Page 45 of Summer Haze & Tokyo Craze

This kiss is more languid, savoring me, taking the time to explore my mouth with his and making me forget all about how high we are in the air. It’s like a dessert you can’t get enough of, so you take your sweet time to savor every single bite to the fullest.

"Such a wonderful view," he says once he breaks the kiss. When I open my eyes, I find his firmly fixed on me instead of the view outside.

"God, you’re so charming." I bury my beet-red face behind my hands, but he wastes no time in peeling them off to look at me.

"And I love your reaction to it." He grins and presses his lips against my palm. "So don’t hide it from me."

"I’ll try," I promise, and he nods in understanding.

We’re already on the descent, but when I try to climb off his lap, his hands on my hips keep me firmly in place.

His eyes wander over me, from my kiss-swollen lips to my flushed cheeks, to the cleavage of my dress, and to its hem riding high on my thighs.

"Please tell me you don’t have any plans for after this? Are we returning to the hotel?"

The look he captures my eyes with makes the heat in my cheeks intensify, and I squirm in his lap. When he finally lets me climb back into my seat, I quickly cross my legs, because the way he looks at me like his favorite dessert after going hungry for the day just does things to me.

Good thing I actually didn’t have any other plans for this afternoon.

So I nod.

“Let’s go back.”

Lily

The ride back to the hotel is electric, the air between us sizzling with static. Not only because of what happened on that Ferris wheel, but also because we've hurried to catch one of the rush hour trains, and it's packed with people.

For the whole ride, I am pressed against Adam, my back against his front, his hand protective at my hip and sparks flying whenever I'm pressed against him in a curve, until we finally arrive at our station. I hate that he has to let me go, but boy, am I happy to get out of that train.

The way he keeps looking at me in a way that makes me blush and the way his hand brushes against my arm during our wordless walk back—both of us know exactly where tonight is going.

To his room, I suppose.

Was it really that easy?

Well, the hard part is coming at the end of this conference, I guess. The part where I need to draw the line to protect my career. The part where we go our separate ways.

But that’s future me’s problem. Present me is antsy, way too eager to get to the hotel to waste a thought about the future.

But just as we walk around the last corner to our hotel, my phone starts buzzing and humming in my handbag with my work ringtone. Groaning, I stop in my tracks and take it out, shooting Adam an apologetic look.

When I look up, I'm met with an understanding gaze from him. "Room 413," he whispers in my ear, his breath on my neck sending a cold shiver down my spine, and then walks right on ahead. My eyes linger on his back as he walks through the entrance doors, meeting his gaze when he turns to the elevators, and even from the distance, I can see him shooting me a wink. God, this man. He's going to be the death of me.

Then my gaze returns to my phone, my heart pounding incessantly as I stare at Kayla’s name for two more rings before I answer.

I take a deep breath and shake my head, trying to shrug off the enchantment this man has on me before I answer her call.

"Hey, Kayla. What's up?"

"Lily!" she shouts, sounding surprisingly happy to hear me. And this is the exact moment when the trance of this evening falls off. God, suddenly I feel like a teenager sneaking out of my parents’ house to go to a secret party.

I’m still going to do it anyways, but now I feel bad about not telling them.

"How's Tokyo?" Kayla asks and I take another deep breath.

Don't panic, Lily. They might have shit timing, but they don’t know anything. No need to feel like I’ve been caught in the act. Everything is going to be fine.

"It's warm," I tell her with a slight chuckle and clear my throat when my voice comes out in a croak. "But the conference is very informative. What's going on with you?"

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