The Secrets of Their Souls (7 page)

“I don’t think you need heels for a cooking class,” Zahra said, closing her eyes again.

“Hmm,” Jemma muttered, walking back to her bedroom presumably to change her shoes. A moment later she reappeared with a pair of Cons on. “Okay, let’s go, Za Za.”

Groaning silently, Zahra pushed herself up and off the couch that she had sunk into and grabbed her bag. “Tell me again why we’re going to a cooking class? Your interest seems to be in watching me cook, rather than actually cooking yourself.”

Jemma smiled slyly. “This is a different kind of cooking class,” she said and locked the door behind them.

Zahra had no idea what that meant. “Elaborate, Jem.”

“We’re going to Sweet Seduction.”

Zahra did a double-take. “Where?”

“Sweet Seduction. We’re going to have a three-course meal, learn some cooking tips and, most importantly, learn which foods stimulate the senses. Think of it as a mini, interactive lecture on the history of aphrodisiacs,” she said with a sassy smile.

Zahra didn’t need any aphrodisiacs, since she was still stimulated from Jayce Tohmatsu’s kiss. “How did you find this place?”

“Bee went there about a month ago. She said it was good fun.”

Zahra yawned and Jemma shot her a curious look. Zahra waved her hand, dismissing her sister’s inquisition—she did not need to get into another conversation about her dreams, which were getting weirder by the night. “Just a late night.”

Jemma popped a piece of gum into her mouth. “Working late?”

“Mmm, not exactly,” Zahra said. “I, um, I went out for a drink with Jayce.” She cast her eyes down, avoiding her sister’s gaze.

Jemma almost choked on her gum. “You went out for a drink with our boss?”

Zahra shrugged her shoulders, guiltily confessing her sins.

“Za Za! This is hilarious, tell me more.”

“We went for a drink at MIRROR. It’s a cool place, actually. You would like it. Anyway, we had a few drinks and then he dropped me home.”

“That’s all, huh? So why do you have that sparkle in your eye? Spill your guts, Za Za.”

They stopped at the traffic light. “I was working late and he called, said he was taking a break and asked me to go for a drink with him. We had a bottle of wine and then in the car on the way back to my apartment… we kissed.”

“Oh, my God!” She was nearly squealing and Zahra hushed her.

“We’re just getting to know each other, that’s it. And
do not
repeat this to anyone. Jayce doesn’t condone inter-office dating and no one except you and I and Jayce know about this, so keep your mouth shut.” Zahra was adamant. She had zero desire to star in the Mason rumor mill.

“Oh, I promise,” she said, crossing her fingers. “Who would have thought you would be the one making out with the boss, you know, being Miss Responsible and all? Tell me… is he good?” she asked, wiggling her brows.

“He’s… very well practiced,” Zahra said and giggled. He was a man who made you breathless and kept you silently begging for more.

He was blond and tall. Very tall. At the base of his neck was a round circle, a marking of some kind. I didn’t know the meaning of it. Cream robes draped over his body and were fastened at the shoulders. A rope tied around his waist. He was strong and it was going to be difficult to subdue him. I continued following him, careful not to get too close. It wasn’t his time yet. But it was coming.

He stopped. I moved to the side, my eyes not leaving him. He was talking with another man. I think he was trying to buy something. I needed to see his face; I had to confirm my target. I never made mistakes. I planned my kills carefully.

I walked past the two men, over to a child who had dropped his stick. I picked it up, smiling at the child, and gave it back to him. I was in front of my target now. I turned back toward the two men, but he had turned around. He was walking back in the direction he had come from. I had to see him. I followed him again. He stopped. He knew he was being followed. I turned again, my back now to him. His eyes followed me, I could feel them. I walked alongside a man on his horse and it shielded me from view until I could turn into the market crowd. My skin prickled, my heart raced. I had been seen.

Zahra curled her legs up to her chest and adjusted her pillow. Her dreams were always so corporeal; she felt everything the girl was feeling, even the rush that she got when she stuck her knife deep into her targets. And when she did it, she felt no remorse, no conflicting conscience, nothing but a heady rush of adrenaline. The girl drew her power from her victims and, for the few seconds it lasted, it felt miraculous. But when Zahra awoke, the disgust of the girl’s pleasure was so intense that it crucified her.

This dream had been different, though. It was full of intrigue, suspense, and Zahra wanted to know what happened next. Maybe the girl would see her own death?
Or maybe not
, Zahra thought.
She’s a crafty one, so she won’t go down that easily.
She was a fighter, a survivor, and something or someone made her like that. A passing breeze of pity blew through her mind but it didn’t last long—whatever had happened in the girl’s past was no excuse for her behavior. She had chosen to live that life and she was responsible for her actions.

Zahra’s phone vibrated on her bedside table and she rolled over to reach it.

Jayce Tohmatsu: Good morning. Can you meet me in my office at 7:30am?

Zahra smiled and quickly texted back:
Morning.
Sure, see you then.

The razorblade ran up the smooth skin of her leg while droplets of water ran down to her toes. Zahra was taking her time, as there was no need to rush this morning. She still had two hours until she had to be at Mason. Once she was positive not a single stray hair remained on her legs, she washed out the conditioner and turned off the shower. Zahra wrapped herself in a fresh towel and began to comb the knots from her long hair. She stared at the girl in the mirror and wondered which part of her exactly had captured the attention of Jayce Tohmatsu. Her body warmed as she thought of him now and she couldn’t deny it: she was excited. His lips on the nape of her neck, his hands wrapping in her hair; she remembered every detail—she’d felt alive when he’d kissed her, and she wanted more. Today, though, they would be in his office, and although it was private, she wasn’t sure what would happen between them.

By the time Zahra had finished getting dressed, her bedroom looked like Macy’s after a clearance sale: stuff was everywhere. Shoes, dresses, belts and even lingerie were strewn across her room. She’d never had so much difficulty getting dressed for work. Due to her principle of investing in good quality pieces that were classic yet versatile, on a normal day she took no longer than two minutes to style her outfit. Today, however, was a blockbuster marathon of outfits before she finally settled on the first skirt and top combo she had originally tried on. So was life, she thought.

Olivia immediately looked up when Zahra stepped out of the elevator.

“Good morning, Zahra, please go through.”

Zahra returned the morning greeting and noticed that Olivia took stock of her outfit. There could be several reasons she would do that, Zahra thought, but she wondered if jealousy was the primary one. Zahra made a mental note to find out if Olivia had a boyfriend, and she knew exactly where to inquire: Holly McCabe. Good ol’ Holly knew everything.

Whether it was nerves or excitement, she didn’t know, but her stomach was full of butterflies when she pushed open the door to Jayce’s office. His eyes locked on hers as she took the first step inside and closed the door behind her. A broad, sexy smile beamed on his handsome face. Zahra walked steadily toward him, her heels clicking on the tiles. She stopped at the chair opposite him but he shook his head. He held up his hand, his index finger directing her around the corner of his desk, stopping her right in front of his chair.

“Jayce!” Zahra squealed. She had gone from standing to straddling in two seconds flat.

“Shh! If you’re going to scream like that, I’ll have to gag you,” he said and smirked.

Being gagged by Jayce Tohmatsu was an image that left her even more flustered. Zahra draped one arm around his neck and let her fingers rest on his shoulder, steadying herself.

“How was your weekend?” he asked.

“It was good. Jemma and I went to a cooking class on Saturday night and then yesterday was a mix of errands and work.” She left out the finer details of the cooking class, including the blindfolded taste tests and every imaginable use of chocolate. “Did you actually have a weekend?”

He wrapped his arms around her tighter until her chest rubbed against his. “No, but that’s the way I like it.” He paused, his lips just an inch from hers. “Did you bring your lipstick?”

It was in her pocket. Jayce had sent her a message not long after she arrived at the office with the instruction. “Yes. Did you want to borrow it?”

He kissed her, his tongue deep in her mouth and she kissed him back, wanting more of him, wanting to taste all of him. He moaned as she tilted her hips forward, rubbing against the hard bulge in his pants. Zahra closed her eyes, her pulse racing at the speed of light.

“No, I don’t want to borrow your lipstick—that’s not really my thing, but I’ve wanted to do that all weekend and you can’t walk in here with lipstick on and leave with bare lips.” His voice was husky, his sentence broken, his words intermittently spoken. His mouth trailed from her earlobe to her neck to her mouth again and they kissed passionately, all consuming, like two lovers who had been destined to find each other.

A moment later, Olivia’s voice filtered through the intercom, fracturing their hypnotic connection. Jayce cleared his throat but didn’t let go of Zahra; instead, he held her tighter, advising he would be done in five minutes.

Zahra let out the breath she had been holding, sure that Olivia would be able to hear her ragged breathing even over the intercom. Jayce had managed to sound perfectly unaffected but he, too, let out a shaky sigh as he leaned back, pulling Zahra flush against his chest.

“This is all your fault,” he said.

Zahra laughed. “Yeah, sure it is. You made the first move, Tohmatsu.”

His eyes sparkled. “You were asking for it. Red lips, red nails and this skirt,” he said, tugging on the fabric, “is a very daring combination, Miss Foster. Come on, there’s a bathroom in here.” Jayce took her hand and led her to the other side of his office where a cabinet door opened to reveal a sleek, modern bathroom.

Zahra nodded her head in approval and she pulled her lipstick out of her pocket, assiduously reapplying to get the lines just right. Jayce stood behind her, leaning against the doorframe, watching her in the mirror. Long lashes veiled his eyes but they couldn’t hide his nostalgic gaze. Curtly he shook his head and dropped his eyes. He tucked in his shirt and then, standing behind her, wiped his face with a white washcloth and then threw it in the basket. Zahra listened as he walked back to his desk, each step echoing in a steady, controlled rhythm.

Zahra took another minute to smooth her hair back into the neat, tousled waves she had walked in with but her cheeks were still flushed. She wanted to splash some cold water onto them but she couldn’t risk ruining her makeup.
At least it’s partly hidden by my bronzer
, she thought. Satisfied, she turned on her heels and went back to the man sitting on the edge of his desk. A sexy smile formed on his lips as she stopped in front of him but not within touching distance. Zahra didn’t dare take another step forward; she didn’t trust herself, or him, not to end up back in his lap.

“You look beautiful.” He looked like he wanted to say something else but he didn’t. Instead, he stood up and walked with her to the door.

“Have a good day, Jayce.” Zahra gave him a goodbye kiss on his cheek, rubbing the lipstick smudge off of his skin before she turned and walked out of the office.

There were five people now sitting on the couches by Olivia’s desk; no doubt they were there for his next meeting. Overall, though, the group looked a little nervous. The man seated closest to Olivia’s perfectly organized desk was absentmindedly scratching his fingernail on the leather binder that rested in his lap, the woman sitting alongside him was redoing her hair, and the woman beside her was picking the lint off her black sweater. Thus far, Zahra had seen very little of the
‘director’
Jayce Tohmatsu and she had no intention of ever getting reprimanded by him. Zahra was damn good at her job, so she would never give him a reason to do so, yet she could imagine that the experience would be quite unpleasant.

Eager to get to work, Zahra headed straight for Holly’s office where she was sitting at her desk sipping on a chai latte with
Pusha T
blaring from her computer. She swore listening to hip-hop made her work harder and faster. Personally, Zahra thought it to be distracting. The only time she listened to music was on the treadmill.

“What’s cooking, Holly?” Zahra surveyed the documents categorized on the desk and spotted a new set of fabric swatches. Reaching for them, she flicked through the squares. She knew what she was searching for.

“They came in yesterday for Luma. What do you think?”

Luma Street was another development that was well underway. In contrast to Church Street, this project was less flashy but still strikingly beautiful. Her team had yet to finalize the concepts and Zahra knew what she wanted, but the difficulty was in translating the images in her mind into actual concepts. She was searching for a particular hue but, although she knew exactly how to describe the shade, she couldn’t tell Holly because it was the color of Jayce’s eyes.

“Close, but not quite right…” Zahra said, searching for the alternative words that she needed. “Is this the complete set of their selections? If so I need the team to source additional suppliers.”

Holly dropped her pen onto the table. “It’s very hard to tell them what to source when you can’t describe the color.”

“I know. I’ll find a reference and give it to them—leave it with me.”