Benevolence [H.S.]

Chapter Fourteen

It's been a hell of a morning, sopped up in the corner of this cavernous garage.

Harry and Liam somehow managed to top the roaring rain with that beast of a pickup and immediately spotted me, looking much the drowned rat no doubt.

"What the hell are you doing out here!" Harry was out of the cab before they'd even come to a stop.

I knew I should feel a flush of embarrassment, being caught out here waiting in such a foolish state, but the way his soaked hair was pasted against his forehead and cheeks caught me in a chokehold.

Any blush I should've felt bypassed my face and went straight for the thighs.

"What, are you breaking and entering now?" He rushed the words as he jammed a key in the door before dragging me after him.

"Something like that," I croaked, clearing my throat of the damp.

Liam bolted through a moment later, locking the door and cacophony of rain behind it.

They were both stripping off jackets and shaking mud from their boots. They'd only just crossed the driveway and were soaked, I didn't even want to imagine what I looked like right now.

"Some Summer, huh?" I offered meekly, feeling more than a little embarrassed now that they were actually here, but they ignored the comment.

"Here," Liam tossed me a semi-clean shop towel.
Dabbing at my arms and hair. I kicked away a small puddle that'd formed on my shoe.

"Put a pot on, yeah?" Harry yelled after Liam-already headed to the break room-as he dragged a chair up to the wall heater.

"Sit." He pointed, before jogging upstairs and out of sight.

Likely to strip off his own wet clothes...

I scrubbed harder at my soaked skin.

In the dim garage everything felt softer, earthen. The smell of damp concrete permeated everything, cutting through the ever-present scent of oil, even.

Didn't particular enjoy being told what to do, but the allure of actual warmth trumped my attitude.

Although the deluge thundered on outside, in here it was a low drone. I felt tired, leaden, and the monotonous pound of water on metal made a sort of white noise I could've settled right into.

Just a quick nap

But the weight of the request I came to make sat heavy on my tongue. No time to rest now.

Heavier footsteps rattled the staircase as Harry came back into view.

"Here," he tossed a faded pair of coveralls at me, "Put these on. You can use the office." He jutted his chin toward the room with literally all windows.

"Excuse me?" I gave him an incredulous look.

"There's curtains, just pull them. I'll be in the break room then we can talk about why you're showing up on my doorstep in the middle of a storm." He started to walk away but I caught his sleeve, noticing at the same time that he'd changed into a black button-down.

"And why am I wearing these exactly?..."

"You're fucking soaked, Benny. I'll not have you catching ill in my shop just so you can use it against me later."

He glanced down at my fingers, still on his arm, "Go change," he said softer this time, "you can put your clothes and..."he cleared his throat "...other stuff, on the radiator to dry."

He walked toward the break room, calling behind him "then we can discuss what the hell you were doing."

I swallowed.

Oh boy.