by Lexi Aurora
Still, it was frustrating to know I would have taken Adrian up on his offer, had it been any other situation. I was stupidly, furiously attracted to him, and any outward hatred I showed was only serving to cover up how badly I wanted to feel him on me. He annoyed me, sure, but there was something about his challenging, bad-boy behavior that made me want to fuck him senseless.
It had been so long since I’d felt like that about anyone. I never had much time for dating, or even interest. Most people I could meet through friends were already colleagues, and to use a very crude phrase: I don’t shit where I eat.
Ugh , I thought. This must be Adrian’s influence. I’m talking like some crass college student.
I also could never bring myself to sign up for any kind of online dating or match-finder programs. I had tried that, once, at the behest of my cousin, who was two years older than me and already married with a child. She’d made a profile for me without my knowledge, but I’d agreed to go out with a guy from the site who’d shown some interest in me. We weren’t more than thirty minutes into dinner when he confessed that he was a writer for a network morning show, and he was given an assignment for a “flashback” episode. Apparently, it had been almost twenty years since I first appeared on that same show as a child, showing off my prodigious violin skills in front of the world. He admitted he wanted to interview me, and no, he wasn’t interested in dating me.
I distinctly remember slapping two twenty-dollar bills on the table, grabbing my purse, and walking out of the restaurant without looking back. That was two years before Adrian Oliver came into my life, and nothing had happened for me with any man since.
I stewed over my memories, opening and re-opening old wounds, for most of the night. I eventually did fall asleep, because damn , rich people sure do know how to make a nice bed. It must have been the thread count of the sheets and the stuffing of the pillows, because I didn’t remember actually falling asleep, but I woke up feeling like I was resting on a perfect cloud.
Begrudgingly, I got out of bed and packed up all my things, making sure the room was spotless before I left. I had to wait on Adrian, because of course I had too, and Alison, claiming she’d always been an early riser, made me some coffee before we left.
Less than a minute before our car was supposed to leave for the airport, Adrian stumbled his way downstairs in a pair of dark jeans and a grey Henley. He wore sunglasses, but at least there was no ridiculous pseudo-disguise today.
“Try not to shame this family any more than you already have, Ade.” Alison sighed, sounding exhausted. Adrian nodded wordlessly before picking up my bag and his –apparently that kind of behavior was just ingrained in him– without a second thought.
“Take care of yourself, Dr. Quinnes. Bring us back good news,” Alison said, smiling at me hopefully.
“I’ll do what I can. Give your mother my best, and thank you both for the hospitality.” I shook Alison’s hand and hurried out the door, climbing into the car swiftly as Adrian was still taking his time. We had barely gotten onto the freeway on the road to the airport when I heard him snoring faintly next to me. I rolled my eyes.
Despite who I was stuck with, I was excited about our mission. I’d never really had the opportunity to do field work, since I’d thrown myself into academia from the beginning of my career and hadn’t emerged since. I didn’t mind being cooped up in libraries and lecture halls, but even I knew the benefits of getting out of the old comfort zone. Besides, I could always lean on the fact that I would never be the least knowledgeable person in the room.
That, of course, would be Adrian.
We made it to the airport and got through security without any complications. I turned to Adrian once we were in the main terminal, standing at a cross-section of gates.
“Alright, which gate are we flying out of?”
“Not any of these.” Adrian lowered his sunglasses a bit to look around. “God, you didn’t think we’d be flying commercial , did you?”
“I...” So much for being the most knowledgeable person in the room.
Adrian chuckled, deep and throaty. “Scarlett, I have, like, four private jets.” He stopped, frowned, and continued. “Well, I did . Two are in repair and the other two are, uh, being loaned out for some of my buddies. This one is my mother’s, which would explain the heinous departure time.”
“Heinous . Didn’t really expect that to be in your vocabulary,” I grumbled, unsure of what to say when I was once again reminded of just how different our two worlds really were.
“I did go to some very good schools,” he said. “And when I did badly there, I had some very good tutors. Of course, they couldn’t figure out what was going on when it was very clear I didn’t need them.”
“Let me guess. You knew everything, but pretended you didn’t, because doing otherwise wouldn’t have worked for your image?” I replied, snarky.
“No. I knew everything but I never showed up to class or did the homework. If I already knew what I needed to know, what was the point of anything else? I got by acing tests, and I graduated, and, you know, what else could I do?”
By this point, Adrian and I had shown our I.D. cards to a security officer and were being led down to the plane. We stopped talking every so often when our bags were being loaded on and when Adrian stopped to talk to the pilots. I was already on the plane and seated on a plush couch with a mimosa in my hand when Adrian got on and took a seat on a leather armchair across from me.
“So, telling you all that, here’s what I don’t get.” Adrian had taken off his sunglasses and seemed a little more awake but still relaxed.
“How in the hell did you survive school the way you did?” he asked me. “And then kept going into more school? And, what, just never stopped?”
“What do you mean? I was – am – good at school. When I found my niche in academia, I stuck with it, and used what I could to my advantage so I’d be able to keep going and excel in my field,” I told him.
I didn’t like being reminded that while the classes were easy, the overall experience of school wasn’t. Skipping grades made me feel like even more of an outsider, and even as an accomplished adult scholar I faced skepticism from people because of my age and background. I’d spent the better part of my conscious childhood trying desperately to live up to expectations, and it took me years of study (and some therapy) to become confident enough in my own abilities that I could ignore the rest of the annoying buzz around me.
“You didn’t just want to finish and get out? That’s what I did.”
“I can see that,” I said, not so harsh this time. “What else was I supposed to do? I didn’t have a fallback. School was where all my talents lay, and it was a safe option above all else.” Before I could say anything more, I suddenly realized what the gap between our understanding was.
“Adrian...” I continued. “I didn’t have billions of dollars behind me, okay? I didn’t have much of anything growing up, and what that does to a kid... well, you learn from a very young age that you have to have realistic goals. You have to choose a career that will carry you through life, make you money, and keep you afloat. So, you find what you’re good at and make a job of it. I just had my work cut out for me.”
Adrian, for once, seemed to be at a loss for words. Meanwhile, I was turning red and trying to disappear into the couch. I couldn’t believe how much I’d revealed to him all at once. What happened to my professionalism? Did it all go out the window when I spent the night before so sexually frustrated because of him? I had to get my head on straight and practice what I’d been preaching about business and focusing on the task at hand.
Adrian and I said nothing else to each other until we landed in Barcelona, taking naps in shifts and amusing ourselves in other ways the whole trip. But by the time the wheels touched the ground in Spain, I was jumpy with excitement for the first time in a very, very long time.
Chapter Six
A DRIAN
The conversation on the plane with Scar
lett had left me a little shaken, as much as I hated to admit it. It wasn’t that I was naïve to the workings of the rest of the world, but I tended to surround myself with people who lived my kind of lifestyle, and mine was the sort that required a lot of money. I knew I’d sounded stupid, but it wasn’t like I could apologize to her. I technically hadn’t done anything wrong, and though I was enjoying our constant scramble for power, apologizing would put us on a different level. There was nothing sexy about going to her like a kicked puppy with my tail between my legs, begging for forgiveness.
I decided I would just play it cool and let her come to me first, if she did at all. Once we were in Spain, though, she seemed to forget all about what had happened between us on the plane. I watched her take in our surroundings with wide, bright eyes, and wondered if she’d ever had a chance to travel before. I figured she wouldn’t have, unless she’d been on a study-abroad program or something.
We met a guide, a fellow scholar, in the airport. She was a middle-aged woman named Constance who introduced herself in English, Spanish, and French, then led us to a car and explained our lodging arrangements, as well as our schedule for research. Scarlett listened to her with rapt attention, and I figured she’d remember every detail, so I didn’t pay too much attention. I knew I’d just end up following Scarlett wherever she needed to go, sending periodic updates to my mom and sister when I could.
“So, any questions?” Constance asked a few minutes later, and I realized I must have been doing a better job of pretending to listen than I thought.
“Nothing that I won’t learn in action, I suppose,” Scarlett shrugged. “You will be accompanying us to the historical library tomorrow, correct? I’m afraid I’m not too familiar with the layout.”
I noticed Scarlett’s Ivy-League vocabulary was making a strong appearance. She seemed simultaneously at home in the environment and completely out of her element. I’m sure being in a different country, tired and probably jet-lagged, was taking a toll on her, but there was no denying she knew what she was doing in this field.
“I will,” Constance assured her. “I will stay on the premises, but once you have what you need, I will leave you both to conduct your research privately.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Scarlett said quickly. “I mean, I will be doing the research on my own. Adrian is here only to represent the Oliver family.”
I felt like she was trying to distance herself from me, but for whose benefit?
“Ah, just one problem with that,” Constance said, looking from Scarlett to me and back quickly. “Mr. Oliver, I’m sure you know your family has graciously given the library a large grant in exchange for unlimited access to our more...sensitive documents. I do mean that quite seriously; some of what you’ll be seeing cannot be touched without gloves, for it is so old and delicate.”
Scarlett nodded emphatically. I, on the other hand, was not at all aware of the grant. I’m sure it was my mother’s doing. She had a way of making things happen.
“Therefore, you must be with Dr. Quinnes at all times when she is inside the library,” Constance continued. “It is the only way she will be able to view some of the pieces.”
“We understand,” I said firmly. I’d unconsciously moved closer to Scarlett as I listened to our guide, and found myself able to put an arm around her shoulders. I wondered if she was as hyper-aware of every part of our bodies that were touching as I was.
“Of course,” Scarlett said, mustering up a smile.
The hotel was a swanky joint, even by my standards. Scarlett looked ready to shrink into herself, but I took her arm in mine and made sure she couldn’t. Any awkwardness that may have passed between us on the plane was gone. I was the one familiar thing she had there, and while I didn’t want to take advantage of that fact, I enjoyed the way it felt.
Our rooms were across from each other on the top-most floor; individual suites that boasted every amenity imaginable.
“Well...” Scarlett looked like she didn’t want to leave my side, and I was somewhat startled by it. “I guess I will see you in the morning.” It was a statement, but she posed it like a question open for discussion.
“Right. And if you need anything between now and then, you know where to find me.” I smirked. “I can make you a map, if you like. You seem to be more comfortable with those.”
Scarlett rolled her eyes, but there was no malice behind it. “Just keep it down, alright? I don’t want to have to call in any noise complaints on you.”
“I’ll do my best, but no trip to Spain is complete without a good old-fashioned champagne-and-bourbon-filled orgy.”
The immediate horror that crossed Scarlett’s face was enough to make me laugh and break my serious expression.
“I’m kidding, Scarlett. No, that’d be France. Which, coincidentally, is right around the corner, if we finish early here and you want to see what all that’s about-”
“I’m sure I’ll be all funned-out by the time we’ve done what we have to do, thank you very much,” Scarlett said. She’d removed her arm from mine, but we still stood close, neither making a move towards our own door.
Without even thinking about it, I started to say something I wasn’t prepared to hear coming from my own mouth. “Hey. If what I said on the plane earlier... I mean, I kinda was a dick.”
“I know you didn’t mean anything by it,” Scarlett sighed. “I said a little more than I meant to, anyway. I know at the end of the day, we come from two very different worlds, and, you know, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”
“I can buy you nice things and you can help me get my head out of my ass?” I suggested, only half-joking.
“I don’t need you to buy me things.” Scarlett’s face was neutral and she kept her voice even, but her eyes were sad. I didn’t see much of the fire that I’d seen there before, and I missed its warmth.
“I kind of need you, though.” I didn’t say anything else, but leaned in towards her.
“Sorry.” Scarlett put both hands firmly on my chest to stop me and looked into my eyes. “We’ve overstepped professionalism a little too much already.”
“God, Scarlett, when was the last time you let yourself enjoy anything?” I asked, exasperated. I put my hands over hers, holding them gently. “I’m not talking about week-long benders and group sex and crashing motorcycles and whatever else, I just mean letting yourself breathe and have fun and have desires and-”
“You don’t think I want that?!” she exclaimed in a burst of emotion, yanking her hands away. I was taken aback, but let her keep going. Clearly, this was a long time coming.
“I have to be the perfect picture of a scholar if I want to be taken seriously, despite the exemplary work I’ve already done. Any misstep reflects directly on my merit, and it’s indicative of my failings as a woman, a student, a historian... that’s so much pressure, Adrian. It’s so much and it’s been on me since I was a kid.” Though her voice didn’t waver, her throat tightened and I saw tears pooling in her eyes.
“I get pressure,” I told her. “I mean, no, I don’t get it like that , but... my dad, okay, he was a really good, smart guy. He died in a helicopter crash when I was thirteen – he was bringing medical supplies to an orphanage in Haiti. Every guy my mom got involved with after that was a disaster, and Alison pulled away from the family for a while, finishing school and starting her business. I figured she could keep the family legacy going fine on her own, so I took the pressure off myself. I established a strong reputation as... you know.”
Scarlett nodded, pushing her hair away from her face. I put one hand gently on her waist, slowly, so as not to startle her. She reminded me of a deer caught in headlights, unsure of which way to turn, not knowing where she would be safe. But I no longer saw this as submission, or saw her as something to catch.
“This is going to last a week, tops,” Scarlett said. “This job, I mean.” She spoke softly, but we were close enough that I could feel her breath on my lips.
“There
aren’t any stuffy, pretentious men in tweed jackets here to judge you. There’s no reason you can’t enjoy yourself. This assignment will look good on your transcripts –not that they aren’t already really impressive– and this can just be something to remember fondly.”
“This?”
I released Scarlett and walked backwards to my door, sliding the key card and opening the door. I hadn’t been so excited, anxious, or full of anticipation in a long, long time. She pocketed her key card and never let her eyes leave my face.
Chapter Seven
S CARLETT
I couldn’t say I let Adrian talk me into coming to his room, because I knew damn well what I was doing and I could have left at any time. I knew that without a doubt. There was no intimidation at play, and I didn’t feel that it would affect the job. Being halfway across the world with him almost didn’t feel like reality, so maybe my inhibitions were lowered because the consequences seemed less likely to actually come to light.
Adrian made me feel sexy and desired, and even if it could only be for this trip, it was nice to remember that I could feel that way. So I let him close the door behind us as I stepped close to him, putting one hand on his shoulder and the other on the back of his neck, ready to pull him to me.
His hands moved to my waist again, but now they were firmly set, and stroked up and down to my hips and back. It seemed like he was waiting for me, so I closed the distance between us and kissed him. His lips were soft, but the kiss was full of heat and escalated after a moment when he nipped my bottom lip and held me flush against his body. Through our clothes, I could feel the muscles of his abdomen –the ones I’d seen the night before– and even the erection that was forming.
“If you change your mind,” Adrian murmured against my mouth, “you say the word, and we’ll stop, and you can go back to your room, and we won’t ever mention this again.”