Page 49 of The Exception

Only way to find out was to go ahead with the whole thing.

18

joystick

WasI like a kid on Christmas Eve, every time I thought about seeing Kandace again?

More than it was probably smart to admit.

I was owning the desire anyway.

Not only was she stopping by this afternoon, but things had been mostly antagonism-free with Eli for the last few days. Not super friendly, not yet, but I’d take quiet Eli over stand-offish Eli every single day of every single month.

Though, the Eli I’d prefer was the one I overheard the other night when he was talking to Kandace. The walls here weren’t paper thin of anything, and I was doing my best not to listen in. But my room was right next to his, and what had started as little snippets of conversation drifting my way became some blatant grunting, and what sounded like an intense orgasm.

That was the Eli I wanted—phone sex and fun Eli.

But for now, I was in the living room waiting for Kandace. It hadn’t taken me long to get used to the crutches, but that didn’t mean I was supposed to be zipping around everywhere. The only thing making me obey the doctor’s orders was that I didn’t want to be trapped in this cast longer than I had to be.

Fortunately, the place was nice and the company wasn’t bad either.

At the sound of a knock, I called, “Come in.” The door opened. “Unless you’re here to do wicked things to me,” I added.

“I might be.” Kandace stepped into the room. “What’s your opinion on the sexiness of five year profit-loss projections?” She looked better than I remembered. Every time I saw her.

And the hair really did make her look like an angel-raven. My pill induced haze got that detail right. “Sounds kinda hot the way you say it. The bad news, I’ve already done mine,” I teased. “But I’m always happy to let you take a peek under the hood.”

“Oh good.” Kandace hung her coat by the front door and moved closer into the room. “I like to watch.”

This was still the Kandace I met in Italy—smart, funny, and stunning. But she was a few notches more bold, and I liked it.

“I was hoping you’d participate.” I patted the seat next to me. “Maybe in some property evaluations?”

She sucked in a sharp breath and caught her bottom lip between her teeth.“Hot.” The weight of her hip against mine when she sat was definitely that—Hot.

“Can I get you a drink? How was your drive up?” I all but stumbled over the words. Was I nervous?

A little. This wasn’t just flirting. It wasn’t seduction at all. I was moving out of my comfort zone and into Kandace’s world, and it was clear from the way she and Eli clicked that she liked her men smart. Not that I was the village idiot, but I knew what most people wanted me for and it wasn’t my intelligence.

“I’m good,” Kandace said. “The drive was good.”

“Then we should get started, so I can glean as much of your expertise as possible in the time we have.” It might be more fun to flirt and play all afternoon, but this was a project that actually mattered to me, and I truly wanted her for her knowledge.

Kandace pulled out her laptop, and when she opened it, a series of diagrams and notes overlapped on the small screen. She’d thought about this a lot.

“How long did you spend looking at my notes?” I was in awe at what she was flipping through.

Kandace shrugged. “I gave them a glance as I put them away. It felt rude to sit and read them all without your permission, but I couldn’t help a peek.” She sounded apologetic.

“You can examine my notes anytime, for as much time as you want.”

The flush on her cheeks was one of those things I’d come to adore about her.

She dove into her ideas. Some of her suggestions were things I’d thought of, and some were unique. Ideas I never would’ve considered. She was right, this was the kind of thing that gave a project polish.

It was brilliant.

Even better was how into the whole thing she was. Her enthusiasm seemed genuine, for this idea that had grabbed me a few months ago and refused to let go.

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