“Those meetings you’ve been at all week,” he said.
“Exactly,” I agreed, opening the file. “It’s a new housing vision. Low-income units are interspersed with more expensive condos and middle-class housing. The buildings are designed with forward-thinking green architecture, from the rooftop garden to the solar heating and electric. I’m drawing from some of the up-and-coming architectural firms and some Denver tech companies that I’ll hook up with my contacts back in New York.” I flipped through the designs, suddenly eager to show them off. “More than just standard housing, they’re community hubs, with health centers, green grocers, and in-house childcare.”
Xavier grabbed the printout, trailing his eyes across the illustration. “It looks amazing,” he said under his breath, clearly impressed. “But how…”
“I sold my assets in New York,” I said. “It’s enough to launch a new firm here in Denver, one that’s entirely my own and custom tailored to this exact project.”
“Wow!” Xavier said, setting the paper down. “That’s amazing! But will you be satisfied just handling one project? I thought you were always talking about diversified portfolios and stuff like that.”
I chuckled. “Diversified portfolios are great, but I’m more interested in honing my vision down like a laser these days, rather than expanding and trying to do every single thing I can. Not that this will be quick—the launch alone is a five-year timeline. I’ll be plenty occupied.”
Xavier glanced at the paper again, frowning slightly.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“Is this going to be like New York?” he asked softly. “Will you still have time… you know, for other things?”
I grabbed his legs, then pulled him into my lap, satisfied when I felt the warm curves of his body cuddling into me. “That’s the plan,” I said. “One big firm, entirely under my control. I’ll be busy, and of course I wouldn’t be happy if I weren’t. But I’ll also be able to set limits. That’s as much what drew me back to Denver as anything else.”
“What do you mean?”
I took his hand in mine. “I can’t go on just trying to build a business legacy without making space for my heart,” I said. “I’d end up burnt out and miserable, and what’s the point in that? Spending these past months with you and getting a taste of what a real relationship is like—it opened my eyes.” I squeezed his hand, and Xavier wiggled closer against me. “I still want to build a future, Xavier, but now I know that I want to build it with you, too.”
His lips formed a tenderO, and he sucked in a slow breath. “I want that, too,” he said.
I stared into his eyes. The words were on the edge of my tongue, but I couldn’t bring myself to say them in the office. He might think it was a bad sign, like I hadn’t managed to get my head out of the business world yet.
But then Xavier beat me to it. He was always a step ahead of me, actually, when I thought about it.
“I love you, Dominick.”
I pressed my forehead against his, and my chest swelled with pride. “I love you, too, Xavier,” I said.
He brought his lips to mine, and I tasted his breath and felt the quiver of his muscles in my hands. We kissed, softly at first, and then faster.
“I love you,” I whispered against his lips.
“I love you,” he repeated back to me.
When we pulled apart, I glanced out at the office. One of my assistants quickly turned away, covering his face, but otherwise, I was happy to see we had a little bit of privacy together.
And to know we would soon have much, much more.
“There’s one other thing,” I said, reaching back into the file folder.
Xavier rubbed his hand over his face, still grinning. “Another business deal?”
“Not exactly,” I said, then slid him the paper. “More like a gift.”
He lifted it and began to read the lines carefully. After a moment, his mouth dropped open again. “Is this what I think it is?”
“I’ll cover the taxes,” I said quickly, “but yes. You are now the proud owner of the building that used to house the Zing Pop, pending your signature.”
Xavier dropped the paper. “Wow!” he said. “I’m not sure what to say. I mean, thank you! That’s amazing.” He blinked, then glanced between me and the paper again, a cute, puzzled expression on his face.
I chuckled and threw my arm around his shoulder. “I know, you’re not looking to expand your business or anything. But I thought it was better than if the building went to some random buyer. Take your time and think about if there’s something you’d like to build there. If not, you can sell it to the right bidder. Either way, it will give you a little more control over the neighborhood after you’ve lost so much of it.”
“It’s perfect,” he whispered, setting the paper back on the table. “Thank you again.”
