by Malone, Nana
He wanted a slice of that reality. Wanted to touch it, if even for a minute. Hell, he was at his birthday party, and only a handful of those people would he call his friends. He would have preferred to be home with a pile of movies.
He smiled at her. “So, after a couple of weeks, what do you think of our little island?”
“Besides having fallen completely, unashamedly in love with the history, and the energy, and the diversity, and the atmosphere?” She shrugged, feigning indifference. “It’s okay. If you like that kind of thing. And school has been awesome so far.”
“School?” The hairs on his neck stood at attention. Relax. There are a hundred schools in London. She could be studying at any one of them. This didn’t mean she was Xander’s student. He could have asked, but he didn’t want to get into it.
“Yeah. I ran away from home to do a Masters in Fine Art Photography. My parents are beside themselves. It’s like I said, ‘Hey, Mom and Dad, I want to go be a drug dealer in London.’”
He laughed nervously. His brain kept trying to rationalize all the ways she couldn’t be Xander’s student. She could go to Camberwell or University of Arts. They were the most competitive with University of West London for fine arts degrees. All he had to do was ask. But he didn’t want that truth glaring at him. This was a complication that he didn’t need. So instead, he said, “I get the non-supportive parent thing.”
She shrugged. “Yeah. It’s no big deal. I don’t need their approval.”
But the way her shoulders slumped said she cared no matter what she spoke.
“So you’re here to become the next Annie Lebowitz?”
She beamed at him. “You know Annie Lebowitz?”
He made a mock wounded face. “I know things. I’m not just a playboy who has fabulous parties, you know.”
“I stand corrected.”
Her tongue peeked out to moisten her lips, and all he could do was stare.
She gave him a nervous smile. “What are you staring at?”
Lex nodded absently. “You. Your mouth, specifically.”
She rolled them inward. “Uhm, why.”
“I’m trying to talk myself out of kissing you.”
Abbie shifted away an inch to look at him more fully. “Why?”
“Because I’m probably not the kind of guy you should get involved with.”
Her eyes rounded, and she mouthed, “Oh.”
He liked her. And not just because she was that broken-looking girl he’d rescued from a Mini Cooper. But because she was brave and adventurous but didn’t know it yet. “But I’ve been doing a pretty crappy job of staying away from you.”
Abbie licked her lips again. He bit back a groan.
“I-uh.” She started again. “Alexi, I—”
Alarm bells rang in his head. This was a bad idea. A very bad idea. Worst idea he’d ever had. Worse than even dancing with her and getting a vivid picture of how her body would slide against his in bed. But he didn’t care. In the morning, he’d figure out a way to leave her alone. But right now, he just wanted to taste her.
Reaching out a hand, he cupped her cheek. “I really am going to hell for this.”
He dipped his mouth to hers. As soon as their tongues met, electricity coursed through his body. Lex pulled back in an effort at self-preservation.
Her lashes fluttered open, and she blinked up at him.
He reminded himself of the million reasons why he shouldn’t do this. With everything else going on in his life, he didn’t need complications. But Abbie briefly placed her fingertips against her mouth, and he forgot about what the prudent thing to do would be. Instead, he dragged her forward and kissed her again. On a shocked breath, she opened for him again. He angled his head to deepen the kiss, and all thoughts of good sense evaporated.
Barely aware of what he was doing, he cupped her face and rubbed a thumb over her cheek. Unable to stop kissing her, he delved his tongue inside, tasting her. Her unique flavor intoxicated him. When he touched his tongue to hers, she stilled and backed away, flattening a hand against his chest.
His heart thudded so fast, he worried he’d have a heart attack. Pain radiated in his chest as he waited for her response. Her fingers clenched in the lapels of his shirt, but she still held herself back from him. Shit. He’d taken it too far. “Abbie, I’m sorry. I got—”
She cut him off by tugging him to her and fusing their lips together. He didn’t need further invitation and dragged her onto his lap so she straddled him, her dress shifting up to expose her thighs.
His brain managed a few strangled messages like: What are you doing? You’re literally making out with this girl in public. What if a photographer catches you? But the rational messages were drowned out by the pounding need coursing through his veins.
Abbie dipped her tongue into his mouth, and his brain stopped functioning. Sliding his tongue over hers, he tried to decipher every flavor. Mostly, she tasted like something sweet like strawberries—maybe her lip-gloss, maybe the strawberry infused sake?
He sucked on her tongue, and she gasped into his mouth. When he did it again, she responded in kind by doing the same to him. The electric current flowing through his body sent a jolt of electricity straight to his dick.
Holding her tighter, his fingers skimmed her waist and slipped under his jacket to play with the skin on her bare back. Abbie gently rose on her knees, then resettled on his lap, bringing her molten heat more solidly against him. She repeated the action over and over again, and anything rational flew out of his head. He clamped both hands on her hips and rocked his in a steady rhythm. The more she rode him, the more he groaned.
Alarms rang in his skull. But he couldn’t stop. She tasted like heaven. If he wasn’t careful, he’d be reaching up under her dress to see just how wet she was. If he did something that stupid, he’d end up screwing her right here on the roof.
She was the one who slowly drew back. “What the hell are we doing?”
Lex’s brain struggled for purchase as Abbie’s question filtered into his consciousness. What was he supposed to say? If he said the wrong thing, she’d scramble back downstairs. “I haven’t a clue,” he muttered between shallow breaths. “But it feels really good.”
He gave her another slow drugging kiss that made him dizzy. Hell, he knew nothing about this girl except in this moment he could go on kissing her forever.
Abbie moved against him fluidly, and through their clothes, his erection sought out her moist heat. All he could think about was getting her closer and closer and burying himself so deep inside her that he wouldn’t remember his own name.
She trembled in his arms as he slid a hand between them, skimmed over her ribcage, pausing only as his thumb grazed the underside of her breast. His erection pulsed painfully against the fly of his jeans.
“Alexi…”
Through the fog of lust, he dragged his lips from hers and finally found his voice. “Y-yeah, Abbie.”
Her moan was low and throaty, but instead of pulling him toward her, she gently pushed him away. “I—Uhm…” She swallowed as he kissed the column of her neck. “We—I can’t do this.”
His body registered the command his brain gave to stop, and he dragged his eyes open to peer at her. Hers were wide and hazy with desire and something else. Not fear, but trepidation maybe? He immediately released her.
Lex forced his hands from her body and ran them through his hair. He cleared his throat and prayed it would help clear his mind too. “I got a little carried away.”
She blinked rapidly and slowly unfurled her hands from the front of his shirt. “Yeah, me too. That was…uh…intense.”
Intense. Sure. That was one word for it. More like they’d both been doused in rocket fuel then lit on fire. “Yeah, I’ll say.” He prayed for some semblance of control. “C’mon. I’ll take you back to the party, and from now on I’ll be a perfect gentleman. I promise.”
She ducked her head. “Maybe if we could slow down for a minute.”
&
nbsp; Lex lifted her off his lap and set her back on the ground before righting himself. She leaned on him for support to slip her towering heels back on. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a shadow in the far corner of the roof. He frowned but wasn’t sure what it was until he saw the flash.
Shit.
Right away, he tucked Abbie into his side. “Let’s get out of here. It’s getting a bit cold anyway.” His mind tried to determine if he’d noticed any flashes while they’d been making out like a couple of teenagers. Had that scumbag caught a picture of her? Would he have to tell her who he was before they even got started? The mere thought put a damper on his mood. Or was she the one who called the paparazzi. He dismissed the thought almost as soon as it emerged.
Lex paused as they got to the door and hazarded a glance back toward where he’d seen the flash.
Abbie frowned. “What’s the matter?”
He rubbed the end of his nose. “Nothing. Sorry. I was just thinking. Or rather trying to force the blood to my brain so I could think. It seems you have quite an effect on me.”
She ducked her head again, and he deliberately tipped her chin up to face him. He smoothly stepped directly in front of her so anyone watching would only have a view of his back. “C’mon, what’s up?”
Abbie averted her gaze. “I don’t usually do that.”
“Enjoy a London evening on a rooftop? I highly recommend it.”
“No.” She chuckled. “I barely know you, but I was all over you like butter.”
Lex forced his hands into his pockets instead of on her. “It’s okay, Abbie. I’m not going to bite. That’s not how that was supposed to go at all. I’d been hoping for something a little less…combustible.”
Now that he’d tasted her, he knew he didn’t have a prayer in hell of staying away.
Chapter 11
Abbie swayed into Alexi. It would be so easy to go back to kissing him. Kissing as well as practically dry humping him on the bench. That was…new. What kind of idiot was she? It was one thing to want to be adventurous; it was another to get so caught up. It had to be the alcohol talking, because she did not do that.
She was no virgin, but hooking up wasn’t really her thing. And she wasn’t sure why, but it was really important to her for him to know that. “Combustible. Right. I just feel like I need to breathe for a minute. Catch my breath.” Get my brain working.
His smile was slow, but it reached his eyes. “I can live with that. How about we go dance?”
What? No. Dancing was far worse. Because with dancing she’d be pressed up against him and remember what he tasted like. Maybe if they just talked for a minute more she could get her bearings. “I was thinking we could stay up here a little longer. You know, talk a little more. Maybe you can tell me why you’re really hiding on the night of your birthday party.”
She tried to step around him, and he blocked her path. “Maybe we should grab coffee or something for that kind of chat. It’s a very boring story. Besides, if we stay up here, I won’t be thinking about my life story. I’ll be thinking about how you taste. Anyway, I can’t really disappear too long from the party. It’s only a matter of time until someone comes looking for us.”
She flushed. They could have totally been seen. The thought hadn’t even entered her mind. She’d been so consumed. Actually, no thought had entered her brain. She’d been entirely focused on getting as close to him as humanly possible.
She blinked up at Lex, the chasm between what she wanted to do and what she should do growing ever wider. “You’re right. Lead the way to the dance floor. I wore these shoes for a reason. They should get used.”
“Ladies first, of course.”
As she preceded him down the stairs she wondered why him? Why this guy? The last thing she wanted to do was get caught up in a guy so hot she didn’t dare touch. Not to mention a spoiled rich kid. He might not be making it rain, but the air of wealth clung to him.
But Lex had a way about him. She could see herself so wrapped up in him that nothing else mattered. One kiss, and she already knew he would consume her life if she let him.
* * *
Lex followed Abbie into the din of the party. Jasper had switched from the dance tracks to Robin Thicke. The mellow and seductive sounds of Lost Without You filled the room, and couples gravitated toward each other, holding on tight, some nearly making love on the dance floor.
Lex knew it wasn’t a good idea. But he wanted to hold her again, just to feel her skin against his before he had to let her go and put the mask on again.
Her hips swayed with each graceful stride, and he had to work hard to keep his brain from wandering too far down a path he couldn’t go. Before she melded into the throngs of party guests, he snatched her hand.
Whirling to meet his gaze, she paused just on the edge of the crowd, hanging on the precipice between fantasy and reality. He pulled her in close before leaning in to whisper, “Can I have one dance before I let you go?”
She blinked up at him before a slow smile spread on her lips. “Which one of us is going to be in debt after this dance?”
He smirked. “I have a feeling it’ll be me, but it’s a debt I willingly take on.”
Lex’s brain wrestled with his libido for control of the situation. He didn’t kiss her again, but instead, held her to him so her head tucked neatly under his chin and the scent of her shampoo tickled his nose, making him think of somewhere tropical and secluded.
He brushed his fingertips over the soft skin at her lower back. The satin feel of her flesh teased and sent electrical pulses through his blood.
He glanced quickly around before drawing her further into the dimness where no one would see them. And in the darkened peripheries of his own party, he started to enjoy himself.
He tapped her lower spine in time with the music, wishing the moment could last. When his hands slid further up her back, she inhaled suddenly, and he drew his head back to look down at her. “Are you okay?”
The tip of Abbie’s tongue peeked out again, taunting him. “Yeah, uh, you sent a shiver down my spine.”
“Good shiver or bad shiver?”
Her lashes lowered. “Good.”
Thanks to the blood roaring in his head, he couldn’t think, couldn’t remember all the reasons he should let her go, the reasons he couldn’t hold her like this, the reasons to walk away. He repeated the shiver-inducing caress, and she whimpered.
“I wish you wouldn’t do that, Abbie.”
Her voice was soft. Barely discernable with the music. “Why not?”
“Because it makes me want to misbehave, and we’ve already misbehaved enough for one party.”
Her brows furrowed before she met his gaze again. “You’re trouble, you know that?”
“You wouldn’t be the first person to tell me that.” But she would be the first who mattered. What the hell was wrong with him? He barely knew her, but he was already risking too much just to spend a little more time in her presence. He needed to get a serious grip.
With the song fading in the distance, his brain exerted a final defensive maneuver and won the battle over his libido. Gently, he set her away from him. “Thank you for the dance, Abbie. I’m sorry about the kiss. It won’t happen again.”
Then he turned around and deliberately walked away.
Chapter 12
Abbie stumbled several steps before she found her footing. The instant she’d left the warm cocoon of Lex’s arms, she felt empty, and that scared her. And he wasn’t hers to hold onto.
Unable to find her friends with a quick scan, she sidled up to the bar, looking for a good viewing spot. She signaled the bartender and asked for water.
“Hello, Little Bird.”
Abbie jumped as the voice whispered over her consciousness. She whirled around. Sure enough, Xander leaned against the wall. Clutching her hand to her chest, she asked, “What are you doing here?”
His smile was wry as the corners of his eyes crinkled. “I could ask you the same thing. A
re you here to pilfer my photography gig?”
It was only then that she noticed the camera around his neck. “Oh, you’re working.” Who was Lex that he could afford a photographer of Xander’s caliber just for his birthday? “Not poaching, I swear. I’m here for the party.”
He chuckled softly. “You can relax. I’m only having a bit of fun with you.” He nodded toward Lex. “I saw you dancing with the birthday boy.”
She silently thanked God for the low light in the bar, because it meant that her sudden flush was hidden. “I, uh, yeah.”
“You know him well?” His question was almost too soft to be heard over the din of the rap song Jasper played.
She shook her head. “No. Not really. We just met recently.”
“Pretty hot dance for two people who just met.”
Abbie frowned. The dragon that was her temper woke from a long slumber and stretched its talons. Though cooler heads prevailed, and she remembered Xander was her teacher. She cleared her throat and searched the crowd for Max or Sophie. “No, not really.”
“Not from what I could see at this vantage point. As you know, the camera never lies.”
Had he photographed them dancing? What had her face looked like with Lex’s hips pressed into hers? If it reflected the way she’d been feeling at the time, euphoric desire and a little giddiness, then she was in trouble. “You’ll need an artist release to use that.” She couldn’t put her finger on why, but Xander’s being here irked her. His butting in irked her even more. Something else about him bothered her too. Maybe it was his air of overconfidence, but something about him pushed her buttons, and she had to resist the urge to toss her drink at him. That would have been a waste of perfectly good water.
“That I would, if I intended to use it for anything.”
Through gritted teeth, she asked, “So how do you know Alexi?”
Xander grinned. “Alexi is it?” He smirked. “I used to throw away his dirty nappies.”
