(Frank’s POV)Mrs. Lira smiled and thanked Lexa and me after placing the box at the main entrance of the orphanage.“We can bring this inside, Mrs. Lira,” I offered, but the institution Director smiled and shook her head.“Don’t bother, Frank. The boys will help me get this box. Thank you again,” she said gently, glancing at Lexa. “Is she Anya’s music teacher?”Lexa gave the older woman a sweet grin. “Yep. That’s me.”“Angela’s bringing some musical instruments next week for the kids. Can you spare a little time to teach them?” She was hopeful Lexa would say yes.“Of course!” she answered cheerily, leaning forward to Mrs. Lira. “But -”Lexa saying yes to her already surprised me, but I knew her, she was all about earning money for her sisters, and the institution had nothing to give her except recognition and appreciation for her voluntary and good deeds. My eyes narrowed, unconsciously looking at her.“We just don’t have the budget for the fees…” Mrs. Lira blushed and smiled sheepish
(Frank’s POV)The house was quiet today because I asked the construction company to continue the construction on the weekend. Last night, I hoped to bring Lexi here, tour her around the house, and maybe have more time together alone.After placing the box inside my bedroom, I peered at Lexa and found her watching the sea from the tall glass window in the living room.“Wanna swim?” I asked, stopping at the last step of the staircase.She turned to me and grinned. “And what? Toast my skin under the sun?” She shook her head.“Are you hungry?” I stepped toward the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. I glanced at the kitchen door frame and saw her walking in my direction.“What happened to the risotto in Italy?” She teased me as she propped her elbows on the kitchen island.I chuckled, turning my gaze to the inside of the fridge again to look for something to eat. “Didn’t you hear Anya? You have to be in school tomorrow.” I closed the refrigerator and turned around, not knowing she was st
(Lexi’s POV) Finn has just come from his meeting with Sky. It wasn’t on the schedule, but he went to meet him when he received a call from Catherine asking him to come to his office. He walked past me, not talking to me or asking me what he wanted to eat for lunch, but I was sure he glanced at the box of sour candy strips I had been munching since he left. I was about to take the last piece, but he came back and stole it from me. “Hey!” I protested, but he ignored me and went inside his office. I sighed, stared at my monitor again to look at the blinking cursor, and waited for who would give up blinking first. Was it the cursor or me? The door of his private office opened, and Finn went out again, his face crimson as he threw the white envelope on my table. “What’s this?” He asked angrily. I leaned forward, pretending not to know, picked it up, and took the letter inside. “Oh! This is what you called a resignation letter, Finn.” I faked a smile. “Get in my office.” He snarled.
(Lexi’s POV)I was keeping a tally of the hours as if counting my last breath.Half an hour into going to the hospital, another half an hour with her mom checking on me, preparing my medicine, just in case I got sick from a night and a day adventure and reminding us of the first aid kit and emergency lines to call. One of her another ‘just in case’.Only an hour in the shopping mall because he had called Gemma, a boutique owner, ahead of time to prepare the things I would need for the short trip. She only took my size, and as she clapped her hands, her assistants became busy taking everything we needed, and before I could decline the things he bought, they were already bringing them to the car.Finn was smirking as we got out of the boutique because I looked more like Demi Lovato attending Camp Rock instead of going on real camping. Gemma insisted I wear the floral print yellow dress, denim jacket, and luxurious boots.I did nothing, but everything exhausted me, causing me to fall asl
(Lexi’s POV)Finn wasn’t kidding me when he said this was a workcation because after eating dinner at the picnic site and going with me to the nearest bathroom, which was a ten-minute walk from the tent to brush my teeth and change, he was already talking about work. As I got out of the bathroom, I finally looked like going camping, wearing a sweatshirt, shorts, and a pair of Crocs classic clogs, matching him.When we returned to the tent, he took the brochures and documents John had given him earlier and began studying them. He ignored me as I plumped the only pillow I had. His was placed at the farthest part of the tent as if telling me he wasn’t interested in touching me tonight. It should have been a piece of good news for me, but I took it as an insult.Brushing my thoughts aside, I lay my back on the bedding, twisting and turning a few times to find a comfortable position, when the air began to whisper outside, wind shaking our tent.“Finn,” I yelped as I listened to the wind fl
(Lexi’s POV)Could a heart go into shock?Maybe… After that nuts conversation with Finn about cheating on a family, I could not sleep anymore. Guilt must have imprisoned my lungs and heart altogether, constricting the air in my body.As I blinked my eyes in the dark while listening to Finn’s low snores, I was thinking about how cheap I got, like I was too eager to jump into bed with him. If my parents were alive, they would probably get hurt because they did not raise me to stoop so low for a man. I turned to him, sleeping farthest from me. The gap between us wasn’t vast, but his arms were crossed to his chest as if he was making sure his hands would not crawl into my pants just in case I rolled to his side. Sighing, I got up, making sure not to step over on my sleeping boss, carefully not touching Finn before I slowly exited the tent.When I got out successfully without waking Finn up, I turned my gaze to the other tent, thinking of staying there for the rest of the night. It was my
(Finn’s POV)Lexi was already asleep, now breathing evenly but snuggling to me every time I would try to move far from her. My effort to abstain myself from touching her was like a battery getting empty because as my beautiful but bossy secretary nestled to me, our skin was a match, producing fire inside me.I told her I was a light sleeper, and my naughtiness kicked in when she went outside the tent a while ago. It was my intention to scare her, so I followed her as she walked toward the bathroom and grabbed her waist from behind. But I did not expect that I would put her life in danger just because I wanted us to be okay again.She groaned, whimpering in a low sound as she rested her thigh on top of mine. Puffing air and thinking of needing her inhaler, I pushed her thigh slowly away from me because I could not breathe as I tried to restrain myself from the desire flooding my body.As soon as I successfully pushed her thigh off me, she moved again, returning her thigh on top of mine
(Finn’s POV)“Boyfriend?” Lexi mouthed, her eyes wide but glaring at me.Liam pursed his lips as if amused at how the words slipped from my mouth. He raised his hands, looking like he was surrendering to the police but glanced at her, his eyes confirming.Lexi bit her lower lip and briefly looked at me before explaining to him. “We’re actually here for a workcation.”“John mentioned that,” his eyes flashing at me and continued, “A VIP visiting to check on the place. I didn’t know you were the VIP,” he winked at her and chuckled when her cheeks blushed.It was Lexi’s cheeks reddened, but it was my blood boiling in… anger? Annoyance? Jealousy? Why would she blush with just a wink?“He’s the VIP,” She laughed and walked closer to me.“It was the plan,” I cut in their silent flirting. “But she had an asthma attack last night, so I can’t risk her health.”“Of course,” Liam said, locking his eyes on her as if she was the VIP. “You still had asthma?”She turned to me, wrapping her arms aroun