you had calls all morning.”

I pull out the stool next to where she sits and join her at the counter. “I did, yes.”

Zoey glances sideways, giving me a look. “Really?”

“Yeah,” I say, laughing. “I did. I got my presentation finished for the conference and also the travel arrangements.”

“You made travel arrangements?” she asks teasingly, brow raised.

I gently nudge her with my elbow. “Zoey, are you suggesting that in addition to not being able to cook, I also can’t make my own travel arrangements?” I put a hand on my chest, a look of mock hurt on my face.

She grins, nudging me back as she says, “Oh, I’m sure you can, but did you actually do it yourself?”

Laughing, I say, “Okay fine, I asked Cameron to make them. But I could’ve done it myself.”

“Sure, sure.”

“I asked him to take care of yours too,” I add, swallowing, knowing it’s a gamble to assume she’s okay with coming with me. Fuck it’s a gamble even asking her, considering the feelings I have and am desperately trying to ignore.

Zoey pauses, the spoon halfway to her mouth as she looks over at me. “Yeah?”

“Uh huh,” I say, nodding. “Is that okay?”

She slides the spoon into her mouth now and I watch as she licks her lips, swallowing the soup I heated for her.

It’s nothing, what I did today. Nothing more than me, a concerned colleague, making sure she’s okay. I shouldn’t overthink this.

Bullshit!An inner voice screams in my head, because this isn’t fucking nothing, and I know it.

“Yes,” she eventually says. “That’s definitely okay.”

I don’t stay for much longer, just long enough to make sure she finishes the soup and to clean up. Zoey insists on helping, but I send her to the couch while I pack the leftovers away and stack the dishes in the dishwasher.

I need to go.

I can’t and shouldn’t be here when her roommates come home, especially now I know they are also employees of mine. Fuck me, but the last thing I need is gossip flying around at Badger Creek about Zoey and me.

I know how that will look and it won’t be good. Not for me and especially not for Zoey.

“Thanks again,” she says, as she walks me to the door. “I’ll be back at work tomorrow.”

“Only if you’re feeling better,” I say, opening the front door.

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