18. Hannah

EIGHTEEN

Maddox surrounds me.

His scent. His warmth. His strength.

I press my hands harder into his lower back, knowing I shouldn't.

I shouldn't be hugging him at all.

He's not mine.

Not like this.

He's my boss. Or my boss's boss's boss. Not my boyfriend.

I take another deep inhale of his masculine scent, soaking up the comfort.

My heart is still racing, but I don't feel like I'm going to cry anymore.

I'm fine.

Physically, I'm totally fine.

No one was injured.

We were barely moving.

But… I don't know.

It wasn't like my life flashed before my eyes. It was all over too fast for anything like that. There wasn't time to think.

It was those moments right after.

When the motion stopped, and the car fell silent. That moment of stillness.

A tremble rolls through me as I recall it, and his large palm on my back slides up and down my spine.

"Shh. You're okay." I can feel his voice against one ear as I hear it through the other.

I nod against him.

His hand moves up and down my back again before palming the back of my neck. "You're fine, Babe."

Babe.

Gah.

A throat clears next to us, and I blink my eyes open, not realizing I had them pinched shut.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt, Mr. Lovelace." The cop's eyes flick to me, then back up to Maddox.

I release my death grip on Maddox, but he waits an extra moment before he lowers his arms from around me.

"Call me Maddox."

I take a small step away, not wanting to insert myself into this conversation.

"Appreciate that." The cop tips his head, motioning to Brandon's car behind me. "The owner of this vehicle says you're his employer."

For the first time, I look at the damage.

It's pretty minimal.

The front corner connected with the front corner of the other car. The bumpers are crunched, and the headlights are broken, but I think they're both still drivable.

My hands start shaking again.

God, why am I being such a baby about this?

I don't know anyone who's been hurt in a car accident. Never witnessed a bad one. But something about this just… shook me.

Next to me, Maddox moves his hand, holding it a few inches away from his side and turning his palm up.

He's offering his hand to me.

I feel another wave of tears build behind my eyes while I stare down at it.

I shouldn't take it.

I shouldn't allow myself to take any comfort from him.

There's no purpose.

The numbers don't add up.

There's no good outcome here.

But… maybe just for a moment.

I lift my hand and slide my palm against his.

Maddox doesn't stop his conversation with the officer as his fingers close around mine.

It's such a simple thing.

And yet, it feels like so much.

"Ma'am?" the officer says, like maybe he's said it before.

I blink up at the cop. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Just asking if you're alright. You were in the car too, correct?" he asks.

"Yeah, no, I'm okay." I lift my free hand in a lame wave. "Just kinda stunned."

The cop nods and goes back to talking with Maddox. I'm too distracted to listen. Too focused on Maddox's thumb as it slowly traces a circle on the back of my hand.

I'm totally fine.

I take a deep breath.

I don't need his help.

I exhale.

Okay, just one more minute of comfort.

Lifting my gaze past the bumpers, I see Brandon standing in front of his car with his arms crossed, staring at Maddox. Or rather at our joined hands.

My fingers start to loosen their grip, not wanting to get caught, but Maddox tightens his hold on me.

When I look up at him, he's still talking to the cop, but he doesn't loosen his fingers.

"That you with the open door?" the cop asks.

I turn and see he's referring to Maddox's car, the driver's door sitting wide open as it idles in the lane.

"Yeah," Maddox confirms.

The cop makes an impressed noise. "I've got all the information I need to write up the incident. Both cars look drivable to me, so I'll have everyone clear out and contact their insurance companies."

"Sounds good." Maddox nods.

As the officer strides away, Brandon and our other two coworkers walk over to us.

"You guys alright?" Maddox asks the trio as a whole.

They all nod with sounds of agreement.

Maddox looks down at me and releases my hand, then sets his on my shoulder. "You feeling steadier now?"

Even though the summer day is nearly too warm, my hand feels cold without his holding it.

But the move is brilliant. Genius-level thinking. Because if I'd jerked my hand out of his, like I'd wanted to when I saw Brandon looking, it would have looked like an act of guilt. But now, well, now he just looks like a concerned boss. Maybe a little misogynistic by only checking on me, the one female. But to his credit, I was the only one acting like I needed help.

"I'm good." I look to the other three, trying to act normal. "Sorry. I sorta just…" I lift my shoulders, Maddox's hand still there. "Freaked out."

"Totally get it." One of the guys snickers. "Brandon's driving does that to me too."

"That wasn't my fault!" Brandon throws his hands up. "If that fucker—"

"Chill," the second guy laughs. "He's just messing with you."

"Whatever," Brandon grumbles. "The cop said we could go, so let's go."

Maddox keeps his hand on my shoulder. "Head back and get whatever you need from the office for the weekend, then head home. We'll call it an early day for everyone."

"Thanks, Boss Man." The first guy grins.

"Just trying to avoid any more excitement today. But take it easy, drink lots of water, and if any of you start to feel sore, go to the doctor." His hand slides across my shoulder to the top of my back, applying a small amount of pressure. "Alright?"

"Yeah. Okay." The two guys agree as Brandon scowls.

"Come on, Hannah." Brandon tips his head toward his car. "Let's go."

The thought of getting back into his vehicle makes my palms tingle.

"She's with me." Maddox's tone leaves no room for argument. And I have no intention of arguing. "I'd offer to take more, but my car only seats two."

Brandon's scowl deepens as the other guys turn their attention to Maddox's expensive-looking sports car.

"See ya at the office," I say before I let Maddox guide me toward his vehicle.

After two paces, his hand leaves my back as he steps away. But a moment later, he's back, handing me my purse.

"Oh, thanks." I take it, glad one of us remembered.

Maddox just hums a reply.

I know this is a bad idea— getting into a car with Maddox Lovelace— but it feels like less of a bad idea than forcing myself back into Brandon's car.

Bright side of this whole mess? I can avoid ever having to ride with Brandon again. Since I'll just claim I'm still traumatized.

Go figure though. The one time I take Brandon up on his offer of lunch, simply to get away from Maddox, I end up in a car accident with the first and then riding alone with the second.

Maddox walks me to the passenger door and reaches past me to pull it open.

His car sits low to the ground, so I let my suddenly exhausted body fall into the seat.

"Buckle up," Maddox commands.

"Okay, Mom," I reply out of habit, even as I reach for the strap.

"Not your mom," Maddox growls before shutting my door.

Protected by the tinted windshield, I watch him as he walks around the front of his car.

He really is an incredible-looking man.

The height. The build. The way he holds himself.

Not my mom, indeed.

Maddox is Daddy material.

As he approaches his open door, I remember calling him Mr. Lovelace back in my office, and my cheeks start to heat.

I said it to be bratty. Because I wanted to snap at him. But as soon as it came out of my mouth, I remembered calling him that way back when. During our first ever kiss.

The car shifts as Maddox climbs into his seat, and I don't miss the grunt he lets out.

I almost open my mouth to say something. Ask if he's okay. Ask how his joints are holding up after a lifetime of tackling and being tackled. But I don't. It's none of my business.

His comfort was… nice. And appreciated. But I can't let myself get lost in it.

I can't let myself forget how easily he forgot me.

That thought alone is enough to put the first brick up in the walls around my heart.

Maddox was really decent to me just now. But he was also a real fucker before that.