Maid for Advertising - Susie Tate Page 0,30
that’s when the tears came. Not beautiful, silent, elegant tears, but great wracking sobs, that seemed to tear through my entire body as I soaked his shirt. His arms closed around me and I felt like I was in a cocoon, protected from the world, shielded from my problems. He guided us both down to sitting on the bed, him with his back resting against the large headboard and me pulled tightly into his side and held against his chest. I was so lost in my misery that I only vaguely registered Kira handing him something which he put next to him on the bed and then her rubbing my back briefly before she left the room. It took a good ten minutes before I managed to get control of the outright sobbing and tone things down to just a few tears trickling down my face.
“I’m sorry,” I croaked, my voice hoarse from all the crying. “I must be the worst employee you’ve ever had.” His arms tightened for a moment and he let out a heavy sigh.
“Urvi, can you do me a favour and please stop apologising, okay? It makes me feel like even more of an absolute bastard than I already do.”
Right, of course. All of this was because he felt guilty. I sniffed again and he handed me a tissue.
“You’ve not lost the money from this week. I’m still going to pay you.”
“But –”
“On the condition that you check your blood glucose now, take the correct amount of insulin, and then eat the corresponding correct amount of breakfast.”
I tried to push up to sitting but his arms stayed tight around me. Now that I had come out of total meltdown mode I was feeling a bit weird wrapped around Jack. I’m not sure any man wants his shirt soaked with a random woman’s tears and snot.
“Jack,” I said carefully, managing to manoeuvre enough so that I could tilt my head back and look up at him. “My health is my responsibility. You do know that, right? There’s nothing for you to feel bad or guilty about. It wasn’t your fault that –”
“I employed that . . . how did Kira put it? That wankpuffin,” Jack said, cutting me off. “And I assumed the worst of you when you . . .” he sighed, and I listened to the air whoosh in and out of his lungs with my ear still to his chest. “I thought you’d used drugs on the plane when that airhostess got you out of the toilet. I was just behind the curtain and I . . . I thought the worst.”
“Oh.” What did I say to that? A drug addict? “Hmm … no wonder you ignored me. I thought it was a bit odd that you’d turned into this massive snob overnight.”
“I’m sorry, Urvi. It’s just I was already angry about . . .” he trailed off and let out another sigh.
“Angry about what? And hey, we said no apologising.”
“No, I said you weren’t allowed to apologise anymore. Nothing about me.”
“Jack –”
“Listen, I promise to pay you all of the money if you’ll just stay until the end of the week. No waitressing. No working. Just stay and concentrate on your diabetic control. The doctor said you’ll be tired for a few days anyway. You shouldn’t really travel.”
“Jack! I’m not going to sue you.”
“No, you’re not. You’re also not going to risk your life again. So we’re agreed.” He stared down at me. “Stay with me, Urvi.”
His hand came up to my jaw and he tilted my head back. That strange intense expression was back and his body felt tense under mine. His eyes dropped to my mouth and became unfocused before his face lowered and he kissed me. It was just a soft brush of the lips at first, after which he pulled back fast liked I’d burned him. But having tasted his mouth, felt his stubble on my skin, there was no going back for me. I pushed up to reach his mouth again and used both my hands to keep his face steady.
He started at the second kiss as if he wasn’t expecting it and pulled back again to search my no-doubt hazy expression. Whatever he saw there must have satisfied him because when he kissed me again both of our control went out the porthole. I flung my leg over his hip and moved onto his lap as our mouths stayed connected and felt a low growl in his