I went…”
Where would she go if not to a hotel? She certainly couldn’t go to a relative’s. She didn’t have any. Her last foster mother—the only person who had cared enough to try to get close to her, and who’d made an effort to stay in touch after Elena left the foster care system—would be more than happy to help her. But Marie Waters lived over three hundred miles down-state in the tiny little town of Johnston City. No help there. She could go to a friend’s house, but she really hadn’t become close to anyone since her divorce last year. And it seemed that Michael had won custody of the few friends they’d made during their turbulent marriage.
As Brett continued to hold her, she felt her resolve to refuse his offer start to melt. They were really no more than strangers, yet he was offering to take her into his home.
A warmth began to steal into her soul that she hadn’t felt in a long, long time. She tried to ignore it. She didn’t want to think of Brett Connelly as anything more than a shallow self-centered playboy like her ex-husband. It was the only way she could keep things in perspective and maintain their professional relationship.
He rubbed his hands up and down her back in a soothing manner as he held her close. “Can’t think of anyone to stay with?”
She reluctantly shook her head. “Not really.”
He held her a moment longer, then set her away from him. “It’s settled, then.” He gave her one of his charming smiles, blew on his hands, then rubbed them together. “Now, let’s go upstairs to your apartment, throw some things in a bag and get going. It’s freezing in here.”
Three
Twenty minutes later Brett parked his car in his assigned space in the basement garage of his building and escorted Elena to the elevator. It was all she could do to keep from groaning when he punched in the security code to open the door. What was it with Brett and elevators, anyway? Why couldn’t he live and work on the ground level? Or at the very least, take the stairs up to his condo?
She held her breath and said a silent prayer that the medication the E.R. doctor had given her had had time to take effect as the door swished open and they stepped inside. To her immense relief, the ride wasn’t nearly as upsetting as she’d feared it might be, and when they stepped out into the hall on the twelfth floor, her stomach was only mildly queasy.
Brett guided her to the far end of the building where the more expensive penthouses were located, unlocked and opened the door. “Don’t be surprised if the place is a wreck,” he warned her. “Babe destroys something every time I’m late coming home from work.”
“Babe?” He was living with someone?
He nodded and turned on the light in the foyer just in time for Elena to see a small ball of long black hair come racing around the corner. The little dog yipped and bounced around happily at her feet, but when Brett bent down to pick up the animal, it skittered out of his reach, turned around and glared at him.
“So that’s the way it’s going to be, huh?” He laughed and guided Elena into the spacious living room. “She’ll be ultrafriendly with you, but I’ll get the cold shoulder for the rest of the evening.”
When he turned on the lamp by the end of the couch, he let loose a muttered curse. “Well, it looks like I’ll be shopping for throw pillows again.”
Elena couldn’t help but laugh as she looked around at the stuffing strewn across the thick beige carpet. “I take it you’ve been down this path before?”
Nodding, he helped her out of her coat. “Every time I’m late coming home from work.”
“She only does this when you’re late? What about during the day?” Elena asked, bending down to pick up a hunter-green satin remnant and several chunks of stuffing.
“Don’t do that,” he said, sounding alarmed. He motioned toward a comfortable-looking, overstuffed brown armchair with a matching ottoman. “Sit down and put your feet up while I get this cleaned up.”
“I’ll help.”
“No, you won’t.” He took the destroyed fabric from her and led her to the chair he’d indicated. “Just sit back and take it easy. I got off lucky. She only took out two of the pillows this time. Normally she tears up three or four, then shreds a magazine or two for good measure.”
Elena barely had time to settle herself in the chair before the little dog jumped into her lap. Two black eyes peered up at her from beneath a tuft of black hair a moment before the friendly animal pushed her head under Elena’s hand to be petted.
“What breed is she?” Elena asked, rubbing Babe’s small head.
He shrugged as he bent to collect chunks of stuffing. “The vet said she’s mostly Shih-Tzu with maybe a little Pekingese mixed in somewhere a generation or two back.” Straightening, he grinned. “But I’m pretty sure she has a bit of Tasmanian devil in her too.”
Cuddling the furry little body, Elena smiled. “Whatever she is, she’s adorable. How old is she?”
“The vet estimated she was about six months old when I found her wandering around outside of Connelly Tower. She was starving, scared of her shadow and extremely grateful.” He laughed. “That was a little more than a year ago. Now she’s well fed, arrogant as hell and thinks she owns me, instead of the other way around.”
He left the room to dispose of the tattered pillows. When he returned a few minutes later carrying a leash, Elena noticed that he’d changed into jeans and a sweatshirt. “I hope you like Chinese food.” When she nodded, he looked relieved. “Good. I just called in an order for chicken noodle soup, rice and stir-fried vegetables. It should be here in about twenty minutes.”
He walked over to snap the leash onto Babe’s collar. His hand brushed hers as he fastened the snap, and heat streaked up her arm. Elena quickly pulled back.
She wasn’t sure why, but every time Brett touched her—no matter how brief the contact—warm tingles radiated from the spot. “Do you have someone to take her out while you’re at work?” she asked, hoping he hadn’t noticed her breathless tone.
Nodding, he lifted the dog from her lap and set it on the floor. “I have a dog-walking service that comes by twice a day.” He looked down at Babe. “Ready to go out?”
Elena laughed when the dog glanced up at him, then aloofly turned her head and, ignoring him, started for the door. “You weren’t joking when you said she’d give you the cold shoulder, were you?”
The long-suffering look on his handsome face was ruined by the grin he couldn’t quite hide. “I get no respect around here. No respect at all.” His expression turning serious, he added, “Just sit there and relax. I’ll only be a few minutes.”
After he pulled on his coat and allowed Babe to lead him out the door, Elena propped her feet on the ottoman and thought about the many complexities of Brett Connelly. Her first impression of him had been that he was exactly like her hedonistic ex-husband. A man who lived for the moment and ran from anything that interfered with his good time or required that he take on any kind of responsibility.
She shook her head. Normally she could gauge someone’s personality with complete accuracy within the first five minutes of talking to them. She had to. It was her job to assess people and
