Chapter 9

One day, eight hours and…six minutes.

That was how long the text had been sitting in Jensen’s inbox. He detested that he was reduced to even knowing how long it had parked itself in his consciousness, taunting him with its presence.

Taunting him with that gut twisting mix of hope and bitterness he thought he was finally rid of. He detested the fact that it had taken just one text from her to reduce him to this. He hated that she still had that effect on him. After five damn years.

How he wished it were one of those mundane work texts or emails he had become so adept at passing to his assistant to deal with.

Then, from a safe distance, it would have been so easy to tell her to handle it. Or, better yet, delete it.

But here it was. Not handled. Not deleted.

And about as far from mundane as it could get.

Not when he had already read the text. Not when he had already read her name: Katherine Kavell. Just that name alone broug