Page 16 of The Secret Fiancée
“Why did you sneak out of my bed?”
I bite down on my lip, my cheeks blazing. “I’d never done anything like that before, but I understand the etiquette. It was a fun night, but I know that’s all it was. It seemed easier on us both to just walk away before things got awkward.”
He clenches his jaws for a moment. “That’s one hell of an assumption,” he says, anger bleeding into his voice. “You act like we had meaningless sex, when we both know that isn’t what happened. Can you really look me in the eye and tell me that night meant nothing to you?”
I turn away to look out his window, unsure how to answer. Nothing good will come of me admitting that he’s right. I can’t have a crush on myprofessor. Hell, I should’ve walked away the moment I realized he wasLexington Windsor.
“Don’t do that, Raya,” he says, his voice soft and pained. He reaches for me and effortlessly pulls me out of my seat, my body crashing against his. Within seconds, he has me perched on the edge of his desk, his legs between mine, our positions the same as that night in his kitchen. “Don’t hide from me like that. Answer me.”
His gaze is pleading, his voice strained. He cups my face, his thumb brushing over the edge of my mouth, and my eyes flutter closed for a moment. “Lex,” I whisper, my voice breaking.
His hand slides into my hair, and he grips tightly, his eyes on mine. He moves closer, spreading my legs wider and making my skirt ride up, until the fabric is bunched at the top of my thighs. “Tell me the truth,” he demands, his gaze unyielding as he reaches for my hand and flattens it across his chest, covering it with his.
I lower my eyes and draw a shaky breath. “It’s best for both of us if we leave that night in the past. You said it yourself, Lex. You have no interest in dating anyone, and things have changed for me since then too.”
He studies me, his hand slowly balling in my hair, his touch at odds with his calm expression. “What changed?”
I look into his emerald eyes, unsure what the best thing to do is. “Remember the first question you asked me when we played truth or dare?”
Are you truly single, Raya?He nods, his jaw locking.
“My answer changed.”
He lets go of me and runs a hand through his hair, anger marring his features. “Who?” he asks, his voice surprisingly calm, despite the edge to it.
“It’s complicated.”
He pulls his tie loose entirely and takes a deep breath, his expression forlorn. “I refuse to believe that you started dating someone else after the night we spent together, Raya. Sure, we didn’t have sex, but the way we danced, the conversations we had, and the way you kissed me? That’s every bit as intimate, if not more so. I can’t be the only one who wants more.”
His gaze is heated as he places his index finger underneath my chin. “I suggest you end whatever it is you started before I find out who he is.” His gaze roams over my face, lingering on my lips for a moment, before returning to my eyes. “You’remine,Raya Lewis. You just don’t know it yet.”
Fourteen
Lex
My body is taut with nerves as I continue to tighten the bolts in the automated cheese slicer I built for my sister, but it doesn’t keep my mind off Raya for more than a few minutes. I sigh as I force myself to check that my new invention, built to look like a little guillotine and appropriately named Cheesy, slices a block of cheese into paper-thin slices, just the way my sister likes it. She’s cut herself countless times trying to slice cheese in a stupidly thin way, but this should help.
It isn’t, however, helpingme. Coming up with new ideas and building tools for my family always takes my mind off things I don’t want to think about, but not today. No, every few minutes, I’m reminded of Raya’s honey scent, the way she moans when I kiss her, and the way her nose crinkles in the cutest way when she smiles. Then my thoughts involuntarily turn to the way she couldn’t quite face me as she told me that she’s no longer single.
Who the fuck is he? I’ve spent days trying to figure it out, only to come up empty. More than once, I’ve found myself on campus on days I’m not teaching, tempted to find her and demandanswers I’m not entitled to. I sigh as I laser engrave the wordsLet Them Eat Cheeseinto Sierra’s gift, knowing she loves that kind of twisted humor. Normally this level of silliness would’ve had me smiling, but today my heart feels heavy.
It annoys me how quickly Raya got under my skin. I can’t figure her out, can’t read her motives. No way was she able to walk right into someone else’s arms a mere few weeks after falling asleep in mine. What is she playing at?
“Pippy,” I call, the sound of my voice activating my AI Robot Assistant. “Have you been able to find any new information on Bob Lewis and Lewis Motors? And what about Raya? Did you learn anything new about her?”
“It took a while, but I was able to delve a little deeper into Mr. Lewis’s financial records. Lewis Motors truly is at the brink of bankruptcy, and Mr. Lewis’s personal assets can’t sustain their relatively modest lifestyle for much longer, since he’s reinvested all his savings back into the company. Despite his financial situation, he continues to pay $10,000 a month to an unfamiliar external account, straining his already precarious finances further. I also couldn’t find anything about him prior to when he started his business. There’s a gap between when he graduated and when he started his firm, though I suspect he was preparing to launch his business during that time and may not have been working.”
I nod slowly, uncertain what he might be up to. Debt, perhaps? “Look into the paper trail for me, will you?”
“Certainly, Lex. As for Raya, I’m sorry to say that I have no new updates. I was unable to verify that her relationship status has changed.”
Relief rushes through me, and I smile wryly. Was she just trying to deter me with her words? If she truly was dating someone, I’d already have figured out who he is by now.
“What about Annie?” I ask, my voice soft. “Have you found Annie?”
“I’m sorry,” Pippy says, her slightly robotic voice tinged with regret. “No trace of Annie yet. I’ll keep looking.” My heart twists painfully, and I sigh as I continue to work in silence, hoping to drown out my thoughts by keeping my hands busy.
“Lex,” Pippy says eventually, her tone concerned. “Bob Lewis at the front desk. Would you like me to notify the receptionist that he is to be admitted to your lab? As it stands, our staff are refusing him entry.”