Cowboy Casanova - Lorelei James [101]
Jenny stopped flipping through a magazine. “He’s taking the afternoon off as a personal day. Why?”
So it was fine for him to screw off? But he expected Leslie to stick around when she was hacking up a lung? “I hadn’t seen him since this morning.” She dropped the appointment book on Jenny’s magazine. “You’ll need to politely cancel Leslie’s appointments for today as soon as possible and tell the clients she’ll call them to reschedule.”
“But—”
“No excuses. And from now on, you will transfer all employee calls dealing with sicknesses and absences to me, not Turton. Understand?”
She lowered her gaze to the planner. For once, Jenny didn’t have a smart remark.
Ainsley finished verifying Ben’s financials. She should probably wait to send it off to the main office, but since Leslie was already behind, she didn’t want to add to the burden with a straightforward loan request. After she made copies, she stuffed the originals in a next day envelope.
Sealing that envelope gave her a strange feeling of finality she wasn’t ready for. She’d liked how things were growing and changing between them. Not only when he slipped into Dom mode, but when he was just Ben.
She’d miss the way he called her angel. The way he’d growl it against her skin. She’d miss the way he pushed her to accept what she was. The way he wouldn’t let her hide from herself or from him. The way he gave her what she’d needed for so long but hadn’t the guts to admit it she’d wanted.
This was temporary. And he’d rather have the money than you.
How long had he known he’d needed a loan? And what would he have done if she’d refused to help him? Would it have strained their Dom/sub relationship? Or ended it completely?
No way to know now, but she couldn’t help but feel a little used and a lot disappointed.
Through all her questions and doubt about what could’ve been, she still felt his pull. She wondered how long she could stay away from him.
Not long, as it turned out. But she’d convinced herself it was a matter of necessity, not personal choice.
She paced, clutching the phone. “Ben? Are you really busy right now?”
“Why? What do you need?”
Then she felt ridiculous and almost gave him a breezy, Oh no reason, just calling to see how you are, rather than coming across as incapable.
“Ainsley? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t want you to think I’m inept or that I only called because I needed something, although both those statements are true—”
“Take a deep breath, angel, and tell me what’s goin’ on.”
“My bathroom sink is leaking and I can’t figure out what’s wrong and I can’t get ahold of the landlord.”
“I’m on my way.”
“Really? Just like that?”
“Just like that. Be there in fifteen.”
She gathered the wet towels and tossed them in the tub. After piling clean towels on the toilet, she sat on the floor, listening to the drip drip drip of water into the plastic pail beneath the sink.
When her cats tore down the hallway she knew Ben had arrived, even before he called out, “Ainsley?”
“In here,” she yelled back. Her heart flipped over when he entered the bathroom. The man looked even sexier carrying a toolbox than he did carrying his toy bag.
Ben flashed her a brief smile and, “Hey,” before crouching down with his toolbox. “When did you notice the leak?”
“After work. I was in that cabinet this morning and it wasn’t leaking then.”
He turned on a flashlight and the beam arced inside the cabinet. He stuck his head under the sink. “Looks like the nut to the cold water valve is loose. Here. Hold this.” He handed her the flashlight and he rummaged in his toolbox. When he found the tool he needed, he scooted under the sink. “Can you point the light where I’ve got the pipe wrench?”
“Sure.” In such tight quarters, she pressed her body to the outside of the cabinet and held the light steady.
A couple of hard clanks, a loud screech and then water spewed forth.
Ben jerked back, hit his head under the sink and yelled, “Fuck.”
“You okay?”
“Hold that flashlight steady.”
Water was still spraying everywhere.
Another loud clank and the water stopped abruptly.
“What happened?