Page 83 of Best Kept Secret

"The whole box is for me?"

I laughed. I had to. "Yes."

"You don't even want one?" she mused.

"Only if you feed me." I took a step toward the counter. She picked up one of the white milk balls and pretended that she'd give it to me, but then popped it into her mouth instead.

"Delicious," she teased.

I grabbed her T-shirt, and crushed her mouth with mine. I tasted the sweet syrup and the cardamom…andMira.

It had been fucking forever since I kissed her, since I had her this close. She moaned softly, and I raised my head, nipped her lower lip gently. "Itisdelicious."

"What is?" she asked huskily.

"You, Mira. You—"

"What the fuck, Beau! I told you, I'm not runnin' a matchmaking service here." Nina's booming, sharp voice softened my erection justlike that!

"Sorry, Nina." Mira stepped back, looking frightened.

"Not you," Nina immediately said. "Got a problem with Mr. Bodine here. You're doin' just fine, hon."

What had made Nina successful was seeing people—and she knew as soon as she barked at me that Mira, whose self-confidence was in the fucking dumps, would freak out, which was why she stopped to make sure Mira understood she was bustingmyballs.

Mira looked at me, and then Nina.

"I piss her off," I told Mira, frustrated that she couldn't see Nina was just yanking my chain—that she wasn't being serious.

We had a ways to go, I realized, before Mira would find her confidence again—or find it anew, and not fake it as she'd been doing all her young life. She was just twenty-two. So young. I was going to have to be loverandmentor, boyfriendandfriend—and Iwould, I promised the universe.

"Enjoy therasgullas, make sure Nina here doesn't steal a few from you." I turned to Nina. "Should we talk about the Secure Systems expansion project?"

Nina took the bait. "Yeah. Let's do that. You save one of those squishy balls for me, Mira, 'cause I love Bengali sweets."

Mira's face lit up. "You do?"

"Oh yes," Nina admitted. "Basundi,sandesh,rasmalai…you know, if you want to serve Indian desserts, I think there are several of us here who'd appreciate it."

"Yeah? I can do that," Mira said eagerly, and then looked at me as if she'd found a treasure.

"Ask her to make some of her carrothalwa…it's Pari's favorite." It hurt more than I could express that she wouldn't see our daughter because I'd fucked up so badly that she thought Pari was better off without her.

By the time I got to Nina's office, my eyes were moist, and she patted my shoulder but didn't insult me further by pushing tissues toward me.

"I need to be careful with her." Nina swiveled in her chair. "I…she's fragile."

"Yeah." I let out a slow breath. "I feel like I caused this…but I also know that I was the last nail in the fuckin' coffin. She's had nothing but responsibility. Nothing but people letting her down, especially those who should love her, all her life. And I did the same thing."

"Stop beatin' yourself, Beau, no one's got time for that," Nina admonished. "Just keep doin' what you are, and she'll heal. You know, a therapist once told me that depressed people don't create, don't cook. Mira is cooking up a fuckin' storm, and the food is amazing. She's recovering. She's not alone this time. She's got all of us. She's got you."

"She won't see Pari."

"She needs time.Butit's goin' to be soon. I've seen her go from being serious and quiet to now smiling and engaging with people."

"Yeah? God, I hope so," I said, swallowing the frustration that tried to claw its way up.

"So, about your headquarter expansion project, we're going to put our new architect on it. Zahra Delacroix."

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