Ten Thousand Words (31 page)

“Four hundred…” he groaned. “My God, this is going to take forever.”

“Mmhmm,” I replied with relish.

He kissed the side of my head. “Be right back.”

Twenty minutes later, he returned.

Aunt Ellen emerged from the back. “I’ll take over, Xanthe. Why don’t you help him out?”

“Oh, no, Aunt Ellen,” he said. “This is my punishment. I need to accept it with grace.”

“Pfft. Xanthe, go help him, or he’ll never leave us alone.”

Throwing a glare her way, I joined Ollie.

“You don’t need to,” he told me softly.

“It’s cool. Give me half of the list. We’ll at least get the envelopes done.”

After he handed half of them over, I picked up a Donovan pen and began the tedious task.

“So, where are you going with Jaime and Ricki tonight?”

“There’s this Chinese buffet that has all-you-can-eat snow crab. We’ll go there and then hit up Wurther’s for some beers.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yep,” I replied.

“I have to go out with Trey and some people tonight.”

“Then, why’d you ask me out earlier?”

“So, I wouldn’t have to go out with Trey and some people tonight.”

“Ah, so you really didn’t want to go out with me. I was just an escape plan.”

“I’d much rather spend my evening with you.”

“Then, why are you going?”

He shrugged. “I guess Trey feels I need to be tortured.
Everyone
feels I need to be tortured. And while I agree I should suffer your torture, making me sit at a table with Gabby right now is just low.”

“Gabby?”

“Gabriella.”

Jealousy burned like acid in my chest.
He’s going out to dinner with one of his glamorous lovers?
Suddenly, I wanted to take these large envelopes and shove them up his fashion model–fucking arse.

“Why is it torture to have dinner with her?”

He started scribbling. “Because I told her our sexual relationship was done. She didn’t take it too well.”

He looked up at me again. His eyes were nearly black in color. The look on his face made me think of a sexy Satan ready to deflower some virgins. I started sweating under my tits again.

“I’m clean, by the way. I got the results back last Friday.”

I said nothing but continued addressing the envelopes. He sighed and did the same.

Then, he asked, “Any chance you’re pregnant?”

“No!” I snapped.

“All right. No need to get all feisty.”

“You sounded bloody hopeful!”

He just shrugged.

“Where are you going for dinner?” I asked after a few minutes, not pausing with my task.

“Some place around here actually. A tapas bar, I think.”

“How posh,” I sneered.

“I suppose.”

Soon, the afternoon turned late, and Aunt Ellen puttered around the place, stacking the odd book and dusting surfaces.

“I finished
Haunted Bonds
,” Ollie casually mentioned.

We were nearly done with the envelopes.

That got my attention. “Really? What’d you think?”

At the end of
Haunted Bonds
, Donovan Colt left Lindsey Sparks when he discovered she was a Wiccan. Infuriated, because a coven of evil witches had murdered his parents and siblings when he was young, he dumped her like a handful of hot shit, leaving her heartbroken.

“It was oddly prophetic,” said Ollie. “I was devastated. If he doesn’t get his shit together and realize Lindsey is the woman of his dreams in
Phoenix Rising
, I might have some strong words for the author.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. After Lindsey gives him hell, I need her to forgive him. She has to.”

“Why is that?”

“Because neither of them can exist without the other anymore. Going back to their old lives isn’t a possibility. They’re no longer those people.”

“You just want more hot sex scenes,” I accused.

“Fuck yeah, I do. Their sex is…combustive.”

I grinned. “I thought so, too.”

We completed the envelopes, stacked them together, and placed them in the box.

“I’ll come back tomorrow when I’m done with work and start on the other stuff,” Ollie said.

Taking the box, I brought it behind the counter and stowed it in the cabinet. When I straightened up, he was staring at me.

“You sure you don’t want to come out with me tonight? We could ditch everyone,” he said.

I would love nothing more than to lose myself in Oliver Fairfax, but the sting from the blow he’d delivered was still there. I also terribly missed my Bro Dawgs, and I knew they had missed me.

“Another time,” I told him.

“Can I at least kiss you good-bye?”

“Are you going to dry-hump me against the bookshelves?”

Aunt Ellen ripped a snort of laughter and scurried to the back.

Shit.
I’d completely forgotten she was here.

Oliver’s cheekbones went a decent shade of pink, but he smiled. “I would love to dry-hump the fuck out of you, woman—anytime, anywhere. Now, come here.”

I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Don’t start. Get over here.”

Huffing as though he were a major pain in my arse, I dragged my feet until I was standing before him. His lips were twitching, and to stop myself from grinning, I scowled up at him.

“Is it really such a chore to let me kiss you?”

“Maybe.”

“You are so full of shit,” he told me, laughing. Taking my face in his hands, he planted a soft kiss, scented with heaven, on my lips. “I’ll miss you tonight, love.”

Ollie

Spending hours in Xanthe’s company made it possible for me to face the evening. Snippy and irritated Xanthe was just as much fun as laughing, goofy Xanthe. I practically skipped down the street on my way home.

Once I got there, I wondered why I had bothered. I didn’t feel like showering or changing clothes. Trey and the girls would dress up, but…it was fucking Wednesday. It wasn’t a date.

Why the fuck bother?

I brushed my teeth and put on more deodorant, and that was that.

Instead, I spent an hour and a half working on
Ten Thousand Words for Xanthe
—my project
.
It was coming together wonderfully. Seeing what she did to me, how I’d felt when I let my imagination run wild over her safety—it was a tough pill to swallow.

Checking my watch, I found that I was going to be late. Trey was going to freak. I was never late for anything. Running out of the dark room, I grabbed my jean jacket and wrapped a scarf around my neck.

Glancing in the mirror on the way out the door, I asked myself, “Who are you?”

My reflection grinned. I looked like Xanthe’s man.

Strolling into FairFawkes ten minutes late, I was blasted by Gabriella’s glare as I walked into the waiting area. I just smiled. At this point, nothing could bring me down.

Xanthe had let me kiss her and feel her up. I could still taste the memory, and my dick was half-cocked. Her infuriated response to my asking if she could be pregnant had been hilarious. Oddly, if she had been, I thought I’d be strutting around, knowing I had trapped her, which was so not like me.

Well, the
old
me.

“What took you so long?” Trey asked as he and Bianca walked out from the back. His eyes raked over me, taking in the fact that I hadn’t changed for dinner.

“I got caught up,” I replied.

Bianca beamed at me. “Well, let’s go then. I’m famished!” Linking her arm with mine, she led us out the door.

The ladies looked fantastic. Gabriella was most definitely a vision in her sapphire-colored mini dress and gray cashmere wrap. I’d bet she was freezing her bits off. Bianca looked breathtaking in a sleek all-black pants and blouse ensemble.

“What are you wearing?” Gabriella hissed at me.

“Clothes,” I replied.

“We’re going to—”

“Leave it, Gabby. It’s not like they won’t let him in,” said Trey.

Bianca’s laughter tinkled like bells. I was in such a good mood from pissing Gabriella off that when Bianca slipped her arm around my waist, I draped an arm around her shoulders. Gabriella sucked in a sharp breath, and I felt a twinge of guilt. I was being an asshole for the sake of it.

What would Xanthe say?

I had a feeling she wouldn’t be too cool with me deliberately hurting someone’s feelings, but Gabriella was being a rude bitch on purpose.

My head was swimming with thoughts of my woman. I didn’t even realize we were about to pass an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. When Ricki Conklin came barreling out, laughing his arse off, a toothpick dangling from the corner of his mouth, I was caught off guard. Xanthe and a tall woman with dreadlocks were laughing heartily as they joined him.

“I’m not making out with you until you take that shit out and wash your fucking face!” cried the tall woman.

My guess was she was Jaime.

Our little group stopped dead on the sidewalk a few paces from them and watched. I was pretty sure Trey and Gabriella were in a bit of shock, but Bianca snorted a quiet laugh, burying her face in my chest. I was so enchanted with the sight of Xanthe looking carefree, I didn’t think of how it would look—Bianca and I clinging to each other, fighting not to giggle.

Especially when Ricki dug into his beard…and pulled out a crab claw. “But I wanted a claw to have with me pint. The hostess didn’t even see me do it.”

“Ugh!” Gabriella exclaimed.

All three of them turned to look at us. My laughter, which had been threatening to choke me a moment ago, died somewhere in my lungs when Xanthe’s hipster glasses flashed in the light at me.

“What the fuck?” Jaime said, looking from me to Bianca.

I could only assume that the woman knew that Xanthe and I were heading back into a relationship.

“
So
charming. American tourists,” sneered Gabriella. “Can we go?”

“Bianca, let go,” I said softly.

“Hmm? Oh.” She untangled herself from me.

Ricki stood there, staring at me, crab claw gripped in his hand.

“They’re not tourists—and he’s not American,” said Trey. “You’re Ricki Conklin, right?”

“Yeah,” the Englishman grunted. “What’s it to you?”

“Just in love with your work,” replied Trey. “You’ve done some masterpieces. I’m Trey Fawkes, Ollie’s business partner.”

Ricki grunted again, watching me.

“Xanthe,” I exhaled her name.

I could feel it. She was pulling back from me once more.

“And
you’re
Elaine,” said Trey loudly, walking up to Xanthe, his hand extended.

Tentatively, she took his hand, shaking it like a man.

“Gabby, Bianca…”

Xanthe gave a little twitch, and I wanted to kick myself for not telling her that another one of my ex-lovers would be coming along.

“This is Elaine Ford,” Trey introduced.

Bianca gasped. “As in Paranormal Hunters? The one with Ollie on the cover?”

Xanthe had to swallow first, but her voice was clear and strong when she replied, “Yes.”

Bianca squealed and jumped in her black stilettos. “I love that series! I have read all three books at least four times!” She backhanded me in the chest. “Ollie, you did not say she lived here!”

Bianca’s smiling face turned up to mine, and she saw it in my eyes. I was fucking terrified that Xanthe was going to read into something that was no longer there between Bianca and me. The smile dimmed on Bianca’s face, and understanding bloomed in those dark depths.

“Oh.
Oh
!”

“
Oh
, what?” snapped Gabriella.

Bianca ignored Gabriella and turned back to Xanthe. Rummaging around in her clutch, she pulled out a pen and a scrap of paper.

“Please, Ms. Ford, I’m a huge fan.” She headed toward Xanthe, pen and paper extended.

I thought I heard Jaime gnash her teeth.

“Could I have your autograph? I wish I had my copies with me,” Bianca gushed.

Ricki stared me down.

Behind her glasses, Xanthe glanced at me and then quickly looked away. Taking the pen and paper, she looked momentarily confused as to what to do with it, but Jaime stepped up next to her, providing her back so that her Bro Dawg could sign a scrap of paper for my ex-lover.

Oh God…please don’t be hurt, love. It’s not what you think!

To see her laughing and filled with joy had nearly broken my heart with happiness. She’d shared that with me once. I wanted so badly to have her like that again. I drew in a deep breath, and it hit me so hard.

I
loved
her. I loved Xanthe so much that it was painful.

For me to walk down the street with another woman wrapped around me made all the touches and kisses I’d given her today cheap and meaningless in her eyes.

“Xanthe,” I said again quietly.

“It’s good to see you, Ollie,” she said, not looking at me.

“What is a Xanthe?” Gabriella said in her bitch tone. “That’s the second time you’ve said that.”

“Damn, you should try feeding that one,” said Ricki, pointing rudely at Gabriella.

“For real. Her low blood sugar is bringing us all down,” snapped Jaime.

Xanthe silently handed the pen and paper back to Bianca, who promptly pulled her into a warm hug. Bianca whispered something, and when she pulled back, Xanthe gave her a little nod. However, her face betrayed no emotion. She’d shielded herself from us.