“So plain?”
“Because it’s plain. It’s a blank canvas; a delicious, sweet, fragrant canvas, you can add anything to it, it’s so versatile and forgiving.”
“Well, that’s good, because… it’s my favorite too.”
I reach over into the basket and pull out a small tub of vanilla ice cream and two spoons.
“You really did think of everything!” she exclaims, reaching for the tub. “So, I have a deal, I have one last question, and we’ll both answer it.”
I nod and hand her a spoonful of ice cream.
“What is… the biggest dream you have for your life?” she asks.
I suck the ice cream off my own spoon, taking a moment before answering.
“That.” I point across the river to my building, the ASH logo illuminated, bright against the night sky.
“That’s your building? That’s what your biggest dream is?”
“No, well, yes. In a way. Not just the building itself, but what my company and my team are trying to achieve.”
“And what is that?”
“Zero deaths from house fires by 2025.”
She lets out a slow long whistle. “You don’t think small, do you?
“Well, I dream big, whether it’s achievable or not… well, no. Scrap that. I will achieve it. Can I show you something?”
“I’d be honored to see it.”
I pull my cell phone out of my pocket and open a video. It’s a video of the FireFree prototype. I hand it to her and she watches it, her eyes fixed on the screen.
“It’s a product I’ve been working on for the last five years. It’s the most innovative and intuitive smoke detector the world has ever seen. Developed to detect the smallest trace of smoke, determine what kind of smoke it is, and discern different levels of danger. It’s runs on a 20-year lithium battery, so there are no 6 monthly battery changes, one of the biggest causes of undetected fires in homes that claim they have smoke detectors. On top of that, one of the biggest complaints was that smoke detectors are ugly, an eyesore. So, we’ve collaborated with DuPont, and customers can order the detector in any of their 25 most popular complementary colors and there’s a choice of four designs. But it’s the future we’re looking at. The aim is for all new houses to be fitted with them, and we’ve created a line where they can be built directly into the ceilings of new homes, hooked directly to the electrical system and never even be seen. So, there will be…”
“… no excuse for a house not to have a smoke detector ever again,” she finishes. I nod. She gets it, of course she does.
“We’re also working with a number of New York’s biggest construction companies right now on a community campaign. For every smoke detector they order from us for their new properties, we will donate one to low income housing areas in the city. No fire related deaths for everyone. Not just those who can afford it.” I take a deep breath. I can’t remember the last time I talked for so long without stopping.
“Kaine.”
“That’s my dream, Jade. You asked. I’ve… I’ve never really verbalized it like that before.”
“It’s… it’s monumental. Good luck with it all.” She hands me back my phone.
“And yours?”
“It’s nothing like that, I’m afraid. Maybe I’m… I’m too small a person, too small a dreamer. It’s not a building I can point to or a world changing product I can show you. I guess, I guess it’s just more of a feeling. I hope that when I’m gone, when people think of me, they’ll smile. I hope I’ll leave the world as a happy thought in someone’s mind.”
“Now it’s my turn to say it.”
“What’s that?
“That you’re silly. You CAN point to it. Here, I’ll show you.” I raise my finger and jab her gently in the chest.
“My tit? Thanks,” she pokes her tongue out at me.
“No, your heart. It’s bigger than that building of mine over there. It exudes joy. And the effect of that is infinite.”
Her eyes look up to meet mine, and something inside me tugs. She reaches up and takes the finger pointing at her chest and pulls it in closer, so my entire palm is pressed against her breasts. She takes a breath, and my hand presses harder against her as her chest rises and falls.
“Kaine.” She exhales my name. And it reverberates in my ears. God, I love her voice.
“Kiss me, Kaine,” she says this time. And I’ve never been more inclined to obey.
I press her down onto the blanket with my hand on her chest and move my body so I’m hovering over her.
“Say it again,” I tell her.
“Kiss me, Kaine.” She complies and I do. Dropping my mouth down to meet hers, I’m surprised by her immediate response. She presses her lips against mine, hard, her mouth prying mine open so she can slip her tongue past my lips. Her hands come up, grabbing fistsful of my hair as she almost devours my mouth. Her passion inflames me and I can’t think of anything but making love to her, right here, right now.
“Oh, Jade,” I hear my voice moan her name, and it seems to only increase her urge. She scratches her hands down my back, and I growl as her nails dig into me.
Her legs wrap around my waist and she bucks her groin against mine.
I am so hard, I feel like I could fuck her right through our clothes.
Something about the way she pulls on my sweater, tearing it over my head and then dragging her lips over my bare chest tells me she feels the same.
“Kaine… God, Kaine.” She murmurs as I suckle on her neck, my hand reaching between us to graze my fingers over her inner thigh.
“Baby, I want you,” I growl as her legs fall from my back and spread out under me. “I want you so much.”
“Then take me, please,” she whimpers, taking my hand and pressing it against her breast again.
BRINGGGGGGG!!!!
My phone erupts into life in my pocket just as I reach for the hem of her skirt.
FUCK!
“Just ignore it,” I whisper, grazing my teeth along her neck. I can’t stop, don’t make me stop.
She laughs and pushes on my chest, “It’s fine. It might be important. I’m not going anywhere… I promise.” Her fingers tickle me behind my ear, making me lose all focus.
“Ugh!” I kiss her on the lips quickly and reach into my pocket, half meaning to fling it off the building’s roof.
I glance at the screen quickly and frown. The call is coming from my apartment.
“Yes?” I answer.
“Mr. Ashley? It’s Nancy, your nurse. Gabriel is gone.”
Fuck.