Page 43 of The CEO's Christmas Wife

“It’s today, Kayn.”

Fuck! How was I supposed to know that today was her birthday? She never said shit to me about it. Damn. I knew that I could be an ass on a good day, but I’d taken that shit to another level today.

“I get that you can be all about you at times, but the last twenty-four hours, all I’ve tried to do is be there for you, and all you’ve done is shitted on me. If it wasn’t bad enough that today’s my birthday, but then you let your mouth get real careless back in Mistletoe Falls.”

“Kandi, I apologized.”

“It doesn’t take it away, Kayn.”

I massaged my temples and rested my hands on either side of the doorframe. Yeah, I fucked up big time.

“Listen, I know you don’t want to hear this shit, and I can’t blame you. I wouldn’t if I were you, either. But being back there with my mama took me back to a place I never wanted to return to again. In the past, when my mama was still in my life, I didn’t know how to love or receive love. I didn’t know how to care about others because all I knew was how to protect myself. That’s where I was again that day when I visited her. That’s the Kayn that you saw. I’m sorry for that, Kandi. You deserve much better than that, and I hate that you got to see that side of me. It’s why I didn’t want to see her and why I shouldn’t have insisted you come with me. I was in self-preservation mode, and self-preservation mode Kayn ain’t shit.”

“Oh, I saw firsthand,” she replied and wiped the tears from her face.

I stepped close to her. “Letting you in made me lower my walls. I forgot about all that shit, and I walked up into that hospital room with my secured walls down. That wasn’t a good place for me to be mentally. Her attitude was the reminder that I needed so that I could protect myself again.”

I took another step closer to her, and Kandi backed up into the room. I grabbed her arms gently and stared into her eyes.

“Baby, I had no idea that today was your birthday. I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because I intended to be with my family on my birthday. I wasn’t supposed to be with you. Christmas Eve is for people to spend with their families, but in my family, they make it a big deal about me because I was born so close to Christmas Day. I didn’t want you feeling burdened to do anything spectacular or put you out of your comfort zone, Kayn. And when I realized that I would be with you, that was special enough to me. I just didn’t need to tell you to make it special. It would have been special just being with you.”

“So, you’re telling me now so that I can feel shitty?”

“Hell yeah,” she stated, poking me in my chest.

I chuckled and hung my head low. When I looked up again into those beautiful brown eyes, I asked, “Please let me make it up to you. Your birthday isn’t over yet. We’ve still got a few hours left to make it as beautiful as possible.”

She rolled her eyes and pulled away from me.

“It’s okay,” she answered, shaking her head.

“Please, baby. Will you forgive me, Kandi?”

22

CHRISTMAS KISSES

Kandi

“This right here is why I never engaged in workplace romances.”

“Why?”

“My only goal when I came to Scenic Vista Landscaping Company was to achieve financial stability and job security. That’s it. I did not come for a relationship or a fling. Workplace romances always end in drama, and when a couple has an issue, they still have to see each other, work together, and remain professional. It’s not easy to do that when your feelings are all over the place. The minute that you see that man with another woman or expressing interest in her, you’re ready to fuck up the workplace.”

Kayn tilted my chin up and then caressed my face as he spoke. “You don’t think it’s the same way for men? Let me see another nigga smiling in your face or looking at ya ass. It’s not about just firing his ass but crushing him.”

I pulled away from him. “And that right there . . . is the drama that neither of us needs. Like I said, I’ve gone through enough jobs in the last several years to last a lifetime. I just needed to ensure that I wasn’t laid off or fired for whatever reason.”

Kayn stuffed his hands in his pockets. Why did Black men look good as hell in all black? He still wore his all-black suit from earlier. Even his tie and the shirt he wore underneath his suit jacket was black. His tie was untied and hung loosely around his opened collar.

The diamonds in his ears shone beautifully underneath the chandelier in my room, and the Cuban chain necklace at his throat sparkled against the gorgeous dark tone of his minx-colored skin.

“Is that why you slept with me?” he asked.

I felt as if I were swimming underwater and my ears were being filled up. I was dizzy. There was no way that I had heard him correctly.

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