Page 84 of Xavier

Twenty

Him

I walk Malynda back to her office but don't go up. I've spent so much of my time focusing on her since she's come back into my life, I've neglected a lot of my work. My walk back to Ash Industries is spent on the phone following up some loose ends for Kaine and planning some meetings for the rest of the week.

I step off the elevator on my office floor. "Patti, can I have th-..."

"On your desk," she says, her hands moving over her keyboard so fast I can barely see them, her eyes locked on the computer screen. It's her "don't bother me" mode, and I know better than to disobey.

The file is on my desk, just as she said, and I sit back, flicking through.

What I'm looking for, I'm not sure. I guess I'll know it when I see it.

By the time I look up from my desk after working through the absolute urgent list of tasks for the day, the sun is level with my eye. I glance at my cell. Almost 7:30. And there's a list of texts.

I scroll through them, stopping when I see her name.

“What cologne do you wear? I can't stop smelling you on my skin. I'm turning myself on."

"Fine, don't tell me. Keep your sexy man scent to yourself."

"Just in case you're wondering, MY scent is Vanilla and Jasmine. Wait, don't tell me, you already knew that."

I tap reply and thumb in my response.

"It's not cologne, it's just the smell of my skin."

The reply comes back before I can even exit out of the screen.

"Don't believe you."

"Come over, I'll let you smell me to prove it."

"I can't. Busy, remember?"

"No." Yes, of course I do.

"Yes, you do."

"Fine, I'm busy too anyway. I just remembered I made plans."

"Smell ya later?"

"You can count on it."

I change into a fresh shirt and jog out the door, shouting, "Go home, Patti!" to my assistant as I step into the elevator.

***

B.B King is filtering through the speakers when I step out into Kaine's apartment fifteen minutes later. I can hear the sound of Jade's laughter before I step into the living area, the smell of something delicious making me salivate. I tease Kaine about putting on the pounds since Jade moved in, but he was always a pretty good cook anyway. I wonder who is on chef duty tonight considering Jade has been busy juggling the baby and her new roles with the foundation and I saw Kaine barely an hour ago at the office.

"Hey," Kaine greets me as I turn the corner into his foyer. He hands me a glass and the ice inside it clinks against the crystal. "Just in time for our toast," he says, stepping back to the drinks trolley.

"What are we toasting?" I ask.

"Me," replies a familiar voice. I spin around and Malynda is there, drink in hand.

My heart jumps and I feel my body tense and soften at once. I’m still not used to seeing her after all this time.