She blinked, her eyes dazed and glazed with lust, before smiling back at him. “Tomorrow.”
3
Ruby folded her bridesmaid dress and tucked it inside one of her packing cubes. Her suitcase was neat and orderly, but her brain was not. It was spinning so fast she felt dizzy. She would be meeting Flynn out front in fifteen minutes, and she hadn’t planned a single moment of the day to come. Or the day after. Or the day after that.
There wasn’t a spreadsheet to prepare her for the aftereffects of that kiss, which left her stomach feeling like it contained a hurricane. A very warm, welcome hurricane. What if Flynn expected her to spend the night with him after their day together in London? Did she want that? She didn’tnotwant it. But while he definitely lit her up in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time, she wasn’t sure she was ready to move that fast with him either.
Today was about having fun and seeing London, although she certainly wouldn’t object to another kiss if the opportunity presented. It was time to say farewell to the Langdon estate—and her friends—and embark on the next leg of her adventure. She had a hotel booked in London, but other than that, her itinerary was one hundred percent up in the air.
She zipped her suitcase and pressed a hand against her stomach. This had to be what it felt like when you jumped out of an airplane, that time of freefall before the parachute opened. Ruby never jumped without a net, without making sure she knew exactly how far away the ground was and how high she’d bounce once she hit it.
Today, she was taking a wild leap, and she had no idea how far she’d fall or what the bottom would feel like when she got there. Well, she imagined it might feel like Flynn’s lips and the warmth of his embrace. Safe. Secure.
Today, Flynn was her parachute. She didn’t know the exact specifications for how he operated or when he would catch her, but she was confident that hewouldcatch her.
“Here goes nothing,” she whispered.
She stood and went into the bathroom to freshen up, reapplying her lipstick while she ignored the little voice in her head that told her she was being ridiculously girly. This was her adventure, and she was going to do whatever the hell she wanted. And right now, she wanted her lips to look perfect and shiny and plum-colored when Flynn saw her in a few minutes.
She shoved her lipstick into her purse, lifted the handle to the suitcase, and left her room. There were other wedding guests in the hallway, milling about as they prepared to leave the estate. She found Megan and Jake in the parlor, talking to one of Theo’s uncles.
“Morning, Ruby,” Megan called, waving her over. They’d seen each other briefly at breakfast, but everyone had been so busy recounting the highlights of the wedding and talking about Elle and Theo’s upcoming honeymoon in Tahiti that they hadn’t had much of a chance to chat.
“Hey.” Ruby rolled her suitcase over to them.
“So, you’re spending the day with Flynn?”
She nodded. “I am, and I’m looking forward to it. You guys have fun on your own and stop worrying about me.”
“I’m not worried,” Megan said with a laugh. “Well, maybe a little.”
“Don’t be.” Ruby gave her a squeeze. “Text me later, okay?”
“You know I will. Have fun,” Megan said.
“I’ll keep her from bugging the hell out of you all day,” Jake said, giving his girlfriend a good-natured nudge.
“Thanks,” Ruby told him. “Besides, you guys can just follow my hashtag if you want to keep tabs on me.”
“Oh, I plan to,” Megan said, holding up her phone for emphasis.
“Talk to you later.” Ruby waved goodbye and rolled her suitcase toward the front door. The spinning, churning sensation in her stomach intensified.
Leaping without a net.
It was slightly terrifying, but once she committed to something, she was determined to see it through, and today was no different. Worst case, she and Flynn didn’t enjoy each other’s company as much in the light of day and would spend a boring day together. But she didn’t think that was going to be the case.
As she walked outside into the gray September morning and caught sight of Flynn leaning against the side of a sleek black sports car, she knew boring would be the last way she’d ever describe the day to come.
“Good morning,” he said, opening the passenger door for her. He had on jeans and a blue polo shirt that looked like a million bucks on him, his brown hair neatly combed, although a stray lock tumbled rebelliously onto his forehead. “Ready to have an adventure?”
“So ready.” She let him take her suitcase before sliding into the passenger seat. The inside of the car smelled like leather and Flynn, whatever scent it was that she associated with him.
He stowed her suitcase in the trunk and climbed into the driver’s seat. “Would you like to see a bit of the English countryside on our way into London this morning?”
“Yeah, that sounds great.” See? She was going with the flow, embracing the adventure.
Flynn started the car, telling her random facts about the sights they passed. He took her past rolling fields full of sheep and crumbling stone structures that looked like they’d come right out of a history book. They stopped at a castle built during the fourteenth century and took a quick tour. Ruby didn’t even try to contain her glee as she read over the plaques detailing the history of the structure.
