Free London Bound: New Adult Romance (Chase Brothers) by Nana Malone Page B

thing. And school has been awesome so far.”
    “School?” The hairs on his neck stood at attention . Relax. There are a hundred schools in London. She could be studying at any one of them. This didn’t mean she was Xander’s student. He could have asked, but he didn’t want to get into it.
    “Yeah. I ran away from home to do a Masters in Fine Art Photography. My parents are beside themselves. It’s like I said, ‘Hey, Mom and Dad, I want to go be a drug dealer in London.’”
    He laughed nervously. His brain kept trying to rationalize all the ways she couldn’t be Xander’s student. She could go to Camberwell or University of Arts. They were the most competitive with University of West London for fine arts degrees. All he had to do was ask. But he didn’t want that truth glaring at him. This was a complication that he didn’t need. So instead, he said, “I get the non-supportive parent thing.”
    She shrugged. “Yeah. It’s no big deal. I don’t need their approval.”
    But the way her shoulders slumped said she cared no matter what she spoke.
    “So you’re here to become the next Annie Lebowitz?”
    She beamed at him. “You know Annie Lebowitz?”
    He made a mock wounded face. “I know things. I’m not just a playboy who has fabulous parties, you know.”
    “I stand corrected.”
    Her tongue peeked out to moisten her lips, and all he could do was stare.
    She gave him a nervous smile. “What are you staring at?”
    Lex nodded absently. “You. Your mouth, specifically.”
    She rolled them inward. “Uhm, why.”
    “I’m trying to talk myself out of kissing you.”
    Abbie shifted away an inch to look at him more fully. “Why?”
    “Because I’m probably not the kind of guy you should get involved with.”
    Her eyes rounded, and she mouthed, “Oh.”
    He liked her. And not just because she was that broken-looking girl he’d rescued from a Mini Cooper. But because she was brave and adventurous but didn’t know it yet. “But I’ve been doing a pretty crappy job of staying away from you.”
    Abbie licked her lips again. He bit back a groan.
    “I-uh.” She started again. “Alexi, I—”
    Alarm bells rang in his head. This was a bad idea. A very bad idea. Worst idea he’d ever had. Worse than even dancing with her and getting a vivid picture of how her body would slide against his in bed. But he didn’t care. In the morning, he’d figure out a way to leave her alone. But right now, he just wanted to taste her.
    Reaching out a hand, he cupped her cheek. “I really am going to hell for this.”
    He dipped his mouth to hers. As soon as their tongues met, electricity coursed through his body. Lex pulled back in an effort at self-preservation.
    Her lashes fluttered open, and she blinked up at him.
    He reminded himself of the million reasons why he shouldn’t do this. With everything else going on in his life, he didn’t need complications. But Abbie briefly placed her fingertips against her mouth, and he forgot about what the prudent thing to do would be. Instead, he dragged her forward and kissed her again. On a shocked breath, she opened for him again. He angled his head to deepen the kiss, and all thoughts of good sense evaporated.
    Barely aware of what he was doing, he cupped her face and rubbed a thumb over her cheek. Unable to stop kissing her, he delved his tongue inside, tasting her. Her unique flavor intoxicated him. When he touched his tongue to hers, she stilled and backed away, flattening a hand against his chest.
    His heart thudded so fast, he worried he’d have a heart attack. Pain radiated in his chest as he waited for her response. Her fingers clenched in the lapels of his shirt, but she still held herself back from him. Shit. He’d taken it too far. “Abbie, I’m sorry. I got—”
    She cut him off by tugging him to her and fusing their lips together. He didn’t need further invitation and dragged her onto his lap so she straddled him, her dress shifting up to expose her