Chapter 5

Lexi walked past David and into his bedroom. He followed and closed the door behind him.

Lexi turned, looked him in the eyes, and smiled. She reminded him of the Russian models in spy-thriller movies: tall, cool, with a touch of danger. You just knew those women could use anything as a weapon if provoked. While David was filming in the UK, Lexi found a paperclip and had him convinced she could end him with it.

He couldn’t help but compare his ex with his current semi-fake girlfriend, Crystal.

Crystal used her considerable physical assets to bully her way into getting what she wanted. She cut back on that when she started dating David; with him, she acted somewhat more reasonable. At least she didn’t boss him around like she had Matt.

Crystal was the type of girl whose bottom you would spank if she were bad; if pushed, Lexi might spank yours—not that David was into that sort of thing.

Lexi could seemingly read his mind. That could be both good and bad.

So, each had her upside.

What the girls had in common—besides being gorgeous, spoiled California girls—was mutual sexual chemistry with him. David could still feel it with Lexi, even though he would never get back together with her in this lifetime.

“I want one last fuck,” Lexi announced.

David knew she’d used that word to shock him, and it did wake up Mr. Happy.

“That’s about as subtle as a well-thrown brick and just as welcome.”

“Think of it as closure. We both know we’ll never get back together, but you must admit that the sex was always great. I’m proposing one last night together. A sort of goodbye,” Lexi offered.

“What do you mean by ‘a goodbye’?” David asked.

As an answer, she stepped up to him, and her mouth crushed his as her tongue thrust forcefully into his mouth. When David grabbed her hips and slid one hand upward to work under her shirt, Lexi moaned in approval. He cupped her breast and rubbed his thumb against her nipple. It hardened in response, and she whimpered, signaling she wanted more.

David pulled his head back to ask what was really going on.

“Shut up, David. Don’t overthink this.”

She turned him around and pushed him back onto his bed. He agreed they didn’t need words at that moment and just wanted ... to feel. Lexi kissed his neck and nipped at his earlobe while his hands roamed up her thighs toward her waist. She sat up and ran her fingers lightly over his chest before pulling her shirt over her head and throwing it across the room, landing on his desk. He looked at her intently in an effort to unravel Lexi’s end game and to burn the image of her body into his brain.

She ran her fingers across his chest, and he pulled her close. When his mouth found hers again, he flipped her over, pinning her to the bed. As she wrapped her legs around him, he was struck by the intense need to be inside her.

This woman drove him to the edge of sanity. Her smell surrounded David, intoxicating him and compelling him to want to possess her. He forced himself to slow down and bent down to take one of her nipples into his mouth. Lexi gasped as he flicked his tongue and suckled gently.

“David. I want ... I need...”

“Hush. I know, and I want you to remember that good things happen when you let me be in charge.”

Lexi growled at him in response, which gave him a moment to reflect. She’d always been the best PA he’d ever had because she knew him so well. Lexi had guessed right that he couldn’t resist being with her one last time.

He pulled off her shorts with nimble fingers while his mouth teased her navel. When he reached her soft mound, he gently spread her open and tasted her. Lexi gasped, and her hands fisted the blankets. Finding the sensitive little man in the boat above her opening, David gently worked it with his tongue.

When she cried out, shuddering in release, he moved back up to cover her body with his. David reached over to his nightstand and grabbed a foil packet. Pushing his shorts and boxers off, he put on the condom, positioned himself against her, and paused.

“Lexi, look at me.”

Her eyes fluttered open, still dazed from her orgasm. David held her gaze as he began to push inside her, not stopping until he was fully seated. Lexi gasped, her fingers digging into his shoulders, pulling him toward her. She was so tight and hot that it took all of his control not to lose himself too soon.

He forced himself to move slowly inside her, trying to give her time to get used to him. David shifted her slightly and found the sensitive nub again with his fingers. He rubbed against it while she clung to him. His rhythm increased as her body responded to his. Feeling her writhing beneath him and her soft cries in his ears was a heady combination.

When Lexi wrapped her legs around him again and whimpered in his ear, David plunged into her depths with abandon, and she met him stroke for stroke. When Lexi trembled with her release a second time, he couldn’t hold back anymore. He pushed into her once more and exploded inside her.

Collapsing on top of her, David buried his face in her hair. After a moment, he became faintly cognizant that he was probably crushing her. He rolled onto his side to give Lexi a chance to breathe and looked down at her. Her skin was flushed from their lovemaking, and she had a trace of a smile on her face. Her eyes were closed, and he was struck once again by how stunning she was.

Bending down to kiss her softly, she wrapped her arms around him.

“Lexi?”

“Hmm?” she replied, lazily opening her eyes.

David propped himself up on his elbow and asked, “What did you really want?”

“Shut up, David. We’ll talk in the morning,” she said, closing her eyes.

David gave up and let Lexi snuggle up next to him in an all-too-familiar way.

Lexi woke David up and dragged him to the shower for another round. When they were done and dressed, she said, “Take me to breakfast so we can talk.”

When they left David’s bedroom, Alex was on the couch wearing only his boxers, reading his economics textbook.

“Oh, hell no,” he said, making a cross out of the index fingers on both hands and holding it up to ward off Lexi.

“Good to see you, too, Alex,” Lexi said.

“You’re not seriously...” Alex sputtered at David.

“I’ll talk to you later,” David said as he and Lexi left the dorm room.

When they got downstairs, they each grabbed a big breakfast and found a table for two.

“What’s going on?” David asked.

“Ben and I are through. I also quit Dawson Management,” Lexi began.

The name had changed to Holistic Wealth Management, but most people still referred to it by its old name.

“I’m sorry about you and Ben, though I’ll admit I’m not surprised. So, what’s your plan moving forward? Are you going to work for your dad at the studio, or will you go to school full-time?”

“I want to take some time off and figure that out. That’s where you come in.”

“Okay. What do you want?”

“I want to live in one of your condos in Monaco.”

A couple of weeks ago, he’d gotten word that his two units had received their occupancy clearance, meaning construction was done. His mom was working with Cindy Lewis to decorate them for Airbnb rentals, and doing them with high-end décor would bring top dollar.

“How did you know they were done?” David asked.

“I’m still on the email lists as your PA,” Lexi admitted.

He would have to get that fixed today.

“Can you afford it?” was his next question.

“No. I’ve had to put my condo on the market because I didn’t save any money, and without a job ... let’s just say that I’m not moving back home.”

“What are you going to do for money?” David asked.

“I guess I’ll have to find a job.”

“And what do I get out of all this?” David asked.

“You always said I was the best PA you ever had; I can do that remotely for you. In return, you let me live in your condo and maybe give me some money to live on until I can figure everything out,” Lexi proposed.

“If I agree—and I’m not yet saying I do—all the shenanigans stop. No more sending Crazy Pants or Fiona after me,” David added.

Lexi smiled because she knew she had him, and David knew it, too.

“I’d be working for you, not against you,” Lexi agreed.

David saw the benefit of having Lexi so far away but still being able to utilize her considerable skills. He could use her as a foil for Crystal and have her act as a devil’s advocate when it came to his dealings with Crystal’s dad, Kendrick. She might also help Crystal in her quest to help Chloe become an Internet influencer.

“Do you want to do anything formally, like a contract?” David asked.

“No. I trust you, and I still have the debit card you gave me. How about you just make sure it has money available?”

’Fucking fuckwits!’ David fumed. When Lexi stopped being his PA, his people—and he included himself on that list, which was why he was pissed—should have taken that away from her. Then again, she must not have touched it, or Megan and/or his dad would have said something. Mouse, aka Megan, constantly harassed him when he spent money on frivolous stuff. She also accounted for everything everyone spent and sent his dad reports.

David planned to call his dad and discuss what should be done when someone with Lexi’s access left his team.

“The only other question I have is, do you think we can keep this professional? A lot has happened over the last few months,” David said.

“I can if you can,” Lexi countered.

He had to think about that for a minute. He would have flatly refused if she’d come to him during the summer. Having Crystal in his life had helped him get over Lexi. Lexi was right, too: she was by far the best PA he’d ever had. David fiercely missed her in that role at times because she really knew the ins and outs of the entertainment industry.

One area he hoped Lexi could help him with was his new agent. He still wasn’t sure he trusted Kendrick.

“Let’s do this on a six-month-trial basis. Call Megan, and she’ll book you a flight. You’ll have to put up with my mom and Cindy decorating. I think that’s long enough for us to see if this’ll work or not,” David decided.

“You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you,” Lexi said.

“Just don’t make me regret this,” David said, softening it with a chuckle.

They said their goodbyes because he had to get to his first class of the day.

Crystal was in his dorm room when he got done with his day.

“Taylor sent me to make sure you made it to rush,” she explained.

Alex sauntered in.

“I read this book before I fell asleep last night, and it was about this idiot boy who hooked up with his evil ex.”

“I would tell you to quit reading before falling asleep, but we both know you can’t read,” David fired back.

“What are you two babbling about?” Crystal asked.

“Nothing,” they said simultaneously.

“I don’t have time for this. Take me to your cafeteria, and then I’ll drive you to the house.”

Crystal had discovered their dorm had the best food on campus, so she’d begun eating dinner with David a couple of days a week. Kirk stuck his head out of his door as they started for the elevator.

“Lindsey, Jamie, and Lauren are joining me for dinner.”

David hadn’t had time for his friends, so he talked Crystal into going with the group. The special of the night was a taco bar, and David made himself a plate of fish tacos and a big salad.

“I’d never really given any thought to how much people take for granted. You know, the everyday occurrences that happen in our lives, like cereal for breakfast or knowing that MTV won’t really be playing music,” Lindsey said when David joined them.