His shoulders stiffened as he looked at her. “What in the hell aren’t you telling me? I know there are problems in your life, and this just cements it. Why don’t you let me help you?”
“Nothing is going on, Byron. It was probably drunk teenagers thinking they are being funny, and my house was empty so they went on the attack. It was just my car that they harmed.”
Without asking for her permission, Byron pulled out his phone, dialed, and soon arranged to have her car picked up and taken in for repairs. She would have tried to stop him, but she was learning to choose her battles. And the reality was that she needed her car and she simply didn’t have the emotional stamina left to deal with the problem right then.
When he hung up the phone, she moved into her living room and sat down. She had told him he could stay for dinner, but she didn’t have the energy to prepare it, and she wanted more than anything for Byron to just pull her into his arms and take care of her. That angered her. She wasn’t weak, and that was such a weak thing to want.
Byron followed her, a look of concentration on his face, as if he were trying to find the right words to say. She had no idea what was going to come next.
“Go and gather some clothes. I’ll bring you to my house.”
She waited for him to continue, but he didn’t say anything else. She closed her eyes for a brief second as she fought the desire to do just that. But there was no way she could accept his offer. If she did, then she would certainly become reliant on Byron and that was as dangerous as facing whoever had damaged her property. Maybe even more dangerous.
“I think our weekend is over now, Byron,” she finally said, crossing her arms against her chest.
“What is that supposed to mean?” He took a step closer to her.
“I’m not coming to your house, and I’m too tired to cook. I think you should leave.” That was pretty cut-and-dried, though it was killing her to say it.
“What if whoever did that comes back?” he asked. “You aren’t safe here.” He began pacing her small living room, making it seem even smaller than normal.
“I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time, and I don’t need to start leaning on anyone now,” she almost growled. She was too close to falling apart right now. If he touched her, she would completely lose it.
“I want to… Look, McKenzie. Just let me take care of you.”
McKenzie froze. She had no idea what Byron meant by that, but she was sure it wasn’t what she needed it to mean. How could he take care of her when he thought she was so horrible?
He couldn’t.
“Look, Byron, this weekend was a bad idea. Sure, the sex was great, but now that we’re back here, I realize that it…um…complicates things. I need to just finish my job, and you need to go back to doing whatever it is you do. There’s no reason for this game to continue. We’ve already had sex,” she said with a humorless laugh. “I’d really prefer it if you left now. This has to end here.”
His face went blank, and he stopped and stared at her for several tense heartbeats. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”
No! That wasn’t what she wanted at all, but it was what she needed to happen. What she wanted was for him to take her in his arms and tell her the world was right and that she would never hurt again. What she wanted was for him to want her for more than just a good time in the closest bed. But that’s not what she could tell him.
“Yes. It’s what I want.”
He moved over to the couch and leaned down, resting his weight against the back as he came within inches of her face. “Be very sure that’s what you want, McKenzie. Because I don’t need to be told no over and over again. I wanted you; I pursued you. We had sex. If you really want me to go away, I will walk out your door and never come through it again,” he warned her, his hot breath caressing her face.
She waited until she was sure her voice wouldn’t shake when she spoke, and then she was proud that she wasn’t so choked up that the welling tears would come through in her words. “Would you like me to find a replacement tomorrow? I have two people who are more than ready to take my place at your company.”
His eyes narrowed and he leaned a half an inch closer before pushing back to put a distance of several feet between them. She had a feeling he’d done it to keep himself from putting his hands around her throat and squeezing. But she’d never know for sure.
“No. Be at work tomorrow. I’ll send a driver.”
With that, he turned and walked from her house. She heard him start the car, heard him pull away, and still she sat there as still as a statue. It was at least fifteen minutes before she managed to stand up and look out her window to verify that he was indeed gone. Then, and only then, did she curl up in a ball on her couch and let the tears fall.
All she had truly wanted was for him to wrap her in his arms. But she hadn’t been brave enough to ask him. And now it didn’t matter anyway. He was gone.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Byron was furious. He’d had to get away from McKenzie’s house before he did something he might have regretted later. Not that he ever allowed himself to feel regret. That was for the weak, and Byron wasn’t a weak person.
He was trying to help McKenzie against all odds, and she’d had the nerve to throw it back in his face. How dare she! This wasn’t the first time she’d refused his kind offer. Why did he keep doing it? It made no freaking sense. She didn’t deserve his help, not with the kind of person she was.
But the two of them had enjoyed a great weekend together. Not that they should have. And he was to blame. He’d pushed it. And how he had pushed… Damn! He hadn’t felt this confused since he was a child. He didn’t like it one little bit.
He should have taken her up on her suggestion that she leave Knight Construction. He should say goodbye to this woman and never look back. Dammit! Even the thought of doing that turned his guts inside out. What in the hell was going on with him?
He slammed his fist against the steering wheel while he was stopped at a red light. When a car behind him honked, he realized that the light had turned green and he was still sitting there. Slamming his foot against the gas pedal, he peeled away from the intersection with a mighty squeal and made his way toward home.
He and McKenzie were nothing to each other. They weren’t even friends, or even lovers. They had shared a casual weekend of sex, but that didn’t put them in a “relationship,” and he shouldn’t give a damn if something was going on in her life that was causing her distress.