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“Stop! Edward… I can’t breathe.” My hands are clawing at his but he’s far too strong for me.
“Big old softy?” He’s relentless in his attack. “Do you know what that kind of talk can do to my reputation? You’re the one who needs to stop.”
I twist in his arms and lunge forward, capturing his mouth in a sudden, hot kiss. Just as I predicted, the tickles cease up instantly and his hands float over my bare back. Edward moans into my mouth, a moan of surprise mixed with surrender that can’t be helped.
I know the feeling. Because I can’t help myself when it comes to him either.
“Your reputation is safe with me, sir,” I whisper against his lips. “For whatever it’s worth.”
“Good.” He places a soft kiss to the tip of my nose. His gentleness still catches me off guard sometimes. “I’d hate to have to slap you with a gag order just to keep the dream alive.”
“The dream?” I know he’s teasing, but his life has always intrigued me. I would never admit it, though. “Is that the one where you collect women like trophies, never form any kind of real connection with anyone, and ultimately die alone in a tower filled to the brim with hundred dollar bills?”
Edward frowns deeply, as though he’s seriously considering my words. Finally, he nods. “Yep, you got it exactly right.”
God, he’s so hot when he’s like this. Unguarded and playful. Unquestioningly into me. Into this thing that’s blossoming between us. What’s more, I find myself slowly but surely letting down my guard with him.
We descend into another fit of laughter and flirty touches, teasing insults and drawn out kisses. But all too soon, reality pushes into our bubble and I become aware of the passing time.
“I could stay here all day.” I curl up into his arm, head on his heart. “Lunch is almost over.”
Edward strokes my hair absentmindedly, still a little out of breath from our pretend tousle. “All I need to do is make a call. We can halt production until tomorrow.”
It still astounds me how different his world is from mine. One where he can literally stop time if he wants. The billionaire life never appealed to me, though. For all the power and money and comfort and ease… it always looked lonely from where I stood. On the outside. In the real world. And the more I’m getting to know Edward, the more I’m learning how right I am about that.
My little glimpses behind the velvet curtain has shown me things that endear me to him even more. Alex would call it catching feelings. I think she may be right. But Zoey would call it stupid, and I’m afraid she’d be a little more right. What place could I ever have in Edward’s world?
“So?” he nudges my shoulder. “Am I making the call?”
I hum softly, taking one last deep breath of him, one last taste of his lips, before I push up from the floor. Leaving him is always the worst part. A part that’s becoming harder and harder to do without sulking about it.
“You do that, and people might start talking,” I say, pulling my t-shirt over my head. “That defeats the purpose of the whole secret affair thing, don’t you think?”
Edward sits up, arms resting on his knees. His eyes never leave my body as I step into my underwear then jeans. His gaze follows every movement closely, as though he’s trying to commit me to memory.
“It doesn’t have to be, you know,” he shrugs.
“Doesn’t have to be what?” I look at him then, pulling my hair up into a messy bun.
Edward gets to his feet and comes over to me, totally unfazed by his nakedness. I, on the other hand, am quite fazed by his muscular physique. Tight and toned in all the right places. It’s impossible not to have a total physical meltdown just thinking about having all of him on top of me.
He tucks a forgotten strand of hair behind my ear, smiling softly. “I mean it doesn’t have to be a secret love affair. If that’s what you want. I’m supposed to break off my fake engagement soon, anyway.”
“Love?” I swallow hard. My eyes grow wide and I’m pretty sure I’m doing the opposite of playing it cool.
Edward drops his hand and steps back, bending to quickly scoop up the throw and tie it around his waist. And the whole time, he’s working hard to keep from looking at me. The man who usually has no problem at all with eye contact.
“You know what I mean,” he mutters, groping around the sofa bench for his clothes. “Affair. Just affair. Not love.”
“You’re rambling.” I stifle a laugh. I’ve never seen him like this and can’t help but find it amusing. The great Edward Spencer, shaking.
“It’s a saying,” he looks at me, halfway into his shirt. “Love affair. Not actual love. It’s just a term people use when-”
I close the distance between us in two long strides, locking my hands behind his neck to pull his face toward mine. The kiss is urgent and fraught with passion, knocking the air clean out of my lungs even though I’m the one who knew it was coming.
“You’re cute when you’re nervous.” I give him a quick peck on the cheek and make to leave.
Edward’s consternation follows me out the door. “I’m not nervous, what do you mean? And I’m not cute, either!”
