Page 117 of First in Line

This time, I’m faster than she is, and I easily take her laptop away. I snap it shut, ignoring her protests, and settle it on the other chair before sitting down on hers.

“So, how have you been these past two hours, princess?”

“Good. Working. Had a few phone calls with my friends and family, too.”

“They still have no idea you’re here with me?”

“Nope. And I plan on keeping it that way.”

“Oh, that works in my favor. I can kidnap you and lock you up somewhere. They’d never know who did it.”

She giggles before trying to be serious again, “I have a system in place, actually. If I don’t input a secret code on my phone every six hours, a message goes out to everyone, plus a few journalists. Just in case.”

“Hm, clever girl …”

When I lean in to press my lips on hers, it seems all thoughts of her laptop and work are gone from her mind. We kiss as if we haven’t seen each other the entire day instead of a couple of hours. And when I pull away, her beautiful eyes meet mine, clearly eager for more.

“And you?” she wonders instead. “How was your workout?”

“Good. I did arms, shoulders, and neck.”

“I can see that,” she appreciatively notes, gaze gliding over the protruding muscles that my sleeveless T-shirt doesn’t hide. When she’s done objectifying me—which I thoroughly enjoy—I offer her a sheepish smile.

“I’m afraid I have to abandon you for the next two days,” I reluctantly explain.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yeah, I just got a call from my agent. She’s pushed back my schedule as much as she could, but I need to go to London for a couple of photoshoots and an interview.”

“For what?”

“One is for my biggest sponsor, D’Arvigne.”

“Watches, right?”

“Yes. And the rest is a photoshoot and interview forGQ. I’ll be their cover story in… three months, I think?”

She lets out an incredulous laugh. “Your life is insane.”

“I got used to it,” I say with a shrug.

“Well, I don’t know how you do it.”

She turns pensive for a moment, and I try to bring her back to me with light pecks along her shoulder and up her neck. I’m just reaching her ear when she asks, “Can I join in?”

“You want to watch me in my element?”

“No, I—I can catch a flight home from London.”

I freeze, pausing the kissing. “You want to go home?”

“It’s been two weeks, Jax. I have to.”

I straighten up. “Then if you’re leaving tomorrow, I guess we need to have the talk.”

“What talk?”

My gaze hardens before I can control it. I know what she’s doing, and I don’t like it. “You know what I mean, Evie.”