by Malone, Nana
Abbie shook her head and laughed. He was incorrigible. “Why are you chasing me?”
His brows rose. “Is this chasing? I thought it was me spending time with a friend.”
Abbie crossed her arms. “You kiss all your friends like that?”
The frown was back. “What? No. You, I—” He ran his hands through his hair. “Oh, Abbie. You have no idea. The truth is I have no idea what it is you’re doing to me. This isn’t me. I don’t run around chasing anything in a skirt. You’re…different.”
She didn’t believe him. “Uh huh.”
He sighed deeply. “Look, on the roof, that was the first conversation I’ve had with someone in a long time. A real conversation, anyway. Not one that was all surface talk or about what someone wants from me. I haven’t been that open with anyone besides my brother maybe ever.”
Abbie’s heart twirled in joy, but her brain was quick to bitch-slap it into submission. Evan had said things like that to her before, and where the hell had she ended up? Absently, she rubbed her cheek. “You don’t even know me.”
“Maybe, but I recognized you. You’re looking for something real. Looking for something to make you feel alive.” He shrugged. “I’m looking for the same thing. Doesn’t hurt that you’re beautiful.”
Oh, he was good. She hid a smile. “And yesterday, in Brixton?”
He pitched his voice lower. “I just wanted to see what it would be like to hold onto you for a minute.”
Abbie shook her head. “I’m not sure what to do when you say stuff like that to me.” She put up a hand. “Wait, not like I’m insecure or anything.” Even better, now she sounded arrogant. “I’m not over confident either.” She sighed. Now would be a really good time for a muzzle. “In some ways you’re so like my ex. In other ways, so totally different.”
“Different can be good.”
He took a step toward her, and she automatically stepped back.
“Remember, Abbie, I’m a completely different person. Whatever fucked up thing sent you out of his arms, I’m glad you’re here. I’m not that bloke. I’m not going to hurt you.”
She licked her lips nervously. “I thought you said you wanted me to stay away from you.”
He took another step toward her, and she took another step back. “I’m tired of being on my best behavior.”
“Alexi, I—”
He stepped directly in front of her, and she backed right into the bookcase.
“It’s easy, all we have to do is let go.”
Lex braced his hands on either side of her head. When he closed the short distance between their bodies, her heart hammered, and she held her breath. Just once, she wanted to be able to be free. To be able to let go and enjoy him. To be able to live just a little. No rules, no control.
“Look at me, Abbie.”
She stubbornly kept her gaze pinned to his broad chest.
His voice was a whisper that caressed her skin. “Abbie. It’s okay, look at me.”
The pleading in his voice broke her resolve. How was she supposed to resist gorgeous and seductive and pleading?
When her gaze met his, his eyes were soft.
“Can I kiss you?”
Chapter 17
Abbie’s legs trembled as Lex’s scent wrapped her in a warm cocoon of mint and something woodsy. He smelled fresh and clean. Like the fresh start she needed. Like the man she wanted.
She swallowed hard then nodded. Her body wanted him, yet her brain was hesitant. This wasn’t how things were supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to get distracted. But here in the darkened photo lab, with the whirring of the printer for company, she wanted to lose herself, forget who she was. She wanted to lose herself in him.
When his lips touched hers, they were firm and warm. Electricity tingled over her skin. His hands lifted to her face, and his touch was soft as he stroked her cheekbones with his thumbs.
Heat flooded her body and her mind, and she couldn’t think about anything other than getting closer. She wound her arms around his shoulders, then looped them around his neck. When she slid a hand into his hair, he growled low. His chest vibrated against hers while he deepened the kiss. With every slide of his tongue, her body softened and molded against his.
Through her clothes, Abbie could feel the stiff length of his erection nudging her belly, and she moaned. Need and desire flooded her body as Lex’s hands slid from her face to her hips. His grip was firm but yielding, as if he was asking permission for something. Eager to be closer to his warmth, she pressed her body closer to his, and his hands flexed. Abbie’s breath caught when his thumbs started to trace a path along the hem of her shirt where a strip of her belly showed.
Lex dragged his head back, and she mewled a protest. The answering uptick of his lips made her whole body contract.
When he spoke, his voice was barely recognizable. As if each word had to be forcibly ripped out of his throat. “Is this okay?” He used his thumbs to trace a path along her flesh again.
Abbie swayed into him, unable to help herself. She couldn’t find any words, could only nod numbly as he played the pads of his thumbs over her skin. Fire tripped over every nerve ending, and she felt like she might actually combust if he kept touching her. But if he stopped, she was pretty certain she’d die.
Lex’s gaze was hot and intent. The silver-gray of his eyes had darkened to nearly black. He cleared his throat. “If I do something you don’t like or aren’t ready for, just tell me, okay?”
Again she made a herculean effort to move her head up and down. Why was he talking so much? She needed him kissing her again. Needed to feel the zing of excitement, the need drowning out all other thought. The tingle and the pull of her body as it readied for him. She’d never felt anything like it in her life. And the good sense part of her brain tried to shout a warning, but she was in no mood to listen.
But he didn’t resume kissing her. He just kept touching her with slow lazy strokes. “I need to hear the words, Abbie. Can you do that for me?”
Shit. What the hell was the question again? There’d been kissing, then touching, then he’d pulled back and—Oh yeah, he’d asked her to tell him if he did something she wasn’t cool with. “Y-yes, I’ll tell you.” Her voice came out all breathy and light.
Lex’s hold tightened before he muttered, “Good.”
When he kissed her again, he wasn’t as gentle. Instead of coaxing a response from her, he demanded one, and her body gave him what he wanted. His thigh wedged between her legs, bringing him in contact with her throbbing clit. Through her jeans, she could feel the heat and hardness of his leg muscles and the friction he applied to her sweet spot. Her hips gave an involuntary jerk, and he gave her a satisfied grunt.
As his hand stole up her T-shirt, she arched her back into his caresses. He left a trail of buzzing nerve endings in his wake as he traveled up her belly then her ribs to her breast.
Abbie held her breath, and her body stilled in anticipation. Her breasts could be extremely sensitive. She craved his touch, but worried about what he’d think of her if she lost control.
He dragged his head back again. “You want me to stop?”
“N-no.”
“I am so happy to hear you say that.” His lips slid back over hers as his thumb skimmed the underside of her bra. The shot of lust hit her hard, and she rocked her hips on his thigh. When he did it again, Abbie threw her head back.
He trailed kisses along her jawline then dipped his head farther to her neck. “You taste so sweet. And you feel even better than you taste. All I’ll be able to think about from now on is how soft you are.”
He traced a thumb over her nipple and she cried out. Moisture and heat rushed to her center, and the building need tripped her so close to the edge of ecstasy. It wouldn’t take much. Just one more stroke from his deft fingers, maybe two.
“Jesus, you are so beautiful,” he whispered.
“Alexi…”
* * *
The way Abbie said his name made
Lex’s heart thunder. Like in that moment he was the center of her universe. It fired every protective instinct he had. He wanted her to be his.
But she’s not yours. When she finds out she’ll run.
As he nuzzled her neck, he blinked, trying to ward off the intruding thought. She could be his. He could let himself have something he wanted. Just this once, he might not have to hide. She’s not yours. He wanted to surround himself with her softness and forget, but he couldn’t. He should let her go.
Yet the lure of her soft skin and her open response was too much to ignore. He brushed his thumb over her nipple again. Her hoarse cry and the flexing of her hands in his hair told him she was already so close to letting go for him. There was something so pure in her response that it made him ache. She was so open.
His erection ached and throbbed, once again begging him to sink deep inside her and forget all the nonsense about her not being his.
When her hips rocked on his leg once more, he almost lost the battle with himself about taking her in the photo lab. His imagination conjured up all kinds of positioning with the machines and furniture at hand.
Through the foggy haze of his brain, he heard footsteps from down the hall. His brain tried to focus on the sound, but Abbie scratched her nails through his hair, and a wave of lust drowned out rational thinking. He cupped her breast and groaned as the soft plump globe filled his hand. God.
When Abbie dragged his head back up and melded her lips back to his, he forgot all about the phantom footsteps and where they were. He forgot all about why he couldn’t be with her. He forgot everything. All that mattered was this moment with her, in his arms. It didn’t even matter that he couldn’t breathe.
It was Abbie that brought him out of the fog when her head snapped around. “What was that?”
Lex’s brain tried to shake of the blanket of lust enough to focus. “What?”
Abbie’s dark gaze flickered to his. “Muffled beeping. Do you hear that?”
The word beeping brought his brain into better focus. Beeping. Xander’s ringtone. Right, his damn phone. Xander must have seen his car in the parking lot. “Shit.” He swiftly removed his hand from Abbie’s breast before stepping back and adjusting her T-shirt.
With an ease he didn’t feel and hard fought nonchalance, he slowly stepped away from her and dug in his pocket for his phone.
The display said Xander, and he muffled another curse before picking up. “Hey, Xan. What’s up, big brother?”
“I saw your car. Are you on campus?”
He hesitated a minute before answering. He wanted to go back to touching Abbie, but something about the stiff set of her shoulders told him that wasn’t going to happen now.
Her body eventually sagged against the bookcase, and she dragged in several long, deep breaths before she moved back to the printer. She didn’t look at him, and a slice of pain stabbed at his heart.
Anybody could have walked in on them. He needed to be better aware of the risks, not just for him, but for her. It wasn’t exactly a good idea to get caught making out with a professor’s brother.
“Yeah, I’m on campus, just headed to come and see you. Wanted to ask you about something actually.”
He hung up with Xander and turned his attention to Abbie. Her back was still to him. “Did I push you too far?”
She whirled to face him, and though her face was flush, her eyes were clear and vibrant. “No. It was…” Her voice trailed as she blinked rapidly. “No. I just—I think I lost my head for a minute—again.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
She sighed. “It’s a confusing thing. Clearly we, uhm, have some chemistry.”
His body jerked as if she’d caressed him. Ready for action, dying to touch her again. “You can say that again.”
“I’m just not in a good place at all. But every time I see you, it’s hard to remember that I’m supposed to be more careful.”
He wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but he liked her open and vulnerable, not shuttered. “I won’t hurt you.”
Her smile was weak. “I’ve heard that before. You should go.”
Damn it. He didn’t want to leave things like this. “Look. I need to deal with Xander. I should have known he’d see my car. I’ll call you as soon as I’m done with him.”
She didn’t respond.
Stepping up behind her, he gently brushed her braids off the back of her neck and planted a soft kiss at her nape. “I’m sorry I have to go, but can I call you?” He kissed her softly.
She shivered, and then nodded. The simple action was enough to make his heart do flips. “And, Abbie?”
She shifted her head to glance at him. “Yes, Alexi?”
“I had fun today.”
Chapter 18
“Do you want to tell me why the hell you’re butting into my business?” Lex asked his brother through clenched teeth as he stalked into Xander’s office.
“Hello to you too, little brother. How’s the post birthday hangover?”
“Cut the shit, Xander. You want to tell me where you get off telling girls to stay away from me?” Not that he expected a straight answer. He’d learned years ago that Xander wouldn’t tell him anything he wasn’t in the mood to. Direct questions were always the fastest.
Xander leaned back in his chair. “It’s funny, she didn’t seem like a rebel to me, but I guess she was, if you’re in here shouting at me.”
“Answer the question, Xander. Why would you tell her that?”
“The better question is, why do you care? You can have any girl you want. Stop messing with my students.”
Lex ignored him. “It’s none of your business.”
“Hate to break it to you, mate, but it is starting to be my business. You forget my fate is tied inexorably with yours. You start making new friends, and that starts getting very ugly for the brothers Chase.”
Anger and annoyance made for a volatile cocktail. Lex glared at his brother. “In sixteen years, I haven’t told a bloody soul what happened that night. I’m not going to start now. I’ve been with Gemma since we were kids, and I’ve never told her. This isn’t about that night, Xander.”
His brother sat forward with a thunk of his chair. “I saw you Friday night, Lex. I watched you dance with her. Hell, you’re lucky I was the only one who saw you. Did you tell her about Gemma?”
The heat of shame pricked. He needed to tell her, but first he needed to see what they were first. “No need to. It was just a dance. She’s a friend, and that’s all. I’m not going to stay away from her just because you tell me to.”
Xander stood with his hands planted on his desk. “I’ve never seen you look like that. I caught the whole damn sex-dance on film, and I felt like I was intruding on a couple in love.”
Xander had it on film? It took sheer force of will not to ask to see the pictures from that night. “She’s a friend. That’s it.”
“You can’t have friends like that. You can’t have her as a friend.”
Lex stiffened. “What happened to grabbing my slice of happiness?”
“That was before I knew you were screwing one of my students.”
“What does it matter to you? I’m not backing off. But I would appreciate it if you’d fucking butt out of my life.”
Xander’s lips set in a firm line. His brother’s eyes, a near mirror of Lex’s own, narrowed. The air around them crackled and vibrated with hostility. Then the obvious struck Lex. “You want her.”
Weary dread knotted in his belly as Xander folded his arms over his chest. “I’m not an idiot. I don’t date my students.”
“That wasn’t what I asked you.”
Xander shrugged. “I recall it was more of a statement.”
Lex wasn’t going to play games. He loved his brother, but he also wasn’t going to give up Abbie, or worse let Xander have her. “Xander, I don’t want to fight you over a girl.”
“Easy, then don’t. Stop seeing her.”
Could he really walk
away from her? Just a brief taste, and he was already reeling. “I’m sorry. I can’t. I care about her. She won’t say what, but something haunts her.”
Xander was silent for a minute before he responded, “You can tell from the photos she takes.”
“I can be her friend, Xander. Can you even be that?”
Chapter 19
Abbie tapped her foot up and down rapidly. Eventually Ilani reached over, put a hand on her knee, and mouthed. “Would you stop?”
Abbie shrugged and whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m just nervous.”
After Alexi had left her in the labs yesterday, she’d managed to finish what she wanted, but every other thought had been consumed with him. He’d texted to apologize for running off, but other than that, he hadn’t called.
And now, she was a jumbled pile of raw nerves. What if Xander figured out who Lex had been with? Would he be pissed? He had told her to stay away from his brother after all.
And no matter what she tried, she couldn’t focus on her classmates as they prepared and talked about their photos. Her mind kept drifting back to Alexi. His lips on hers, the way he’d asked permission before kissing her. The reverent way he’d touched her. She shifted in her seat.
Ilani flicked a paperclip at her head. “Honestly, Abbie. If you don’t stop, I’ll sever your legs. It will be a real shame watching you wheel around London trying to take photos, but I’ll do it.”
“Shit. I’m sorry. I just want this whole thing over with.”
Ilani nodded in understanding. “The reason I’m so calm is I medicated with a shot of vodka before coming today.”
Abbie couldn’t help a silent snort of laughter, and she whispered, “You what?”
“I know. Seems stupid now as I’m buzzing just the slightest bit. I’m praying I get through my presentation without showing the whole class my knickers.”
Abbie shook her head and giggled. “You know, you’re just outrageous enough that I can see it happening.”
Ilani winked at her. “It’s happened before.”
At that moment, Xander walked in, and the room went silent, everyone nearly sitting on the edges of their chairs, waiting to see who the first victim would be. Each of them hoping it wouldn’t be them, but simultaneously praying it would be so they could just get it over with.
