Page 17 of Crimson Love

I’m out of breath by the time I get to him. I tuck my hair behind my ear and cross my arms to warm myself from the chill of the crisp air. “There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

His gaze drags up and down my body before connecting with mine. “I haven’t seen you since I moved in. Thanks for the heads up that you were headed my way. Just a warning, I’ve been working on my defensive moves, and I’m not fresh out of surgery any longer. If you try to tackle me again, it won’t go well for you.”

I cringe at the memory and thank my lucky stars I still have a job. I thought the crisis was averted, but Jett Cross clearly isn’t over it. “How are you feeling? You look better. I mean, good—better than good. Not that you didn’t look good before.”

He stuffs his hands in his jacket pockets and stares down at me with a smirk. “That’s fair since I was near death. I should look better.”

“No, not at all. You never looked like death. That’s...” I push that thought from my mind. “I haven’t seen you in a long time. I wanted to say hi, and make sure you don’t hate me.”

He rips off his aviators and hooks them into the collar of his shirt. My eyes shift from his jawline to his corded neck. He seems taller than he did before. I’m sure it’s that he’s standing up straight rather than hunched over after major surgery.

Yes, Jett Cross is looking good.

He studies me like he’s trying to get a better look at me in the bright afternoon sun. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“You don’t know me, Mr. Cross, but I don’t have the energy to be anything other than serious. Amelia told me she heard you talking to Blake about me. I just wanted to say again how sorry I am about almost killing you.”

He tips his head to the side and hesitates before his tone changes. Until now, I’ve only seen him angry, in pain, or when I woke him from a deep sleep. I’ve also spied on him from afar walking around the Manor. Here, close up in the sun, I take in the golden specks in his dark eyes for the first time. This man has so many dimensions, I don’t know what to focus on.

His tone changes. This time, it’s low, deep, and sincere. There’s not a hint of sarcasm or pain in sight. “Consider this me letting you off the hook. There’s no need to feel guilty. I’m good. I was probably an ass when you brought me food. If I remember right, I was in the gray area between pain and too soon for my pain killer. I promise no one is going to fire you, and I don’t hate you for running me and my new kidney to the ground post-surgery, no matter how long ago it was.”

I feel my face warm against the cool air. “So I was right, there’s a chance I was going to get fired.”

“Lennon, I assure you that the only reason I haven’t forgotten about the entire thing is because you brought it up. Relax. From what I know of Devon, he’s not the kind of asshole who will fire an employee over an accident.”

“Please, don’t tell me to relax, Mr. Cross. It’s not going to happen. I’m the least relaxed person you’ll ever meet.”

“Call me Jett. And life is too short to walk around wound up about shit like running into people. You really need to work on that.”

“Easier said than done. I’ll work on that when I’m not afraid of losing my job. Positions like mine are few and far between. I can’t afford to drive across the country again for another one.”

He bows his head, which seems completely out of character for him, even though I don’t know him enough to make that judgment. Maybe he’s a rare breed and chivalrous by nature. “You will not lose your job because of me. I’m a man of my word. Can we move past that?”

I breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank you. It’s been a stressful few months.”

He hikes a brow. “Tell me about it.”

“Thank you for letting me get that off my chest. Can I get you anything? Lunch?”

He shakes his head. “I just had brunch in The Greenhouse. I decided to go for a walk. Plus, I needed to clear my head after the morning I had. I might venture into town later.”

“How do you like Winslet? It’s charming, but I’m sure it’s not a culture shock to you like it was to me. I’m still getting used to it. This is a different world compared to southern Florida.”

“You don’t like it?”

“Oh, no. I love it. And even though I work in hospitality, Winslet is predictable. I can come and go as I please and see the same people every day. I’ve never had that.”

He frowns. “You couldn’t come and go in southern Florida?”

Dang. Now I’m rambling and back pedal. “Of course I could come and go. This is America. Who can’t come and go? Winslet is different, but in the best way. I love it here.”

He’s about to keep talking when my cell vibrates with a call.

“Excuse me. It’s Felicity and she’s covering the front desk while I was looking for you. I need to get this.” I press go on the call. “Hey, sorry—” but I stop talking the moment I hear what’s going on in the background.

Alarms.

Blaring, piercing alarms.