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  “Speaking of complications…” I muttered. I couldn’t have missed Abbie’s entrance with her friends if I’d been trying.

  Sophie squealed when she spotted me, and immediately a flock of women swarmed the models. One of the guys put his arm around Abbie, and I had the irrational urge to plant my fist in his face.

  She’d texted earlier to say she was going out, but I had no idea she’d end up here.

  As always, she looked stunning. She’d worn her braids piled on top of her head in some kind of bun, with long dangling earrings showing off her slender neck.

  Gemma glanced toward the entrance. “Given the electric sparks between you two across a room, I see why the urgency.”

  “Leave it, Gem.”

  “Just saying. Give me a couple of weeks before you two get cited for public eye shagging.” She gathered up her purse. “I think I’ll go see what Nick’s up to.”

  I didn’t even see which way she went because my attention was so focused on Abbie. And as if she felt my eyes on her, she immediately looked up.

  When our gazes locked, need chased the elation through my veins. I’d only seen her yesterday, but any time I spent away from her felt like eons. But it wasn’t like I could really complain. She’d had work to do for my brother. I tried not to think about what Xander had said about her. It didn’t matter what Xander thought. I couldn’t stop seeing her.

  She climbed the stairs, her soft skirt swishing against her legs as she did. When she reached the landing, she fixed me with a smile. “Fancy meeting you here.” She looked around surreptitiously. “In a sex club.”

  “Oh, is it a sex club? I hadn’t noticed.” I grinned. “Nick’s idea.”

  “Ahh, he didn’t really strike me as the whips-and-chains kind of guy.” She shrugged.

  For several moments, we stood facing each other, neither moving, forcing anyone who wanted access to the stairs to go around us. Finally, I angled my body a little closer to her and said, “It’s one of his dad’s clubs. Do you want to go somewhere a little more private… to talk?”

  Her eyes flashed. “Yeah.” She cleared her throat. “Talking seems like a really good idea, actually.”

  I took her hand and led her through the throngs of the VIP section, past the dominatrix with her victim for the night, and past the sex viewing rooms. She held on tight to me as we passed by them.

  “Are they having…”

  “Yeah.” As much as I wanted to be with her, I hated having her here in the midst of all the kink that was going on. “Maybe we should leave the club?”

  “I—No. It’s okay. We came as a group for Jasper’s gig tonight. Apparently, there’s some big promoter here. Jasper’s hoping to get some representation tonight. We’re sort of supporting him. Everyone would notice if I left.”

  “Right.” Jasper. Jasper might be my friend, but jealousy ate at me. I wanted her there to support me. Of course, I’d have to tell her something real about myself first. I found the private rooms, then after looking around to make sure no one paid us any attention, I dragged her inside. Dim red light illuminated the comfortable-looking couch and bed. Her eyes widened as she glanced around. “This is… cozy.”

  I kissed her softly, and for a moment, all the tension ebbed out of my body. “I just wanted to be alone with you for two minutes before things get crazy out there and we don’t have a minute to talk all night.”

  “No. It’s fine.” She placed a hand on my chest, and my heart hammered. “I’d rather get a minute with you, even if it’s in a sex room. I wanted to talk to you about something.”

  We’d spent a lot of time together over the last week, but we hadn’t been alone. Always out in public. Even the photo lab had been occupied when I’d gone to help her. The one night we’d made a date for her to go to my place, she’d had to do some schoolwork for Xander and rescheduled. The prick of guilt stung as I thought of how badly her last critique had gone.

  “Okay, talk.” I kissed the crook of her neck and inhaled. Her perfume, mixed with her unique scent, drove me a little crazy and made my head swim.

  “Alexi, I can’t—” She moaned when I licked her. “I can’t think when you’re doing that.”

  “Okay, sorry.” I drew back. “Sometimes I forget to slow down.”

  She blinked up at me and inhaled deeply. “Sometimes I don’t want you to.”

  I stilled. What? “I don’t understand.”

  “Have you noticed that even after we said we’d ease up on intensity we’ve been spending every minute we can together?”

  Something ominous and slimy squirmed in my gut. “I thought that was a good thing.”

  “It is. Maybe we don’t need to take it quite so slow anymore.”

  Relief washed over me like a wave. As did panic. I was totally fucked. I was completely in love with her. And there were things she still didn’t know about me.

  “You’re okay with this?”

  She nodded. “I want you.” She shook her head. “I get it now. This feeling is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.”

  I pulled her in and kissed her because I couldn’t bear not to. My tongue slid over hers in the familiar pattern, and my blood thickened. She responded by winding her hands into my hair and tugging me close. I’d been half hard from the moment she walked into the club, but now my erection throbbed insistently behind the fly of my jeans.

  As my hands slipped under her shimmery top to feel the satin-smooth skin beneath, Abbie moaned into my mouth. My thumbs traced each rib, and she melted against me. Her breath caught when her belly came into contact with the thick length of me.

  Fuck. My body kept screaming, there is a bed right here, and she clearly wanted me. But we didn’t have time for this. Our friends would miss us.

  Very deliberately, I placed my hands on her hips. I held her tight for several seconds, wanting to drag her closer and grind my dick into her to show her how much I wanted her. To hint that I knew just what that bed was for and had an idea where all the sex toys might be. Instead, I set her a foot away from me and my stiff erection.

  We both dragged in gulps of air. Her eyes were cloudy and hooded as she blinked up at me. “Wh-why’d you stop?”

  I tried desperately to clear my brain of lust and think clearly. “What?”

  “Don’t stop.” She took a step toward me.

  I stepped back. If I touched her again, I might not be able to stop myself. “Abbie, we’re not doing this here. As much as I want to be with you, I really don’t want a rushed quickie in a sex room.”

  She nodded slowly and inched forward. “So, you still want me?”

  I dragged my hands through my hair. “Jesus. I’m trying desperately to be the good guy. I’m trying very hard to not drag you into that bed and peel off your top to see if you’re wearing a bra over those pretty tits of yours. How can you ask if I still want you? I’ve been dreaming about you every night. You’re all I’ve been able to think about the last couple of weeks.”

  She reached for me, unbuttoning my top button, then the next, and all the way down until my shirt hung open. When her fingertips brushed my skin, I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to manage the deluge of need. She was touching me like she needed me, like she would die if she didn’t have me. So what was my problem?

  “Fuck it,” I muttered as I dragged her to me again, melding my lips with hers. I pushed my tongue inside her sweet warmth, desperate to taste her. Needing to know how much she wanted me.

  She responded by sucking on my tongue, sliding hers, so wet and so hot, against mine that my knees wobbled. When she pressed her body flush against mine, I couldn’t think.

  I lifted her so she straddled my hips, and I braced her against the wall. I was desperate to bury myself inside her, but I wasn’t going anywhere near that bed. She held onto my shoulders and locked her legs behind my back. Devouring her mouth, I slid my hands back up her torso until my thumbs skimmed across bare breast.

  I dragged my mouth from hers. “Fuck, Abbie, I was kidding a
bout the no-bra thing.”

  Her answering smile was feminine and powerful. “You like the look?”

  “God, yes.” I hated the idea of any of the blokes she came with getting a peek down her blouse, but it was so sexy. I palmed both of her breasts, and she tossed her head back, baring her neck. Leaning over, I nipped then licked at a sensitive spot on the column of her throat before sucking on it gently, marking her as mine.

  My thumbs and forefingers pinched her nipples, and she moaned my name while rocking her hips against me. “Lex, please…”

  “I know what you need.” I placed open-mouth kisses along her throat until I reached her lips again. I removed one hand from her breast and massaged the back of her neck as I kissed her.

  I let her legs fall back to the floor and wedged a knee between her thighs. She moaned at the contact. I knew by now how close she was. Her little mewling sounds were a dead giveaway. “That’s it, Abbie. Help me make you feel good. Show me how you like it. Ride me. Move how you want.” I pinched her nipple again, and she screamed.

  I lifted the soft material of her blouse, exposing her blackberry-tipped nipples. Unable to help myself, I lowered my head to one of the darkened buds. Right before wrapping my lips over the puckered tip, I whispered, “You are so beautiful.”

  The moment I licked her, she trembled then came apart in wild convulsions. I didn’t let up, sucking her nipple, drowning in her need. She rode my leg, and her thigh brushed my groin on every movement of her hips. Each movement was pure torture, and I was certain I’d never sleep tonight.

  “Oh, God, Alexi.” Another orgasm rolled through her, and I watched in wonder. When she came, she was the picture of pure abandonment.

  She laid her head against my shoulder, dragging in harsh breaths. When she finally spoke, she whispered, “One of these days, you’re going to need to let me reciprocate.”

  I throbbed. I worried I might actually explode in my jeans. “It’s not about reciprocity, sweetheart. But, if you’re offering, then maybe—do you think you can come home with me? I want you in my bed.”

  She brought her head back up to meet my gaze. Her fingertips brushed the length of my erection, and I nearly choked. “I want to. I’m not sure I can get away with that though. It’s sort of a girls’ night. And my class is meeting in the morning for an early shoot.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut as all blood in my body flowed right out to my burning hard cock. With the last vestige of control, I nodded briskly. “Okay. But this weekend though. I want you in my bed.”

  She sighed softly as I readjusted her clothes. “Done, but I’m issuing my formal protest. I don’t care where we are.”

  “I do.” I forced myself away from her. “Let’s go back to your friends before one of them comes looking for you.”

  “Fine, I’ll behave.”

  With my hand on the door, I kissed her briefly. “I was thinking, how about instead of you just coming over, we go on an actual date. You know, where I take you to dinner, maybe a little dancing. Just us. No crew.”

  She grinned. “Like a grown-up date?”

  “Yeah, let’s pretend to be grown up for a minute.” I swung her hand gently. “I want to show you off. No more sneaking off or pretending I’m not desperate to touch you.” I needed Gemma to move up her timeline.

  Taking Abbie’s hand in mine, I opened the door. Immediately, flashbulbs blinded me. Time slowed in that moment. The flash of the bulb hadn’t yet extinguished, but I yanked Abbie back into the room and slammed the door.

  “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

  She stumbled before righting herself on the bed. “Alexi, what the hell?”

  Adrenaline coursed through my veins. I dragged my hands through my hair. “Shit, Abbie, I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

  Eyes wide, she blinked up at me. “For what?”

  “The damn paparazzi. Shit. I fucked up.”

  A frown furrowed her brow. “Seriously, Alexi, what’s going on? Why are you freaking out? Just tell me what—”

  I couldn’t even process her questions. “We need to get the hell out of here. I’m going to open the door, and I need you to shield your face. Can you take your hair down and duck your head?”

  She stared up at me. “So, you’re not planning to tell me what the hell is going on?”

  “Abbie, I can’t right now. Please, just trust me, okay? I need to get you out of here. I’ll explain everything. Later.” Much later. Once I’d taken care of the fucking paparazzi and could think past the buzzing in my ears. “Please, I’m begging you.”

  She stood smoothly. Reaching up to her hair, she removed an elastic and several pins so that the braids shielded her face. “This good enough?”

  Her eyes were wide and guarded. Pain sliced through me. I was losing her. I’d freaking blown it. “Yeah.” I took her hand and squeezed. “I’ll take you back to Sophie and Max, and I’ll take care of the arsehole with the camera.”

  She tugged on her hand a little, but I didn’t let her go.

  “Alexi, we’re going to talk about this, right?”

  I worked my jaw. “We will. Just not now.” I had to fix this. Somehow.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lex

  Shitstorm didn’t cover the depth of the mess I found myself in. My phone rang on the nightstand, and I peeled open gritty eyes to glare at it. Five in the morning. When I saw Gemma’s name, I cursed.

  The moment I answered, it was clear she’d been crying. Through a round of muffled and choked tears, she whispered, “Fuck, I’m so sorry, Lex.”

  “Hey, hey. You didn’t fuck up. I did. All of this is my fault. Unfortunately, I’m reaping what I sowed.”

  “No, Lex. I saw her talking to that piece of slime, and I didn’t put two and two together until we left the club. I confronted her about it, and she denied it, but I don't believe her.”

  “What are you talking about, Gems?”

  “Jacinda. She called the paparazzi. She’s the one who had the photos leaked.”

  I sat up in bed, and my skull throbbed. “What the fuck?”

  “God, I’m so sorry. I never thought she’d do something like this to force my hand.”

  Shit. Shit. Shit. What the hell was I supposed to do now? If the paparazzi thought they had a credible source, there was no getting in front of the story. “How bad is it?”

  “It's bad, Lex. Every other minute or so, I get a new notification on my Google alerts.”

  I hung up with Gemma then lay back in my bed. “Fuck!” The curse came on the wing of a primal roar I swore would wake my neighbors. I'd had less than two months with Abbie before things had gone to shit.

  By the time Nick called, any sliver of hope I held onto had evaporated. “Were you ever going to tell me, mate?”

  I bit out a curse. “Sorry, Nick. I didn’t exactly know what to say. 'Hey, I'm falling in love with some American girl.’ It wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did.”

  My friend was silent for a moment. “I don’t know how you could do this to Gemma. She’s a great girl.”

  I walked over to my dresser and grabbed a pair of sweats. Since I was up, I might as well go for a run. “Yes, she is. But to be honest, she’s been more my friend than girlfriend or fiancée for a while. And she knew I was falling for Abbie.”

  I could picture the confused frown on Nick’s face. “I don’t understand. Gemma knew, and you guys didn’t break up?”

  I wasn’t ready to go into the whole mess. Besides, I couldn’t. Not without outing Gemma, and I still had to protect her as best I could. “Look, it’s complicated. We’ve pretended to be a couple to keep our parents off our backs. But this is serious now. Toshino was clear in the indemnity clause on the contract. They wanted no negative press. If either of us steps out of line within these six months of transition they can back out of the deal. And with the paparazzi sniffing around, this puts everything at risk.” I ran my hands through my hair. I needed to get a hold of Toshino. “We’re fucked.”

  He sig
hed. “Look. So far, I’ve heard nothing, but I’m on it. And there is only press on your personal relationship. So far no one knows of the sale or interim CEO position, so if we can keep it under wraps, we’re golden. I’ll also try to get in front of it, if I can. I’ll call the lawyer when we hang up. What’s your next move?”

  “Fuck, I don’t know. I’m caught between dealing with Abbie or trying to get in front of my father. If he’s heard, he’ll be furious and try to slap some restraints on me or something. He still can’t actually make me join his company, but it’s going to be ugly.”

  “Okay, then maybe it’s best you stay out of his way. I’ll do what I can on my end and let you know what happens.”

  “Cheers, Nick.”

  “Uh, Lex?”

  “Yeah, mate?”

  “Do you really love her?”

  My stomach knotted at the word love and it doubled me over. “Yes.”

  “Then I’m sorry this has turned into a clusterfuck. I hope she’ll listen to you.”

  “You and me both.” She probably wouldn’t. But it was still early enough she might not have seen it yet. Even if she had, I had to try to explain.

  My brother was the final call of the early morning. All Xander said was, “Well, at least I know I couldn’t have fucked everything up this bad.”

  “Seriously? Alexander, I clearly don’t need this shit right now.” Quickly, I tugged on socks and my trainers. At least I could run out some of my frustration.

  Xander was silent for a beat. “Do you think any of it will come up?”

  Icicles formed in my veins. I hadn’t given any thought to what would happen with a media scandal. All the Chase family secrets would come crawling out of the darkened shadows. “I don’t know, Xan. I’ll call the lawyer and see about a gag order.”

  “Let me do it.” Xander sighed. “You sound like shit.”

  “Thanks for that.”

  “Well, you do. Any word from the old man yet?”

  “No, but I’m sure it’ll come. But something like this is beneath his concern unless he thinks it tarnishes him in some way.” I sighed. “I’m not sure how I fucked this all up so badly.”