Page 27 of Vex
She could still feel where his mouth had been, still taste him on her lips. Her body ached in intimate places. This was supposed to have been a distraction, a tactical maneuver to keep him from asking questions about Tallyer.
Simple manipulation. But nothing about last night had been simple.
The way he'd looked at her when he'd pressed her against the wall, like she was something precious and wild that he needed to possess. The way her name had sounded on his lips when he'd buried himself inside her. She'd had sex before, sure, but this felt different.
This felt like he'd marked her in some fundamental way.
She could work with someone without getting her feelings involved. She'd built her entire career on the ability to separate emotion from necessity. But standing under the spray of hot water, she couldn't deny that something had shifted between them.
She dreaded to find out just how bad it would be.
When she emerged, Vex was awake, sitting on the edge of the bed in nothing but sleep pants. His hair was mussed, and when their eyes met, the air between them crackled with everything they'd left tangled in those sheets.
"Morning," he said, his voice rough with sleep.
"Good morning." Her voice sounded steadier than she felt.
They moved around each other with careful politeness, like strangers sharing space instead of partners who had torn each other apart with pleasure hours before.
She thought she might suffocate.
Every casual movement felt designed to avoid accidental contact that might shatter their fragile balance. When she reached for her clothes, he turned away politely. When he moved to the dresser, she found urgent business on the other side of the room. But she was far too aware of every shift of muscle beneath his skin, every casual stretch that reminded her exactly how that body had felt pressed against hers.
This sucked.
She wanted to pull him back into bed and say fuck it. But that wasn't an option. If they fell back into bed together, they might never get out. And they were here to do a job.
Luisa pulled out her equipment and began reviewing her notes. The familiar rhythm of data analysis helped center her, gave her something to focus on besides the way Vex's muscles moved as he reached for his shirt.
"Anything new?" he asked, settling beside her at the small table.
Too close. She could smell his skin, warm and soft from sleep.
"Shell company after shell company," she said, proud of how professional she sounded. "She's hiding something. And taking payments from exactly the kind of people who might want what was stolen. It's not proof, but …"
He leaned closer to look at her screen, and her pulse jumped.
His gaze moved over the data with the same intensity he'd focused on her body the night before. She could feel the heat radiating from his skin, see his throat flexing. The memory of pressing her lips to that exact spot made her mouth go dry. When he reached across her to point at something on the screen, his arm brushed hers, and electricity shot through her.
A soft chime announced an incoming message. Vex activated the suite's communication system, and Maera's voice filled the room.
"Lord Vex, I hope you and your lovely companion slept well. I would be honored if you would join me for a private meeting this afternoon. There are certain matters of mutual interest I believe we should discuss."
The message ended with coordinates to Maera's private quarters.
"I'm going." Luisa said it at the exact moment Vex said, "you're going."
She opened her mouth, ready for an argument, and Vex looked at her with one eyebrow raised. They stared at each other for a beat.
"I didn't think you'd want that," she finally said.
"Maera seems fixated on you. She wanted you at the table last night. She's mentioned you in the message. She talked to you in the spa. We can use that. Or did you think I'd try and bench you because of …" He trailed off, and his eyes flicked to the bed.
Nope. They weren't talking about it.
"Then I guess we'd better get ready. I already showered."
His eyes flicked her up and down, a flash of heat in them so intense it nearly curled her toes. "I can see that. Next time you should wait for me." He didn't give her a chance to reply, instead walking towards the shower without a backward look.
