Forbidden (16 page)

***

Indie was back at work the following morning, trying not to focus on the fact Lee hadn’t stopped by to see her yet. Someone knocked on her office door, and she was pleasantly surprised to see Donato. They’d only met once, at Cassidy and Drake’s party, but he seemed like a nice guy.

“Come in,” she said. “This is a nice surprise. What are you doing here?”

“I was in the area, and I stopped by to see if Lee might wanna grab lunch.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his worn jeans. “The receptionist said he had a meeting out of the office this morning, so I thought I’d see if you wanted to get lunch with me.” His ruddy complexion darkened with a blush. “I mean, you know, if you’re not too busy.”

“Lunch sounds nice,” Indie said, reaching into her top drawer to retrieve her purse. “I’m afraid I don’t have a lot of time though. I have a meeting with Drake in an hour.”

He grinned. “Don’t wanna piss off the boss man, right?”

Indie smiled. “Something like that.”

Donato was rough around the edges, no doubt because he’d gotten mixed up in drugs at an early age, but he seemed sweet and genuine. Lee’s high opinion of him was enough to convince Indie he was worth befriending. Besides, if Lee was going to be a part of her life, she wanted to get to know the people in his inner circle better. They walked to a deli a block from Indie’s office and ordered sandwiches before settling in at one of the few available tables.

“I didn’t realize how hungry I was,” Indie said before she bit into a salad tossed with chicken breast. “If you hadn’t rescued me, I probably would have been forced to survive on the peanuts and raisins in my desk.”

Donato laughed. “I’m glad I came when I did then.”

“So, how’s school going?” Indie reached for a paper napkin. “You mentioned you were having a little trouble with one of your classes.”

“It’s getting better. The prof’s been pretty cool about helping me.” He shrugged. “Now that he knows I’m taking it seriously, he’s more willing to cut me a break. You’d be surprised how many kids are in college just because their parents threaten to cut them off if they don’t go.”

Indie had trouble relating to his college experiences since she’d never gone. “I’m glad things are working out for you. Any idea what you want to do when you graduate?”

Donato finished a bite of his roast beef sandwich. “I don’t know yet. Lee’s still encouraging me to take it one day at a time, not plan too far ahead. College is a pretty big challenge for a guy like me. I never did all that well in high school, so if I can make it through, it’ll be a miracle.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Indie said, reaching for his hand. “You’re tough. You can do anything you set your mind to.”

He looked at her hand before meeting her eyes. “You really get me, don’t you? I don’t know what it is, but I feel like you’ve been where I am.”

“Well,” Indie said, withdrawing her hand, “I left home at an early age. That meant I had to learn how to survive on my own. I guess we have that in common.”

“Were your parents addicts too?” he asked quietly.

“No.”

“Alcoholics?”

“Uh, no.” Indie hadn’t considered the Pandora’s Box she would be opening by talking about her past. Donato was a nice guy, but she had no intention of opening up to him. “We just had a difference of opinion. I was a pretty rebellious kid—”

“You? Really?” Donato smiled. “You don’t strike me as the type.”

“I’ve had to grow up a lot since then. I realized bucking authority and challenging everyone only makes life harder.” She took another bite to collect her thoughts. “I still stand up for what I believe in, but I can be reasonable.”

“Is that why you and Lee don’t get along? You don’t see eye to eye?”

Indie was surprised by Donato’s assessment of her relationship with his sponsor. “What makes you think Lee and I don’t get along?”

“Some of the things you said to me at the party. You didn’t seem thrilled you would be working together.”

Indie couldn’t believe how much had changed in such a short time. “We’re working things out.” She didn’t want to say any more than that since she still had no idea what Lee was thinking or feeling. She didn’t want to appear delusional if Donato and Lee compared notes.

“I’m glad to hear that. Lee’s a great guy. One of the best.”

Indie smiled. “You told me that. I have to admit, I didn’t see it at the time, but I get where you’re coming from now.”

“I don’t know where I’d be without him.”

“You guys met at a meeting?”

“He convinced me to go to my first meeting.” Donato pushed aside his empty plate before wiping his mouth with a paper napkin.

“How did he do that?”

“I was on the streets, panhandling. Lee tossed some money in my cap, and he stopped when we made eye contact. He told me he saw something in me, that I reminded him of himself.”

“Really?” Indie could imagine Lee stopping to connect with a homeless kid on a busy street corner. The more she learned about Lee, the more she believed he was the kind of man she could fall for.

“Yeah.” His full mouth tipped up on one side. “He offered to buy me a hot lunch. I was a little wary, you know. I wasn’t used to strangers being nice to me, but he convinced me.” He grinned. “The fact that I was hungry as hell probably had something to do with it.”

“So what happened next?”

“He told me about his life, asked me about mine.” Donato cleared his throat when a young couple claimed the table next to them. “He gave me his number and told me to call if I ever wanted to talk.”

“Did you call him?”

“No.” Donato scrubbed a hand over his face. “I was too proud to admit I needed help.”

“But?”

“He kept coming back. Sometimes he’d bring me food or coffee. After a couple of months, I decided to take him up on his offer of a shower, hot meal, and bed for the night. I didn’t realize he’d be giving up his own bed for me.”

“He did that?” Indie asked, feeling her belly clench.

“He sure did.” Donato leaned back and stared straight ahead. “That’s when I realized he was the real deal. For the first time in my life, I felt like somebody cared about me.”

“How long before you went to a meeting with Lee?”

“A few more weeks.”

“It sounds like you and Lee have quite a bond.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without him. Sometimes I still feel like he’s the only one pulling for me.”

Indie’s racing pulse told her she could relate to that statement more than she’d ever be willing to admit.

Lee’s footsteps echoed down the deserted hall as he made his way to Indie’s office. Their cars were the only two left in the lot. Lee had stayed late to catch up on work he’d missed that morning, but he wondered about Indie’s excuse for staying so late. Was she hoping to see him? He knew that was wishful thinking, but he’d been waiting to catch a glimpse of her all afternoon. He tapped his knuckles on her office door. Lee couldn’t remember the last time a woman had made him feel so anxious… or excited.

“Come in,” she called, sounding weary.

He opened the door. “Hey there. If this is a bad time, we can talk tomorrow.”

“No, it’s okay,” she said, waving him inside. Covering her mouth as she yawned, she gave him a sheepish grin. “Sorry, I guess I didn’t realize how tired I was.”

“I was thinking we could grab some dinner, but it doesn’t look like you’re up for that.”

“Not really,” she said. “A pizza in front of the TV would be awesome though.”

“Sounds great.” As long as they could spend more time together, he was up for anything. “Your place or mine?”

Indie smiled. “Since the only sofa in my apartment is a lumpy second-hand sleeper that also passes for my bed, would you mind if we went to your place?”

“No problem.” Lee didn’t like that Indie was struggling. He was sure his brother paid her the going rate for her position, but it clearly wasn’t enough to afford any luxuries. “My place it is.”

Indie stood and reached for the handbag she’d stowed in her desk drawer.

Lee frowned. “Hey, you really do look beat. If you wanna do this another time, we can.”

“If you don’t take pity on me, I’ll probably have a bowl of cereal while standing over the kitchen sink. Is that what you want?”

“When you put it that way…” He grinned. “I don’t want you driving home later. If you’re this tired now—”

“What are you suggesting?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Lee was surprised that she looked intrigued instead of affronted by what sounded like an indecent proposal. His eyes raked over her, taking in her tight grey dress and high black boots. She came in a tiny package, but beneath it was the strength of a warrior, which only made him respect her more. “I was just going to ask you to leave your car here. I can drive you home later.”

“But I’ll need my car for work in the morning.”

“I’ll swing by and pick you up tomorrow. It’s on my way.”

“You’re sure?” she asked, rounding the desk and stopping just short of where he stood.

“I’m sure.”

Her eyes landed on his mouth, and it took more restraint than he thought he possessed to keep from taking her right there. Only the sound of cleaners coming down the hall kept his hands where they belonged. He waited for her to step out of the office before he followed her.

“Hi, Fanny,” Indie said, smiling at the older woman reaching for a bucket of cleaning supplies. “Where’s Gord tonight?”

“He’s here,” Fanny said. “He’s working through the offices at the other end of the hall.”

“Have you met Lee?” Indie asked. “He’s Drake’s brother. He just started working here as a sound engineer.”

“No, we haven’t met.” Fanny shook Lee’s hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

“Fanny and her husband have been working for Drake longer than I have,” Indie supplied.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Fanny,” Lee said. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing a lot more of you.”

“Only if you keep hours like this one does.” Fanny touched Indie’s forearm. “She’s usually the only one still here when we show up.”

“Is that right?” Lee shot Indie a sidelong glance. He didn’t like the idea of her working alone at night, and given how skittish she was, he was surprised she was comfortable doing so.

“We should go,” Indie said. “Tell Gord I said hi. It was nice to see you again, Fanny.”

“You too, honey. Drive safe.”

Lee waited until they were on the elevator before he said, “Why do you work so late every night?”

Her eyes darted away. “Drake keeps me busy, just the way I like it.”

Lee wasn’t buying that. “Do you feel safe in your apartment?”

“Why would you ask me that?”

She was answering a question with a question, which could only mean one thing. “Is someone making you uneasy at home?”

“Lee, please, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Tell me.” He pressed the button to stop the elevator just before it delivered them to the ground floor. “We’re not getting off until you do.”

She sighed. “The new manager they hired is this creepy old guy who’s always hitting on me. It makes me a little uneasy that he has a key to my apartment, and he can come and go whenever he pleases.”

“So you try to avoid going home?” Lee could feel his blood pressure rising.

“No, it’s just—”

He held her chin between his thumb and index finger. “The truth.”

“It’s no big deal. I should be able to afford a better place in seven or eight months.”

“And in the meantime you live as a prisoner in your own goddamn home? I don’t think so,” he said, pounding the button to start the elevator. “You’re giving your notice tomorrow.”

“What? I can’t do that! I can’t afford it yet.”

“I’ll lend you the money,” he said, ushering her off the elevator.

She dug in her heels until he turned to look at her. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m doing this on my own.”

“Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?” He released her and crossed his arms. He knew if he didn’t, he’d haul her against him and kiss her senseless despite the security cameras capturing their every move.

“I could ask you the same,” she said, looking him in the eye. “What gives you the right to tell me what to do? You were mad I went to dinner with an old friend, and now you’re telling me I have to move. What gives, Lee?”

He stared her down, hoping intimidating her would prompt her to retract the question. When she only seemed more determined, he relented, mentally cursing stubborn women. “I care about you. Is that a crime?”

Her lips twitched. “You care about me. Maybe you’d better define that.”

“Don’t push your luck, lady,” he muttered, grabbing her elbow and ushering her outside. “You should be grateful for those security cameras.”

“Oh yeah, why’s that?” she asked, looking smug and defiant.

“’Cause they were the only things keeping me from kissing you in there.”

Blocking his path with her body just before they reached the truck, she gripped his biceps. “Tell me. Better yet, show me.”

Lee waited for a smile or laugh, something to indicate she was messing with him, but she looked dead serious. “You don’t really want me to—”

“Don’t tell me what I want.” Hooking her thumbs in the belt loops of his jeans, she pulled him closer. “I know what I want. You.”

Lee couldn’t breathe. He’d never needed someone so much or wanted so badly to walk away. “We can’t do this. We have to think about our jobs. You know how my brother feels about shit like this. Besides, I’m too damn old for you.”

“You can pretend all you want. I know what I see when you look at me.” She rested her palm on his chest, inside of his blazer. “I know what I heard in your voice when you thought I was out on a date with another man. You were angry and jealous… because you want me for yourself.”

Lee had never known a woman so bold and confident, yet vulnerable. That was an even bigger turn on for him than the hot little body he ached to touch. “It doesn’t matter what I want. The only thing that matters is what’s right. I spent too many years trying to ignore that, and it got me in a whole mess of trouble. I won’t go there again, not even for you.”