Worst Week Ever (A Long Road to Love) (16 page)

When she
talked of professors not allowing latecomers to take the test, he knew from
personal experience that happened. He'd never cared if he failed a test—having
no desire to leave school and begin working for his father
—
he’d just dropped the
class and take it again. But he could see how students attending school on a
scholarship might view matters a bit differently. Of course, Carrie, who had
gone to college on a scholarship, understood the boy’s fear at once, saw the
situation needed rectified, and acted.

She met his
gaze, her glassy eyes rimmed in red. “I had no right to override your
authority. You’d already made your decision. I’m sorry you saw it as a
betrayal. I’d hoped for time to explain…”

“But I didn’t
give you the chance.”

She lowered
her head and sniffled.

“If you had to
do it over again, would you do something differently?”

She pulled her
hand from his grip, breathed in and then out as if pain. “I know you want to
hear I would, but the boy’s whole life could have been ruined if he missed his
class. I’m sorry, even though I know I shouldn’t have overridden your decision,
and it breaks my heart you’ve fired me, given the same situation, I would do
the same.”

He retrieved
her hand. “You know why?”

She sighed and
closed her eyes as if in pain. “Because I’m an idiot?”

He stroked her
cheek. “Never. Because you did the right thing.”

Her face
transformed from misery to happy surprise in seconds. He ached to pull her into
his arms and kiss her, but knew it was too soon. So he settled for squeezing
her hand. “I would have agreed with your logic if I hadn’t gone Rambo on you.
That’s the expression right?”

She laughed
softly and smiled. “It’s a little dated, but it works.”

He pulled her
hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “I’m sorry I went off without giving
you the time to explain. If I’d understood the stakes, even though the kid
really pissed me off, I would have let him go to his class.”

She nodded.
Her eyes remained glassy, but she at least she smiled. “I know.”

He took a deep
breath and prepared to share something he’d never told anyone. “In my father’s
later years, when he spent his day’s training me to take over, he would demand
that I ‘take the reins’. Yet, every time I gave an employee an order, they’d go
to him and complain. Then my father would call the employee and me into his
office where he’d declare my idea beyond comprehension and predict the company
would be bankrupt in two years under my imbecilic care.

While you
didn’t declare me an imbecile, countermanding my authority before an employee said
as much.” He covered his face with his hands and rubbed hard as he took in a
deep breath then he met her gaze. “To be betrayed by you, the one person I
trust, hurt me far more than my father ever could.”

Her face
puckered up to cry again.

He stroked her
cheek. “No crying. You didn’t betray me. I just overreacted. You’ve been on my
side from the day I hired you.”

She calmed and
a faint smile tugged at her lips.

“I shouldn’t
have jumped to conclusions, because you would never betray me.”

“I wouldn’t,”
she agreed.

“So this
disaster lands at my feet. However, just to be clear, I never fired you. I only
wanted you to go away until I could calm down. When I realized you
misunderstood, I ran after you. Only when I tried to leave the building to tell
you I hadn’t fired you, the door didn’t open and I broke my nose.”

She blinked.
“You ran after me?”

“Yes, but you
had already left.”

“Are you
sure?”

“The elevator
had come down, and my sorry ass employees pushed in like cattle.”

“Yeah. They
came crushing in before I could get out. I ended up riding back to the fifth
floor. You must have already gone to the hospital when I finally escaped the
elevator. When I reached the lobby, the sliding doors didn’t work properly, and
one door had a big smear of blood on it.”

She gripped
his hand.“I’ll call the people who installed it and have them check it out. We
have a twenty-year warranty on those doors.” She paused. “I’m not fired,
right?”

He captured
her right hand. “I will never fire you. But honestly, right now I’m thinking we
should just abandon this company and start a new one.”

Her eyes
rounded as she adamantly shook her head. “Not after all the work I did in
Taiwan! We will stick to our plan. Come tomorrow, Dan Marshal had better get us
our HR person.”

He closed his
eyes and sighed with contentment. The wound had healed and his heart felt
stronger than ever.

Just as he was
about to fall asleep, she tried to leave, which woke him up. “Where are you
going?”

“I need to go
home. It’s late. Any chance Sam can drive me?”

“No, you have
to stay here. The doctor only released me from the hospital on the condition I
could find a friend to watch over me.”

“Can’t your
servants take care of you?”

“I mentioned
the servants, but he felt their motivation to keep me alive insufficient.”

“What was
their motivation?”

“If I die they
lose their jobs.”

His words made
her grimace in pain. She removed her shoes and her jacket. “You’re a bit hard
to like at first, but that’s your father’s fault. I don’t understand why the
people who’ve known you for years can’t see what a great guy resides beneath
the prickly exterior.”

“Well, they've
managed not to. So will you stay?” He extended his hand to her.

She took it
and squeezed. “Yes, but I should warn you, I’m exhausted, so if you wake and
find me sound asleep in your chair, it’s not because I don’t care about your
well-being.”

He didn’t want
her in a chair; he wanted her in his bed. He’d been through hell today and
needed Carrie at his side. She was the only one who soothed him. “If you lie
next to me, you can sleep all you want, because you’ll wake if my breathing
falters or I groan in pain. In fact, if you sleep with your head on my chest,
you can monitor my heart rate.”

“I better sit
in the chair.” She tried to leave his bedside, but he held firm to her hand.

“Carrie, you
don’t have to do that. For one, I’m in no condition to do anything.”

“If would
still be unprofessional of me.”

He released a
long breath as his gaze met hers. “Carrie, you’re more than just my EA. You’re
my favorite person in the whole world.”

She smiled.
“And you’re my best friend.”

Her words
lightened his spirits. Trent had long ago come to terms with the fact that even
people he considered his friends secretly held him in contempt. His flaws made
him unlikeable. Yet now Carrie not only declared him her friend, but her
best
friend.

“Well, that settles
it. I would like my best friend to have a good night’s sleep. So I offer you
the other half of this very large bed.”

She chewed her
bottom lip. “Did the doctor really say you needed watched?”

“I swear he
did, and he refused my servants when I offered them up as my caretaker.”

As if fate
wished to prove his point, the bedroom door opened and Dr. Lenard, carrying his
doctor’s bag, entered. He smiled at Carrie. “Are you the accidentally-fired
EA?”

“He never
fired me. I just misunderstood.”

The doctor
huffed and smiled at Trent. “And you accomplished this feat with your face
bandaged. Amazing.”

Carrie left
the bed so the doctor could take Trent’s blood pressure.

“Did someone
call you?” Trent asked.

“No. I sent
myself after I learned you climbed into a cab by yourself.”

“I would have been
there, had I known of his injury,” Carrie assured the doctor.

Trent smiled
at her. No other woman in the world understood him half as well as she did.

“Your blood
pressure has gone down. Any further dizziness?”

“No.”

She glared at
him from behind the doctor.

He couldn’t
have his new best friend thinking him less than forthcoming. “Well, when I
jumped out of the cab, I weaved a bit.”

She pointed to
her eyes.

“And the light
hurt my eyes.”

“Anything
else.”

She patted her
chest with her hands.

While he saw
no need in sharing this matter, if Carrie believed it important, then he’d do
it. “I thought Carrie was a pickpocket, so I asked her to take my money but
leave me my wallet.”

Lenard
frowned.

“What? I like
my wallet. I’d never find a replacement.”

He shook his
head and turned to Carrie. Anything else I should know?”

“No, he told
you everything.”

“Yes,
surprisingly forthcoming. Given his responses, I believe he might have incurred
a minor concussion today. Call me in the morning if he wakes up disoriented or his
balance remains off?”

Carrie shook
his hand. “I’m glad you came over to check on him.”

“And I’m glad
to have met you.” He turned to Trent. “You need
rest
tonight.
Understand?”

“I’m just his
employee and friend. We’re not dating or anything,” Carrie clarified.

The doctor arched
an eyebrow at Trent before focusing on Carrie. “Take good care of my friend.
I’d hate to lose him.”

Upon closing
the door after Dr. Lenard left, Carrie turned to Trent. “See, you have
friends.”

Trent shook
his head. “Lenard? He’s not a friend. He’s just keeping a major contributor to
his hospital alive.”

A guttural
noise came from her chest, and she stared up at the ceiling.

“Don’t growl
at me for telling the truth,” Trent barked. “I’ve only one friend in this world
and that’s you.”

She turned and
grinned. “I didn’t growl, I groaned.”

“And why are
you groaning?”

“Because I’ve
no clothes to wear tomorrow and both my cards are completely maxed out. I
desperately need to go home, open my mail, pay my bills, and set my life
straight.”

Damn it, he
wanted her to stay. He needed her serenity. A heavy sigh escaped him. But she
needed to go home. “Call Sam. I’ll have him drive you home.”

Her brow
furrowed. “But who’ll watch over you?”

He shrugged as
if it were no big deal. “I don’t need to be watched. I’m pretty good at getting
by on my own.”

She sat on the
edge of the bed. “If Sam drove out to my house, he’d have to drive back anyway,
right?”

“Oh, yeah.” No
way would he allow his driver to spend the night with her again.

“Then…” Her
fingers wrestled one another as she struggled to form her words, which meant
she needed to ask for something that benefited her.

“Just ask,” he
growled. “I need sleep.”

A heavy sigh
signaled her capitulation. “Instead of driving me home, could Sam drive out to
my house and get my clothes and stuff so I can stay and watch over you without
having my credit ruined and house repossessed in the process?”

He chuckled at
her fabulous request. “Talk about a case of no good deed goes unpunished. Well,
we can’t have that happen. Call Sam in and start making a list of what you want
him to bring back. Plan to stay two weeks.”

Her eyes
rounded in shock. “Two weeks? The doctor didn’t say anything about watching you
for two weeks.”

“I’m supposed
to stay in bed until I feel fully recovered. All head injuries are different,
so I may be bedridden for days or weeks. Thus, good strategic planning says we
should plan for the worst, while hoping for the best.

Since that was
one of Carrie’s mantras, she could hardly argue the matter further.

* * * *

Carrie could
tell by Sam’s rigid jaw line that he didn’t like his assignment, so she
followed him into the hall. “I’m sorry this has fallen on you. I’m really
worried about Trent, but I’m also worried about leaving my bills unpaid.”

He rubbed her
shoulder. “I’m not mad about helping you out.”

“You’re mad
about something,” she muttered.

“Yep, but it’s
not you.” An impish grin formed. “I will enjoy foraging about your house,
learning all your intimate secrets.”

Her face
burned with embarrassment as she realized he might find her selection of sex
toys in the shelves behind her bed. “Don’t snoop beyond the parameters
necessary to find the listed items, especially in my bedroom.”

Sam’s eyebrows
rose, clearly sensing she had something interesting hidden there. She groaned
at her stupidity. Now, he knew exactly which room to search!

Resigned to
his finding her sex toys, she decided to explain while she had the chance.
“Since I came to work for Trent, I’ve had no social life, but my body still
needs…” How could she say this without actually saying it?

He learned
close and whispered in her ear. “Release?”

Good word, but
the way he said it still made it sound dirty. “Exactly.” Given the scorching
heat radiating from her cheeks, they had to be beet red.

He rubbed his
chin, covering his mouth, for a moment. “So…would you like me to retrieve one
of these items…because I doubt Trent’s going to be up to ….”

“God, no! I’m
his employee.”

Sam smiled.
Clearly, he appreciated the boundaries between employer and employee.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t call Trent ‘master’ all the time.

“Unless you’d
prefer….”

Her eyes
rounded in horror. Oh God, he was going to offer to find her some guy off the
street. “No, I’m fine.”

He pulled back
as if she’d hurt his feelings. She grabbed his hand, worried he perhaps had
intended to sacrifice himself and now felt belittled. “I appreciate the offer,
but I don’t rush into relationships. It takes me awhile to become comfortable
enough to be intimate with a guy, which I don’t have time for right now.”

While her face
burned with a new level of embarrassment, thankfully, Sam showed no anger from
the unintentional insult she’d lobbed.

His smile returned
as he chucked her under the chin. “I’ll bring you one back.”

“Not
necessary.”

He laughed
outright this time. “Leave it to me.” He hurried from the penthouse with her
keys in his hand. Only after he left, did she feel a decided glare to her
right. She turned, worried Trent had left his bed, despite the doctor’s orders.
The stern butler watched her with disapproving eyes. Did he think her
incredibly selfish, making Sam go out in the middle of the night to collect her
clothes? Oh, God. What if he heard them discussing her vibrator? Horrified at
the possibility, she made a hasty escape. “Night,” she said and hurried to
Trent’s room.

She thought
her boss had fallen asleep, but his eyes opened the moment she closed the door.
“Everything okay?”

Nodding, she
sat on the edge of the bed. God, she could barely keep her eyes open.

He patted the
empty space beside him. “Come to bed then.”

“I can’t until
Sam returns with my pajamas.”

“He won’t be
back for three or four hours.”

She groaned
and covered her face with her hands. “I know.”

“Grab one of
my t-shirts from the second drawer. It’ll probably fall to your knees.”

What a
fabulous solution! She pushed herself from the bed and located a t-shirt longer
than her gown. “Where’s the bathroom?”

He pointed to
a door she had mistaken for a closet.
Of course, he’d have a private
bathroom.
She entered and stared at the bathroom of her dreams.

It had the
most gorgeous marble grain and the biggest Jacuzzi she’d ever seen. Unless it
was a small swimming pool. Her body ached to try it out. She peeked out the
door, intending to ask permission to take a bath, but Trent looked to be
asleep. Certain he would’ve said yes if he’d been awake, she closed the door
and locked it.

Naked, she
stared at herself in the giant mirror, covering the entire left wall. Noticing
the shadow of her ribs, she shook her head in disgust. Had she even eaten
today? If she had, she couldn’t remember when.

Her stomach
growled to let her know it couldn’t either.

Deciding a
fast shower and something to eat would be better than a bath tonight, she stepped
into the large shower stall and turned the knob. Water came from every angle
and wall. It reminded her of a hurricane she’d once survived.

After drying
herself with the largest, softest towel imaginable, she selected the shortest
of Trent’s many robes. By bunching it up at the waist, she managed to raise it
enough she wouldn’t trip. She hurried to Trent’s side and spoke softly.

“I just
realized neither of us has eaten today. I’m going to forage about your refrigerator
—
if I can find it. I’ll
bring enough for you too.”

He grumbled
beneath his breath, but she couldn’t make sense of it and let him sleep.

Her first
quest was to find the kitchen. Beginning in the living room, she started at the
right of Trent’s door, planning to check every door. When she opened the third
door, the butler stood on the other side, causing her to jump back as a yelp of
shock escaped her lungs.

“May I help
you?” His stern gaze took in her robe and frowned. Evidently, he thought
wearing the ‘master’s’ robe a criminal offense. He might even suspect her of
searching for things to steal.

“I’m looking
for the refrigerator.” She hoped that sufficient to prove her innocence of
whatever crime he imagined she planned.

Now his brow
furrowed as well. “Why?”

God, he made
her feel guilty and she hadn’t even done anything. “I just realized neither
Trent nor I have eaten today, which might account for his unsteadiness. He could
be starving.”

The butler’s
disapproving glare almost turned to concern. She wished Trent could have seen
that glimpse of emotion. Then he’d realize his staff really did care about him.

When the man
headed toward another door, she follow him. A second later, he stopped and
faced her. “Please return to Master Trent’s room. I will bring the food.”

“I don’t want
to keep you up. If you’ll just point me in the right direction, I’m sure I can
find something to eat.”

His eyes
widened as if her offer most outrageous. However, when he spoke, his voice
remained calm. “Will beef barley soup and fresh whole wheat bread suffice?”

She smiled.
“That sounds wonderful.”

“I will bring
it to you in five minutes.”

“You sure I
can’t do it myself?”

He breathed in
deeply, as if readying himself for battle. “Rest assured, I will manage the
task on my own.”

Realizing
she’d pissed the butler off, Carrie grimaced and hurried back to Trent.

She went to
her side of the bed, but stopped before she climbed in. If she crawled on the
bed, she’d wake him up and he looked so peaceful. However, to eat the soup, he
needed wake up, so it made no difference. She climbed onto the extremely large
bed and crossed over to him.

His eyes
opened and he frowned. “Where’d you go?” he asked with a hint of petulance in
his voice.

“To find food.
I realized neither of us has eaten today. You could be starving to death
instead of suffering from a concussion.

His lids
fluttered and closed. “Tell Mars. He’ll see we’re fed.”

Or perhaps
he does have a concussion
. “Isn’t Mars your other butler?”

“I gave them
both the same name so I don’t have to remember two names. It was too
confusing.”

“And they
agreed to this?”

“They work for
me, don’t they?”

She couldn’t
believe Trent would ask his employees to give up their names just because he
couldn’t make the effort to remember them. If knowing their names was too much
trouble, then he should go without a butler.

A few minutes
later, the door opened and a man who may or may not have been born with the
name Mars entered, carrying a tray with two giant soup bowls, a huge loaf of
bread, two ice cream sundaes and hot cocoa with melted marshmallows floating on
the top.

Trent sat up.
“God, that smells delicious. Mars, you are a life saver.”

Carrie nodded
in agreement. She wouldn’t have done half so well—assuming she ever actually
found the refrigerator.

Still, she
wished she knew if the man she profusely wanted to thank called himself Mars.
How sincere can your appreciation be if you call the person by the wrong name?

While Carrie
helped fluff and place the pillows behind Trent’s back, Mars settled an
extremely large and finely carved ebony wood tray over his lap. “Do you require
anything else, sir?”

“A few more
pillows would be nice,” Trent said.

Carrie shifted
to the side of the tray and acquired a spoon. She eyed the six pillows piled
behind Trent. Where on earth did he plan to put more pillows?

Mars went to a
closet and retrieved two more. “Where exactly would you like these, sir?”

Trent rolled
his eyes. “Where do you think? How many pillows do I have?”

His face
showed no emotion. “Six, I believe.”

“And how many
does Carrie have?”

Mars walked to
the other side and leaned across the super-sized bed, placing them behind
Carrie.

Carrie twisted
to face Mars. “You didn’t need to get me pillows—”

“Yes, he did,”
Trent said as he dived into his bowl of soup.

“But thank
you,” she added.

“My pleasure,
Miss Carrie. Enjoy your meal.”

Mindful she
had ice cream, she only ate a third of her soup.

Trent frowned
when she set aside her bowl. “You don’t like it?”

“I do, but I
can’t eat as much as you.”

He tugged at
the massive robe she wore. “I don’t know. You look to have put on a hundred
pounds since an hour ago.

His robe did
swamp her. “I took a shower.”

His fingers
tangled in her wet hair. “I deduced as much on my own.” He reached for her bowl
of soup. “You’ll find a blow-dryer in the cabinet by the bathroom vanity.”

She snorted
and pulled her dessert closer to her. “You’re just hoping I’ll leave my
ice-cream unprotected.”

“No, I just
don’t want to have a cold wet chest all night.”

“I’m not
sleeping with my head on your chest.” After eating five small spoonfuls of ice
cream, she crawled off the bed and went to find the blow dryer.

She rolled her
eyes as she discovered a cabinet built solely to house a blow dryer that turned
itself on when she lifted it from its holster.

In less than
three minutes, it had done its job, but the appliance continued to roar with
life, evidently wishing to dry something else. She searched its handle for an
off switch, but if it had one, she couldn’t find it.

Suddenly hands
reached around her and captured the wild dryer. She looked up at Trent. “It
won’t stop roaring.”

He chuckled,
placed it in its holster and it shut up.

“Can I get on
the counter so I can see how it turns itself off?”

He tugged at
her robe. “Not with this thing on. You’ll more than likely trip.” He pulled his
robe off her and replaced it on its hook, leaving her feeling rather naked in
his t-shirt.