Chapter 3 #2
For the first time in a week, I curse my penthouse for all things noise-cancelling and cubby-holing because she must have been in the room all along. And now I can’t remember what I’ve said on this side of the convo and what she’ll infer and…
‘Gotta go, Tay.’
‘Is Sadie there?’ she rushes to ask. ‘Can you put her on?’
I glance at Sadie and she’s shaking her head.
‘I’ll get her to call you back.’
I’m already hanging up the phone.
Taylor’s concern can wait.
The look in Sadie’s eye can’t.
* * *
Sadie
I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop.
But after the kitchen fiasco yesterday – and barely a glimpse of him since – having Theo suddenly stroll into the bedroom, the one place I’ve been obsessively trying to keep ‘us’ contained in after his invasion remark, felt like a bad joke at my expense.
It took several breaths to come to my senses, another to find my voice.
And now he’s standing there, looking just as stunned as I was.
‘I’ll get it cleaned up,’ I hurry to assure him as I race towards Lottie, head down, cheeks hot. If I had any doubts about Theo’s feelings on us staying, I don’t now. ‘I just needed to get her some fresh clothes.’
‘Hey, hold up!’ He catches my arm as I rush past – his touch barely there, but it crackles through me like a live wire, arresting me mid-stride, arresting my gaze too. ‘I didn’t mean that.’
Our gazes lock, and I wish to God I could look away, but my damned body won’t obey.
‘Which bit exactly?’
And now it seems I can’t control my tongue either… In the background, Lottie is humming along to Princess Pee Pee, thankfully oblivious to our little exchange. Though I keep my voice down just in case.
Her father resented her enough, I don’t want her thinking Theo does too.
‘The bit where you accused us of invading, or the bit where you asked my sister why Axel couldn’t be stuck with us instead?’
‘I didn’t say?—’
‘You didn’t have to.’
‘But I didn’t mean?—’
‘I’ve known you most of my life, Theo, you always say what you mean.’ Kiss-gate being a prime example. ‘It’s the one thing you’re exceptional at…’
And who am I kidding? The one thing? This man is exceptional at many, many things – looking good being right up there with the rest.
‘It’s not how you think it is.’
‘Then why don’t you tell me exactly how it is?’
His eyes dip over my face, my chest… I can feel the band of exposed skin between my cropped tank and my shorts prickling under the weight of his stare, my nipples following suit, and then his eyes launch back to mine.
‘Better still, let’s go out.’
A laugh bubbles up within me. Surely, I didn’t hear him right. ‘ Out? ’
We’ve been living with the guy for a week, and this is the first time he’s mentioned going anywhere together… Hell, he doesn’t even eat meals with us!
‘Sure. The sun is shining. We can take Lottie to Hyde Park, get some ice cream…’
‘Ice cream?’ My mini devil has bat ears when her favourite food is mentioned, and now she’s giving me those big baby blues. ‘I want ice cream!’
‘There we go, Lottie’s up for it.’ He gives me a shameless grin. ‘So, what do you say?’
I’m still floundering over his sudden turnaround – from wishing me gone to asking us out. What’s he playing at? Or rather, what’s Taylor playing at? Because I have no doubt that she’s behind this.
‘I don’t know,’ I say. ‘I’m trying to get back on track with Lottie’s potty training…’
‘And going out will get in the way of that?’ he says, eyes narrowed.
‘It’s almost Lottie’s lunchtime,’ I counter.
‘Concierge will sort us a picnic.’
‘I really don’t fancy tackling the Tube on a day like today.’
‘Who said anything about the Tube? We’re taking my car.’
God, the man has an answer for everything…
‘You’ll never get parked.’
‘My driver will drop us and come back when we’re done.’
His driver ?
Of course he has a driver, stupid. He’s a bloody billionaire. As wealthy as Taylor. It’s just you who’s skint and having to start over.
‘How long do you need to get ready?’
‘I— What ?’ Were they seriously doing this?
‘I assume you’ll need to prep a bag for the sticker monster.’ He sends Lottie a wink that sends a stream of butterflies through my already dancing belly. ‘Twenty minutes? Thirty?’
‘Twenty’s fine,’ I say weakly.
‘Great.’
And then he sweeps out like the giant, sexy, frustratingly disruptive tornado that he is. And he thinks we’re the Masters of Chaos?!
I look at Lottie, who’s already tossed her book aside and is tugging up today’s choice of training pants with about as much glee as the dread I feel…
It’ll be okay. You’re in company. Danny doesn’t know where you are, and there’s an ocean between you both now.
Though he could be on the other side of the world, and it wouldn’t be far enough. Because it’s not even him per se. It’s the ghost of him.
‘Mummy, ’m stuck!’
I zone in on Lottie, who is twirling on the spot, trying to get her arm through her romper suit, and shake myself out of my funk. ‘Coming, baby.’
Hyde Park will be nice . Hyde Park will be fun .
No harm will come to us.
No harm at all.
Save for the kind inspired by being up close and personal with Theo for the day…