by Nana Malone
“Alexi…”
Through the fog of lust, I dragged my lips from hers and finally found my voice. “Y-yeah, Abbie.”
Her moan was low and throaty, but instead of pulling me toward her, she gently pushed me away. “I–Uhm…” She swallowed as I kissed the column of her neck. “We–I can’t do this.”
My body registered the command my brain gave to stop, and I dragged my eyes open to peer at her. Hers were wide and hazy with desire and something else. Not fear, but trepidation maybe? I immediately released her.
I forced my hands from her body and ran them through my hair. I cleared my throat and prayed it would help clear my mind too. “I got a little carried away. I apologize.” The words sounded like I tore each one out one by one.
She blinked rapidly and slowly unfurled her hands from the front of my shirt. “Yeah, me too. That was…uh…intense.”
Intense. Sure. That was one word for it. More like we’d both been doused in rocket fuel then lit on fire. “Yeah, I'll say.” I 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.”
I lifted her off my lap and set her back on the ground before righting myself. She leaned on me for support to slip her towering heels back on. From the corner of my eye, I noticed a shadow in the far corner of the roof. I frowned but wasn’t sure what it was until I saw the flash.
Shit.
Right away, I tucked Abbie into my side. “Let’s get out of here. It’s getting a bit cold anyway.” My mind tried to determine if I'd noticed any flashes while we'd been making out like a couple of teenagers. Had that scumbag caught a picture of her? Would I have to tell her who I was before we even got started? The mere thought put a damper on my mood. Or was she the one who called the paparazzi. I dismissed the thought almost as soon as it emerged.
I paused as we got to the door and hazarded a glance back toward where I’d seen the flash.
Abbie frowned. “What’s the matter?”
I rubbed the end of my 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 I deliberately tipped her chin up to face me. I smoothly stepped directly in front of her so anyone watching would only have a view of my back. “C’mon, what’s up?”
Abbie averted her gaze. “I-I don’t usually do that.”
“Enjoy a London evening on a rooftop? I highly recommend it.”
“No.” She chuckled. “I barely know you. And I just got out of this thing. I’m basically a mess.”
I forced my hands into my 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.”
Problem was now that I’d tasted her, I knew I didn’t have a prayer in hell of staying away.
Chapter 12
Abbie...
I swayed into him. It would be so easy to go back to kissing him. Kissing as well as dry humping him on the bench.
That was…new. What kind of idiot was I? 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 I did not do that.
Hooking up wasn’t really my thing. And I wasn’t sure why, but it was really important to me 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 I’d be pressed up against him and remember what he tasted like. Maybe if they just talked for a minute more I could get my 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.”
I tried to step around him, and he blocked my 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.”
I flushed. They could have totally been seen. The thought hadn’t even entered my mind. I'd been so consumed. Actually, no thought had entered my brain. I’d been entirely focused on getting as close to him as humanly possible.
I blinked up at Lex, the chasm between what I wanted to do and what I 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 I preceded him down the stairs I wondered why him? Why this guy? The last thing I wanted to do was get caught up in a guy so hot I 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. I could see herself so wrapped up in him that nothing else mattered. One kiss, and I already knew he would consume my life if I let him.
***
Lex…
I 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 shagging on the dance floor.
I knew it wasn’t a good idea. But I wanted to hold her again, just to feel her skin against mine before I had to let her go and put the mask on again.
Her hips swayed with each graceful stride, and I had to work hard to keep my brain from wandering too far down a path I couldn’t go. Before she melded into the throngs of party guests, I snatched her hand.
Whirling to meet my gaze, she paused just on the edge of the crowd, hanging on the precipice between fantasy and reality. I pulled her in close before leaning in to whisper, “Just one dance before I let you go?”
She blinked up at me before a slow smile spread on her lips. “Which one of us is going to be in debt after this dance?”
I smirked. “I have a feeling it’ll be me, but it’s a debt I willingly take on.”
My brain wrestled with my libido for control of the situation. I didn’t kiss her again, but instead, held her to me so her head tucked neatly under my chin and the scent of her shampoo tickled my nose, making me think of somewhere tropical and secluded.
I brushed my fingertips over the soft skin at her lower back. The satin feel of her flesh teased and sent electrical pulses through my blood.
I glanced quickly around before drawing her further into the dimness where no one would see them. And in the darkened peripheries of my own party, I started to enjoy himself.
I tapped her lower spine in time with the music, wishing the moment could last. When my hands slid further up her back, she inhaled suddenly, and I drew my head back to look down at her. “Are you okay?”
The tip of her tongue peeked out again, taunting me. “Yeah, uh, you sent a shiver down my spine.”
“Good shiver or bad shiver?”
Her lashes lowered. “Good.” Too right.
Thanks to the blood roaring in my head, I couldn’t think, couldn’t remember all the reasons I should let her go, the reasons I couldn’t hold her like this, the reasons to walk away. I repeated the shiver-inducing caress, and she whimpered.
“I wish you wouldn’t do that, Abbie.”
Her voice was soft. Barely discernible over 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 my gaze again. “You’re trouble, you know that?”
“You wouldn’t be the first p
erson to tell me that.” But she would be the first who mattered. What the hell was wrong with me? I barely knew her, but I was already risking too much just to spend a little more time in her presence. I needed to get a serious grip.
With the song fading in the distance, my brain exerted a final defensive maneuver and won the battle over my libido. Gently, I set her away from me. “Thank you for the dance, Abbie. I’m sorry about the kiss. It won’t happen again.”
Then I turned around and deliberately walked away.
Chapter 13
Abbie…
I stumbled several steps before I found my footing. The instant I’d left the warm cocoon of Lex’s arms, I felt empty, and that scared me. And he wasn’t mine to hold onto.
Unable to find my friends with a quick scan, I sidled up to the bar, looking for a good viewing spot. I signaled the bartender and asked for water.
“Hello, Little Bird.”
I jumped as the voice whispered over my consciousness. I whirled around. Sure enough, Xander leaned against the wall. Clutching my hand to my chest, I asked, “What are you doing here?”
His smile was wry as the corners of his eyes crinkled. “I could ask you the same thing. Are you here to pilfer my photography gig?”
It was only then that I 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.”
I silently thanked God for the low light in the bar, because it meant that my 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.
I shook my head. “No. Not really. We just met recently.”
“Pretty saucy dance for two people who just met.”
I frowned. The dragon that was my temper woke from a long slumber and stretched its talons. Though cooler heads prevailed, and I remembered Xander was my teacher. I cleared my 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 my face looked like with Lex’s hips pressed into mine? If it reflected the way I’d been feeling at the time, euphoric desire and a little giddiness, then I was in trouble. “You’ll need an artist release to use that.” I couldn’t put my finger on why, but Xander’s being here irked me. His butting in irked me even more. Something else about him bothered me too. Maybe it was his air of overconfidence, but something about him pushed my buttons, and I had to resist the urge to toss my 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, I asked, “So how do you know Alexi?”
Xander grinned. “Alexi is it?” He smirked. “I used to throw away his dirty nappies.”
Confused, I blinked.
His sudden laugh transformed his face, making him even better looking, but also making him approachable and less cocky. “He’s my brother.”
Brother? Well that explained the common last name. And Lex had said his brother was a photographer. But I had a feeling like he’d deliberately not told me about Xander. Granted, probably many a girl got close to Lex hoping to brush against fame or something.
Now that I looked closely, I wondered how the hell I could have missed it. Alexi cocked his head the same way Xander did. Had the same almost-smiling uptick of his lips. And their bone structure was similar as well. Except Xander’s eyes leaned toward dark slate, and Alexi’s were a soft silver. “Oh. Small world, I guess.”
“Indeed.” He continued to study me. But again, his scrutiny wasn’t sexual….exactly. At least I didn’t think it was.
I stood there, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot to distribute my weight in the killer heels. I wanted to appear nonchalant, but he unsettled me. “What? Why are you staring at me?”
His grin flashed. Wow. It should be illegal for him to do that in public. The simple act of the smile made him look angelic and sweet but he was possessed of the devil’s charm.
“Relax. I already told you, I don’t sleep with students.” He shrugged. “Your face is interesting. I’m trying to figure out the best light to shoot you in.”
He thought my face was fascinating? Right. Didn’t mean I was going to let him shoot me though. “I don’t think so.”
He nodded absently. “Well, if you change your mind, I suppose you know where to find me.”
“I suppose I do.” I began to wonder exactly how many of his students he’d ‘photographed.’
His next question surprised me.
“What do you want with my brother?”
I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right. “Excuse me?”
“My brother—what do you want with him?”
Bewildered, I sputtered. “I-I don’t want anything from him. I barely know the guy. It was just a dance.”
Xander’s eyes were stormy as he leaned into my space. He smelled like Lex. They apparently had the same taste in the unique cologne. The scent swirled around me, and I had to shake my head to clear it.
“Bullshit. I can see it on his face. You intrigue him. Let me do you a favor. Steer clear of him.”
Heat prickled my arm. “I’m sorry, but as far as I’m concerned, I only need to take your advice in the classroom. Outside of it, I can take care of myself.”
He cocked a brow. “Who said I was worried about you?”
With open-mouthed shock, I could only stare as Xander sauntered off to join the throngs on the dance floor. He was immediately joined by a blonde and a brunette, each vying for his attention.
Who did he think he was? I had a father, and I didn’t need to take love advice from my professor, who looked more like a player than any teacher I’d ever seen. And if he wanted to steer me away from Lex, he’d just done the one thing likely to make me run toward his brother.
Be smart.
The problem was, I knew what was smart. But the moment Alexi had kissed me, something shifted inside me and I couldn’t go back.
***
Lex…
I forced my legs to move in the opposite direction of where Abbie stood. I needed to get as far away from her as possible. And I needed to start using my brain, right fucking now. If that fucking paparazzo had gotten a picture of my face, I was royally screwed. Not to mention the shitter I'd just put Gemma in.
I scanned the crowd for her and eventually spotted her chestnut mane by the chocolate fountain. She was deep in conversation with another woman. Even as I battled the crowd to get to my supposed fiancée, I felt her eyes on me. It wouldn’t help me keep my head if she kept staring at me like that. “Hey, Gem, can I talk to you for a minute?”
She smiled up at me as I pulled her aside. “Yeah, Sure. Where did you vanish off to? For a minute, I thought you'd left the party, but I noticed Nick was still here.”
Unable to meet her gaze, I muttered, “Look, Gem, we have a problem.”
She arched a delicate dark brow. “Out with it, Lex.”
“I was on the roof. There was a paparazzo up there.”
“Are you serious?” She rolled her eyes. “They are such a pain in the ass. I'll go talk to the owner right away. You shouldn’t have to deal with that shit on your birthday. Can't they just fucking leave you alone, for once? It's not like you were up there doing lines of coke or anything.” She frowned. “Were you?”
I blinked once, then again. “No. Fuck. No. Nothing like that, but, uh, there was a girl.”
Gemma blinked at me and nodded. “Sophie's friend?”
She’d seen them dancing at Jaspers party last weekend and had peste
red me for days until I’d told her about Abbie. “Yeah. She was up there with me, talking.” I shifted from foot to foot and jammed my hands in my pockets. “There might have been snogging.”
Gemma's eyes widened, then she grinned, then as if dawning slowly crept in, her smile fell and she muttered. “Did he get a picture?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I don’t fucking know. Soon as I saw the camera, I got Her out of there as quickly as possible.”
“Damn it.”
I exhaled as ice settled in my gut. “Yeah. I don’t know when, but it's going to blow up in our faces. She doesn’t look anything like you, Gems. It's going to get all kinds of ugly.” Of all the stupid moves. All because I'd wanted something real just for a minute, I'd put Gemma and her life up for exposure.
“Any chance she called them herself?”
I shook my head. “Unlikely. I don’t think she has a clue who I am. I only just met her.”
Gemma frowned, her ruby red lips pursing. “I don't know. Max or Sophie could have said something. She wouldn’t be the first girl to use you to get herself some publicity.”
Involuntarily, I glanced in Abbie's direction. She was leaning over the DJ booth saying something to Jasper. And the poor bloke looked enthralled. It made I want to hit something. “She's American. She has nothing to do with them. I'm sure of it.” I hoped.
Gemma studied me. “If you’re sure. But we should probably make it a point to leave together.”
The weight that had been temporarily lifted while I was up on the roof, shifted and slithered back onto my shoulders again. I'd never minded Gemma's cover before. But now it felt like a tightening noose around my neck.
Chapter 14
Abbie…
I woke to the smell of fried eggs. My nostrils flared just as my stomach rolled. From somewhere in the distance, I heard a voice talking to my and it was getting closer. “You're a dark horse. You'd better get up and tell me all about it.”
I rolled over and covered my head with a pillow. The only thing about this morning that I was at all thankful for was the grey and dreary weather outside. Perfect light to shoot in, if I could lift my head out of bed. “Tams, please I'm begging you to go away.”
