I’m not sure what’s up with all these bathroom confessions, but I can’t seem to stop myself. Mindy Espinoza is just as compelling as Minnie was that night. It’s like she enchants me, encloses me within her bubble in a way that makes me feel safe with her.
And suddenly, the bubble pops when I hear a noise from down the hall. Both our heads snap toward the door that’s hanging half open. Common sense begins to seep in around the edges of the desire that has taken over my body, and I take a step back, releasing her face. I see the fear of discovery in her eyes, and I hold out my hands to help her up.
“People are starting to arrive for work,” I say in a low voice. “Finish up in here, and I’ll meet you in my office. We need to talk.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Dilemmas
Remington
Mindy exitsthe bathroom dressed in her black suit. She’s twisted her hair on both sides and pulled it back into a low ponytail secured with a floppy, sheer black bow. Her shiny ebony heels tap on the hardwood floor, and she’s the picture of professionalism, other than the wary look on her face. And the blooming hickey on the side of her neck.Fuck.
Her duffel is zipped and held in her right hand, and her black coat is draped over her arm. I gesture with a tilt of my forehead. “You can go put your things in your closet. Then come back, please.”
“Okay,” she says softly before turning and leaving my office. As soon as she’s gone, I send a quick text to Antonio and receive a thumbs up in reply. Good. That’s one problem handled. The second problem, my erection, is finally starting to tame a bit after our… activities. I’ll deal with the rest of our issues when she gets back in here.
A small closet is located to the right of Mindy’s desk for her to store any personal items while she’s at work, and I hear the sound of the door opening and closing. Then the snip of her shoes receding.Where the hell is she going? Is she running away?
I’m disturbed to find the thought of that fills me with panic. I waitfor one minute. Two minutes. Just as I’m about to stand and go after her, she returns, bringing the scent of magnolias and peaches.
Setting a plate of my favorite cookies and a cup of coffee on my desk, she offers a tentative smile.
“A little bribe in the hopes that you won’t fire me for using your shower.” She takes a seat as I reach for a cookie and take a large bite. Mindy rolls her lips together. “Is it working?”
Chewing, I eye her. “Are you going to file a complaint with HR for… what just happened?” I wave my cookie at the bathroom.
Her eyebrows fold together. “Of course not. I would never do that.” I tilt my head and level a skeptical glare her way, and she sighs. “Okay, I know I said that on the first day you came back, but I wasn’t really going to do it. You said you were going to fire me, and I panicked because I needed to keep my job.”
I nod and take a sip of my coffee. “Noted. Why were you in my shower this morning?” Mindy’s eyes drop to her lap, and I lean forward, lowering my voice. “I need you to be honest with me, Mindy. Tell me why I found you naked in my office bathroom.”
She plucks at the hem of her skirt, and I brace myself for her answer. “My hot water heater is broken.” A beat passes as I anticipate what she’s going to say next, but she’s silent.
“And?”
“And I just wanted a hot shower. I’m sorry.” Mindy peers up at me from beneath her lashes, a guileless remorse on her face. “I live on the other side of town. I go to the bakery early, and then I usually go home to shower and get ready before coming back here. But I thought ‘Why go all the way back to that side of town just to get pelted by sleet from my stupid shower when there’s a perfectly good hot shower right here that’s only a few blocks away?’”
I drag my hand down my face, stroking my fingers through my beard. “Why all the secrecy? Why not simply tell me?”
Her lips twist to the side as she clamps her hands in her lap so tightly her knuckles turn pale. “I was embarrassed. My apartment is kind of shitty.” I watch her throat work with a swallow. “It was all I could afford at the time, but my financial situation is better now.”
Now that she’s finally getting a paycheck from my company, I remind myself.
Scratching my eyebrow, I sigh. “So you come from all the way across town to work at the bakery. Then you go back to your apartment to get ready, after which you come back to this side of town to work here. Did I get that right?”
She rushes to add, “My lease is up at the end of this month, so I’m looking for something closer to work. I know it sounds complicated, but I was only late that one time, so it hasn’t really been a problem, and…”
She’s babbling nervously, and I hold up a hand for her to stop. “I have no problem with the work you’ve been doing here or your punctuality. I’m just concerned for you.”
Her eyes narrow like she thinks I’m bullshitting her. “You are?”
Fuck, I’ve been an asshole. “Of course I am. Your hot water heater has been broken for three days?”
“A week, actually,” she admits quietly.
A damn week? I have to temper my outrage. “You should call the superintendent of your building. They can get maintenance up there to fix it.”
“Oh, why didn’t I think of that?” she drawls. “First of all, my super is the only maintenance person we have. Second, I spoke with him last week, and he said he would have it fixed by the time I got back from Thanksgiving. And third, he’s a belly-button-lint-picking liar.”