Chapter 25

The shuttle to the airport is waiting for us outside the hotel. We board it and settle in our seats in comfortable silence for once. Reese is staring out the window, but that doesn't stop me from glancing over at her and noticing how beautiful she looks in her professional attire.

Last time I saw her in a suit she was already halfway to taking it off. I chase the memories I shouldn't have away and concentrate on the present.

Her makeup is minimalistic yet stunning. Her hair is styled in a sleek chignon, the pink tips hidden, and I itch to pull out just a strand. To tell her she doesn't have to change who she is just because we're going to a conference. Not that I'm complaining about seeing her in a skirt. But I know these clothes are not her. That she's just dressing for a part she thinks she has to play.

Reese catches me staring in the bus window and smiles, making my heart skip a beat.

I look away like an inexperienced teenager who can't handle riding on the school bus next to his crush.

Once we get to the airport, we're too busy with traveling practicalities for me to dwell on my unrequited feelings—security checks, a quick breakfast in a boulangerie, and boarding the plane.

The flight to Rome is so short we've barely reached cruise height when the plane starts descending again. The cab ride from Fiumicino to the conference center is a little bumpy but, uneven roads aside, it goes smoothly. At least until Reese grabs a pair of black pumps from her bag and swaps shoes. The gesture of her sliding on the heels is so darn sexy that I have to grab the car door armrest so tightly my knuckles go white.

Seeing her in a tight skirt for the first time doesn't help.

Good thing we'll be in a wide, public space soon and not alone, confined in the back of a cab, or in a tiny bed, or in an elevator car together. I could use the extra breathing room. My self-control is already hanging by a thread as is.

Reese catches my intent gaze on her feet and blushes. I clear my throat and look away, trying to focus on the surroundings instead. Rome is breathtakingly beautiful with its narrow, winding streets and centuries-old buildings. It's hard not to appreciate all the history surrounding us, but I still get distracted every other minute—the view inside the taxi is as stunning as the one outside.

When we finally reach the conference center, the main hall is bustling with people coming from all over the world and speaking a multitude of languages. Reese and I check in at the registration desk. Our fingers brush as we reach for our badges at the same time, and it's another electric jolt.

I do my best to ignore it. "So, Campbell, where are we off to first?"

"There's a super cool presentation on immersive hand instructions in AR for asynchronous remote collaboration on spatio-temporal manual tasks that I don't want to miss."

I chuckle and shake my head.

"What?" she asks self-consciously.

"That you can even remember that title amazes me. Sometimes I forget you're a genius."

"I'm not a genius." She waves me off and studies the conference center map to find the presentation room, beckoning me along. "This is my bread and butter. Will be yours, too, soon."

"Maybe." I shove my hands in my pockets. Time to test the ground a little.

Reese stops short. "What do you mean, maybe?"

Okay, let's show a few cards. "I have a lot of reasons to stay at Mercer Robotics, but… I may have an even better one to pick a different division to lead."

Her jaw drops. She takes a few seconds to realize that her mouth is dangling open and closes it.

Then Reese swallows visibly, eyes wide and twinkling. A gentle flush creeps up her cheeks, and she lowers her gaze, shuffling her feet. "Do you think your father would let you switch?" She looks at me now. And my heart pumps in my chest because, oh, she's interested. "He seems a man used to getting what he wants," Reese continues. "And you've already been presented to the board."

"To the board, yes. But no public announcements have been made. We'll have to see."

There's a teasing glint in her eyes as she asks, "Gosh, are we robotics nerds that bad you don't want to be saddled with us?"

I hold her gaze. "Quite the opposite."

Reese looks away, shy once again. "K-2P will be crushed."

I shrug. "We can still have sleepovers."

I meant with the robot, but what happened last night is still fresh in both our memories; my skin tingles at the thought of sleeping holding her in my arms while Reese's cheeks color even more.

"K-2P will be happy to know that." Reese glosses over what we're both thinking.

"I hope so."

My father is sure not going to like the switch, but if I make my case right… He let Gabriel go, why shouldn't he let me find my path as well?

Maybe because in the past thirty years, I've never expressed an interest in anything other than falling in line and looking pretty for the cameras.

Well, things change. Fingers crossed it'll be for the better.

Reese and I meander through the corridors of the conference center and, after a few turns, we reach the right room. We find two seats next to each other toward the back and settle in. While we wait for the panel discussion on augmented reality and immersive spatio-temporal whatnots to start, Reese takes out a notepad and a pen, ever the straight-As prodigy.

As the lights dim and the first speaker takes the stage, a latecomer arrives, taking the free seat on Reese's other side and prompting her to lean slightly into me. Her arm brushes against mine, sending a spark up my limb. I try to ignore the heat spreading through my body as I focus on the speaker's words. But it's no use. Every time Reese moves, her scent fills my nostrils and I have to resist the urge to lean over and inhale deeply.

I glance over at her and see that she's biting down on her lip, deep in concentration. It doesn't help that she keeps crossing and uncrossing her legs, giving me glimpses of her toned calves. I shift uncomfortably in my seat and drag my eyes away from her legs to her face. A lock of hair has come loose from the chignon and is falling over her eyes. I have a sudden urge to reach over and tuck it behind her ear.

But touching her hair isn't exactly appropriate behavior for a work conference. So, I clench my hands in my lap and sit straight like a good boy, listening to the presentation.

And once the first lecture is over, Reese drags me to as many as we can fit into the day's schedule. We even skip lunch, and only eat chocolate bars we get from a concession stand. At one point, she even sends me to a different session from hers, tasking me to record it on my phone so she can watch it later.

One might think a conference in Rome would be an excuse to let loose and enjoy a less stressful day than at the office. But Reese is all business, business, business. She soaks in the knowledge like a sponge, and I honestly can't tell how her mind can contain all that information.

If we ever have kids, I hope they take after her. Aaaand I might be getting slightly ahead of myself.

By the time the last session ends and we're free for the evening, I'm practically vibrating with anticipation. Because the day might've been all about business, but my plans for tonight are entirely recreational.

I've asked my assistant to switch hotels, ditching the practical, close-to-the-conference-hall inn for a more quaint hotel in the city center. Tomorrow, coming back here early will be a hassle, especially because traffic in Rome is awful. But tonight, taking a stroll through the city's whimsical streets will be magical.

As we slowly file out of the conference hall, Reese tucks her notepad under her arm and beams at me. "Great day, huh?"

"Yeah, it was… um… really informative." I nod, a little tongue-tied.

Sometimes I wonder if we're too different, if she's really too smart for me, or if I am too dumb for her. Because today has been a little overwhelming for me; I couldn't follow or understand half the things that were being presented.

When we finally get out of the building, Reese goes to join the line for taxi cabs. I gently grab her by the shoulders and steer her toward the black car service I've ordered. A tall man in a black livery is waiting for us by the side of the road, holding a screen with Mercer Robotics typed across.

Reese low whistles. "Am I getting the VIP treatment?"

"Perks of traveling with the heir to the kingdom."

Her smile falters, and I know I've said the wrong thing. I bump shoulders with her, changing the subject. "What do you say? Quick shower back at the hotel and then dinner out?"

She doesn't respond right away. We follow the driver to his black car and it's a full minute of riding before she says, "Aren't you tired? I was thinking of getting room service, or eating another one of these chocolate bars." She takes one out of her bag. "They're the best thing I've ever had."

I make a mock-outraged expression. "We're in Italy and you want to eat a snack? That is a crime against the best cuisine in the world, Campbell, and I can't, in good conscience, let you perpetrate it."

"I was just saying I'm a little tired to walk around the city searching for a restaurant. I also don't want to end up in a tourist trap."

"Don't worry, I know a place."

She rolls her eyes in a you're-impossible way. "Of course you know a place."

"So, is it a yes to dinner?"

She fights a smirk and fails. "Should I dress fancy?"

"Dress however you like, I don't care."

"But is it a fancy place?"

"The opposite of fancy." I smirk, bringing a hand to my chest. "I feel deeply stereotyped here. Just because I'm a billionaire, it doesn't mean I eat only in fancy places."

Reese waves at our driver. "Says the guy who couldn't wait for a regular taxi and ordered a black car."

I chuckle and lean back into the plush leather seats. "Touché, Campbell. But trust me, you'll love this place."

The car pulls up to our hotel and after the check-in and another static-filled ride in an elevator, we part ways in front of our respective room doors.

"Meet back out here in forty-five?" I ask.

Reese nods and gives me a small smile.

I watch her disappear into her room before turning to enter my own. Inside, I toss my suitcase onto the bed and make my way toward the lavish bathroom. I strip down, stepping into the shower where I let the hot water wash away the grime of our short flight and long day ready for a night of good food and even better company.