Ariel made the note without objection, but her jaw tightened in annoyance. “Very well. And you’re still certain you want to take her? There’s going to be a lot of respectable people there.”
I’d assured Ariel nothing serious was going on between London and me. In fact, I gave her my word. But now everything was changing, and I wasn’t even sure what was going on. It would be easier to take Sasha or someone else, but I didn’t want another woman on my arm. London wouldn’t want that either. “Yes, I’m certain.”
Ariel hid her annoyance again, but I knew her so well that it was obvious she was ticked.
“You should bring someone, Ariel. It’s a social function, after all.” I never met any of the men in her life. She never talked about her personal life, even when I asked questions. I understood her need for professionalism, but we were still friends. I cared about her as a person, not just a business partner.
“I may.”
“That’s great. I’d love to meet him.”
She only smiled in response.
“I might give him a bit of an interrogation, but I’m sure he can handle it. If he’s with you, he must be pretty solid.”
Her smile didn’t drop. “We’ll see.” She rose from the chair, standing on her heels with an ease that implied she was barefoot. “Need anything else?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“You know where to find me.” She walked out and closed the door behind her.
My thoughts turned to London once I was alone. That woman was on my mind constantly, even when I was in the middle of a business meeting. Like a cloud that hung over my head, she followed me everywhere I went.
Letting her speak to her brother was an impulse decision. Maybe I would regret it later, but I suspected I wouldn’t. He thought his life could be claimed at any point in time when my thumb decided to hit the trigger. London would never jeopardize her brother’s life, and Joseph wouldn’t cross me again.
I wondered if the threat on Joseph’s life wasn’t the only reason London was with me.
That she wanted to be with me.
Every time we were together, it seemed different. She wanted me all to herself, she wanted me to spend all of her free time with me, and she looked at me like I was the only man in the world who mattered.
I wondered if her feelings had grown from hatred, to lust…and to something more.
I was afraid the same had happened to me.
I told myself that would never happen because it didn’t seem possible. My heart had been broken and humiliated, and I was too angry to feel anything besides spite. But I cut back on drinking, stopped seeing other women, and London was the only thing I thought about exclusively.
How did I get here?
Dimitri knocked on the door and popped his head inside. “Sir, may I come in?”
“Yes.” I didn’t miss Dunbar at all. Ever since he’d been put on tower duty, he hadn’t had any conflicts with London. It was an easy fix.
Dimitri approached my desk with an envelope in hand. “London asked me to give this to you.”
“Lady London,” I corrected as I took the envelope from him.
He nodded his head. “My apologies, sir.” He walked out and shut the door behind him.
I examined the letter and had no idea what she was up to. Why send me a letter when she could just come down here and speak to me? I preferred our conversations when she was sitting right on my lap.
I ripped open the sleeve and pulled out the small piece of paper that had been ripped from a pad of stationery. A single sentence was written in her feminine handwriting.
* * *
Sir,
Come upstairs and fuck me in the ass.
-Lovely-
* * *
I stared at the paper and felt my hand shake. My fingers grew numb, and I dropped the sheet on my desk, my pants suddenly feeling tight from the sentence I just read. It was quickest I’d ever gotten hard in my life.
I left the desk instantly, refusing to keep my woman waiting.
I finished donning my black suit, one of my most expensive ones that I reserved for special occasions. Everything I wore was nice and designer quality, but some of the finer things were always kept in special storage. I didn’t even expose those outfits to air for fear of fading or wrinkling.
I looked at myself in the mirror and adjusted my tie for the last time. My appearance wasn’t just important because of the royalty who would see me. The only opinion I really cared about was London’s. Sometimes she looked at me with desperation in her eyes, her hands usually pressed hard into my chest. She was turned on with just a single look.
I liked that.
I walked down the hall and entered our bedroom where London was getting ready. We had to leave soon, so she should be almost finished.
When I walked inside, she was just as beautiful as I expected. The dress fit her perfectly, as it had when she’d first tried it on in Italy. It reached the floor and covered her heels, and it fit her bust like it was made for her. Her slender shoulders were round and led to a graceful neck that had been smothered with countless kisses. Her hair was pulled back with two small braids intertwined with her hair. A diamond necklace hung around her throat, and her makeup was done to highlight her features subtly. A beautiful woman like her didn’t need much makeup anyway.
I admired her from the doorway and watched the hairdresser make the final adjustments. He looked at her reflection in the mirror and nodded in approval. “You’ll outshine the Queen.”
“What?” she blurted. “The Queen is going to be there?”
“According to her assistant, she is.” I stepped into the room and came to London’s side, unable to take my eyes off her. She looked exactly the same as she did during Holyrood week, but to me, she looked like a whole new person. My arm circled her waist, and my lips moved to her ear. “You look perfect.”
Her features melted, and a smile formed on her lips. “I like your suit.” Just as I hoped, her hand moved to my chest. It was the clear-cut sign that she wanted me, that if we were alone together, my pants would be around my ankles.
I pulled her into me and kissed her hairline. “Thank you, Lovely. Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah…” Her bright features suddenly softened. “I think so.”
I noticed her unease immediately. “What is it, Lovely?”
She broke eye contact. “Nothing.”
The hairdresser silently excused himself so we could be alone together.
I turned her toward me, forcing her to meet my gaze. “Tell me.” There was nothing she couldn’t say to me. I was patient and understanding. I showed her more compassion than I’d shown anyone in my life.
“I don’t want to see him, that’s all.”
I knew exactly whom she was talking about. “You have nothing to be afraid of.”
Her eyes moved down again.
“Look at me.”
She took a deep breath before she met my gaze.
“You know I would never let anyone touch you. Right?”
She nodded.
“You know I would never let anyone ever make you feel uncomfortable. So relax.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
I kissed the corner of her mouth. “Then let’s go.”
11
London