Page 48 of Deeper

“But I do have to go home and face Victoria. It’s the least I can do.”

Zander stood back and nodded. “I hope that goes well.”

“Me too.”

Zander held his hand out. “Let’s go downstairs and try again with Nazanin. I’ll set her straight.”

There was one more thing we needed to discuss before we faced whatever Nazanin had in store for us.

I took a deep breath and looked into Zander’s eyes and said it, “For the record, I’m on the pill.”

Zander froze, taking his hand back and studying me. “Oh…okay.”

“We haven’t beensafesince after the bathtub,” I went on. It had been the most intimate I’d ever been with a man, touching me far deeper than just sex alone. All morning and afternoon we hadn’t stopped to use protection either, completely consumed in each other’s bodies and the high our sex brought us. I’d never been that thoughtless before, and I wanted Zander to know this. “This isn’t something I usually do.”

Zander raked a hand through his hair as he blew out a breath. “I’m good, you know? I’ve been in the gym, and I went to the doctor so I could know I was good to go for this four-city tour, and potentially beyond, and I’mgood.”

“Me too.” It was one of the first things I’d done post-Roderick. You could never be too sure with a cheater.

“Good.” Zander came close and caressed my cheek. “I love the feel of you. Your body next to mine. My name on your lips.”

An ache pulsed between my thighs and I knew we’d get carried away if we stayed upstairs any longer.

So, I was quick to stand up. “We better get back.”

Zander snuck me a smile. “We better.”

“How old is she?” I told myself maybe having a huge age-gap was the reason for her rudeness, although with age should’ve come wisdom and more poise.

“Thirty,” he told me.

She was five years older than the two of us and she didn’t look a day over twenty-one.

Nazanin was right where we left her, waiting impatiently now. “All’s squared away, yeah?”

Zander held my hand, protectively. “Are you serious right now?”

Nazanin rolled her eyes. “You tell me, you sack off the grid for four days and turn up with this one.”

“This onehas a name.” Zander’s tone danced on agitated.

Nazanin wasn’t backing down. “Right, Bianka. How lovely, will she be going now?”

“No,” Zander said. “She and I are together.”

“Oh, come off it,” Nazanin scoffed. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“And how did Terry and Dax let this—Biankaslip past them?”

“Doesn’t matter how. What matters is she’s here now and I’m with her.”

Nazanin’s nostrils flared, and though I could tell she didn’t want to, she faced me and tipped her head in a how-do-you-do manner. “Apologies for my confusion earlier. My brother can be a bit reckless.”

“Sounds like it runs in the family.” I wasn’t backing down.

Nazanin sized me up and smirked. “Cute.”

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