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West lets me up for air, and I glance behind me to see Xander standing right by us.
“Damn. It’s my turn to cook,” West says with a groan.
“I can help,” I offer.
He presses a kiss on the tip of my nose. “I can handle it. Stay here with Zeke and Fitch.”
“Yeah,” Xander says with a cheeky wink.
West untangles himself from me and strolls out, adjusting himself with a grimace. Xander flops down on the sofa beside Zeke and me.
Zeke turns me sideways on his lap so I’m facing Xander, who smiles at us both. “You two have a good time today then?”
I rest my head on Zeke’s shoulder and sigh. “We sure did.”
He chuckles. “I told you he was good at the aftercare.”
Zeke grunts, but there’s a hint of a smile on his face as he wraps his free arm around Xander’s shoulder. I lace my fingers with Xander’s and rest our joined hands in my lap. He turns on the TV and the three of us sit in silence watchingForged in Firereruns while the delicious aroma of whatever West is cooking for dinner fills the penthouse.
ChapterTwenty-Five
LILY
“You need to stop bending over counters like that, princess.” West smacks my ass on his way past me.
I straighten up and fix him with the fiercest glare I can muster while trying not to laugh. “I’m cleaning. Kind of hard to reach the middle of the island if I don’t lean over.”
He winks, his gray eyes twinkling with amusement. “I need to get some work done before bed. You two behave yourselves.” He gives me a soft kiss on the lips and leaves Xander and me alone to finish cleaning up after dinner.
My cell vibrates with an incoming call, and I glance at the screen, expecting it to be Jen calling for our usual evening chat. My heart stutters to a stop. Pressing the side button to decline the call, I dart a glance at Xander. Luckily, he’s facing the other way, so he didn’t notice my reaction. He turns around, a dish towel casually slung over his shoulder and a dirty dinner plate in his hand. “You not answering that?”
I look down at the counter, unable to lie while looking him in the eyes. “It was just someone from work about swapping a shift. I’ll call back later.”
He nods and goes back to loading the dishwasher.
* * *
I waituntil after dinner and head to my bedroom to return the call from earlier. Wiping my sweaty palms on my legs, I wait for him to answer.
It takes him way too long to pick up, and I’m starting to panic when I hear his voice. Relief floods my body and weakens my knees. I sink onto the bed, breathing his name like a prayer to the heavens. “Nico.”
“Hey, Lily Pad.” His familiar voice washes over me and tears prick at my eyes.
“Is everything okay? Are you…?” My heart thumps violently.
“I’m fine. Everything’s okay.”
Taking a deep breath, I will my body to calm down. “Then why are you calling me on this number? You know you could get us both killed.”
“I’m in New York.”
Air whooshes out of my lungs, and I lie back on the bed before I fall down. What the hell is he doing in New York? My mind races with possibilities, none of them pleasant.
“Lil?”
I remember to breathe and take a gulp of oxygen. “I’m here.”
“I want to see you.” I imagine the scowl darkening his handsome features, marring the face I know as well as I know my own.
