Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-one

Lexie let out a little scream as the rain hit her head, and most of the people around her did the same. Theo grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the crowd, toward the cover of the nearest tree. Only, other people had had the same idea—leaving nowhere to shelter. They looked at each other through the rain. Theo was grinning, and he looked so bloody cute in that moment that Lexie couldn't help laughing. Onstage, the band was still playing, employing a definite fuck it attitude—though that was helped by the fact that the stage was sheltered. Some other people were carrying on dancing, and the music grew more vibrant, feet stomping as people laughed and jumped in the rain.

"Think we're going to have to make a run for it!" Theo shouted, above all the noise around them.

Lexie hesitated. A part of her wanted to get drawn back in, to dance in the rain. But it was getting colder, and she could feel her damp dress clinging to her skin. So she nodded.

When they made it back to the apartment they were both drenched and breathless from the run. Theo got the door open and they stumbled in, Lexie laughing in a way that only made her breathing heavier. Theo looked at her and grinned at her in a way that let her know she looked like a drowned rat. She shrugged out of her jean jacket and hung it up on the coatrack to dry, then reached up to wring out her curls.

They'd rented an Airbnb as it had been cheaper than a hotel: they had found a good deal in the city center, near the Plaza Mayor—though they'd spent some time checking out local hotels where their future clients would stay. Still, the apartment was gorgeous—proper wooden floors all the way through, a bright and airy open-plan living and dining room, which led onto a balcony so you could crack the doors wide open as you had a coffee first thing in the morning. There were houseplants dotted around, with a beautiful big fern right next to the comfy white sofa. The two bedrooms were both a decent size, with a separate bathroom down the corridor, so there had been no competition as to who got which room. The apartment was plenty big enough for both of them and they'd coexisted well enough for the two days they'd been here, only really using it for breakfast and to sleep. But right then, when Theo shut the door behind him, Lexie was suddenly very aware that it was just the two of them here, completely alone.

"Do you want first shower?" Theo asked, stripping off his jacket and revealing a wet T-shirt clinging to his skin.

"Sure. Thanks."

But neither of them moved, still just inside the doorway.

"I'll, er, let you know when I'm done," she said.

"OK." His eyes were too intense on hers, making her face heat. She made herself take a steadying breath. She might have decided he wasn't as bad as she first thought and she might be attracted to him, but they still had to work together, and they still wanted different things from the company in the long term. They were still, ultimately, on different sides.

Averting her gaze, she made to move past him, but he grabbed her hand. "Lexie…"

She looked up at him. They stayed like that for a moment—like he was waiting for something. Her pulse picked up speed and although she knew she should feel cold, heat flared through her. She didn't pull away—but she didn't move toward him either.

He blew out a long breath, dropped her hand. "Never mind."

Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea. Then, "Screw it." She reached up, pulled his head down to hers—and kissed him.

Theo grabbed her waist, pulled her closer and kissed her back in a way that made her breath catch. "Thank fuck for that," he said, his words murmured against the line of her jaw. He kissed his way down her neck, and Lexie closed her eyes, grabbing his shoulders and holding on. Outside, she heard a rumble of thunder—a warning, one she chose to ignore. Their chests were pressed together, their wet clothes sticking together, and a current of electricity pulsed between them. His hands traveled over her waist to her hips and she ran her hands down the muscles of his back, wishing she could reach farther, trying to tug him even closer.

"You actually want this?" Lexie managed to get out, her voice catching as his teeth lightly scraped against her neck.

"Is that a trick question?"

"Last time we kissed you shoved me inside my room afterward to get me away from you."

He laughed, low and dark-sounding, and her stomach flipped. "Lexie, I was about a second away from tearing off your clothes in the goddamn corridor. Getting you away from me seemed like the safest thing to do."

God, she knew that feeling, and a thrill ran through her that it wasn't one-sided. His mouth caught hers again roughly while his fingers ran up her thighs, bunching her dress at her waist. She moved her hands around him, up under his shirt, and felt him shudder slightly at the feeling of her fingers against his stomach.

"And in case you don't remember," he continued, his mouth quirking up at one side, "it was you who said we shouldn't."

He started walking her backward, his eyes level on hers the whole time. The backs of her knees brushed the edge of the sofa, just as he turned her and pulled her down so she was sitting on top of him, her thighs straddling his. His hands skimmed up under her dress, his thumbs catching on the curves of her hips, and she saw his breath stutter, felt her own do the same. She ran her hands up under his T-shirt, then helped him tug it off.

"Wouldn't want you to catch a cold," she said, and was answered with a grin.

"Could say the same about you," he said, his hands running up under her dress. She bent toward him to kiss him again, felt his fingers dig into her thighs. Then he flipped her in one smooth motion so she was lying back on the sofa, and half a laugh escaped her before he was there on top of her and the pressure of it made her let out a soft groan. His teeth skated lightly down her neck, and she let out a low hum of pleasure. His hands came up to push the straps of her dress down, and he pressed his lips against her bare shoulder. She could feel his erection digging into her and her hips moved of their own accord, demanding some kind of friction. His breath hissed out between his teeth.

"Theo." His name was half a plea and his mouth came back to hers, teeth catching her bottom lip, making her arc against him. Her nails were in his back, urging him closer, and his hands skimmed between her thighs, where she was desperate for him to touch.

But somewhere inside her, there was some logic breaking through. It was you who said we shouldn't. She had. She'd said that. And there was a reason for that, she was sure.

She just about managed to get out the "Wait," even as her hips rolled against his. He backed away, pushing himself up on his hands on the sofa and looking down at her. Her thighs were still around his waist, holding him there, at odds with her words.

"You don't want this?"

"No, I do." She swallowed. "I really do."

His brow furrowed.

"It's just…This is…" She had to close her eyes to get it out. "Maybe it's not a good idea."

"Seems like a great idea to me right now." He kissed the nape of her neck again and a shiver ran down her back, her mind getting stuck for a moment.

"Seriously," she managed to say, her voice more of a gasp than anything else. "We work together."

"Yes."

"And we have to…We're going to have to figure out what to do, at the end of the year."

He looked at her for a long moment, both of them holding themselves still, their breathing slowing a little. And right then, she hated herself. Why did she have to bring it up? Now, of all times?

"I just…I don't want it to be awkward. I want to be clear that it's…that it's a one-time thing." She felt hot around her collarbone for saying it, was briefly pleased that she was still half covered, less exposed—especially given the way he was looking at her right now. Maybe she hadn't needed to say that—maybe that had already been a given for him.

"A one-time thing?" She could feel his erection, still pressing against her, and felt her confidence grow as she lifted her hips to press against him and was rewarded by a sharp intake of breath.

"Yes. What happens in Madrid stays in Madrid." She ran her hands down his bare back again, reached up to kiss him. He kissed her back, but it was softer than before. His mouth skimmed over the corner of her mouth, his warm breath moving to her shoulder, then to where her pulse was hammering in her throat.

"Fuck," he hissed, his hands briefly tightening their hold on her thighs. "I'm so going to regret this, but…"

It was her turn to frown at him, as she brought her hands to rest on his neck.

"I think you're right. I think we should stop."

"What? Why?"

"Because I can literally see you overthinking it."

"Trust me, the way this is going, soon I won't be thinking at all."

A smile pulled at his mouth. "As much as that does my ego a world of good, I don't want you regretting this in the morning."

She opened her mouth to protest, to say again that they could just have tonight—it would be easier, surely, to get all this tension out of the way so that they could move past it.

But he kissed her briefly to stop her from speaking. "When I'm inside you," he said, his voice low, "I want to be sure you want it, just as much as I do." Her insides went liquid and taut, all at the same time. "And if you're already stressing about what happens after, it's not going to be nearly as fun as it could be." Then he straightened so his hips were no longer trapped between her thighs.

Her whole body registered the lack of warmth, but she didn't immediately move, and his gaze traveled over her, all of her cells vibrating under it.

"Fuck," he said, and when he bent toward her, she thought he'd caved, that she'd won the silent standoff. But all he did was kiss her cheek. "Good night, Lex."

He stood, and she sat up, pulling the straps of her dress back into place, feeling self-consciousness return. He grabbed his wet T-shirt off the floor, and she caught sight of the tattoo at the top of his back, between his shoulders. Two thick black lines, curving together like antlers. He'd been right—it was slightly uneven. But it was also stupidly sexy.

He glanced over his shoulder as he walked away. "I'm taking first shower." Then he left her there, and she heard the click of the bathroom door. And even though it had been Lexie who had started the conversation, who had been the one to say it might not be a good idea, she couldn't help but feel the sting of rejection as she headed for her bedroom—and made sure she heard his own bedroom door shut before she ventured outside again.