Chapter 28

As I walk into the conference hall, I spot Samuel sitting in the first row, an amused sneer on his face. I ignore him and walk right past his seat to the podium, willing my heartbeat to slow down and my hands to stop sweating. Once I'm behind the lectern, I pull up my slides and clear my throat.

I shift to the initial slide and begin. "Good morning, I'm Doctor Reese Campbell, Head of Research and Development at Mercer Robotics, and today I'm here to speak about human-computer interaction technologies for measurement systems and their related applications. Nowadays—" My gaze drifts to where Samuel is seated, leering at me, and I falter. I take a long, slow breath and remember Thomas's words—eyes on me.

And that's exactly what I do. I shift my gaze to the right where Thomas is and stare into his beautiful eyes. The brown in them grounds me while the green makes me come alive. "Nowadays, we interact with machines every day. Modern technology is everywhere: in appliances, lights, cars, and wearables like smartwatches that give us information at a glance that they gather from sensors and sophisticated electronic components, most of which are connected to the internet and powered by Artificial Intelligences. We use them to communicate, to monitor our health, to make our lives easier." I take a breath and smile, Thomas smiles back. "And this is mostly what collaborative robotics is about, making sure that our interactions with the machines that surround us and aid us on a daily basis are easy and fun and not a source of frustration…"

An hour later, I end on a high note. "Co-bots are the future of robotics and I firmly believe that through collaborative human-computer interactions, we can achieve great things. I will now take questions."

Samuel's hand is among the first to shoot up in the air. I do my best to ignore him for as long as possible until I can no longer. I nod in his direction, bracing myself. "Professor Williams, you had a question?"

"Dr. Campbell, how do you respond to the ethical concern that human skills will be eventually replaced or altered as a consequence of repeated interactions with co-bots within the existing manufacturing systems?"

It doesn't matter that I'm the one on stage and he's the one sitting in the audience, his slimy handsome face still has the power to make me feel like a student under exam.

My gaze drifts to Thomas once again, and he mouths a "You've got this" at me.

Samuel's head snaps toward Thomas at the same time, and the look of pure contempt on my ex's face gives me the strength to carry on.

I draw in a long breath and look the slimebag straight in the eyes as I give my answer. "Thank you for your question, Professor Williams. It is important to address the ethical concerns surrounding human-robot interactions as we continue to develop and implement these technologies. However, I want to emphasize that the goal of collaborative robotics is not to replace human skills but to complement them, allowing the human and mechanical ecosystems to coexist in a collaborative playing field where synergies are exploited to their maximum capacity. Some jobs might become obsolete, but they will be replaced by new, more rewarding opportunities." Satisfied, I look away and address the audience at large. "If there aren't any other questions, I'd like to thank you all for coming today and for your interest in collaborative robotics. Let's continue to work together and push the boundaries of what is possible with these innovative technologies."

As I step off the stage, a sense of relief washes over me. Without missing a beat, Thomas takes my hand and whisks me away. I follow him, not sparing Samuel a second glance or thought.

As I collapse in my bedroom that night, I'm exhausted. The adrenaline has left my system and I'm utterly drained. I'm in no state to go out for another romantic stroll through the city and have already changed into sweats. Still, it smarts that Thomas hasn't asked me out again.

In fact, we haven't made dinner plans at all. Maybe he took me literally when I said I couldn't date him until he was no longer on a path to becoming my future boss. And since last night felt like a first date of sorts, he doesn't want to put me in that position again. It wasn't a business dinner for sure.

A little distance is good. Thomas is respecting my wishes. It's good to be respected. Only now, I'd much rather be ravaged than respected. And what a waste of a night in Rome.

I lie on my bed staring at the ceiling, trying to push thoughts of Thomas out of my head and focus on something else. Anything else. I'm mostly unsuccessful, when a knock resounds on the door.

All tiredness forgotten, I eagerly stand up and find the object of my obsessive thoughts on the other side.

Thomas is holding two paper bags in his hand and a tray of drinks in the other.

"Hey, I thought that after today you could use a quiet dinner in." He lifts the paper bags as a demonstration. "But if you prefer to go out, I can drop these in my room and we can go."

I'm half tempted to grab him by the collar of his unbuttoned shirt, forget the food altogether, and eat his gorgeous face for dinner instead. But of course, I don't. I can't.

I simply nod and open the door wider. "Dinner in sounds amazing."

I take the bags from him and move onto the bed, peeking inside. "What did you get?"

"Arancini and panzerotti. They're not strictly typical food from Rome, but they're among the best specialties from the south of Italy."

I inhale the delicious scent wafting up from the bag. "They smell heavenly."

I spread the small paper trays over the bed, and we dig in with gusto. As we eat, Thomas tells me stories about his travels through the south of Italy. He speaks passionately about the food, the culture, and the people. I smile as I listen to him; his enthusiasm is infectious.

Once I've scarfed down my entire half of the food and maybe some, Thomas grabs something from the pocket of his jeans and throws me my new favorite chocolate bar. "Got you one of these for dessert."

I squeal like an excited child and tear open the wrapper. The rich, creamy white chocolate melts in my mouth, mixing with the perfect crunch of the wafer. I close my eyes and savor the delicious blend of flavors.

When I reopen them, Thomas has already cleared away the empty containers and is standing up.

My good mood drops at the thought of him leaving.

"Guess I should be going."

Stay, I yell in my head.

"Thanks for the incredible dinner, Thomas," I say instead. "It was amazing. Italian food is the absolute best." I lick the last traces of white chocolate from my fingers.

His gaze lingers on my fingers, and I self-consciously drop them from my mouth.

I stand as well, clumsily wiping my hands on my leggings to walk him to the door.

We pause on the threshold, and he pulls me in, dropping a soft kiss on my forehead. "Good night, Campbell, you rocked today."

I take a step back and the distance between us hits me like physical pain. "Good night," I whisper.

I watch him step aside to enter his room and when he's gone, I develop the same symptoms of an addict experiencing withdrawal. My hands shake, my heart is pounding in my chest, and I become slightly nauseous.

I retreat to the bathroom and splash my face with cold water, brush my teeth, and dab more cold water behind my neck and on my chest, but I'm still boiling.

I walk back into my room and sit on the bed, staring at the thick wooden door separating me from the thing I want most in the world. My thoughts are a jumbled mess, my heart is thumping so hard I can feel it in my throat. I can't stop thinking about the way Thomas's lips felt on my forehead, how close we were standing, and how his gaze lingered on my mouth.

On impulse, I stand up, unlock my side of the door, and give it a soft knock.

No response.

I knock more decidedly.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five seconds pass and then the door flies open.

Thomas is on the other side, in his white cotton T-shirt and gym shorts, too handsome to resist. He smiles, crosses his arms over his muscular chest, his biceps deliciously bulging, and leans against the doorframe. "Hey."

A simple greeting, but I swoon. I have to make a conscious effort just to keep upright.

"Forgot something?" Thomas asks, probably seeing how I'm just standing in front of him, stricken and mute.

I bite my lower lip. Be brave, Reese. Be brave.

"I know I said nothing could happen while our work situation isn't sorted out, but…" Thomas tilts his head and his smile widens as I blabber on. "But I also thought, we're in Rome. So, when in Rome, or what happens in Rome…" I put my hands forward. "And I know you won't kiss me first." He frowns now as if he has no idea how I know that's his position, which, fair enough, he has no way of knowing I got it out of him while he was sleeping. "But what if I asked you to kiss me?"

I stare into his eyes and all the amusement is gone. Thomas drops his arms, staring at me with predatory intent as he pushes off the doorframe and takes a step toward me. "Just so we're clear, are you asking?"

I swallow and stare him directly in the eyes. "Yes, no. I don't know."

Thomas's eyes flicker with intensity. Time stops for a second, then he takes hold of my waist and pulls me toward him, setting every nerve ending in my body alight. With a feverish intensity, I wrap my arms around his neck and finally sink my fingers into his hair as he drags me into his room to press me against the wall.

With one hand still on my hips, he places the other flat on the wall next to my face, dropping his forehead to mine.

"There's nothing I'd like to do more now than kiss you," he whispers, his voice broken, rugged. "But I haven't talked to my father yet, and I'm not sure what our situation is going to be."

I'm panting heavily, my heart full of both desire and fear. "Sorry, I don't want to mess this up," I say breathlessly.

Thomas leans forward to kiss the tip of my nose. "We won't," he says firmly. "I'll make sure of it."

He nuzzles my neck and drops his hand from the wall to take my hand in his, enveloping me with warmth.

"I meant it when I said I wanted this," he says into my hair.

We stand there for a moment longer, just holding each other.

I close my eyes and absorb his closeness, feeling everything from Thomas's breath on my neck to the subtle energy coursing through our fingers as they entwine.

I'm safe in his arms with an emotion that surpasses physical pleasure—a soul-deep connection that tells me we are meant for one another.

"S-so, we're definitely not kissing?" I ask, voice trembling.

"No." His reply comes as a strangled groan over my neck. He drops his forehead on mine again, whispering, "But I promise waiting will be worth it."

I believe him. One hundred per cent. Turns out being respected is so much better than being ravaged. Any man could've taken me to bed tonight and to hell with the consequences. But it takes a real man to say no. To wait despite the way his body vibrates against mine with need, the same longing we share. And, anyway, Thomas's way of respecting me still feels a little ravaging.

He drops another kiss on my forehead and then lifts his face away from mine, barely putting any distance between us, but it's enough for me to want to pull him closer again.

I don't. I just keep staring into his smoldering eyes.

He stares right back. "You'd better say goodnight to me now, baby."

The way he says baby lands straight in my core like an incandescent meteor, while the idea of having to say goodbye to him, to have to go back to my room alone, freezes my throat. Hot and cold. How about we find a warm middle?

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" I blurt out. "Just sleep."

Thomas smiles down at me and shakes his head.

"If you don't want to, I can go back to my room."

I make to scoot sideways, away from him, but he pins me in place with his hips.

Oh gosh.

"Of course I want to, Campbell."

"Then what is it?" I grip his arms because I need the support or I'm going to slump down this wall like a limp rag.

"It's that I'm still in prison, only now you've also left the door open and asked me not to escape."

"Am I the prison in this scenario?"

He shakes his head. "No, baby, you're freedom, you're the light at the end of the tunnel. But I'm still a prisoner tonight." He presses a soft kiss to my collarbone. "The most willing one."

That seems to have settled it for him, because next he grabs my hand and says, "Come on." He tugs me toward him. Then, unexpectedly, he scoops me up and carries me over to his bed.

Before he can drop me, I protest, "I need to change first."

Thomas does a one-eighty with me still in his arms and brings me back to my room. He gently drops me on the floor and sits on the bed.

I walk between his legs and pull his hair back, admiring his beautiful face. "Close your eyes."