“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means, you walked out on me, at least in part, because of your own feelings about what happened to your aunt. It obviously still impacts—”
“I said I was fine with it.”
I heard the finality in his voice. I wasn’t looking to upset him, so I reluctantly decided to drop it.
“Okay. Just know that I think your father’s behavior was fucked up. I couldn’t imagine anyone not wanting you,” I stated honestly. If he didn’t want to discuss his aunt, I’d leave it alone, but I wanted him to know how I felt about his father too.
I noticed his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed after my statement.
“Same with you, baby girl.”
He sat up fully, bringing his face close to mine, looking deep into my eyes.
“Elliott’s as savvy as they come in business, but he was a shitty father. You deserved better.”
For the second time that day, I felt tears well up in my eyes. I’d been trying to be comforting to him, and once again here he was, making me feel like the most precious thing on earth.
Thankfully, any response I would’ve made was cut off when his lips connected with mine. I parted my lips, allowing his tongue to enter, and the usual sparks of passion that always swept me up when we were this close took over.
The rest of the night was a blur of limbs, skin sliding against skin, and the type of orgasms that only this man could give me.
Chapter Eleven
Xavier
I strolled past the double doors into my downtown office just after eight the following Tuesday morning. I rarely made it to the office this early, especially after my workouts with Jason each Tuesday, but I needed to get some things done and had a shit ton of meetings that day in particular, and I had to leave the office on time to make my double date with Chanel, my mother, and Todd.
I hadn’t even complained about having to get up early that day, which was unusual for me. But since I’d shared the story about my aunt with Chanel, I’d been feeling lighter than usual. As if a weight I didn’t even know I’d been carrying had been lifted. Don’t get me wrong, I still hated Doug with every fiber of my being, and I knew if he was still alive, I’d fuck him up on sight. However, I guessed it was true what they said about sharing your sorrow with someone; it really does help lighten the load.
“Any messages for me, Bryce?” I asked my assistant as I reached his desk. I wasn’t surprised he was there this early. Whereas I was more of a night owl, Bryce was an early riser. He often beat me to the office, having my messages and anything pertinent ready for me to look at.
“Just a message from Isaac, checking in,” he answered, handing me the message sheet. Isaac had just returned to Vegas. He was overseeing the reconstruction of the restaurants and had begun looking to fill the employee positions that we hadn’t already filled.
“Cool.” I nodded, looking down at the message. “I have a nine-thirty today, right?”
Bryce pulled up my schedule on his computer. “Yes sir, and that’s followed by a phone meeting at eleven, which should take about thirty minutes, and then you have a one o’clock lunch meeting atGrant’s.Busy day today,” he noted.
“Nothing I can’t handle.” I turned to make my way down to the corner office. As soon as I entered, I powered up my computer before staring out my large floor-to-ceiling window with a view of downtown Houston. While other cities like New York boasted about their skyline, I always had an affinity for this one right here. Looking out at it reminded me how far I’d come and how hard I’d hustled to get here, and still, how much more I wanted to accomplish. In my mid-thirties, I was only beginning to hit my stride. I wanted a legacy to pass down to my future children. I’d never been one of those men who said they didn’t want to be tied down with a wife and kids someday. I always knew that was in the cards for me. I needed that sort of anchor in my life.
The image of a laughing Chanel flashed in my mind. I briefly wondered what she would look like, her belly swollen with my baby. Those ponderings reminded me of what she’d said about what happened after she left her fiancé in D.C. A dull, less satisfying feeling grew in my stomach, but I wouldn’t indulge it at the moment. I had work to do.
I continued working for the next fifteen or twenty minutes when I was interrupted by my ringing office phone.
“Yeah, Bryce,” I answered, distracted, looking over an email on my computer screen.
“There’s an Elliott Combs here to see you.”
I sat up a little straighter in my chair, my attention completely taken off the email.
“Send him in.” I waited the few minutes it took for Elliott to make his way to my office. There was a knock at the semi-closed door. “Come in, Elliott.” I stood as he entered.
“Xavier, good to see you,” he stated, holding out his hand. We shook hands, and I offered him the chair in front of me.
“Elliott, it’s early.” I glanced at my wristwatch. It was barely eight-thirty.
“I know, but early mornings tend to be my slowest time of the day, and I figured I’d try to catch you before either one of our days got started.”
