London Bound: New Adult Romance (Chase Brothers) (18 page)

Tamsin waggled her eyebrows. “So you do think he’s nice to look at.”

“Yes, well, I’m not immune to the good looks, for the love of God. I mean he’s very pretty. But honestly, he doesn’t do it for me. Besides, I’m here to learn from him.”

Tamsin leaned in conspiratorially. “Just what is he teaching you? Has he got some fabulous technique or something? Come on, give a lonely girl a thrill.”

Abbie giggled. “You’re incorrigible, Tams.”

Her friend grinned. “Wait till I tell Sophie. She’ll get to the truth of the matter.”

Sophie
. Abbie hadn’t thought about that. Sophie was friends with Alexi. What if she knew everything?
There’s nothing to know
. Besides, Lex hadn’t been so keen on everyone knowing his business either.

“You two are ridiculous.” Then in an attempt to change the subject, she asked. “Are the three of us still meeting for lunch tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I think I’m open, and honestly, Sophie lives one of those fabulous lifestyles where I can never seem to pin her down or what she’s doing. So she’ll be there. Abbie?”

Abbie glanced up at her friend. “Yeah, Tams?”

“You know you’re not doing anything wrong, right? If you were to start seeing someone. I know we tease you a little bit, but at the end of the day, you’re a free agent.”

Abbie exhaled. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I just wish my past wasn’t intruding on my present.”

Tamsin chewed her bottom lip. “Well, you won’t know until you talk to him, but don’t let him push you into a corner that doesn’t give you what you want. That’s just my two pence.”

Abbie gave her friend a soft smile. “Thank you for looking out for me.”

“What are mates for? Now I’ll leave you to either deal with your boyfriend or your hot teacher. Maybe I’ll call Liam. All this talk of you getting some has made me miss him even more.”

After Tamsin left, Abbie stared at her mobile, her fingers itching to call Lex back. Instead of placing the call she wanted to, she shifted back to her laptop and Skyped Evan as she braced herself.

His response was instant. “Jesus, Abbie. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”

Instead of fear or anger when she looked at his almost too handsome features, numbness surrounded her. “Yeah, I heard. I’ve been a bit tied up with school.”

His brows drew down, making his handsome face seem harsher. “You can’t just vanish like that, Abbie. I was worried.”

He was worried? Hadn’t he been the one to make her run? How had she not seen it sooner? For years she’d been blind to who he was. “As you can see, I’m fine, Evan. What do you need?”

He ribbed the end of his nose. “Yeah, I can see you’re fine. Is something wrong with your phone? I tried calling it, but it just goes straight to voicemail.”

“Yeah, I’m not really using that one right now. I only keep it on for emergencies. I have a local phone.”

There was a beat of silence. “Oh, well, are you going to give me the number?”

“No, Evan, I’m not.”

He sighed. “You’re still mad about what happened?” He sighed. “Fuck, Abbie, I said I was sorry.”

He was sorry? “Evan, do you remember the time I did that all-girls night with my sisters for the bachelorette party? Do you remember the lesson you taught me about not answering your calls quickly enough?” The numbness spread as she spoke. “It was the first time you put your hands on me. It should have been the last. Or what about the time I told you I didn’t want your poker buddies at the house because I had to study? You broke my tooth. I was dumb enough to listen to your pathetic apologies then. I’m not interested in hearing them now.”

His brows furrowed. “Okay, I have a temper. I know. Sometimes, I just…You just…I never meant for it to get out of hand. I’m sorry. We can go to couple’s therapy. I’ll even go to anger management. Anything you want. Just come home. I’m tired of us being separated.”

She shook her head. “We’re not separated, Evan. We’re over. I’m not the same girl I was a couple of weeks ago. I know better. Not to mention, you seem to forget you lied to me.”

Now he clasped his hands over his face. “Abbie, I’m serious. I’ll do whatever it takes to show it to you. Just don’t give up on me. I’ll…I’ll come to London.”

Time slowed as she registered what he’d just said. Her skin grew clammy at the thought of him here…in her sanctuary. There was no way she was going to let that happen. “I don’t want you here. I think I was pretty clear about never wanting to see you again.”

He frowned. “What? You can’t mean that. You just need some time to cool off.”

In that moment, she saw the truth. She’d been lucky to escape with her life. “No, I don’t. I meant what I said. We’re over. I never want to see you again. Don’t call me.”

She hung up and immediately rolled onto her side, bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as shudders wracked her body. She’d let this happen. The first time he’d touched her, she should have run fast and far and reported it. Instead, she’d been so desperate to be loved she’d stayed.

Now she could see the desperation for what it had been. But she was a different person now. There was no way she was going to let him ruin everything. She didn’t want him in the same country, let alone the same city.

Chapter 21

Abbie hadn’t called Lex back. Nor had she texted. Not like he was keeping track or stalking her…exactly. Max had invited him to the monthly movie night in celebration of her arrival. He’d been coming to these things off and on for years, but tonight was strictly American iconic movies. Since it was in Abbie’s honor, Lex had known she would be here. Yeah. It was official…He was a stalker.

Jasper eyed him from across the kitchen. “What’s the matter with you, Lex? You look jumpy.”

“Nothing.” He crossed his arms and tried for nonchalance. Abbie had wanted some time to figure everything out, and Lord knew he needed time to sort out Gemma before their friends clocked onto the fact that he and Abbie couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Or rather that Lex couldn’t keep his hands off Abbie.

His friend narrowed his eyes, and Lex wondered if Jasper could smell the anticipation on him. “Things okay with you and Gem?”

Lex gnashed his teeth. Sometimes he hated having such a close-knit group of friends. One of them couldn’t sneeze without everyone knowing that person had a cold.

“Yeah, fine. Why do you ask?”

Jasper cocked his head with a slightly evil gleam in his eyes. “Oh, you know. Just that we don’t normally see you around so often. I just assumed that with Gemma planning the annual Aids Foundation Benefit, you’d be helping her out.”

And he
had
helped her out. But as they weren’t really dating, Lex wasn’t obligated to shadow her at every turn. “What can I say, I love
Top Gun
.”

“Yeah, mate. As if you’re here for Top Gun. I have a feeling a certain blonde is the reason you’re hanging around more. Let’s face it. You weren’t exactly under cover when you called and asked for her flat address.”

Wait, what?
Jasper thought he had a thing for Tamsin? Fine with him. Until he and Abbie figured things out, let Jasper believe whatever the hell he wanted.

When Max signaled them all to the screening room and Abbie still hadn’t shown up, Lex started to worry she wasn’t coming. He checked his phone, but still nothing. Just in case, he left the seat on his right open. Unfortunately, Jasper sat on the other side of it.

The constant edginess was starting to drive him slowly mad. But when he heard the trudging of feet on the stairs and the feminine voices, he started to relax.

Sophie took the short stairs to join Max at the back, and Lex made a mental note not to look toward the back of the room for the rest of the movie. He wouldn’t want to have to wash his eyes out with vinegar.

Tamsin bounded up to the middle row to sit between Angel and the latest model in the house, Tony. Jasper leaned over and whispered, “Tough break, mate.”

Lex reminded himself that hitting his friend would not be a good call. Since Nick sat on the other end of their row, that left the only vacant seat between him and Jasper.

Abbie’s steps halted when she looked around and her gaze met his. Her tentative smile turned rueful when she spotted her other neighbor.

“Hi, Alexi.” Her voice was low, seductive. “It’s nice to see you again.”

He almost groaned. Last time he’d heard that voice, she’d been standing on the precipice of an orgasm. To Jasper she said only, “I trust you can keep your hands to yourself.”

Jasper’s laugh was rich and mellow. “Now what fun would that be?”

Lex clenched and unclenched his hands. Maybe hitting Jasper wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“Jasper, behave please, or I’ll make Tamsin switch places with me.”

He whispered back, “I bet that would make someone happy.”

She glanced at Lex questioningly, but then sat between the two of them. Immediately, Jasper placed his hand on the arm rest palm up.
Amateur
. Lex had already shoved up the arm rest between his and Abbie’s seats so he had no need for conspicuous declarations. But if he took her hand, Jasper would definitely see.

He had no choice but to sit there, with her, with less than two inches separating them and
not
touch her. As the movie played, electricity crackled around between them. He almost worried that any shift in the air would light a spark that would incinerate them both.

Unable to do much else but will her to touch him, he sat perfectly still, breathing evenly, only occasionally sliding his glance toward her. The muscle over her jaw worked like she was grinding her teeth and her body was tight and rigid.

He wasn’t sure it could get worse until the love scene started. He had to shake off the wave of lust as the actress hovered over Tom Cruise. Beside him, Abbie shifted in her seat, rubbing her legs together, then angling her body toward him slightly. Good, he thought evilly. He shouldn’t be the only one suffering.

Even still, nothing compared to the moment when Abbie shifted in her seat and knocked her knee with his. The subtle motion had him holding his breath. And her soft sexy gasp was enough to make the blood rush in his skull.

If he’d been watching the movie and not her, he’d have missed her mouthing his name as the actors on screen hit their climax.

* * *

Hell
. Abbie was in hell. She slid a glance at Jasper who resolutely kept his hand on the arm rest. Then there was Lex. Not that he was doing anything, to be precise. Hell, he’d barely even looked at her. But every cell in Abbie’s body focused on him like he had an unseen gravitational pull.

And with the arm rest up between them, it took every ounce of self-control not to just touch him and beg him to touch her like he had the other day. She’d been so close to an orgasm. She’d almost been able to taste it. Then it had been ripped away from her so forcefully she still hadn’t recovered.

Now she had to sit through this movie with him right next to her and everyone watching them. She’d hoped to get here on time so she might have a chance to talk to him before the movie started, but Tamsin had taken forever to get ready. Maybe after the movie. She and Tamsin were likely spending the night. Getting a night bus or mini cab back to Chiswick late at night could be a pain in the ass.

When the movie finally ended, Abbie breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God,” she muttered to herself. At least she didn’t have to endure another love scene in close proximity to Lex.

Max trotted down from the back. “Okay, boys and girls, now that we’ve watched an oldie, I have two options, one is that new zombie movie, and the other is the movie about the sex addict. Tams and Sophie immediately piped up with no zombies.

Shit
. She’d heard about the other movie. An indie flick with immense critical acclaim…that and the lead actor was totally hot and particularly well endowed. There was no way she could sit through another movie sandwiched between Jasper
and
Lex. She wasn’t going to do that to herself. “I uhm—”

Before she could expose herself, Jasper glanced at his watch. “Oh, hell. I’m supposed to be at a gig in the South Bank in a couple of hours.”

Nick piped up. “Oh yeah? The one with Rebecca Slough, the model?”

Jasper grinned. “The very same.”

“Mind if I tag along?” Nick asked.

Abbie’s heart sank. If Nick was going, then that meant Lex was going with him, and she really wanted some time to talk to him.

Nick leaned between her seat and Lex’s. “What do you say, mate? You coming?”

Abbie held her breath.

Alexi’s voice was smooth. “No. I’m actually pretty knackered. I wouldn’t last the night.”

“All right, then you’re on your own for a ride home.”

Alexi shrugged, and Abbie could feel his eyes on her profile. “I’ll figure it out. Push comes to shove, I’ll just take the tube or spend the night and grab a taxi in the morning.”

A heady cocktail of relief and anticipation flooded Abbie’s veins. When all was said and done, it was only her, Tamsin, Lex, and Angel left in the screening room. Max and Sophie had eventually retired to take their loud make-out session somewhere more private. Tamsin eventually leaned forward. “I’m headed to bed. I think there are the two spare rooms and the couch. Which one do you want, Abbie?”