He closed his eyes and cursed under his breath. “Tell me they’re not wet.”
“They’re wet. I was going to put them in the dryer but I forgot.”
“Wonderful. You don’t have anything that’s dry?”
She shook her head.
“I have a gym bag in my truck. There’s probably something in there you could wear. While I’m getting it, do me a favor and put your clothes in the dryer. Okay?”
She nodded.
He left her in the bathroom and trudged out the front door, bare-chested and soaking wet, into the near-freezing air. When he’d driven past on his way home and seen the kitchen light blazing, he’d figured the painters or carpet installers had left it on. Never had he expected to find Tina hiding in the bedroom closet.
And he really hadn’t expected to be blasted with pepper spray.
He grabbed his gym bag off the front seat of his truck and jogged back up to the house. No way was he getting her out of here without dry clothes on. It was far too cold. She’d end up with pneumonia.
When he stepped back inside she was just emerging from the basement. He dropped the bag on the floor and dug through it until he found what he was looking for.
“I turned the heat up,” she said.
He handed her a T-shirt and drawstring running shorts. “Put these on.”
Tina looked at the clothes he’d handed her, then back at him. He was just as wet as she was, and that soaked denim couldn’t have been very comfortable. “What about you?”
“Boxers,” he said, holding up a plaid pair. Her surprise must have shown because he narrowed his eyes at her and said, “Is that a problem?”
“Nope.” She was just grateful he hadn’t tossed her out on her ear. Although, she was sure that was next. No way he would let her keep her job now.
And who was she to complain if he wanted to walk around in his underwear? She’d imagined what he might look like without his clothes on. How could she not? She’d just never thought she would ever see him that way. And so far she wasn’t disappointed. She could swear his shoulders were about a yard wide, and his pecs were downright enormous. He was big all over, but not an ounce of him appeared to be fat.
“I’m going to go downstairs and change and throw my pants in the dryer, then we’re going to have a talk about your future employment.”
In other words, there would be no future employment. She nodded and he disappeared down the stairs.
How had she managed to screw things up so badly? She could try crying again, but she doubted even that would work. Besides, she’d never been the type who could whip up fake tears on cue.
She locked herself in the bathroom and peeled off her wet clothes. The things Ty had given her were way too big, but they were dry and would keep her modestly covered until her clothes were out of the dryer.
She still couldn’t believe they’d stood in the shower together, semi-naked, and he’d had his hand on her breast. With the exception of her gynecological exam last year, she hadn’t been touched there since the summer before her senior year of high school, when she’d gone parking with Joe DeCaussin. He’d wanted to go farther, but she wouldn’t let him. She’d told him, next time, not knowing there wouldn’t be a next time.
Aunt Louise had had her second stroke the very next day, effectively putting an end to Tina’s social life.
Of course there was cousin Ray. He’d touched her breast, but that didn’t count since it had been revolting and against her will.
But Ty’s hand had felt really nice resting there, after her hands and eyes had stopped burning.
She hung her wet T-shirt over the curtain rod to dry and used paper towels to mop up the puddles of water on the floor.
She noticed the mildew again and wondered if there was bleach with the cleaning supplies in the kitchen. Then she remembered it wasn’t her problem to deal with any longer. She was once again out of a job and homeless with no one to turn to for help. She should have been scared to death, but for some reason she just felt numb. Maybe she could curl up, go to sleep and when she woke, everything would be okay again.
She heard Ty’s heavy footsteps on the basement stairs and, knowing she should just get this over with, opened the bathroom door and walked out into the living room where he was—oh boy—wearing nothing but boxer shorts. His legs were thick with corded muscle and covered with sandy-colored hair. She’d never seen a man this naked this close up before.
“They fit okay?” Ty asked, gesturing to the clothes he’d given her.
“Yes, thank you.”
“You may as well get comfortable,” he said.
He sat on the carpet, his back against the wall, so she sat a few feet away against the adjacent wall, tucking her knees up under her chin.
“So,” he said, “why did you feel it was necessary to douse me with pepper spray?” He said it so calmly, when he must have been furious with her.
“I didn’t know it was you. I thought it was an intruder.”
“I own the house. You were the intruder.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I made a mistake.”
“Which brings me to my next question. What were you doing half-naked in my house in the first place? And don’t tell me cleaning.”
“I was sleeping. I needed a place to stay.”
Anger leaked into his voice. “So you never really wanted the job? You just needed a place to crash?”
“No! I did need the job. I do need it.”
“You said you know Mae. Was that a lie, too?”
“Of course not! I met her at the diner. She gave me your business card when—” she paused, still humiliated by the experience.
“When what?”
“When I couldn’t pay my bill. I forgot about the sales tax and was twenty cents short. She took me into her office and I thought she was going to call the police.”
“The police? For twenty cents? You’re not from around here are you?”
She shook her head. “Instead she brought me a hamburger and gave me your card.”
“Mae has a big heart.”
She nodded again, emotion catching in her throat.
He cringed. “You’re not going to cry again, are you?”
She swallowed hard and shook her head.
“I’m going to ask you a question and I want an honest answer, okay?”
“Okay.”
