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“I’m trying to extend an olive branch. I could care less about the lawsuit, but if we could be cordial with each other, maybe I won’t want to stab him with a pair of scissors.”
This has me laughing, leaning my head down on Xan’s shoulder. Yeah, I think I’m going to like waking up with this man each morning.
* * *
“You have a prettylarge closet by New York standards, babe.”
He calls down the stairs. I’m on my laptop, attempting to check emails as he’s sizing up my closet. “It’s almost a walk-in,” he adds for good measure.
“Will it fit your five-thousand-dollar suits?”
“I think it just might, baby!” he hollers more.
“And touching my suits won’t infect them or anything,” I call back up to him, and when hands touch my shoulders, I startle, leaping from my seat, almost dropping my computer.
“Nah, I think I like everything about you touching me, and I mean everything.”
He leans around my face and starts kissing my cheek, all the way down my neck.
“I wish I could go with you, Xan,” I begin, a bit breathy and worked up already.
“I know you do.” He withdraws his kisses from me but jumps over the couch like I did last night when I beat him upstairs. “But I don’t trust him, not yet. Or if he’s really like my dad, I’ll never trust the asswipe.”
He’s protecting me, and I appreciate it, though with us living together, it’s about time to come out. I’ll call Jen first, out of respect. I know we both clung to each other, but I don’t want her blindsided, plus Xan is a client of our firm now, and I don’t want to muddy the waters, even though Lynol Inc is several paygrades above me.
“I was planning to schedule a meeting with Jim Soren. I’m going to disclose we’re seeing one another, then speak with Jen and Rex. After that, I don’t care who knows. I’m ready to have you known as mine. After all, you’re off the market and the world needs to know.”
“Shit, baby, you know just what to say to get me all emotional. I’m so ready to bend you over and use you or even chase you around the house as if we’re playing cat and mouse, but fuck, my brother will be here in five minutes.”
“Yeah, but after?” I ask, and the smile that splits his lips tells it all.
30
XANDER
He’s sitting in a booth. He watches as I enter through the back of the restaurant and not through the main entrance. I wonder if this will lead to questions, but my brother hasn’t shown any interest in getting to know me, so why start now?
“Hey, Nicolas, thanks for meeting me here,” I offer and he grunts his reply. This is going splendidly already. “I placed an order for the house special. Wasn’t sure if there is a dietary restriction or something you may not like. I’m allergic to mushrooms, so…”
“You, too?” he asks. “Was our father allergic?”
How odd that the first thing of a personal matter happens to do with mushrooms. “Yeah, he was. Anything else?”
“Penicillin and raspberries,” he answers, and it’s funny how we’re finally bonding over things that could kill us.
“I’m allergic to penicillin, too. And I hate raspberries, so I guess I shouldn’t ever try them. Anyway, they are pure evil in my book.”
His lips turn down, and now I see even more of our father in him.
“What am I doing here, Xander? I think I’ve made it clear that I’m not here to start a relationship with you. I’ve been alone my whole life, and I don’t need another person to fuck me over.”
“You’re wrong, Nick. You had your mom and by all accounts, she sounds like my own mom, and had always put you first. You don’t have that anymore and neither do I. Don’t you want a family? Someone to share holidays with. A person who you can call, and you know without a shadow of a doubt, they’ll be there because they are half of you?”
“It’s Nicolas, not Nick. And no, I really don’t need another person in my life. I want what’s owed to me. I grew up without a father but the birthright is still mine. Our father abandoned me again, like he did so long ago.”
“But he didn’t know you existed, right?” Am I truly defending my father? “Isn’t that the truth?” I continue.
“So what if he didn’t know? He should have, he was with my mother, and she up and disappeared. He should have used his resources to find her.”
