Page 22 of See It Through
My aim was true. The cupcake collided with the center of Remi’s forehead and bounced off with panache. But my heart was thudding too hard for me to really admire my accuracy.
“What the hell?” I screeched, pushing back in my chair, rolling into the far wall. “You can’t just barge in like that! You shaved a hundred years off my life, Remington!”
He rubbed his forehead, stooping to pick up the squishy cupcake. “You were yelling. I thought you were hurt or in trouble.”
“Well, I’m fine, as you can see.” But I was panting. This man wasn’t small. Normally, his footsteps sounded like a herd of elephants on the old floors, but he’d managed to sneak up on me.
He held up the cupcake. “I guess I should be grateful this wasn’t a letter opener.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Unfortunately, I don’t have one. It could’ve been my phone, though.”
“Glad it wasn’t.” He stepped into my office and placed the cupcake on my desk. “Everything okay in here?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Youwerescreaming, Hannah. Making sure you’re not hurt isn’t coming out of left field.”
He had a point. I could’ve done better at moderating my reaction, but Remi’s presence hadn’t been on my mind. I’d felt the urge to scream, so I did. And for that one moment, however brief, it had made me feel marginally better, but thenheappeared, and I was right back where I started.
“I hate making calls.” I gestured toward the phone. “And sometimes I need to release some steam when I hang up. Is that a problem?”
His mouth twitched, and it was as annoying as it was kind of cute. Then my annoyance quickly redirected to myself for finding anything about this man cute.
“A warning would have been good.” He tapped his temple. “I’ll remember that. Anytime Hannah goes into her office, expect loud screeching to follow.”
“I don’t screech. If anything, I groaned.”
“Don’t think I’d call the noise you made a groan.” He leaned on the doorjamb, crossing his arms. “If I had to name it something other than a screech, it’d be a howl. A pained one. Like an animal caught in a trap.”
I picked up the cupcake. “You’re really asking for another stress ball to the forehead, aren’t you?”
He chuckled, one hand raising in defense. “I’m not. I only came to make sure you weren’t buried under a bookcase. Glad to see you’re uninjured.”
“I’m fine.” On the outside…
On the inside…well, I was a little battered, and my emotions had a limp, but he didn’t care about that.
Not that Iwantedhim to care.
“I appreciate you checking on me. That was nice.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Anyone would’ve.”
“I don’t know about that.”
He didn’t reply, and that was fine. I didn’t need to have a conversation with Remi about the good and bad in the world. But he didn’t leave. He stayed in the doorway, leaning and looking around, his arms folded over his chest. I took note of the golden tone of his corded forearms. Since arriving over a week ago, he’d spent a good amount of time outside, and it showed. Henry must’ve really been putting him to work.
I had my own work to do, but I wasn’t going to attempt it with him standing there, watching. I arched a brow, waiting for him to speak since there was clearly something on his mind.
“Anything I can help with?” he finally asked.
“Did Henry run out of tasks for you?”
He hmphed. “Told me I was getting in his way.”
I cracked a grin. “Sounds like him. He prefers doing things his way, on his own. That’s why his cabin is a ways off from the house. I think he likes to pretend no one else exists.”
He nodded, lapsing into silence again. I wondered why he wasn’t leaving when we’d run out of things to say. Maybe he was bored and needed some direction. Being here instead of on the front lines of the conflict had to be a massive adjustment. He’d probably lived on adrenaline rushes, and now the most excitement he could get was me throwing things at his forehead.