Chapter 14 Lexie
By the time Saturday rolls around, my head spins with everything that’s happened this past week.
I sent Sydney in my place to meet Theo at a venue (he needs to know he’s not always in control).
I passed off my assistant duties for my other wedding to a junior coordinator to focus solely on the Astor/Barlowe wedding, Theo and Annabelle locked on the invitation design, and Annabelle left for Italy.
Annabelle left for Italy.
When I started my plan to take down Theo, it wasn’t like I had phases in mind.
I only had an end goal. But had I developed a project plan, one key milestone would’ve been getting Annabelle physically away from Theo.
Less than six weeks after he slithered back into my world, his fiancée leaves for another country.
My fingers and toes are crossed that she gets the clarity she needs to recognize Theo will bring nothing but pain.
My phone pings, my heart skips. I swipe open the Google alert I set on Theo, but it’s just an article about him appearing as a guest at another medical conference. My pulse settles.
Still, I know he has secrets. Ever since I saw him at the hotel with that woman and he avoided my probing questions, I’ve been desperate to find out who she is—and how many more women sit in his contacts. If I were a gambler, I’d put good money on it being a lot.
I slide into slim jeans and a fitted white sweater and zip up my heeled boots. I know I’m playing with fire—but that’s the point.
I’m supposed to meet Theo in an hour to tour another venue. Instead, I plan to watch him first. From a distance. Unseen. I want to see how he moves when he thinks he’s alone, what slips when his guard drops.
He won’t like it when he realizes I’m not where I’m supposed to be. His need for total control will be his downfall.
I can already picture it—him pacing, checking his phone, simmering at my unanswered phone calls, the same way I imagine he did earlier this week when I stood him up.
I can’t pull that again—not with my job on the line.
And yet, I know he won’t run to Sydney. I’m certain he enjoys this game between us too much to end it that way.
I might be playing with fire but I’m not reckless. I scoped out the venue days ago. It has potential. I’ll show up just in time, armed with a perfectly reasonable “last-minute emergency” that caused my delay.
For now, I’m going to leave my apartment, treat myself to the city’s best strawberry crepes a few blocks away, and savor the knowledge that after years of feeling like a shadow trailing someone else’s light, I finally have the upper hand—and I’m not ready to let it go.
By the time I bounce down the four flights of stairs to the sidewalk, I’m giddy with purpose. When I throw open the door, a crisp breeze hits my cheeks and I shiver. I tug my scarf tighter, blink against the fluttering snowflakes, turn the corner, and… What. The. Fuck.
Theo.
Leaning against a black SUV, his arms crossed, his eyes narrowed. My breath locks so hard in my throat, I cough.
“Good morning,” he says. Casually. Like he’s not standing outside of where I fucking live.
The snow-covered bushes and branches meld together, the street cars distort, ringing thunders in my ears. How the hell does he know my address? “What are you doing here?”
His face. That smug smile. Something hot and reckless flares in me, an urge to wipe it right off him.
“Well, the last time we were supposed to meet, imagine my surprise when Sydney showed up saying you could no longer make the appointment. We don’t have a lot of time to plan this wedding, after all, and I thought it’d be terrible for you to be…
held up again.” He knew. I don’t know how, but he fucking knew.
“So, I thought it best to collect you myself—just to avoid any further issues.”
This motherfucker. He’s outside of my apartment—my home—smiling like he’s doing me a favor.
I hate him.
“How did you know where I live?” I ask, but does it really matter? He’s here and ruining my entire morning.
“Sydney gave me your address.” When I raise my eyebrows, he says, “I told her I’d send a car so you didn’t have to take the subway.”
I cross my arms and refuse to thank him for the gesture.
“We have places to be, so please, hop in.” His lips quirk into the faintest grin. “Unless you’re afraid to be alone with me, of course.”
“I’m not afraid of you.”
“Excellent,” he says, opening the door. “It’d be rather difficult to maintain a professional relationship if otherwise.”
This asshole wants fear. I can see that now. But I refuse to give it to him.
I hold my ground. I’ll get into the car eventually—I’m not an idiot. But I won’t let him think he’s won, even if, for the moment, he has.
“You came all the way to the Bronx from Tribeca to give me a ride?” And now, it’s my turn to grin.
I glance at the street cars moving behind him and dig a heel into a sidewalk crack.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were obsessed with me.
” I dare him to deny this as he’s waiting outside my fucking home.
He lowers his chin, boring his gaze into mine. “Trust me, if I were obsessed, you’d know it.”
I arch a brow. “Then what would you call showing up outside of my home?”
He eases and a glint of amusement cuts across those demonic eyes. “I’d call it polite.”
“Polite?”
A full dimpled smile spreads across his face. “Helpful, even.”
Ugh, he’s phenomenally irritating. He carries himself with such delusional confidence he could run for office.
“You mentioned in our first meeting that you’re an assistant and not a lead,” he says.
My back stiffens.
“In fact, you were adamant I knew about your lack of experience, and how overwhelmed you’d be managing my account.” He casually dusts a few snowflakes from his sleeve and steps closer. “I just want to help.”
Everything in me flares. How dare he use my words against me? “I don’t need it.”
“And yet, you couldn’t make our first solo meeting.”
“I sent Sydney, my manager, in my place,” I snap.
“Exactly my point. You sent in your boss to handle your responsibility.”
I cross my arms. “If you’re seeing a patient and are called away on an emergency, would you not refer them to another doctor, especially one who has more tenure? Or would you just let them sit in pain until you could take their appointment?”
His flexed jaw and narrowed eyes tell me I hit the exact nerve I was aiming for.
And it’s delicious. This tension between us shouldn’t feel this good. But like a moth to a flame, I can’t help but want to see how far I can push before he finally snaps.
I need to have a serious talk with myself about my body’s infuriating habit of betraying me where Theo is concerned.
“I would never jeopardize a patient’s well-being.”
“And I won’t jeopardize your wedding.” Doesn’t mean I won’t find ways to take you down.
“And yet, you’re delayed in your communication or unresponsive.
I’m sure since you’re still learning you don’t realize common client courtesy is informing me ahead of time that you wouldn’t make our meeting.
” His condescending tone ruins any glory I felt from standing him up that day.
“That was incredibly unprofessional. Looks like you might need some guidance. Maybe even some handholding as you navigate your career.”
No matter how hard I try to not react, my nostrils flare. “You’re the client,” I say, pushing the words through my gritted teeth. “I don’t need guidance. Whether or not you like it, I am the one in control. Not you.”
He takes another step forward. “In control, huh? I think you must have misunderstood our previous interactions. I am always the one in control. In fact, from here on out, I’ll be calling the shots of where we go and who we meet.”
“I didn’t realize you were so skilled at wedding planning. Is this your first marriage? Have there been others? Or are you planning more in the future?” Like with that woman from the hotel. The more his eyes taper, the more my pulse spikes. My mouth twitches into a grin. “I think—”
Theo grabs my shoulders, flips me around and slams me against the SUV with such ferocity that my breath is knocked out of me. “What the—”
An electric bike zooms past where I was just standing, so lightning fast the wind swooshes my hair.
My body freezes, confined between the car and Theo.
Everything around me stills. The traffic, the pedestrians, the city.
The only sound is my heartbeat thudding in my ears.
Theo’s sturdy, firm body crushes me, steals my air, but it’s comforting and warm like a weighted blanket.
Murder fills his eyes as his gaze flicks at the bike rider but then he looks back at me.
Really looks at me. When his eyes lock with mine, something shifts.
His eyebrows cinch, moving from rage to concern.
The air is broken with nothing but rattled breaths and throats swallowing.
My heavy pulse thuds in my ear, in my chest, and I swear even through our jackets I can feel his pounding heartbeat against mine.
He’s so close that his warm breath fogs the air above my head.
One second passes. Then another. Time stretches as everything around us mutes.
It takes until now to realize that my hands are gripping his waist.
His entire body is flattened against mine. Entire. Body.
Holy shit. His cock hardens and twitches against me and I freeze.
Almost like he realizes what just happened at the same time as me, he drops his hand and takes a wide step back. I immediately feel a cold void.
I shouldn’t be disappointed.
“You okay?” he says, scanning me from head to toe.
My insides melt. Theo just saved me, and my mind stutters, trying to reconcile the contradiction. This man I hate, who I’m fairly certain hates me back, who infuriates me, and who I fully intend to destroy, just shielded me.
“Yes.” I clear my throat. “Yes, thank you. That guy came out of nowhere, huh?”
This is what I say, because I don’t know what else to do. Theo’s no longer pressed against me, but a strong, electric current between us remains. It’s palpable, heated, and confusing.
And so very fucking wrong.