“You’re right,” I say, the smirk tugging at my lips. “I should know better. You strutted into a room full of strangers in a Jessica Rabbit costume and asked a total stranger out on a date for a dare.”
She stretches, and I can’t help but watch, noting the easy confidence in the way she moves.
“I’ll go and get ready then.”
I watch her walk away, gloriously naked and quite unaware of how much pleasure I’m getting from watching her. At the door, she gives a little shimmy of that fine ass of hers, and flashes me a grin, before making her dramatic exit.
I laugh and realize why I’ve been so drawn to her. It’s not just the obvious attraction, the chemistry, the flirtation, although all of that is more than good, but it’s the fire, the spirit, the unpredictability of her that keeps me on my toes. She is intoxicating.
My thoughts naturally move on to ambushing her in her room and ravishing her, which will get us nowhere. With great determination, I spring out of the bed, streak into the bathroom, and make myself presentable. Afterwards, I put on a pair of jeans, sneakers, a T-shirt, grab a light jacket from the closet, andhead out to the kitchen where I switch on the coffee machine. I told Mrs. Parks she could have the day off, so the whole house is quiet as I fry some bacon and make toast. It’s nearly ready when I hear Pippa’s steps on the stairs.
“In here,” I shout, and she comes into the kitchen.
“I’m starving,” she announces as I fill two plates with the food.
She is already munching on the toast by the time I have made us both some coffee and sat down opposite her. Her hair is in a long braid, and I smile to myself, remembering the fight she had with her hair yesterday. She isn’t playing that game again today. She is wearing a cute little black dress with a small red and pink floral design scattered over it and white sneakers. She looks like the most delicious thing at the table.
“You realize this isn’t fair now, right?” she says.
“Huh? What isn’t?”
“This tour guide stuff. You’re bound to win because I only had one day to show you London. This is your second day.”
“And I’m aiming for a third one,” I say with a grin.
“Cheater,” she accuses.
“Well, we can make it fair,” I say.
“I’m listening.”
“I’ll have to come back to London with you so you can have a couple of extra days,” I say.
“I’ll hold you to that,” she says, a strange look in her eyes.
When we finish eating, we step out into the morning sun that is casting long shadows on the driveway. It feels quiet, subdued in a way that’s almost serene after the intensity of last night’s storm and our fucking. I glance at Pippa out of the corner of my eye as we head to my car and smile to myself.
That little dress is going to be real easy to get into later.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Pippa
When we finally arrive at Montauk Point Lighthouse, the view is exactly what he promised me - dramatic cliffs, the ocean crashing below us, seagulls calling in the distance, and the lighthouse standing tall against the sky like a sentinel. He says nothing and lets me take it all in first, watching the way I breathe in the salty tang of the strong sea breeze. A few couples stroll about, marveling at the view, but it’s as promised – serene and quiet compared to the other places he’s taken me.
“You’re going to love this,” he murmurs. The wind lifts his hair and politely drops it back in exactly the same place. “I promised you a bit of history and a bit of adventure, but this place also boasts more than a little romance.”
I laugh and loop my arm through his as we start to climb the short path to the top. “Romance, huh? Are you promising me romance now too?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see,” he says, letting his gaze linger on my face.
I giggle and feel that same heat, the same pull, the same dangerous spark I felt last night.
As we reach the top of the path, the ocean stretches endlessly beyond us. We look out over the cliffs, appreciating the view, the solitude, the sense of being completely removed from the chaos of the city. And when I finally turn to him, I catch that gleam in his eyes, the one that says he’s already plotting to keep me on my toes, to tease me, to challenge me. An image of George comes into my head, but I push it away firmly. I realize that for all the complications Rhett represents, this moment, this connection, is exactly what I want.
And I’m not about to let anyone, not even George, ruin it.
“This is amazing,” I murmur. The wind whips my jacket around me, and I am glad I put my hair up in a braid today. It’s nice to have my lip gloss on my lips, not smeared across my cheeks and stuck in my hair. “I’ve never been anywhere like this before.”
