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“That was brave.”

“A little test of trust.” She smiles, and her eyes shine.

“I hope I passed.”

“With flying colors.” She nods, still relaxing her whole weight against me.

“Anything else would have disappointed me.” I pull her rapidly toward me. Her hand lands on my shoulder, mine finds her waist. She shivers and moves closer to me.

I take the first step, and she follows me hesitantly and a little awkwardly, probably not used to being led. I have to be careful not to give myself away. Pretending you can’t dance when you’re actually quite good at it is damn tricky.

Ophelia tilts her head back. Raindrops run down her face and smudge her mascara. Her previously smooth hair begins to curl around her face. I don’t think I’ve ever met a more beautiful girl.

We turn slowly in a circle, one step after another, her body pressed against mine. Her skin is cool from the rain, yet she radiates intense heat, and my damn cock responds by getting hard. Again. I lead her into a spin before she can notice.

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t dance?” she asks as I pull her close to me again.

“A spin isn’t dancing,” I argue.

“It is a little.” She smiles up at me, and her fingers wander to my neck, cold and warm at the same time. My grip on her waist tightens a little, and I instinctively pull her closer to me.

I want to kiss her so badly it almost hurts.

“I’m not so sure it was a good idea to make rules,” I hear myself say and instantly curse myself.

Yes, damn it, it was a good idea. The rules were necessary—are necessary. This is only supposed to be a one-night thing. Nothing more.

I can’t deal with complications, and Ophelia would definitely be one. Everything about her is complicated. She has secrets, countless secrets written in her green eyes, and I know she wants to tell me. And I want to know every single one of them. Damn.

“It was a good idea,” she says. A hint of sadness appears in her green eyes. “I’m leaving town tomorrow.”

Her words make me pause. “What?”

She nods. “My flight to London leaves tomorrow morning.”

“London,” I murmur. And the fact that she’s leaving does something to me. I realize that this really is just a one-night stand. Just one night. I want to argue and tell her to stay, which makes no sense. It’s very stupid, because we don’t even know each other. Still, that’s exactly what I want.

Another nod. “Yes.”

“Okay,” I say, even though it’s not okay. Somehow, it’s not okay at all, and that worries me. And that’s exactly why it’s for the best that she’s leaving.

She stands on tiptoe and wraps both arms around my neck and presses her mouth to mine. My hands wander over her body, down her back, grasping her thighs. I lift her up, and she immediately wraps her legs around my hips.

We kiss, devouring each other. Tongues and teeth, lips and heat. I feel infinitely warm. She presses herself against me, her fingers burying themselves in my hair. It almost hurts, but in the best possible way.

I take one step and then another. We spin around in circles as we kiss. It’s not really dancing, and yet somehow it is.

We dance in the summer rain, on this one night that belongs to us.

Chapter 26

Ophelia

I know I have a problem when I find myself staring after Phoenix in disbelief as he rushes out of the studio. He runs away while I stand there completely frozen, my lips tingling, unable to move, say anything, or do anything. I just let it happen.

He kissed me. I kissed him. We kissed each other.

And he ran away without a single word. Without an explanation. But there’s no need for one, is there? The kiss was a mistake, just like everything else was a mistake.