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I slam my hands harder at his chest, trying to get him away from me. “This isn’t about what I want. You said we had to keep things professional.”

Connor’s jaw clenches, eyes darkening.

I peer around the pillar. Lil is nowhere to be seen. Pulse pounding, I wait for her to round the corner and catch us likethis, disheveled and flushed. But after a beat of silence, nothing happens.

Connor grabs my arm and draws me back in for another kiss. More demanding, more intense. Hungry, devouring and lighting me on fire from the inside out.

But it ends too soon.

Connor rests his forehead against mine, his breath fanning over my face in warm puffs. I close my eyes, not wanting this moment to end.

“There is nothing professional about this. About us.”

He’s right, of course, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

After all, I’m the one who followed him. I’m the one who started this whole mess, who can’t seem to stop thinking about him no matter how much I might wish otherwise.

This isn’t professional.

Far from it.

“You ended it. So, please leave me alone,” I say.

“This isn’t over.” Connor steps back, letting his hands trail down my arms before releasing me. The sudden loss of contact leaves me colder than before.

I follow him out of the alcove on unsteady legs, smoothing my hair and straightening my dress. By the time we emerge into the hallway, all traces of our kiss have vanished. But the ghost of Connor’s touch is branded into my skin, and I wonder if it will ever fade.

Lil spots us, waving. “There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” She takes in my flushed cheeks and mussed hair, eyes gleaming, and I know I’ll never hear the end of this.

Beside me, Connor’s lips quirk up, and I elbow him in the ribs, fighting a smile of my own.

“Sorry about that. Connor and I were discussing some details about the new security systems,” I say.

Connor says nothing, staring at his phone.

So we’re back to ignoring me? Great.

I glance back at Lil and do a double take. The ends of her hair are wet, and her dress looks damp, too. What the hell?

"Lil, why are you all wet?"

She glances down at herself and then back up at me, eyes wide. "Oh, um, I just stepped outside for a minute. It's raining."

I narrow my eyes. "It's not raining."

She shifts her weight from foot to foot, not meeting my gaze. "Well, it was a few minutes ago, and I-I ran into a waiter."

Fine. I let her go, but I will find out what happened later. With Connor here, I can understand why she doesn't want to talk about it—or, more accurately, doesn't want to talk about Sebastian.

“Okay. Let’s get Gemma.” I link my arm through hers. "Lead the—"

“Wait,” Connor says.

We turn as one, eyebrows raised. Connor lifts his eyes from his phone, darts them between us, then back to his phone.

The seconds tick by in silence.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

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