Page 121 of Meet Me In The Dark

“…delete my search history. There’s some weird shit in there.”

Thirty-Seven

Julian

“Madison was supposed to pick me up,” Celeste grumbles, her gaze fixed stubbornly out the window. “You don’t need to do this.”

There’s that bullshit notion that I can’t handle this side of her. That I can’t handle Celeste without the armor. Without the sleek outfits or the immaculate makeup.

I glance sideways at her, taking in her tousled hair and bare face. She looks exhausted and more than a little pissed off, but Christ, she’s beautiful, even if the tension rolling off her could power the entire city.

Good.

At least she’s back to being my feisty pain in the ass. If she’s fighting me again, it means she’s feeling better. I’ll take every ounce of attitude she wants to dish out.

“Yeah, well.” I shrug. “Madison’s delegating tasks today.”

“Madison is going to get an earful from me, that’s what.”

I resist a smile and keep my eyes on the road because she’s more than able to dive across the console and land that right hook I’ve taught her.

“You’ve got good friends.”

“Yeah, I know,” she snaps.

“They love you.”

“I love them too, but why are you the one picking me up?”

“Because the nurse mentioned a hot bath helps, and you don’t have a tub.”

She whirls so fast to glare at me, I swear she winces from the movement. “I am not going to your house.”

“Oh, yes, you are. Then you’re going to take those nice painkillers, and I’ll have my sweet little drugged-up angel back.”

She practically growls at me from the passenger seat. “I don’t have anything with me.”

“All sorted.”

“Oh, you’ve got a hot water bottle?”

“As of an hour ago, I do.”

“Don’t you have work to go to?”

“Perks of being your own boss.”

“Do you have an answer for everything?”

“Keep asking and we’ll find out.”

She slumps deeper into the seat. “I can’t just go to your place, Julian. Unlike you, I don’t set my own schedule. I have a job.”

“Lilian said to pass along that you’re officially on annual leave for the week.”

Her mouth drops. “She did not.”

“Her exact words were: ‘For the love of God, chain her to the bed or something so she’ll finally rest. And no working from home.’”