Page 30 of Abyss

HUDSON

“Lavender and pine.”

Her answer seems to fascinate him, as if she just told him her favorite scent was unicorn breath or diamond-covered marshmallows. His eyebrows rise with a smile. “Ah, a combination of soft and rugged, indoors and out. I suppose I’ll have to find a similar scent to put on the next time we meet.”

My eyes harden on Silas’s son across the table, my hand white-knuckling my fork, but he doesn’t notice, given he’s turned almost ninety-degrees in her direction, as if she’s the only one in this room.

Corbin runs the financial arm for Rose City Skyport and showed up alongside his dad as a surprise guest for dinner tonight. And though I didn’t mind his presence at first, that had changed rather quickly.

Over the course of one hour, the fucker has done nothing but derail our productive dinner meeting, directing question after irrelevant question at Kavi. Her favorite cuisine—Indian. Her favorite season—summer. Her favoritecolor—orange.Yeah, surprise, surprise.The asshole’s made it his mission to flirt to the point of exhaustion. Mine, not his.

And though I have half a mind to pick him up by his collar—deal be damned—and throw him across the room, I can’t get a fucking read on if she likes his attention.

He wouldn’t be a bad choice for her if she did. He’s clearly closer to her age, doing well financially, and I suppose, if I was put at gunpoint to admit it, he doesn’t look like a troll. He’s also made it his mission in life, or at least during this dinner, to make her laugh.

A laugh I hadn’t heard until today. A laugh that transforms her features so her eyes crinkle right along with her button nose, and her mouth stretches into a perfect half-moon across her face. A laugh that would put anyone watching her in a good mood without even having the context of what was funny.

Anyone but me.

Because the more she laughs, the more I want to murder the guy next to her. The more I realize her smile—those luminous honey eyes and white teeth—aren’t aimed at me, the more I want to pound on this table and demand she stop.

The more she laughs, the more I want to carry her over my shoulder and leave this damn restaurant.

Her eyes glimmer in my direction, dipping to catch the tightness in my jaw and shoulders.

I drag my eyes from her and once again try to bring the conversation back to business with Silas. “So, are we settled on the date? I know we provided the results of the ecosystem assessment around the potential site, along with our solutions for noise and wildlife management, but if you’re at all concerned with anything else—”

“No, I think we’re all set. Your team gave us a very comprehensive report, and we’re confident Case Geo is the right partner for us.” Silas swirls the wine in his glass beforeaddressing Kavi, “Though it would be nice to have consistency on your team. I know we only have you for the next three months, Kavi. What are your plans after that?”

A frown tugs on Corbin’s lips as he waits for Kavi to speak. Is he already upset by the prospect of her last day? He only just met her. What a douche.

“I’m actually moving to Portland. I have a full-time position as an art therapist at the children’s hospital here.”

Silas’s brows raise, much like his son’s. “Art therapy, huh? You’ll have to excuse my ignorance, but what does an art therapist do?”

Kavi smiles in response, her gaze shifting from her hands on her lap to Silas, revealing a hint of the nervous woman from our first meeting. She’s still there, under the surface, but so is a bolder, more fearless woman—someone I’ve seen myself.

“Well, not all art therapists have the same approach, but in general, we help people overcome psychological and emotional challenges through artistic expression. Personally, I like working with children, especially those struggling with low self-esteem because of situations in school or at home.” She pauses, running her fingertip down the condensation on her glass. “I help kids who may have been abused or bullied channel their emotions onto a canvas.”

“That’s fascinating, Kavi,” Corbin says, his mouth slightly agape. “God, it makes me feel like what I do, running numbers all day and making sure we hit financial targets, seem so inconsequential.” His gaze slices across the table at his dad. “No offense, Dad.”

Silas shrugs. “None taken. I tend to agree.”

Kavi’s eyes linger on mine before she drops her gaze, her cheeks hinting at color. Her hand fidgets, tucking a strand of hair unnecessarily behind her ear, bringing my attention to the red strawberry hanging there.

She’s wearing a peach-colored chiffon sleeveless top with spaghetti straps that dips to the start of her cleavage. And with nothing adorned over her neck, besides a hint of some sort of shimmering powder, all I can see—all anyone can fucking see—is miles upon miles of flawless skin.

Maybe I shouldn’t have given her my damn card to go shopping.

“So, you’ll be movinghere?” Corbin’s excitement is hardly masked. “Do you know where you’ll live?”

She shakes her head. “Not yet. I’ve been searching for places online, though.”

Corbin’s smile becomes more hopeful. “Well, if you’re here after the meeting tomorrow morning, I don’t mind showing you around Portland.”

“She’s not,” I blurt before Kavi can respond, turning all heads to me. I don’t miss the question in Kavi’s eyes, knowing we don’t have plans to leave until early evening. “I’ll have her tied up with some things to ensure the project starts on time.”

I take the final sip of my scotch, waving down the waiter for the check. A mix of frustration and confusion tightens inside my ribs like I’m breathing in noxious gas.

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