Page 99 of Kaine

Chapter Thirty-Seven

HIM

It’s late by the timewe’re home.

She leans on me in the elevator, her handbag hanging off her arm and her heels in one hand, the other hand grasping the Tupperware container with her grandmother’s cake. She doesn’t move when the elevator doors open to my apartment, so I nudge her and she makes a grumpy sound. I take the items from her hands and put them on the side table by the elevator door and then carry her in my arms to the bedroom.

“MMmMmm,” she murmurs, her mouth against my chest.

“What’s that?”

“I said, thank you.”

“For what, sweet?”

“For saving my life.”

“Are we still on that? Anyone would’ve done the same.”

“No. I mean today. For giving it meaning again.”

I lay her gently on her side of the bed and roll her onto her side, sliding the zipper of her red dress down her back. She lets me help her out of her clothes then lays naked on the sheets as I kick my shoes off and slide in next to her. Pulling the blanket over us, she scoots back, letting me spoon her. My shins against her calves, her ass against my hips, my lips against the back of her neck.

Two jagged halves of a broken whole.

I stare out the window. From way up here, it looks like even the city that never sleeps is taking a night off. It’s quiet. Serene. And I’m more at peace than I have been in a long time.

I run my fingertips up and down the length of her arm and she sighs.

“I had a really wonderful day,” she mumbles, slowly letting the sleep take over her.

“Me too, baby, me too. Thank you for letting me be a part of your family. It’s... it’s been awhile.”

She inhales long and deep.

Then she turns, facing me. I can just make out her features, the bridge of her nose, the curve of her cheeks, the pout of her full, luscious lips.

“Where is your family, Kaine?” she asks me, her voice low and sweet.

And I say nothing.

I say nothing until her eyes stop searching mine.

I say nothing until her breath comes steady and slow.

I say nothing until I reach over, stroking the hair from her face and she doesn’t respond, already deep in the throes of sleep.

I say nothing because there’s nothing to say.

There is no answer.

Because they are nowhere.

***

“Mr. Ashley, you havea very busy day. I’ve had to push some of the lower priority tasks to next week, but there are a lot of decisions that need to be finalized today for the launch.”

“I know, I’m sorry, Jem, thanks for everything you did to help me out with yesterday though.”