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“Boss?” Carl said from the office door in a low tone, his hands full of financial statements and budget printouts that he placed on the desk. “I got back from the bank—heard you called a red.”

“Tyler,” I said. “Marcus is with him. Can you take the first check?”

“Sure.”

“I have the security protocols in place. Can you cover the office for thirty?”

“Of course.”

I squeezed his shoulder as he passed, then waved the walkie-talkie. “I'll be on back.”

He didn't ask me why I was heading somewhere or what I was doing. No one knew how desperate I was to see Jazz, and no one knew we'd kissed.

No one other than me knew how much I still loved Jazz and always would.

“No worries,” he said instead of asking questions, and then, I headed to find Jazz and the kittens.

IneededJazz and the kittens.

As I entered the room,I found Jazz sprawled on the floor, on his belly, watching over two kittens, asleep between his hands, with the third one stirring in the box.

“Scout and Rascal decided on an escape,” Jazz murmured, his voice soft, to avoid disturbing the sleeping kittens. “Everything okay?” he asked, concern in his eyes.

“It will be,” I replied, trying to muster a reassuring smile as I lay next to him and lifted the stirring kitten from the box. The tiny furball, a bundle of soft tabby stripes, mewled, nestling into the warmth of my hand. “Then, this must be Mischief,” I commented, letting the kitten crawl along my arm.

“Yeah, that’s him.” Jazz chuckled, his gaze softening as he watched Mischief.

We shared a comfortable silence, the presence of the kittens creating a peaceful bubble around us. After a moment, I turnedto Jazz. “The kiss was everything,” I started, my voice barely above a whisper.

Jazz nodded, his eyes not leaving Mischief. “The kiss was perfect.”

“We shouldn’t have,” I added, feeling a twinge of guilt mixed with an undeniable longing.

“But we did,” Jazz replied, finally meeting my gaze, his expression unreadable.

I took a deep breath, the weight of my next words pressing down on me. “You know, I’ve never stopped loving you,” I admitted, the truth spilling out easier than I expected.

The room fell into silence, the only sound being the soft purring of the kittens. Jazz didn’t respond at first, and I wondered if I'd crossed a line. But then, he reached out and adjusted Mischief in my hand, his fingers brushing mine.

“I know,” Jazz said at last, his voice thick with emotion.

I know.

Chapter Twenty-Five

JAZZ

Two weeks had passedsince the I-still-love-you day.

Alex hadn't repeated those important words of love, but things between us had shifted. He smiled at me often now, a smile that didn't carry the usual concern or weight of responsibility. Instead, it was a secretive, knowing smile that seemed reservedonlyfor me.

And amazingly, I wanted to smile back.

I felt hope and affection; somehow, his smiles were soothing and comfortable and…

… they were everything.

I was moving the kittens into a larger box—the last one was way too small, and I'd lost Rascal behind the desk. They weren't happy with me right now, so I was having a one-sided conversation with them so they could hear my voice and be reassured.