“You’re recovering from a brain injury.”
“Well, yeah. I mean, technically that’s true. But—”
“And I can’t—I’m incapable of relaxing like a normal person, even in the best of circumstances. I have to be coaxed into enjoying myself.”
My eyes narrowed on her, because I didn’t find that statement to be entirely accurate. “I don’t think that’s true.”
I’d never coaxed her, and I would never coax her. Ever.
Seduction, making an effort, wasn’t the same thing as coaxing.
Coaxing was trying to convince a person to do something they didn’t want to do. If I thought Kat didn’t want me, if I thought she wasn’t as invested or—and just keeping it real here—hungry to the point of starving to be with me as I was with her, I would never try to convince her otherwise.
Now before you think this is me being unselfish and self-sacrificing, it’s not. It’s definitely, definitely not. This is me being consistently selfish and self-centered.
I’d seen firsthand how wanting a person who didn’t want you, or only wants you for the wrong reasons, leads to devastation and heartbreak. More than anything in my life, I never wanted that for myself. So if I thought for one second the intensity of her desire for me was less than my desire for her, there’d be no coaxing.
I’d be out.
Things between us would be over.
Bam.
Just like that.
I’d promised myself the moment my dad walked out the door, I would never be the one left behind with a broken heart. Never going to happen.
Kat exhaled another frustrated breath and continued like she hadn’t heard me, “And that’s not fair to you. You’re healing, and now is not the time for me to thrust my issues upon you.”
“Hey, I’m not opposed to thrusting.”
Kat laughed lightly, but her eyes told me she was frustrated with herself. “I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing. Don’t let this bring you down. I’m out of it, cranky, paranoid. There’s nothing for you to be sorry for.”
She pressed her lips together, as though to physically stop herself from apologizing again, and she turned like she was going to leave. I caught her by the wrist.
“Wait a minute, wait.” I gently pulled on her arm until she faced me. “Right now, I need time to get better. That’s true. But, I guarantee you,” bringing her closer, I tucked her hair behind her ear, allowing my fingers to trail along the soft skin of her jaw and neck, “in a few days, when I’m better, it’ll be seduction city.”
Kat was shaking her head again. “You shouldn’t have to seduce me. You deserve—”
“Hey.” I tugged her forward, kissing her, licking her lips and then deepening the kiss because I wanted to, because I could, and because I knew she liked it.
I felt her relax slowly as the kiss turned from seconds to minutes, her hands came to my shoulders with a light touch, and she kissed me back with all the intensity I’d been craving.
When I was finished, and not a moment before, I leaned back again. This time keeping her close, and lowering my voice to a rumble. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
“You don’t want me to be bossy?” she asked. I was pleased to see the worry behind her eyes was gone, replaced with lightness and teasing. I was also pleased to see her lipstick was smudged and her dress was still open, disheveled.
I tilted my head back and forth as though considering. “Okay. Feel free to tell me what to do.” I kissed her nose, and then whispered against her lips, “But never tell me what I deserve, unless it’s you.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Patent: “A set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for detailed public disclosure of an invention.”
—Wex Legal Dictionary
Drug patents generally last about 20 years from the date of application. Prescription drug patents usually have an exclusivity period that can last 180 days to 7 years.
—FDA.gov
**Kat**
Janie texted me late Friday afternoon.
Janie: I figured out how Caravel is making record profits. Do you want to talk now? Or have this discussion in person?
Janie and I had spoken earlier in the week in vague terms about her ideas, but she seemed reluctant to commit to any one theory. She wanted time to thoroughly research both the reports I’d sent and news articles over the last three years specifically relating to acquisitions made by Caravel.
Presently, I was in a meeting with no end in sight, but I was acutely interested in the topic being discussed. Therefore, I returned her text rather than excusing myself from the conference room.