Just Desserts (25 page)

“
Perfect.” She kissed him and rested her head on his chest, tracing the outline of a star tattoo. “Why don’t you have one here?” She lightly touched the space over his heart.

“
Out of respect,” came his cryptic answer.

“
Do your tattoos mean anything?” There were stars, skulls, knives, and words written in languages she couldn’t read, beautiful but deadly looking.

His pale eyes found hers. “They mean I survived.”

Chapte
r Sixteen

Sensing the need to change the subject, Daisy held up her hand and examined the ring Sebastian had given her. “This is very pretty.”

“
I’m glad you like it. Actually, I bought it with you in mind. The chocolate diamonds around the pink one in the center reminded me of bits of frosting.”

“
You did?” Astonished, she turned the ring this way and that way, examining it from every angle. “They do?”

“
Yes,” he softly, almost as though he was confessing a big secret.

“
It’s perfect for me.”

Kissing her cheek, he began lightly rubbing her shoulder. “May I take you to London tomorrow, to meet my friends and… others?”

By others she knew he meant press and the ever ominous sounding Board of Romanov Industries. “I’d love to, but I don’t have a passport.”

“
I’ll take care of that, and every other expense.” He exhaled. “I’ll need you to stay for a couple of weeks.

Despite going to England being number one on her bucket list and his offer of paying for everything, she hesitated. “I still have my business to run.”

“
Can you reschedule?”

Honestly, she didn’t have any clients for the next three weeks. “March is a slow month for me,” she admitted.

“
Can you pack everything you need tomorrow, while I take care of your passport, and be ready by six PM? We’ll take off at seven.” He rolled her under him and she was astonished to find him hard. “I know how we can spend the duration of the flight.”

“
I’m scared of flying,” she whispered, even as her body responded to the slow caresses he’d started giving it.

His hand drifted lower, to between her thighs, and he slid a finger inside of her. She sucked in air. “I’ll take very good care of you,” he murmured, dipping his head to her chest. Using his teeth, he tugged on a nipple, and then swirled his tongue around it. “Say yes.”

Another finger joined in, his thumb pressing on her clitoris and he sucked her nipple deep inside his hot mouth. “
Yes
.”

***

Daisy woke to Sebastian gently shaking her shoulder. “We’re starting our descent.”

She blinked up at him, then yawned and rubbed her eyes. “What time is it?” Instead of him taking very good care of her, she’d ended up taking a sleeping pill and crashed on his couch about thirty minutes into the flight. The last thing she remembered talking about was the Church of St. Clemmons.

“
Four-thirty AM your time. Nine-thirty mine,” he said with a rueful grin. “Sorry.”

“
That’s okay.” The plane bounced, and then slowed as it taxied on the runway. Pressing her nose against the closest window, she took in the sight of Heathrow Airport. “It seems like I just got on the plane.”

“
While for me, it was endless torture of you humming in your sleep,” he said and she turned to face him, giving him a come-on look

“
Humming in my sleep?” she asked. “You’re so full of it.”

“
Don’t believe me, eh?” He unbuckled his seatbelt and joined her on the sofa. “I videoed you with my mobile.” His thumb glided over the screen of his cell.

Her mouth fell open. There she lay, alternately mumbling and humming in her sleep. “That’s so wrong.”

“
Agreed,” he said and she lightly punched him in the shoulder as he pocketed his cell. “Watch it. Very fragile equipment could be damaged.”

“
Oops.” Splaying her fingers, she admired her pretty ring. “Sorry, I’ll be more careful with your jewelry.”

Taking her hand, he kissed the tip of each finger. “I meant these.”

“
Oh,” she breathed, so charmed by him that she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“
Come here, beautiful,” he said with a smile. She scrambled to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

“
You’re not worried about me messing up your suit?”

“
There’s enough starch in this to withstand even your pawing,” he said dryly, and then pressed a kiss onto the top of her head.

She narrowed her eyes. “Better watch it. Or else.”

A familiar, smug look came over him, one she called his I’m-the-earl-and-you-must-quiver-before-me look. Only she quivered for entirely different reasons. “Else what?”

“
No. More. Cupcakes. For. You.”

“
Cruel, Miss Barnes. Doing away with my daily cupcake ration is in violation of the Geneva Conventions.”

She arched a brow. “Seriously?”

“
I am always serious, darling,” he said with a frown, but his eyes twinkled as he lifted her from his lap and stood. “Ah, the limo is here. Customs first though.”

“
Oh. I have something to tell you,” she said. “Someone claiming to be your mother has been emailing me and wanting to know—”

He grabbed her wrist, squeezing. “What did you say?”

“
Nothing.” Daisy stepped into him, tracing the pattern of his tie with the fingers of her free hand. His grip lessened, but the look on his face chilled her. “I blocked her as spam, but I thought you’d want to know.”

“
I’ll have your email account monitored.” He pulled his cell from his pocket.

“
No.”

Thumb frozen over the screen, he blinked at her. “Sorry?”

“
Emails are private, unless you’d let me monitor yours,” she said, letting her arm fall and pulling her wrist out of his grasp. She grabbed her purse as the plane came to a stop.

“
Out of the question,” he snapped before nodding at the flight attendant to open the door to the plane.

They descended the stairs, and with every step, Sebastian’s stance became more rigid. When he paused at the bottom to offer her his hand, she almost stumbled at what she saw. Face tight, eyes like glaciers and a little sneer in his upper lip.

“
Are you okay?” she asked softly, then slipped her hand in his, or tried to. He directed her fingers to his elbow, like they were at a fancy party.

He paused. “Look, in Holland Springs, I was more…relaxed than usual.”

Her mouth dropped open slightly. He’d been relaxed? “Is that why you won’t hold my hand?”

“
We’re not in nursery school, darling,” he said as custom officers came to them, with their equipment and questions.

Hurt rose inside of her, swift and deep. What did nursery school have to do with hand holding? And where had the man whose lap she’d sat in on the plane gone? The man who had said that Jules Westmoreland—wait a minute…How did he know Jules’ last name?

Her diamond flashed along with the unmistakable click of cameras, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Oh, yeah, the man she’d slept with was her fake fiancé. Emphasis on the word
fake
.

He’d placed her hand directly in the line of sight for the paparazzi watching them. She couldn’t forget that. No matter how amazing the sex, how charming or sweet he could be to her, (and apparently only in private or back home), this relationship of theirs wouldn’t last.

They didn’t speak again, until they were in the limo, and that was only to inform her where they would be going first—his house in Mayfair on Berkley Square. Then his phone rang and for the next three minutes, she listened with half an ear to his conversation, then directed her attention to what was outside her window.

The limo practically flew past pastures, then streets, houses, and shops. A traffic snarl and his sudden silence had her fiddling with her engagement ring.

“
Daisy,” he began. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings, but—”

She held up a hand, then lowered it and took a deep breath. “You can’t apologize then qualify it with a ‘but’. It makes it meaningless.”

“
I rarely apologize.”

Tilting her head to one side, she frowned. “Is that supposed to make me feel special?”

His lips thinned before he went straight back to work on his phone. She sighed and lurched forward, then back against the leather seat when the limo took a left. She heard a sharp crack and part of her bun went all loose.

“
Dang it,” she said as she tried to fix her hair. Unfortunately, she came back with half a chopstick. The light green ones were her lucky pair. She pulled out the other one and tucked them in her purse. Guess they weren’t so lucky anymore.

Sebastian cleared his throat and she glanced up at him. He held his hand over his phone. “Sorry, but could you keep it down? I’m on a very important conference call.”

Her phone vibrated in her coat pocket and she fished for it, snagging it with the tips of her fingers. Better to answer that than him, because she did not have very nice things to say.

Isabella: Sunny in the tropics.

How are things with S?

Her frown gave way to a real smile. Isabella had added a picture of herself posing by the pool with a couple of hot lifeguards.

Daisy: Fine. Making friends, I see. ;)

Isabella: Yep, from yesterday. Ack! Why are you up?

Daisy: I’m in London with the earl of crap apologies. Why are
you
up?

Isabella: Getting ready for bed. Don’t judge. Plane leaves early tomorrow. Also, London??? Crap apologies???

Daisy: Not even. Did you ever mention Jules’s last name to Sebastian?

Isabella: No.

Daisy: K. Maybe Zoe did. Anyway, be safe. Will email you all the details later. K?

Isabella: Fine. *pouts* Better be some juicy ones! Xoxo

Daisy: Night. Xoxo

“
At least someone is making you smile,” Sebastian said and Daisy jerked her head up.

“
How did you know Jules’ last name was Westmoreland?” she asked.

Before he could answer, the limo came to a stop. A doorman rushed over and opened the car door. Guess she’d have to ask him again later. She shivered in the cold morning, glancing up at the imposing building. “Is this your house?”

He placed one foot out of the limo, and then paused. “No, I’m headed to work. Henshaw will see you to Number Forty-Eight.”

“
You’re just leaving me alone? In a place I’ve never been before? Without friends or family? Or—”

“
Christ, Daisy. Calm down. You’re in London, not some third world country.” He got out of the car and bent down slightly. “See you for dinner tonight.” His cold eyes travelled over her. “Consider something different than what you’d usually wear.”

The door shut, while her mouth dropped open. “I’m totally cutting you off from cupcakes
and
me,” she finally managed, watching through the tinted glass as he walked away.