Page 28 of Kai
"Kai—"
"I should leave you alone." He muttered. "But I can't."
"I'm not sure I have anything else in me to give."
"There's always more. But let's get you to bed." He rose and reached for towels from the neat piles near the bath. Wrapping one around her, he stepped out and swung her into his arms.
They should talk but now was not the time. He was going to have to make her understand that there was no going back for either of them, not now.
She slept through her alarm and jumped up at the insistent ringing of her phone, completely disoriented. And the place beside her was empty. Shaking her head, she wondered briefly if she had dreamed the entire thing, but the marks and aches were testament to what had happened last night and this morning. And she was very late for work. Grabbing the phone, she answered it while jumping out of bed.
"Honey, are you okay?"
"Marge." She looked dazedly at the wet floor and the damp towels strewn around. "I overslept. Is everything okay?"
"Just a couple of clients wanting a word with you. Mrs. Ellington is up in arms about her dress for the function on Saturday. She said it needs to be taken in a couple of inches at the waist. Wishful thinking on her part. Are you coming in? You're usually not this late."
"I was there until late last night." She started picking up the towels and mopping the floor. "I'll be there within the hour."
"Okay, I'll run interference until you get here. Oh, and your mother called."
"She did?"
"Apparently, she has been trying to reach you and not getting through. See you in a bit."
"Wait—did she say what she wanted?"
"She just said you should call."
"Thanks."
Huffing out a breath, she dumped the towels into the laundry basket. A quick shower and then a phone call to her mother, she decided. She happened to take a look at herself in the mirror.
"Oh, good God!" She exclaimed, one hand gripping the tangled strands of her hair. "Wonderful. It's going to take forever to sort this out."
She called her mother on her way to the store.
"Darling, are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Switching lanes, she took a brief look at herself in the mirror and realized she had to be satisfied with the not-so-neat ponytail. She had given up trying to get out the tangles. A trip tothe salon, she thought in resignation. Damn him. "I worked late last night and overslept."
"You work too hard."
"I keep telling myself that." She negotiated a turn neatly that put her on the right street. "How's—where are you now?"
"Amsterdam." Adelaide said happily. "It's such a delightful place, I wish you were here. Are you sure you won't change your mind? We're heading to Dublin and then London."
"Can't. The trunk show is coming up as well as the winter showing. I have lots going on." She wondered what her mother would say about her meeting up with Kai.
"How's Brutus? I miss the old fleabag."
"He's at a neighbor's." She had been out the door before she remembered to call and prevail on Angie to keep him for another day. "Where's Dad?"
"Smoking his darn pipe out on the terrace and probably snoozing. Let me get him—"
"Mom, no. I'll talk to him later. I am just driving into the parking lot and have clients waiting. I will call you later."
"Make sure you do and get some rest."
