Lexie rolled her eyes. “It’s not like we’re exactly hurting. We have parents who make sure we don’t starve.” It was on the tip of Lexie’s tongue to ask about the shopping bags she’d seen in Kendall’s room. And to bug her about getting at least a part-time job, something that let her put one foot back into the real world. But that would cause an argument, and she’d lose the peaceful calm she was experiencing now.
“Do you want to go out for pancakes?” Kendall asked, unaware of Lexie’s thoughts. “I have a craving for them.”
As if in reply, Lexie’s stomach growled, and she laughed at the timing. “Let me jump into the shower and I’ll be ready soon,” she said instead of picking a fight by putting Kendall on the defensive with intrusive questions.
Lexie followed her heart, not her gut, and decided to cherish this precious time with the sister she loved during one of her more stable moments.
After a weekend to dwell on the fact that she’d begged Kade to make her come, she showed up at work and waited for him to arrive. Her sister had gone out with a friend again Saturday night, and she was looking for a job in retail, giving Lexie even more hope she was making progress. Add in the medicine change, which would kick in soon, and possibilities were endless. She couldn’t even bring herself to temper her expectations this time. She was too invested in things going right for once.
She sat at her desk, her eyes and ears primed for the old elevator, when Becky walked over to her desk. “Hey! Are you feeling better?” she asked.
Lexie wrinkled her nose in confusion. “Why do you ask?”
“Derek said you weren’t feeling well and Kade made sure you got home safely.”
Oh. “Oh! Yes, I’d … had a lot to drink and I was dizzy. Kade took me outside for fresh air—” And an orgasm. “And then he had his driver take me home. I felt much better the next day. I’m sorry if I worried you, but I really did have a great time with you and Tessa.”
“Oh, good.” Relief flooded the other woman’s expression. “I had fun too. We’ll have to do it again soon.”
“I’d like that,” Lexie said. Before she could speak further, the elevator mechanism sounded, and it beeped loudly when reaching their floor. She popped up from her seat. “Coffee calls!”
Becky shook her head, her red hair falling over one shoulder. “Your boss is a slave driver. I don’t think I could deal with the demands,” she said, keeping Lexie company as she walked to the Keurig.
“I don’t mind,” she said honestly. The coffee was the easy part of her job. Facing him today was going to be the most difficult.
Becky shrugged. “Well, I’ve got to get back. I’ll talk to you later.” She smiled at Lexie before turning and heading across the floor to her desk.
Lexie finished stirring the two sugars into the coffee, drew a deep breath, and forced her legs to move toward Kade’s office, unable to cross the threshold. She stood in the doorway, observing him unnoticed.
Thanks to his splint, he couldn’t shave, and he’d grown a healthy beard. Instead of hiding his handsome face, the scruff defined his features, giving him an even edgier appearance. Her sex, already primed by him on Friday night, tingled at the sight of his raw masculinity.
Her high school/college boyfriend had been just that, a boy, in comparison to Kade, her feelings juvenile in contrast to the overwhelmingly female, adult sensations and emotions Kade inspired in her. But she didn’t have time to dwell on those differences now. Not here.
She shook her head, reminding herself she was at work and needed to do her job. And to do that, she had to put their night behind them.
“Good morning,” she said in an effort to capture his attention.
He jerked his head up and met her gaze, his green eyes almost emerald this morning, and they brightened at the sight of her. That was a first, but she’d be lying if she said the heat in his gaze didn’t thrill her.
“Lexie,” he said, his voice rough, as if he hadn’t yet used it today.
“I have your coffee,” she said stupidly, because why else would she be standing in the doorway with a mug in her hand?
“Come in.”
She stepped into the room, pretending just looking at him didn’t have her stomach doing back flips.
“I thought about you this weekend. Wondered how you were feeling.” He tipped his head, studying her.
She could say she was fine and let things go or choose the more difficult path and get the awkwardness out of the way by being up front.
She placed his coffee onto the desk and forced herself to meet his gaze again. “You mean was I hungover after my big night out? Or did I spend the weekend mortified that I jumped my boss in a back alley?” she asked, being up front and honest. Because Lexie always had to choose the tougher path.
An amused bark of laughter escaped his throat. “And here I thought you’d try to avoid me this morning,” he said, admiration in his gaze.
“Well, cowering isn’t my style.” She clasped her hands together in front of her, doing her best not to fidget. “I figured I should give you the opportunity to fire me if you want to. I know you said you wouldn’t, but Friday night was completely inappropriate and—”
“One hundred percent mutual,” he informed her, taking her off guard, as did the suddenly sexy smile on his lips.
She rocked back on her heels, nearly losing her footing in surprise. “Kade.”