by Jaci Burton
But eventually Lachelle insisted it was time for the kids to go back to class, and Barrett reminded them to engage their brains. They all waved good-bye to him on their way out of the gym.
"I can't tell you how much what you said will stick with some of these kids," Lachelle said.
"I wish it would stick with all of them."
Lachelle laid her hand on Barrett's forearm. "You can't save them all, Barrett. If you reach only a handful of them, it'll be enough. Trust me."
"Have you got a few minutes?" Lachelle asked Harmony. "I have a meeting in about a half hour, but I've got new pictures of the boys."
"I wouldn't miss seeing those. Providing Barrett has time."
His lips curved. "I have time."
"Awesome," Lachelle said. "Follow me to my office."
Harmony started moving, then realized she felt a little dizzy. It was awfully warm in the community center. She'd noticed it while she was listening to Barrett's speech. She should probably mention it to Lachelle, but then again her friend was likely already aware of the glitchy AC system.
They made their way into Lachelle's office. "Sorry," Lachelle said. "It's kind of tight in here. We don't really get spacious offices."
"This is fine," Barrett said. "I can lean against the doorway."
Harmony made her way inside and sank into the chair. Now she was feeling nauseous. It was brutally hot outside today, and now that they were sitting in this tiny box of an office, it was even warmer.
She swallowed, fighting back the rising tide of nausea as Lachelle brought her laptop over and faced it toward Harmony. "The one on the left is Marcus, and on the right is Mateo."
She blinked to clear her vision, which was currently a bit wonky. She smiled at the two adorable toddlers in the photo as Lachelle flipped through a slide show. "I cannot believe how big they've gotten since I saw them last."
"Future linebackers if you ask me," Barrett said.
Lachelle laughed. "My husband is hoping for point guards or power forwards."
"Oh, a basketball guy, is he?"
"Indeed."
"They have long legs," Barrett said. "I'd say your husband has a pretty good shot at those positions."
"And he's six foot six, so I'm hoping they get their height from their daddy, and not from me."
Harmony was trying hard not to fall out of her chair. Or sweat all over it.
"What do you think, Harmony?" Lachelle asked.
She blinked and lifted her gaze to her friend. "What?"
Lachelle laughed. "Head already somewhere else?"
"I'm sorry. Just staring at these cute babies. I can't wait to cuddle them."
She was going to have to make an exit.
"We'll definitely do that soon."
Lachelle's phone rang. "Oh, I have to get that."
Harmony waved her hand. "I'll talk to you later."
She pushed out of the chair, using the edge of the table for support. She turned to Barrett, who suddenly seemed out of focus.
"Ready?"
"Yeah."
She looped her purse over her arm and followed him out the door, hoping like hell she didn't pass out in the hallway.
But she only made it to the end of the hall before she felt the walls closing in on her.
She couldn't breathe, and she was so dizzy she couldn't move another step. She leaned against the cool wall.
Barrett was right there.
"Harmony. What's wrong?"
"Dizzy."
He slipped his arm around her, his strong body giving her the support she needed. "Let's sit you down somewhere."
She shook her head and laid her hand on his chest. "No. Not here. Lachelle will see me and fuss. Need to get out of here."
"Okay."
He pulled her against him, using his body to support her while he walked her outside.
God, it was so hot out here. She was glad she hadn't eaten today, so she wouldn't throw up.
Hadn't eaten.
Dammit.
Thank God he'd used remote start to cool the car down. She was so hot. Barrett got her into the SUV and hurried over to the other side. Her hands were shaking as she fumbled in her purse.
When Barrett climbed inside and started the engine, she was ever so grateful for his phenomenal air-conditioning system in the vehicle.
"Do I need to take you to the hospital?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Low blood sugar." She found the energy bar that had been buried in the bottom of her purse. "Need to eat."
She was afraid she was going to pass out before she could get a bite of the bar into her mouth. Her hands were trembling so badly she couldn't even unwrap it.
"Here," he said, his voice calm and gentle. "Let me do that for you."
He unwrapped the bar and broke it in half. "Eat. We're heading to a restaurant right now to get some fluids into you."
"O . . . okay."
She took a bite, then another, still feeling nauseous. The last thing she wanted right now was food, but she knew it was what she needed most.
By the time Barrett pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, she felt marginally better--at least better enough that she wasn't in danger of passing out. But she was still shaking.
He put the SUV in park and turned the vehicle off, then leaned over to her. "You okay?"
"I'll be fine now."
"You wait right there while I come around to your side to help you out."
She nodded, undoing her seat belt while he came around. He opened the door, then reached both hands around her waist and hoisted her out of the SUV.
"I'm going to set you down on your feet."
"I'm really okay, Barrett."
"Yeah, sure you are. I'm still going to hold on to you."
Her lips curved. "I'm really not going to mind if you do."
She was still feeling a bit off balance, and she knew if he hadn't been with her back at the community center, she'd have slid down the wall into a heap.
That wouldn't have been her finest moment.
He kept his arm firmly around her waist as they entered the restaurant. To anyone else, they looked like a couple in love who couldn't keep their hands off each other. To her, right now Barrett was her lifeline.
Fortunately, the restaurant wasn't crowded, so they were seated right away. Their waitress came over.
"What can I get you two to drink?"
Barrett looked over at her.
"I'll have a large orange juice."
"Iced tea for me," Barrett said, fingering the edges of the menu in kind of a nervous fashion.
He continued to do that until the waitress came back with their drinks.
"Are you two ready to order?"
"We'll need a few minutes," Barrett said.
The waitress nodded and wandered off. Harmony took a couple of long swallows of the juice, already feeling a lot better now that she'd eaten half the energy bar.
But Barrett continued to stare at her as if he expected her to fall on the floor and die on him any second.
"I'm really okay."
"Are you sure? I could still take you to the hospital."
She shook her head, then took another sip of juice. "I've had low blood sugar my entire life, Barrett. I know how to manage it. It was just a stupid thing on my part today. I was running behind because I had to deal with some e-mails before I left the house this morning, and I totally forgot to eat or drink some juice. I know better. And then I went along with you to your event, and I completely forgot I hadn't eaten. This is entirely my fault. Thank you for being there for me."
He raked his fingers through his hair and blew out a breath. "Christ, Harmony. You scared the shit out of me. The way you were shaking, and sinking down that wall. And I had no idea you had hypoglycemia."
She appreciated his understanding of the terminology. "It's not something that tends to come up in idle conversation."
"Yeah, well, maybe it should. So people who care about you can . . . you know,
care about you. And for you, in case you forget to eat."
She couldn't repress her smile. "Thanks. For caring. And for the suggestion."
Their waitress came by and she ordered food. Now that the crisis had passed, she was hungry, so she ordered a chicken salad and bread.
"You should have something more than that."
"Trust me, it's more than enough to sustain me." She studied the look of concern on his face, the way he watched every sip of orange juice she took.
So she was very grateful that their food arrived fast. She wasted no time digging into her chicken salad while Barrett had a double cheeseburger and double order of fries.
"Good thing you can work all that off, huh?" she asked as she took a sip of the water she'd asked the waitress for.
"Good thing. How's your chicken salad?"
"Fantastic. Would you like a bite?"
He shook his head. "I think I've got enough to handle over here. And you need to eat all of that."
Once she'd plowed through her salad and eaten it all, she set her plate to the side and took another few sips of water. She felt good now--great, actually. There was nothing like the relief she felt once she got past a particularly rough episode.
She knew better than to skip breakfast, but every now and then stupidity reared its ugly head. She wouldn't let it happen again.
She made a mental note to replace the energy bar in her purse.
"Better?" Barrett asked after he'd polished off the last of the fries.
"Much. Thank you for taking the time to feed me."
"It was either that or the ER, and you didn't seem too happy about that idea."
"They would have just hooked me up to an IV. The chicken salad was much tastier."
Their waitress brought the check. Barrett pulled out his wallet and paid.
"You ready?"
"Yes." She stood and followed him out the front door. When she slid into his SUV, he turned to her.
"What's on your agenda the rest of the day?" Barrett asked. "Any meetings?"
"One. And a wild amount of paperwork, e-mails and phone calls."
He turned his key in the ignition, then slid on his sunglasses. "Cancel them."
She shot him a look. "Excuse me?"
"Cancel them all. I'm kidnapping you."
She laughed. "I don't think so."
"You've had a rough morning. I'm going to give you a relaxing afternoon."
Now that was a tempting idea. The meeting was with a supplier, and could easily be shuffled. She could answer e-mails in the car on the way to . . . wherever it was he was taking her. And the phone calls she could shift off to her assistant.
"Done."
His lips curved. "I like a cooperative captive. We'll stop by your place so you can pick up a few things."
She shifted in her seat to face him. "Are you sure I won't call for help?"
At a stoplight, he drew his sunglasses partway down, those gorgeous eyes of his offering up such sexy promise it was all she could do not to self-combust with an orgasm right in the passenger seat.
"Now why would you want to do that?"
Oh, it was on.
Eleven
Barrett waited in Harmony's kitchen while she went upstairs to pack a bag.
This hadn't been his intended plan for the day, but sonofabitch, she'd scared him today when she'd almost fainted in the hallway of the community center. Sure, she'd had a meal and she seemed fine now, but he still wasn't convinced. He intended to hang out with her for the rest of the day and make sure she was going to be all right.
Despite wanting to keep his distance from her, he wouldn't abandon her when she needed him. And today, whether she said she was okay or not, she needed him. So he was going to spend the remainder of the day assuring himself that she was indeed over her hypoglycemic episode.
And while he was at it, he'd also see to it that she had another few meals.
She walked into the kitchen, bag in hand. She'd changed out of her dress and into flowery capri pants and a white tank top that showed off her pretty damn buffed arms. At least her muscle tone meant she typically ate well and worked out. That meant something to him.
"Okay I packed a swimsuit and another change of clothes." She cocked her head to the side. "You aren't like . . . flying me to Jamaica or anything, are you? Because I have three appointments tomorrow."
He laughed. "As fun as that sounds, no. We're going to the Sandpearl Resort over at Clearwater. Spend the day at the beach, in the water, and we'll eat. They have a great pool and an even better restaurant."
"As delightful as that sounds, I have a pool here. And just how many times do you think you need to feed me today?"
"As many as it takes to quell this panicked feeling in the pit of my stomach."
She stepped up to him, laying her hand on his arm. "I can't tell you how sweet your concern is, Barrett, but honestly, I'm okay now."
"I know. But you can take the rest of the day off. Sun's out, and the beach is calling. We'll get a cabana and you can chill."
"Okay. We'll chill. Sounds fun."
"Good." He took the bag from her hands. "Let's go."
Harmony had no complaints about taking the rest of the day off. There was nothing like relaxing in front of the Gulf. When they got to the resort, she was surprised to discover Barrett had booked them a room.
"Easier to change clothes that way," he said, as he led them up to their room.
Now that she was feeling one hundred percent herself again, she was intrigued. "Of course."
He'd gotten them an oceanfront room, which couldn't have been easy considering this was the height of summer vacation time. But she wasn't about to complain about the amazing view once she stepped fully into the room. She headed straight for the balcony and walked outside. The heat was oppressive, but the balcony was shaded and there was a lovely breeze. Plus the view of the Gulf was spectacular.
Barrett stepped beside her, and the spacious balcony suddenly seemed closed in.
Not that she minded having his big, gorgeous body next to hers.
"Ready to hit the beach?" he asked.
"Absolutely. I'll go change."
She picked up her bag and went into the bathroom to change into her bikini. She pulled on her cover-up and slid into her beach flip-flops, then came out of the bathroom to discover Barrett had already changed into his board shorts and a tank top.
She wondered what he would have thought if she'd come out of the bathroom while he was naked. She certainly wouldn't have minded seeing all that muscle in the buff. And maybe their afternoon would have turned out completely different.
She grabbed her sunglasses and sunscreen, then turned her phone to silent mode. She'd already told Rosalie she was out for the day and given her instructions to shift her appointment and answer some calls for her, so she was cleared until tomorrow.
After this morning's debacle, she was actually looking forward to a little downtime.
She followed Barrett to the elevator. They rode down to the lobby and walked out to the pool area.
"I thought we'd get a private cabana on the beach, unless you hate sand."
She laughed. "I don't hate sand. Sand is fine with me."
They walked out onto the beach and Barrett stopped at the rental shack. He filled out the paperwork and they were shown to a private spot that was more like a small room. She'd expected an umbrella and a couple of lounge chairs, not this open-air room with a roof, a sofa, chairs and a sliding door that closed for privacy.
Sweet.
"This is nice," she said, sliding onto the lounge.
"Yeah. I like privacy."
A cocktail waitress appeared. "What can I get you two to drink?"
Barrett ordered a beer.
"I'll have an iced tea for now."
"Anything to eat?" their waitress asked.
"Nothing for me," Harmony said.
Barrett shook his head. "We're good, thanks."
After their waitress left, Bar
rett said, "How am I supposed to get you drunk and appropriately sugared up if all you're going to drink is iced tea?"
She laughed. "I'm fine for the moment. And I promise to tell you the second I get hit with a hunger pang."
"Promise?"
She crossed two fingers over her heart. "Promise."
Content to sit under the shaded roof of their private room for now, she pulled off her cover-up, kicked off her sandals and slid fully onto the lounge, enjoying the view of not only the ocean, but Barrett as he drew his shirt over his head, revealing his amazing torso.
The man had one hell of a body. He was well muscled, with incredibly wide shoulders, impossibly chiseled biceps and triceps and a lean, tapered waist. She itched to run her fingers over his amazingly sculpted abs.
His legs were just as well defined as the rest of him.
As she scanned her way up his body, her gaze landing on his gorgeous face, she found him ogling her in the same way.
Only he was frowning.
"What?" she asked.
"You keep checking me out like that and I'm going to pick you up, carry you to the water and toss you in."
She laughed. "I don't need a cooldown, Barrett."
"You sure as hell look like you might."
He was still eyeing her, his gaze hot and direct and seemingly unable to focus only on her face. She had to admit she liked that he looked at her body. She wanted him looking at her in that way that told her he was interested. If he was interested, then maybe she could offer up some . . . temptation.
She stood, stretching. "Okay. Maybe we should get our toes wet. How about a walk along the water?"
"You want to put on some sunscreen first?"
"Absolutely." She dug into her bag and the first thing she did was wind her hair into a bun on top of her head. Then she pulled out her sunscreen and lathered it on her legs and arms. She made sure to take her time, stretching each leg out on one of the chairs to smooth the lotion on her legs.
She might have heard Barrett groan when she rubbed the sunscreen over her chest, her fingertips lingering at her cleavage. She resisted the urge to smile.
Finally she handed the tube to him. "Would you do my back?"
He heaved in a giant breath of air. "Sure."
When she felt his warm fingers along the top of her shoulders, it was her turn to take in a breath. He'd touched her today when he kept her from falling, but that was him caring for her in a medical crisis. Now it was different. Now it was his fingertips gliding over her skin, a soft caress that made her close her eyes and wish they were up in their room, both of them naked and exploring each other's bodies.