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My cheeks warm. Suddenly I feel shy…and uncertain about our coworkers witnessing us like this. “Can our attraction wait until we’re out of the building to bloom?”

“What’s the holdup? It needs to bloom before we move in together.”

“I’m sure you can think of something to trigger it on the way to your place. Aren’t you the romance writer here?”

“Sounds like we both are.” He squeezes my hand. “You’re the one throwing in an unnecessary difficulty, coming up with a reason for us not to hold hands.”

I can’t think of anything for a moment, enjoying the warmth of his palm against mine entirely too much. Finally, I look up with a small smile. “I need my hands to get my laptop and purse.”

“One hand for the purse. Leave the computer.” But even as he says it, he lets go when I tug my hand away and head to the desk to gather my things. “It’s just company property…you could leave it anywhere. Even sixteen time zones away.” He looks innocently at the ceiling.

“Pettiness isn’t attractive,” I say.

“Me? Petty?” He places a dramatic hand over his chest and bends a little as though deeply wounded. “I was magnanimous enough to pack your things and haul them over the Bering Strait and Arctic Circle, then back across the Atlantic.”

“Don’t forget the desolation of the Alaskan tundra. But yes, thank you,” I say sincerely.

We walk to the elevator. It’s empty when we enter, but as the car stops at floor after floor, more and more people pour in until everyone’s packed like sardines. Rhys and I get squeezed together until my back’s pressed against his solid chest. His fingertips trace my hip with the barest pressure. Little sparks crackle along my spine.

“Attraction is blooming,” he murmurs into my ear.

I open my mouth to retort—but it vanishes the instant I feel his erection against me. The proof of desire heats my blood, making me feel illicit.

Something is blooming. I haven’t felt this way in…

My face goes slack, as I can’t recall. I did something with Jeffrey to make our anniversary special—and it was fun enough, but the intensity wasn’t quite there. The fact that Rhys is sporting a hard-on in an elevator full of people, with me as the only shield hiding him from the world, is shockingly thrilling.

I barely rock against him. If anybody sees me, they’ll assume I’m just shifting around to get more comfortable in the cramped space.

“Enjoying yourself?” Rhys whispers, his hot breath tickling my ear.

I can’t whisper back. Need burns, but I maintain a proper façade. Public humping is out of the question. I’ll have to do something about this later.

My initial plan was to stay at Rhys’s place while pretending to date him, but this could be like a year-long sex buffet. I suspected he’d be great in bed, and he was even better than I thought. He’s into my body, too, so why not take advantage and enjoy what we have for a year? Our chemistry will probably wear off as we spend more time together, but until then, we can enjoy the side benefits.

By the time we reach the lobby, the black Cullinan sits gleaming in front of the building. Angelo, in a black suit as usual, opens the door for us. “Hello, Rhys. Max, what a surprise.”

“Hi, Angelo.” I smile. He’s one of my favorite people around Rhys.

Once we’re settled inside the luxurious mélange of British engineering, buttery leather, wool and bespoke wood veneer, Rhys says, “We’re going to pick up some stuff.”

“Where to?”

I text Angelo the address for my motel.

He frowns. “Huh. You sure that’s the right one?”

His reaction isn’t unexpected. Rhys doesn’t do motels. “Yes,” I say. “It’s to get my stuff after my apartment burned down.”

“Ohhh.” His eyebrows climb. “So sorry to hear that. I’ll let you talk.” He raises the partition.

Alone at last. I take a deep breath. “Rhys. Just to clear this between us—I shouldn’t have left like that in Tokyo. I’m sorry.”

“Why did you?” He sounds conversational, but there’s an unblinking focus in his eyes.

I feel silly because my flight was purely driven by my gut. “I just…panicked. I was angry with Jeffrey—and Trevor—but hadn’t planned on, um, consoling myself that way.”

“My dear, I amalwaysopen to consoling you with my body.”