Page 120 of Perfume Girl

She gestured frantically for me to enter.

Stepping inside, I shrugged my coat off and threw it in the corner. It would leave a puddle on her hardwood floors, but from the racket outside that was the least of our problems. “Have you secured the windows?”

“Just finished.” She looked over toward the front of the store, which was covered in wood to protect the glass.

It flashed through my mind that she couldn’t have managed that task alone. “Is Damien here?”

“Of course not.”

“Did he offer to help?” I pointed at the window.

“He wanted to be with Embry.” She raised her hand defensively. “I didn’t want him here.”

Those were the words I needed to hear. “What can I do?”

“You shouldn’t have driven in this.”

“I could say the same about you.”

“I live here.”

“Raquel, you risked your life to—” I stepped back to give her some room. “I need to know why you left suddenly. I’m assuming it wasn’t just the storm?”

She gave me an accusatory look, her expression one of trepidation.

“You should have called first.” She hugged herself.

“You didn’t answer.”

She gave a resigned nod. “Let me get you a towel.”

Raquel led me toward the back of the store. Taking in the line of bottles and pipettes and all the supplies needed to create a scent, I shot her a look of concern. This was an insane time to be playing chemist.

“I was keeping busy.” She forced a thin smile. “Come up.”

Following her, I let out a sigh of reassurance seeing she was okay and I would at least be here to sit out the storm with her. “We’re looking at a Category Three,” I said, “but it feels stronger.”

“Because we’re so close to the ocean.”

Yes, I had noticed. My sodden clothes clung to my flesh. “I’m dripping on your floor,” I said apologetically.

“It’s fine.”

I followed Raquel into what served as her bedroom—though this was probably meant to be the office space or extra storage for the shop downstairs. Using my best stony-faced expression I feigned no interest in her makeshift bed. The mattress had been dragged away from the window. Her roughing it had been the reason I’d rescued her from here, and I felt another twinge of guilt, worried that I may have had a part in all of this.

The windows rattled as the wind whistled and whipped outside. Any damage to the store would affect the value of the building. I started to ask about her insurance, but then decided she didn’t need to hear that right now.

I stripped off my pants, relieved to be rid of the soaked trousers, and then pulled off my damp shirt. My boxers had to come off, too, and it wasn’t like she hadn’t seen me naked before.

I looked over at her ready to ask if she had a robe.

Her gaze swept over my torso and bare thighs. “I’ll grab you a towel.” She spun around and hurried into the bathroom. She quickly returned with one and handed it to me.

Rubbing the towel over my head to dry my hair, I threw her a grateful smile and then wrapped it around myself. “Do you have a spare robe? I’ll put my clothes in the dryer.”

“They could shrink.”

I shrugged. “A risk I’m willing to take.”