Resilient (2) (24 page)

“Okay, how about I just leave my bag in here. That way I have my own bathroom and I don’t have to take over your personal space.”

“Just so we’re clear. I want you all over my personal space.” He was completely invading her personal space at that moment, he was that close. Close enough that she could smell the mint on his breath and the soap on his skin. She knew what was underneath that suit, and more importantly, what he had hiding in his boxers. Cue heart palpitations…

“How about we change and then we can grab something to eat. I haven’t had a thing since this morning and I’m starving.”

“Still ravenous as ever, I see.”

“You have no idea.” Katrine leaned in and kissed his neck.

Chapter 23

Summoning all of her will power, she managed to push him out of the room. She took a long, hot shower. She unpacked, hung her clothes in the closet, and put her toiletry bag in the bathroom. Still wrapped in a towel, she stuck her head out into the hall.

“Xander, how should I dress for dinner? And don’t say naked!”

“Fine, then my second choice would be casual. I’m going to take you to one of my favorite spots and we need to leave soon if we want to get a table,” he yelled from his office.

“Okay. I’ll be ready in ten.”
 

She took the strapless cerulean blue sun dress off the hanger. Her hair was still up from before, but she decided to brush it out. It hung in waves, since she had twisted it while it was damp that morning. She put bronzer on her cheek bones and mascara on her long lashes. She lightly lined and glossed her full “soup coolin’ lips,” as her grandma used to say. She slipped on Grecian style sandals, silver hoops, and a thin silver bracelet, all of which took eleven minutes.
 

She stepped into his office, which was filled with dark wood furniture and a large green plant in the corner. There was a rowing oar on the wall along with his diplomas and pennants. A built in shelving unit held memorabilia, concert ticket stubs, and more books. The picture of him and his fraternity brothers made her laugh. He was so young and extremely hot.

Holy shit, why didn’t I go to Yale? Oh yeah, connections and money…never mind.

“I’m ready when you are.”
 

The look he gave her made her toes curl and face flush.

He rounded the desk and stood in front of her. “You may tire of hearing this after a few days, but you’re breathtaking.” His eyebrows pressed together. “Which is strange, because I haven’t really been able to breathe until today.”
 

I got ready in ten minutes, but I can have my dress off in ten seconds…
 

“Thank you, Xander. You look… almost too good. I don’t know if I’ll be able to eat.” She gave him a sly grin.
 

It wasn’t an exaggeration, he was barefooted with low worn jeans, a tight green t-shirt, and leather bands on his wrist. His hair was wavy, coming almost to the top of his ears. He looked like he’d just rolled out of bed, in the best possible sense, or like he was about to play a set with his band, not ending the day as a heavy hitting business man. It worked for her, oh yes, it worked.

“Let’s eat. I’m about to start gnawing on my arm!” She turned and walked out of the room. He shook his head and laughed to himself. When she was hungry, all propriety went out the window. It was just one of those things.

They took a small flight of stairs and Xander pressed in a doorbell. A voice came over an intercom.

“How many?”

“Two.”

“Dinner or drinks?”

“Both.”

Katrine noted that there was no sign and the building was nondescript, save for a large red door, which slowly opened and they went inside.
 

“What is this place?”

“One of my favorite little joints. You can’t make a reservation or name drop. It’s first come, first serve.”

“Doesn’t that bother you, when your name gets you into any restaurant in Manhattan?”

“By the way, that’s not true. Rich business men are a dime a dozen in this city. They couldn’t give a rat’s ass who you are in this place and that’s why I love it. ”

They walked down a narrow dim-lit hallway and took three steps down into a small room. There were only six tables and a long bar against the far wall. There were two young bartenders who were dressed in tight white t-shirts, suspenders, and cabbie hats. Katrine felt like she’d walked into a ‘20s speakeasy. She loved it immediately.

They were led to a small wooden table with large leather wingback chairs. There was a tiny stage in the corner illuminated by a lone spot light. There was an upright base, a violin, and a banjo waiting for musicians to take them in hand.

“This place is awesome. How does anyone even know it’s here?”

“Like anyplace worthwhile, it’s word of mouth. Their food is fresh, their drinks inventive, and if you don’t get here before six, forget about getting a table.” One of the handsome bartenders came and gave them menus. He eyed Katrine with appreciation and Xander grabbed her hand possessively. She smiled, enjoying the adoration like any woman would. As cute as the bartender was, he had nothing on the fine man in front of her. Squeezing his hand, she looked down at the single sheet in front of her.
They took pride in their cocktails, falling back on the old school style—hand crushed concoctions with homemade aged liquors. Katrine usually went for wine, but she couldn’t pass up these signature drinks. They almost out-shined the food. But the garden to table style menu was pretty amazing as well. All the ingredients were locally sourced.

“What are you getting?” Xander asked as he sipped his frothy drink.
 

“I think the beef tenderloin sounds really good, but so does the roasted chicken. I can’t decide.” She looked at him for some guidance.

“I’m getting the pork chop, so don’t look at me.” He remembered how she operated, getting him to order her second choice so she could eat half of it. He loved that about her, amongst many other things.

By the time their salads arrived, the live music started, which was modern folk, if it could be categorized at all. The sound, style, and volume perfectly complemented the intimate place.
 

She looked down at her plate. Cubes of bright watermelon and pan fried squares of feta over warm arugula were drizzled with a thick, dark balsamic. The sweet juice of the fruit and the tangy cheese made for a harmonious contrast of flavors. Her eyes may have rolled back a few times. Xander was watching her eat and enjoying every minute of it.
 

Smiling, he said, “I’ve missed watching you eat. I’ve missed everything about you, really.”

“Well, I’m pretty awesome, so I don’t blame you.” She winked. “I may have missed you a bit, too…By the way, Xander, if you missed me so much, there’s this antiquated concept, the phone call,” she teased, taking a bite of her salad.

“Would you have even talked to me if I’d called six months ago?”
 

“No, probably not,. I think I had to come around on my own.”

“I didn’t call because I was embarrassed. I had fucked up so completely.” He paused for a second, poking his salad, but not eating. “I feel like we should talk about what happened last summer… I’ve apologized, but I just wanted you to know how much I regret it and that I’ve regretted it every day since.” He grabbed her hand and ran his thumb across her knuckles.
 

“You know, it’s strange. I know why you did it. I’d spent enough time with you to know that you like to be in control, of your emotions and everything else, for that matter. We were supposed to be a casual fling… Neither of us planned to get in so deep, so quickly. You were scared of what it all meant. Hey, I was scared, too. You were supposed to be a rebound for me. I got a little more than I’d bargained for.”

“A rebound?”

“Uh-huh, that’s what my friends said I needed, no strings attached sex to get over my divorce. And you were the perfect candidate.” But there had been strings attached… to every part of her body, anchored to the organ in the center of her chest.

“Well, did it work?”

“Yes.” The single word came out soft, but spoke volumes. Katrine lifted his hand and brushed her lips across his soft skin. They stared at each other in silence. Being with him again was strange, but it wasn’t like they were trying to remember each other, it was as if they’d never forgotten.

“Let’s forget about what happened…well, maybe not forget. I don’t think that’s possible. But I
have
forgiven you. That much is certain. It took a while, though.”

“I know I have to earn your trust again, but please believe that I would never do something like that again. On my mother’s soul, I swear it.” His face was serious and the contrition in his eyes was enough for her.
 

“I believe you and I trust you…I love you.” The last declaration was just above a whisper. The smile she got in response melted her heart. Both dimples, perfect teeth, and full lips. The skin next to his eyes crinkled slightly. She hadn’t meant to say it so soon, but at the moment, it just felt right.

They ordered another round and held hands. Katrine’s legs were nestled between Xander’s longer ones. The inside of his knees brushed against her bare skin. It was doing things to her. So much so that she wasn’t sure she even wanted to stay for the entree. But when the large rectangular plate was placed in front of her, Katrine almost drooled. The tenderloin was filled with French bread stuffing, blue cheese, and candied pecans. The grilled radicchio with truffle oil and mashed red potatoes looked just as delicious.

Okay, I can wait…And I’m going to need a mint…Just saying…

She didn’t even ask to try any of Xander’s food. She had her hands full with her dinner. And she ate every bite.

“Are you ready?” Xander asked.

“I know you want dessert, so go ahead.” He smiled and ordered the from scratch chocolate cake drizzled with homemade caramel and fresh whipped cream. When it got to the table, the look on Xander’s face was priceless. It made her chuckle.

“Such a sweet tooth.”
 

“Close your eyes,” he softly commanded. She raised an eyebrow then did as he asked. She felt the fork and opened her mouth. The whipped cream brushed across her lips, cold and sweet. Then she tasted the slightly bitter chocolate of the thick moist cake. The salty, sweet caramel was the last, and without sight, she was able to focus on the flavors and textures on her tongue.
 

“Mmmmm.” She opened her eyes and smiled, it was a languid, satisfied smile. He took one bite and asked for the check.

The short drive home was quiet. They held hands and sat close. On the elevator, Katrine wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek to his chest. His heart was beating steady but fast, the sound was relaxing. He held her tight and kissed her head, his eyes closed, inhaling the floral smell of her shampoo. With their fingers lightly entwined, they walked to his room. There was no conversation, no plan, just the unspoken knowledge that this was going to happen. Katrine was neither nervous nor scared. She was bold in her confidence. She wanted him, all of him.

The room was dark except for the lights of the city outside the window. They looked in each other’s eyes and Katrine slid her hands up his chest. They slid back down, grabbing the bottom of his soft shirt. And when she slid them back up, the shirt came also. Even in the dark she could see well enough to admire his bare sculpted chest and flat stomach. He stood still, letting her take the lead. He felt he didn’t deserve to touch her yet, but soon.
 

She smiled and unbuckled his belt, pulling it slowly from his jeans. The buttons on the fly were next and she undid them even slower. There was no rush, they had all night. Now for the best part…Still fully dressed, she carefully pulled down his boxers until every glorious inch of his body was bare to her. She almost moaned, but stifled it by biting her lip. Xander wrapped her hair around his hand, gently turning her away from him. Then he placed it over one shoulder. He had to touch her, no matter if it was deserved or not. Fingers glided down each arm as he kissed the nape of her neck. She sighed, leaning back into him. He continued to kiss her as the zipper made its way down. They’d barely touched but she felt tingles on every square inch of her body. It was as if he’d started a fire under her skin and she was burning from the inside out.
 

Xander’s thighs hit the bed and he slid backwards until he was lying flat, waiting for her, wanting her with a ferocity that he’d never experienced. With feline grace, she crawled onto the bed until she was above him. She bent her head to his, finally kissing him. Slow and deep.
 

The thin latex was the only thing between them when she raised her hips. The descent onto his body was gradual and unhurried. She rocked against him and felt pieces of herself coming back together, pieces she hadn’t even realized were fractured until that very moment. He moaned about god and how good she felt, then gripped her hips and raised his body to meet hers. Her head fell back as they found a symbiotic rhythm. She fell forward onto her hands, she was getting close. She gasped as he took her into his mouth. She held his head to her chest until she screamed. He quickened beneath her and went over as well.
 

Their skin was slick. Their limbs tangled. Katrine smiled in the dark.
 

She was home.

The morning air was cool because the sun had not yet crested above the buildings surrounding the terrace. Katrine sipped her coffee in a cushioned Adirondack chair, admiring the view of Central Park. From this height the dense trees looked like fluffy broccoli. She was happy to be clad in Xander’s oversized t-shirt once again. She switched to a red one that said Harvard Rowing. She couldn’t bring herself to put on the once beloved Yale shirt. It may have something to do with that woman/slut bag he cheated on her with wearing it that traumatizing morning. No, there was no may about it, that’s exactly why.
 

Soft music floated onto the patio as the door opened. Xander came out with a tray.