Page 63 of Kaine

Chapter Twenty-Seven

HER

It’s near the end ofthe day and the last straggler of my weekly genealogy group finally leaves. I lean back into my chair, utterly exhausted. I’m thankful for the busy day though, or else I’d have spent it watching the clock, waiting for the day to end, and my evening to start... with him.

Not that I allow myself too much time, but in the rare moment my imagination runs away with itself before I have a chance to stop it, the day dream involves him, picking me up from work, and us spending time together, doing nothing, doing everything. In those moments, it takes me a long time to remember the last time I felt as safe and at peace as I did this morning, just sitting in the limo watching him work.

“Uhhh,” I grunt as I push myself away from the big wooden desk in the meeting room and stroll back to my office carrying an armful of books.

“Hey, you done?” Harriet asks as she packs up her desk, throwing away yet another rotten apple from her drawer.

“Yeah. Good group today. Found out some cool stuff.” I refer to one of the group’s discovery about her ancestors.

“Any more Zac Efron relations?”

“Unfortunately not. Just a hairy, pillaging Viking. Still cool though.”

“Sure. Hey, it’s 5:56,” she points out.

“Okay... thanks?”

“You have two minutes to get ready to go home.”

“What are you rambling about?” I reply, as if I don’t know exactly what time it is and exactly what it implies.

“Well, Superman he said to be ready to go at 5:58 p.m.”

“Er no, Myst-, er, Kaine said he’d be here at 5:58 p.m. You said I’m finished working at 6 p.m, so he can just damn well wait.”

“Yes, I damn well can,” he says from the doorway.

And there’s something about the way the light streams through the dusty window and hits his face, accentuating the high bridge of his nose and the clear, deep, crystal blue of his eyes that makes me lose my balance. I sink into my chair to mask my stumble but I don’t take my eyes off him. In all my neuroses, in all my worry about myself, my brother, his scars, his past, I’d never let it sink in, just how handsome he was.

Breathtakingly so.

“Mr. Ashley!” Harriet says, getting up to stand next to me, nudging me hard with her elbow against the side of shoulder.

“Wha? Stop nudging me!” I scowl at her. “What do you want?”

Her eyes bulge out at me and I deliberately ignore the signs she’s trying to give me.

“I don’t want anything, but maybe you shouldn’t be keeping Mr. Ashley waiting, he did come to pick you up just to make sure you get home safely.” Her defence of him grates at me. Maybe because it comes off as flirting and the searing heat of possessiveness rises up my throat.

“Maybe you’re the one I need protection from, sheesh. Put some cream on those elbows when you get home,” I taunt her, while secretly feeling guilty at the betrayal of my best friend because of a man.

She covers her mouth as a small gasp slips from her lips. “Bitch,” she mumbles under her breath.

I turn to Kaine and he looks confused by the exchange.

I grab my bag and swing it, pretending to accidentally whack Harriet across the arm. She jumps out of the way and grins at me, giving me a wink that makes me bite down a laugh.

“I’m going now. My bodyguard is waiting!” I say and walk out of the office, purposely swaying my hips dramatically and slamming the door behind me.

Kaine catches up with me and clears his throat as we get to the front entrance.

“That was... interesting. I thought she was your friend.”

“She is, she’s my best friend,” I tell him, and I laugh at the confused look he gives me.