make it down to your room.”
The cake froze in her mouth, and her chewing slowed.
“There’s a second bedroom.” He gestured over her shoulder, and she relaxed again as she swallowed.
“That’s okay. I can’t stay too much longer. I have to get up early to get to Heathrow. It took a lot longer to get here than I’d expected, and I want to make sure I give myself plenty of time. I’m not really used to public transportation.”
“Why don’t I take you?”
“To Heathrow?”
He grinned, and his voice was dry as he drawled, “Yeah, I’m not offering to drive you all the way to L.A.”
She bit back a smile. “That would be really nice. Thank you.” A prolonged farewell. At least it meant she wouldn’t have to go through the awkwardness of saying goodbye tonight, when she was still so raw. She shoved the final bite ofdessert in her mouth, and it seemed to have a tranquilizing effect on her. As soon as the warm cake hit her belly, her eyelids dropped. “I think I should go. I won’t be very good company.”
She half expected him to try to convince her to stay, whether by tempting her with his body or the promise of a sleep-filled night on a penthouse mattress, something she’d never experienced and never wouldhave another opportunity to again. But he stood as she stood and walked with her to the door.
And then out the door.
“Uh, I think I can make it without an escort. I mean, I’m sure these corridors are just as dangerous as the streets of L.A., but I’m a tough girl and can handle myself against any butlers I run into.”
“I don’t doubt it. I just wanted a few more moments in your company.Is that okay?”
Oh. God, he was turning her upside down. “Yeah. More than okay.”
More than okay?
She mentally shook her head at her own lameness, but Ash didn’t seem to care. He walked her back to her room, and she was hit by all the terrifying questions she hadn’t worried about since she was a teenager.
Is he going to kiss me? Do I want him to kiss me? Will I kiss him back?
Butthe answer to the first question appeared to be no, which made the other two moot. “What time’s your flight?”
“Noon. I’d like to get there by nine so I know I don’t have to panic.”
“Meet me in the lobby at eight, then.”
“Sounds good.”
He reached over and squeezed her hand, but that was the extent of the physical intimacy. “See you in the morning.”
“See you. And Ash?”
He turned back to look at her.
“Thank you.”
“I’ve done nothing—”
“I know. But you’re going to, and that means everything to me.”
He smiled. “Sweet dreams, Mila.”
Those words ended up being a curse. She dreamed about him not just that night but the next few as she got home and tried to settle back into her routine. She hadn’t been in London long enough to get used tothe time difference, but the lack of sleep on her flights had messed up her body clock, and thanks to the dreams she kept waking up feeling more exhausted than when she’d fallen asleep.
One dream replayed itself over and over, the dream of Ash defending her honor against her cousin Sergio at the dance club. Her dad’s grandmother had originally been from Spain, and the family had kept in touchwith distant relatives there through the generations. Her dad had known how stifled she’d felt by life in her small Montana town, where everyone knew the scandal surrounding her and Gabriel’s conception. So he’d called his cousins; one of them had two small children and agreed to give Camila room, board and a bit of spending money if she babysat the kids every morning. Her dad had bought herflight and sent her to Barcelona.
She’d been there a month before she overhead Ash and Alfie’s outrageous conversation on the beach. In that month, she’d seen plenty of men ogle women and discuss them as if they were weighing up the commercial benefits of a heifer at a county fair. But something inside her snapped when Ash reduced one woman to
The cake froze in her mouth, and her chewing slowed.
“There’s a second bedroom.” He gestured over her shoulder, and she relaxed again as she swallowed.
“That’s okay. I can’t stay too much longer. I have to get up early to get to Heathrow. It took a lot longer to get here than I’d expected, and I want to make sure I give myself plenty of time. I’m not really used to public transportation.”
“Why don’t I take you?”
“To Heathrow?”
He grinned, and his voice was dry as he drawled, “Yeah, I’m not offering to drive you all the way to L.A.”
She bit back a smile. “That would be really nice. Thank you.” A prolonged farewell. At least it meant she wouldn’t have to go through the awkwardness of saying goodbye tonight, when she was still so raw. She shoved the final bite ofdessert in her mouth, and it seemed to have a tranquilizing effect on her. As soon as the warm cake hit her belly, her eyelids dropped. “I think I should go. I won’t be very good company.”
She half expected him to try to convince her to stay, whether by tempting her with his body or the promise of a sleep-filled night on a penthouse mattress, something she’d never experienced and never wouldhave another opportunity to again. But he stood as she stood and walked with her to the door.
And then out the door.
“Uh, I think I can make it without an escort. I mean, I’m sure these corridors are just as dangerous as the streets of L.A., but I’m a tough girl and can handle myself against any butlers I run into.”
“I don’t doubt it. I just wanted a few more moments in your company.Is that okay?”
Oh. God, he was turning her upside down. “Yeah. More than okay.”
More than okay?
She mentally shook her head at her own lameness, but Ash didn’t seem to care. He walked her back to her room, and she was hit by all the terrifying questions she hadn’t worried about since she was a teenager.
Is he going to kiss me? Do I want him to kiss me? Will I kiss him back?
Butthe answer to the first question appeared to be no, which made the other two moot. “What time’s your flight?”
“Noon. I’d like to get there by nine so I know I don’t have to panic.”
“Meet me in the lobby at eight, then.”
“Sounds good.”
He reached over and squeezed her hand, but that was the extent of the physical intimacy. “See you in the morning.”
“See you. And Ash?”
He turned back to look at her.
“Thank you.”
“I’ve done nothing—”
“I know. But you’re going to, and that means everything to me.”
He smiled. “Sweet dreams, Mila.”
Those words ended up being a curse. She dreamed about him not just that night but the next few as she got home and tried to settle back into her routine. She hadn’t been in London long enough to get used tothe time difference, but the lack of sleep on her flights had messed up her body clock, and thanks to the dreams she kept waking up feeling more exhausted than when she’d fallen asleep.
One dream replayed itself over and over, the dream of Ash defending her honor against her cousin Sergio at the dance club. Her dad’s grandmother had originally been from Spain, and the family had kept in touchwith distant relatives there through the generations. Her dad had known how stifled she’d felt by life in her small Montana town, where everyone knew the scandal surrounding her and Gabriel’s conception. So he’d called his cousins; one of them had two small children and agreed to give Camila room, board and a bit of spending money if she babysat the kids every morning. Her dad had bought herflight and sent her to Barcelona.
She’d been there a month before she overhead Ash and Alfie’s outrageous conversation on the beach. In that month, she’d seen plenty of men ogle women and discuss them as if they were weighing up the commercial benefits of a heifer at a county fair. But something inside her snapped when Ash reduced one woman to
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