Smokin' Hot by Lynn LaFleur Page B

he was distracted. He swerved to miss it and lost control. We slid for several yards.
    “I was in the hospital for four days. My knee was so messed up, I couldn’t walk on it for weeks. It still gives me trouble if I stand too long.”
    “Julia, I would never do anything to hurt you.”
    “That’s exactly what Cole said.”
    Thinking back to the accident made her food roil in her stomach. Afraid she would be sick, she dashed toward Dolly’s office and her private bathroom.
     
    Stephen ran after Julia, but he wasn’t quick enough to catch her before she slammed the door to Dolly’s bathroom. Dolly whirled around in her chair, her eyes wide, and stared at Stephen.
    “What happened?” Dolly demanded.
    “She’s upset.”
    Stephen could hear retching from the room. He rubbed the center of his chest, which had tightened from what she’d told him about her accident. Dolly stood, walked over to the bathroom door, and knocked softly. “Julia? May I come in?”
    “No.” Julia’s voice sounded weak, but he still made out her negative response.
    “Do you need help, sweetie?”
    “No.”
    The toilet flushed, water ran, then the door slowly opened. Julia stood in the doorway, her face pale and her eyes dull. Stephen stepped forward to take her in his arms. One sharp look from her stopped him.
    “Dolly, may I borrow your car?” Julia asked, her voice still weak. “I don’t feel well.”
    “Of course.”
    “I’ll take you home, Julia,” Stephen said. He had to talk to her, in private. It couldn’t be over between them before their relationship barely started.
    Dolly looked from Julia to him and back again. He could almost see the wheels turning in her mind. “Actually, sweetie, it’s a good idea for Stephen to take you home. I have a couple of errands to run in a bit.”
    Bless you, Dolly. Stephen slipped his arm around Julia’s waist. He felt her body stiffen, but refused to release her. “I’ll take you right now. Dolly, will you stop my lunch order?”
    “Of course.” She gave Julia a quick hug. “Do you have your house key?”
    “No, I didn’t bring my purse.”
    Dolly reached into her desk drawer, removed a key ring, and pressed it into Julia’s hand. “Here’s a spare key to the back door. Feel better. I’ll see you later.”
    Stephen led Julia through the bar, glaring at the guys who looked as if they might approach or ask questions. By the time they made it to his Mustang, she walked on her own without his help. He opened the passenger door and let her slide onto the seat.
    Once behind the wheel, he glanced her way, but she had her attention focused out the side window. She swiped at her eye, as if wiping away a tear. He wanted to touch her so badly, he ached all the way through his body.
    “Julia, you said you can’t be involved with me. We’re already involved.” Unable to resist a connection, he laid his hand on her arm. “I care very much about you.”
    She moved her arm away from his hand. It hurt that she didn’t want his touch.
    He refrained from speaking the next four minutes as he drove to Dolly’s house. He felt as if he’d gone down for the third time without a life preserver anywhere around.
    Julia had come to mean so much to him in a short amount of time. He couldn’t lose her.
    He parked in the driveway behind her car. “May I come in with you?”
    She hesitated so long, he expected her to say no. Finally, she nodded.
    Stephen followed her to the back door and into the kitchen. “I need something to drink,” she said after laying the key ring on the counter. “Would you like something?”
    “Sure. Whatever you’re having.”
    He sat at the table and watched her prepare two glasses of Pepsi over ice. His stomach rumbled . . . not from hunger, but from dread of what she would say.
    After setting one glass in front of him, she sat on the chair opposite him. She took a healthy gulp of her drink before wrapping both hands around her glass and staring down into the dark