Page 62 of Love Is: Two Bodies One Soul

ChapterTwenty

Owen tightenedthe towel around his hips as the maid entered, pushing a trolley in front of her.

‘Good morning, sir, madam.’ She smiled at him and Lexie. ‘I hope you slept well.’

‘Too well,’ Lexie grumbled and pulled the sheet higher on her chest.

‘Yes, thank you very much,’ Owen said, and eager to be alone with Lexie as soon as possible, he moved to hold the door open for the woman. He glanced at Lexie as he shut the door. She was glaring at him furiously. He must have done something wrong.

Cowardice took over. Instead of challenging Lexie directly, he headed for the trolley and investigated the contents. A full range of breakfast foods, vegetarian and otherwise, waited under the domed silver covers. ‘Good selection,’ he said, smiling a little at his gross understatement. He looked up, and his smile faded along with the last remnants of his waking contentment as he met Lexie’s violet-blue glare head-on. Fierce didn’t go anywhere near describing it. There was no doubt. He had done something wrong. Perhaps he shouldn’t offer to plate up a breakfast for her just yet. The way she was looking at him, he might easily end up wearing the food.

‘I’m going to have my shower,’ she said, rising from the bed to stride past him, chin tilted high.

‘Don’t you want to eat?’

‘Not hungry, but don’t let me stop you. I wouldn’t want to impede your plans.’

“Impede my plans?” Owen stepped away from the food trolley and began reliving the events of the last fourteen hours.

Contrary to expectations, it had been full of surprises. Lexie’s billionaire was not at all what Owen had expected and most amazingly, he was interested in buying WIV.

Roger was a very affable host. The meal had been good. The wine, the best Owen had ever tasted, had flowed.

There’d been a lot of laughter.

Then some embarrassment and nervousness when he and Lexie first found themselves alone together in the blue room. And he had nearly broken his promise when they stood by the fireside. He glanced at the cold wood ash, remembering resting his head against Lexie’s brow, yearning to kiss her.

But then the Champagne had arrived, the mood changed, they’d talked and laughed. Lexie still trusted him enough to share the bed, and he had behaved himself. He hadn’t touched her, even though he’d wanted to very much. Instead, he’d balanced right at the furthest edge of the mattress, trying to sleep, thinking of anything and everything to distract himself. He’d fallen into a troubled sleep at last, but when he woke, he found Lexie snuggled up close behind him, her knees pushing into the small of his back. That was the moment his willpower nearly snapped. Morning sex in a warm bed with a sleepy woman was pretty near the best experience he knew. He’d pulled himself out of bed. A cold shower needed, followed by fresh air. That was it … that was all that had happened.

So, what had he done wrong?

Owen turned to the bathroom. He’d thought their bad start was behind them, that they were forming a friendship. But now, it seemed relations were as bad as ever. He couldn’t eat, he couldn’t leave … he couldn’t do anything until he’d fixed things.

Lexie was already in the shower when he opened the door. He’d knocked, but she hadn’t answered. Through the steam and spray, he could see the outline of her body. His own body reacted. Perhaps he’d forego breakfast for some shower sex. He pushed the thought to the darker corners of his mind and sat down, his back resting against the shower cubicle.

‘May I speak to you, Lex?’

‘No. Go away. I’m taking a shower.’

‘I know.’

‘Then go away.’

‘Not until you tell me what I’ve done wrong.’

‘Fair enough.’

Owen frowned. What did she mean by fair enough? Was she going to ignore him sitting on the bathroom floor outside the shower? How long would she stay in there?

The answer came in the next second as the shower door slid open and Lexie, stark naked, pushed past, showering him in water.

‘Lexie!’ He leapt up, grabbed a towel and flung it at her.

‘Owen!’ she squealed. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’

‘Covering you up. What do you think you’re doing, parading your naked body in front of me like that? Do you think I’m made of stone?’

‘You left me no choice since you weren’t going away.’

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