Love Undefeated (Unexpected #5) (20 page)

“Sedona needed someone to talk to.”

“Okay.” She didn’t need to explain but I wouldn’t stop her.

“Nicholas had a super high fever so she brought him to the ER,” she explained, her dark hair forming a cloud over her pillow. She was so beautiful. Nalee’s beauty wasn’t one of those in-your-face types; she had this quiet beauty, the longer you looked at her, the more you would see just how dainty and timeless her features were.

“Was Z there?” Z would’ve texted me if the situation was bad.

“He’s in San Diego for a charity golf thing with Kieran.” Kieran was Sedona’s Olympian BFF. Since Kieran and Z were two of the top athletes in the country, they often attended charity events together for their foundation. Z hated golf but he’s played more golf than Dom, John, and I in the past year. It was laughable really. But it was for a great cause so Z could log in as much tee time as he could and it wouldn’t be a waste.

“He was just arriving when Sedona said bye,” Nalee continued, her voice tinged with worry. Nicholas was Nalee’s godson. He was a cool kid, and I hated hearing that he’s sick.

“K, that’s good. Haven’t heard from Z. He’ll probably call us tomorrow.”

“Yeah, Sedona said that Nicholas’ fever is going down now so that’s good news.”

“It’s great news,” I reassured her. “I’m sure Nicholas will be okay. Sedona’s a great mom and nurse and since he’s in the ER now, I think he’ll be okay.”

Nalee nodded her head, “Yeah, he will be. Sedona sounded pretty calm already so I think the worst has passed. The doctor said that Nicholas might have caught a stomach bug that’s been rampant with the kids lately.”

“Poor kid,” I muttered, leaving my hold on Nalee’s shoulder and wrapping my arm around her so that her head would lean on me and I could feel her hair on my skin.

“Actually, Sedona also called because she wanted to know if we’d make it to Nicholas’ birthday.” She had placed her drink on the small table close to her side so her hands were now freely making rhythmic, swirling motions on top of my chest.

I had two big meetings next week so hopefully it wasn’t until after that. “When is it?”

“April twenty-sixth, Saturday,” Nalee answered. I loved the way her hands felt on my skin. Like they were always meant to touch me.

“I think I’m free.” I logged into the calendar on my phone and seeing that I didn’t have any pressing appointments on the
twenty-fifth, it was the perfect weekend to get away. “We can fly in on Friday night and leave Sunday night. Let’s book it.”

Her mouth lifted in the corners. “That’s great. I think I’m free too. If not, I’ll try to reschedule some things so we can go.”

“Isn’t Nicholas’ birthday on the twenty-ninth?” I may not be godfather of the year, that title belonged to Dom after he gave Nicholas a customized kids’ version of the Lotus Evora for Nic’s first birthday, but I still have a good memory of when the kid was born.

Nalee’s smile got wider, “Wow, you remember when his birthday is.”

I grinned. “Of course, what do you expect from me?”

“Nothing less,” she chuckled. “Sedona wants to celebrate it three days early, and it’s the weekend so Zander’s parents can attend. Apparently his dad has to be in Geneva the week after.”

“Ah, okay.” I closed the distance between her head and mine. “Then it’s settled. We’re going to Minnesota for a kid’s birthday party.”

She looked up half an inch to welcome my kiss. “It’s gonna be fun.”

“I’m sure it will be,” I agreed, my lips opening up to taste her. “I’ll reserve the tickets tomorrow.”

Closing her eyes, her tongue slowly coming out, I caught a whiff of the peach lemonade she was drinking mixed in with her own unique scent, making the lower half of my body come alive.

Her breaths were coming out short and heated as she said, “Thank you, Xavier.”

“For what?” I stopped the current descent of my mouth on hers, the pause deliberate so I could hear what she was saying.

“For being here.” Her hands thumped on my chest softly, her hazel eyes turning a shade darker, the depth of her gaze fathomless yet slowly filling with life, unlike the hauntingly empty gaze she’d been sporting for the past few months.

“I’m here, Nales,” I said, my breath hitching three beats, my voice holding a promise that will no longer be broken. “I’ll always be here.”

She opened her eyes and her gaze simmered with a swirl of emotions. Sadness, tiredness, but not hopelessness. I’d seen the last one before and I hoped to God I’d never see it again.

She lifted her shoulders to inhale and this time, when she looked at me, I saw something else, something that hadn’t existed in a while.

I used to see it every single time she stared at me. And my heart, my selfish, bastard heart, the four chambered pump that refused to give her up when all seemed lost and hopeless, just found a renewed sense of purpose.

This.

The way she was looking at me.

Right at this second.

This was why I could not give her up.

Because right now, after all the crap that I put her through, she was once again, looking at me with…

Love.

“So what are you going to do with Hotness Number One and Hotness Number Two?” Nelson, with both legs perched on the small swivel chair, asked.

“Huh?” I glanced up, reaching for the tea in the mug that I’d abandoned a few hours ago. Yuck, it tasted old, but I was too lazy to get up.

“You know, Gorge One and Gorge Two.” He tapped a finger on his forehead, I wondered if it actually made a sound or was his brain hollow?

Rolling my eyes, I said, “I have no clue on what you’re talking about.”

We were currently working on a new proposal, a project that was supposed to increase housing near Sleepy Hollow without disturbing the existing wildlife. In theory, it would be great to maximize the space to accommodate more of the mainstream public in an area where the large majority earned more than $100,000 a year; but the project had many unanswered questions, voids that I couldn’t ignore.

I’d been cross checking the state’s wildlife protection act, and I was hoping that Nelson found similar problem areas.

Clearly he wasn’t.

Judging from his pose, he’d be experiencing leg cramps for a few minutes because he’s been at it for a while. Browsing his phone, snacking on some cookies,
when did he leave my office?

“Oh, sweet pea, dear Japanese cherry blossom, who among those two will give you the essence of sensual amber?” He sing-songed away before stretching his legs and stood shakily on one leg.

I sighed, “Nelson, I have no idea on what you’re referring to and honestly, no clue what you just said right now.”

Lifting his right hand to push away an errant purple hair, he’d called them “bangs”, he shook his head.

“Pearberry, just tell me, who among those Velvet Sugars would you want whisking you away for a Golden Pineapple Luau or a Tiki Mango Mai Tai?”

Did he spike his morning tea with drugs?

“Nelson, you aren’t making any sense. If you wanna list all of Bath and Body scented lotions, please feel free to do so after office hours and with your latest man toy,” I huffed, rotating my neck in a small circular motion, feeling the exhaustion settle in my muscles.

The purple-and-gold suited man wearing a dark fuschia striped tie moved to the back of my chair and slowly worked his magical fingers on my neck.

“Why so strict, Professor Sands?” His tone admonishing yet his hands continued to weave their spell on my neck, removing the kinks that had started to grow within a few hours. “What came up your noo-noo, my peach bellini?”

“Seriously, Nelson,” I stated, putting an extra umph in my voice to make him stop advertising Bath and Body product lines. There’s nothing wrong with them, but if given a leeway, Nelson would be reciting Mac’s makeup line next and our conversation would go nowhere. The man had a photographic memory to all beauty products.

“We’ve been working for hours,” he replied, his thumbs digging on a knot on my shoulder, releasing the tension. “We need a break.”

“You’ve been on a break for at least half an hour now. The cookies didn’t just appear by your side.”

“What? Now you have three eyes? I sneaked them in while you were daydreaming about the Marine Life Protection Act which clearly states that any proposal dropped in your inbox needs to have clearly defined objectives, effective management measures, as well as enforcement.”

He may be a revolving ad for all that’s glittery in this world, but the left side of his brain also functioned fifty percent higher than normal.

He knew facts. Memorized them. He can regurgitate all the laws including their amendments in a chronological fashion. From the reason they were created to who changed them and all the triggering circumstances in between.

“You’ve got a big problem, Nalee. A huge one. Well, two
huge
hunks of men.” He stopped kneading a sore spot and with a sigh said, “As much as you want them both, you can’t have them both. One of them will be hurting.”

“Nelson…” I couldn’t find it in me to recant a denial.

“Devon’s a great guy, sweetums.” He removed his hands from my back and in a few steps, he was sitting on the black leather chair that he’d help pick as a new addition to my space.

“I see the way he looks at you.” Devon had stopped by twice this week to have lunch with Nelson and I.

He said he was in the area and would love some company. “When you smile, it’s like he’s found his purpose. Like you’re a promise that he’s kept.”

“Okay, now you’re quoting Bieber.”

“He’s a quotable guy, have you heard ‘Sorry’?” He winked and grabbed the diamond encrusted Hello Kitty fountain pen from its holder that Xavier had given me for our anniversary.

“Devon’s a friend,” I reasoned, the logic ringing flat behind my ears. “He’s a good friend.”

Nelson lifted a brow. “Have you told Xavier about him being your friend?” Nelson had met Xavier whenever Xavier picked me up from work. He and Xavier found common ground in sports and traded contacts on where to buy great business suits.

I continued to stew in my silence. Silence meant no. It’s a lot easier keeping my mouth closed than voicing it out loud because then I’d have to explain why in the world I hadn’t said anything to Xavier.

“I don’t know what’s going through your head, Winter Candy Apple, which by the way is B and B’s best scent, I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

I nodded, grabbing a pencil and doodling on a lime green post it note.

“Devon’s going to keep pursuing you…” he warned, his left hand playing with the side of his loosened tie. “You know, the first time I met him, I thought,
this guy is taken
.”

I continued to listen. I was at a loss for words.

“Then he looked at you and I realized it right there and then, that you were the one who claimed him.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Why?” His question was almost rhetoric. “Is it because you really don’t see the way he looks at you? Like you’re the most precious creature since Bei Bei?”

Bei Bei was a giant panda who lived at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

Nelson gave me a stern look, making the sides of his face droop a little. “Or is it because you’re in a state of denial?”