Let Your Hair Down

by Rachel Lacey

  “Someone you’re keen on, then?”

  Flynn ignored him and continued with his work.

  “You’ve been checking your phone all afternoon like a man who’s waiting to hear from a woman he fancies,” Aidan continued. “So, who is she?”

  Flynn sighed, walking over to lean against the side of Aidan’s car. “Her name is Ruby Keller. I met her at Theo’s wedding. We spent the day together yesterday in London. But that’s all. She’s on with the rest of her vacation now.”

  “And you’re wishing you were still with her.”

  “Maybe a little,” he admitted. “We had a really nice time together. It’s a shame the circumstances are what they are.”

  “And what are they, exactly?” Aidan asked.

  “She’s American. She actually works at Rosemont Castle, helps manage the property for Theo.”

  “Interesting,” Aidan said, scuffing his heels idly through the dirt.

  “And I’ll be heading to Dubai at the end of the month to oversee the new Exeter hotel being built there.”

  “That does pose quite a logistical problem,” Aidan agreed. “What do you say we continue this conversation down at the pub? Have you gotten everything you need?”

  “For today,” Flynn said. “I’ll need to come back out here over the next few days while I’m drafting up your plans.”

  “So, the pub, then?”

  “Yes, all right.” Flynn packed up his materials and walked around to the passenger side of the car. “Truly exceptional spot you’ve got here, Aidan. It’s going to be a hell of a property.”

  “I’m sure it will be now that you’ve signed on to design it for me. You’ve got real talent, mate. You’re wasting it building hotels that all look exactly like the next.”

  “Well, it’s my job to build hotels.” He slung his briefcase into the back and sat in the passenger seat beside Aidan.

  “I appreciate you taking on this project for me,” Aidan said as he backed the car out of the wooded lot toward the road. “I know you’re busy right now.”

  “My pleasure. This is a nice change of pace for me.”

  They chatted as they drove into town and parked in the little public lot behind the main street. As they waited for the hostess to seat them, Flynn checked #RubyGoesRogue and saw a new photo, a selfie she’d taken outside Buckingham Palace, grinning widely, still wearing the multi-colored top she’d had on when he kissed her goodbye that morning. Heat spread through his gut, coiling into an uncomfortable mixture of longing and regret.

  “Is that her?” Aidan asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “She’s still in London, then?”

  Flynn nodded. “For one more day, I think.”

  “And why aren’t you there with her?”

  “Because I’m here with you,” Flynn told him pointedly. He’d lost focus and gotten sloppy on the job enough times, but he’d never shirked work for a woman. “And also because she already had a trip planned before she met me.”

  “That’s a shame.”

  Flynn looked again at the photo of Ruby. She was beaming, smiling so widely her eyes scrunched into slits, the way he’d seen her do yesterday as they explored the city together. She was having fun, embracing her solo adventure the way she’d intended. So, he swallowed over the pang in his chest and put the phone away. “It’s for the best, really.”

  Ruby wrapped up in the hotel’s fluffy white robe and told herself she wasn’t hiding. It was perfectly acceptable to order room service for dinner and watch cheesy movies in bed on her second night in London. So what if last night this time, she’d been sitting with Flynn at the theater, watching her first West End play?

  It felt like hiding, though. She sighed as she took another bite out of her burger and flipped through channels on the TV. She encountered BBC after BBC after BBC, but none of the shows she scrolled past appealed to her.

  Today wasn’t a failure. If she repeated it in her head enough times, maybe she’d start to believe it. She’d had breakfast with friends, spent the morning at the park (sleeping, but still…), had a lovely lunch on her own, and visited Buckingham Palace. Since she hadn’t planned ahead, she’d missed the changing of the guard, and the public tours had been sold out for the day. But she’d still gotten to see the palace from the outside.

  She’d had fun. She really had. But the whole day, in the back of her mind, she’d had this lingering sense of panic, feeling out of control, lost. Maybe it had been a mistake to try to take an unplanned trip. Why hadn’t she just created a detailed itinerary before she left Virginia? That way she could truly enjoy herself.

  It wasn’t that she minded being alone. Sometimes, she preferred being on her own. But right now, she missed her laptop so much she could cry. Some people needed lists and order to function, and she was one of them. Why had she thought it was so important to push herself out of her comfort zone?

  With another sigh, she carried her now-empty room service tray out to the hall and shut and bolted the door with the Do Not Disturb sign out. While Ruby had been hiding behind her laptop, Elle and Megan had both followed their passions, started new businesses, and fallen in love. Not that this trip was part of any plan to fall in love, because if meeting Flynn had taught her anything, it was that meeting the right person at the wrong time might be worse than not meeting them at all.

  But—and she would never admit this to anyone, not even her closest friends—there was a tiny, needy part of Ruby’s heart that craved the kind of fairytale romance Elle and Megan had found. She wanted to be swept off her feet by a Prince—or Princess—Charming and live happily ever after. Hopefully, this trip was either the first step in breaking herself out of her shell or a last solo jaunt before she fell in love. Or maybe both.

  Speaking of Elle, a text message from her popped up on Ruby’s phone. She clicked on it, bringing up a smiling selfie of Elle and Theo against a backdrop of turquoise water.

  Loving Tahiti. May never come home. jk. Miss you guys already!

  Megan had already replied with a string of emojis, and Ruby was hit with a wave of homesickness so strong it physically hurt. She missed her friends so much…

  Have a fruity drink for me! she typed and pressed SEND.

  Then, she curled up in bed with her e-reader. A few hours later, because she was still tired after last night, she decided to turn in early. Tomorrow was a new day, and it would be a better one.

  That mantra was still fresh in her mind as she got up and got ready the next morning. She again packed her satchel with water, snacks, and her e-reader…just in case. Then, she headed out in search of breakfast. Lured by the scent of coffee and scones, she ended up eating at the restaurant in her hotel.

  “…the Elgin Marbles,” a woman at the table behind her said. “I’ve heard they’re simply stunning in person.”

  Ruby’s interest peaked. She’d heard of the Elgin Marbles, a collection of classic Greek sculptures, and maybe she’d had a vague idea that they were at a museum here in London. A quick Google search led her to The British Museum, which sounded fascinating. The freaking Rosetta Stone was there! She’d always been taken with museums, but truly spectacular history and art weren’t easy to come by in Orlando, Florida, where she’d grown up. Here in London, though…

  Decision made, she finished her breakfast and left the hotel. Today, she was confident as she swiped her Oyster card and rode the subway across town.

  Seven hours later, she was exhausted but exhilarated as she left The National Gallery, having museum-hopped all day long. She sank onto a bench in Trafalgar Square, watching as children ran in shrieking circles around the statue-filled fountain at its center. She released a happy sigh, her brain stuffed comfortably full of all the amazing things she’d seen today. She’d posted an obscene number of photos to her hashtag, wanting to document it all. And now, she swiveled in her seat and took a selfie with the fountain behind her.

  Today, her smile wasn’t fake. This time, she was smiling from the inside out.
She was having a great time and had embraced the freedom to move from one museum to the next whenever it pleased her, no schedule to break.

  How to finish off her last day in London? She closed her eyes and let her mind wander. What did she want to do tonight? A fancy dinner on her own? Maybe dancing in a posh club? No, that wasn’t really her style, and the last thing she wanted tonight was to be hit on by random guys in a bar.

  Another show. The thought crystallized in her brain, and she smiled. Yes, she wanted to go to the theater tonight, and she knew just what she wanted to see, if she could get a last-minute ticket. She’d noticed the other night that Hamilton was playing here, and she had been dying to see it for years.

  She unlocked her phone and downloaded a ticketing app, checking tonight’s schedule. There was a showing at eight, and as luck would have it, there was a single seat in the upper balcony still available. Ruby’s heart gave a little leap as she completed her purchase. Showtime was only two hours away.

  She stood and headed with purpose toward the Underground entrance at the other side of the plaza, coughing as she walked. It was a dry cough, though, and she felt fine. She was taking plenty of extra vitamins and supplements to boost her immune system for this trip. Probably, she was just allergic to something in the London air.

  She rode home, stopping at the market near her hotel for a quick dinner. Back in her room, she eyed the red dress in her closet. She’d only worn it for a few hours the other night, and no one who’d seen her that night would be seeing her tonight.

  Decision made, she stripped out of her clothes and slipped into it. As she surveyed herself in the mirror, a myriad of memories blew through her. She saw herself at dinner with Flynn in Pippa’s funky, amazing restaurant, holding his hand in the theater as they watched Wicked, sipping overpriced but delicious drinks together at the American Bar in the Savoy Hotel.

  “Tonight, I’ll make some new memories in this dress,” she told herself, turning her attention to her hair and makeup. This would always be her London dress.

  She put a few essentials in her black clutch and headed out. Since she didn’t want to ride the subway dressed like this, she let the concierge hail a taxi for her. It was a short ride to the theater, and she felt a flutter of excitement as she stepped inside, allowing herself to be swept up in the tide of patrons bustling toward their seats. She bought a glass of wine and a program before making her way to the balcony.

  She busied herself with her program until the show started, sipping from her wine and feeling very sophisticated here in this glamorous theater, about to enjoy what was sure to be an amazing performance. Hoping it didn’t lessen her coolness, she spun in her seat to snap a selfie with her wineglass and the stage visible behind her.

  Hamilton was everything she’d hoped it would be…and then some. She laughed. She cried. And she rode back to her hotel with a big, silly grin on her face. She’d had a wonderful day today, all by herself and completely agenda-free. This was her last night in London, or at least the last night she had booked at her current hotel.

  Flynn had mentioned a train to Paris, and she knew without thinking that’s what she was going to do. Tomorrow morning, she’d check out and go to Paris. She could find and book a hotel while she was on the train. Then, she’d spend the last three days of her trip soaking up as much of France as she could.

  That tingle of excitement in her belly was back. This was the adventure she’d come to London hoping to find.

  She swiped her keycard in the door and stepped inside her hotel room, again bolting it with the Do Not Disturb sign out. But tonight, she wasn’t hiding. Tonight, she was basking in the victory of a successful day. She wasn’t tired, though. On the contrary, her blood coursed through her veins, swift and hot, vibrant, alive.

  She caught sight of herself in the mirror and paused. This dress. She ran her hands over the front of it, remembering the way Flynn had touched her two nights ago, the way he’d gripped her hips, the way their bodies had pressed together. A warm ache grew between her thighs, and she squeezed them together.

  She slid the zipper down her back, remembering how Flynn had paused after unzipping it to take her hair down before removing the dress. She did the same thing now, letting her hair fall down her back, tickling the exposed skin there. She stepped out of the dress and hung it in the closet. She’d pack in the morning because right now, she was…distracted.

  Maybe horny was a better word for it.

  Wearing just her panties, she went to her suitcase and searched through the zipper pouch that contained all the odds and ends she’d brought that didn’t belong in her toiletry bag. Nail polish, vitamins, her back-up glasses in their case, and a little cloth pouch at the bottom that contained her vibrator.

  This was her make-it-up-as-she-went adventure, after all. And right now, she wanted an orgasm. She stepped out of her panties and tossed them into the pile of dirty clothes at one end of her suitcase before crawling onto her bed. The sheets were cool against her bare skin, drawing an involuntary gasp from her lips as she lay back. She slid one hand between her legs, picturing the way Flynn had looked here in bed with her, the way his eyes gleamed almost black when he was aroused, the scrape of his chest hair against her breasts, and the feel of his cock as he pushed inside her.

  With a moan, she reached for her vibrator and switched it on.

  8

  Thinking about you right now.

  Flynn stared at the text from Ruby on his phone, as surprised as he was aroused by her words. He’d seen the photos she posted on social media today, following along virtually as she explored some of London’s finer museums and then took herself to the theater. She hadn’t texted him since shortly after he left London, so he’d decided it was probably best to let things end there.

  But now her name was on his screen, and his heart was pounding like he’d just finished a workout at the gym.

  Is that so? he replied.

  Mm hmm.

  Where are you? he asked, not wanting to read too much into this, but it was nearly midnight, and it was hard to picture her anywhere other than…

  In bed.

  Those two words and the images they conjured sent a burst of fire straight to his groin. He leaned back in the desk chair, rolling his shoulders. He’d been deep into the design for Aidan’s new house when she texted, having spent an untold number of hours in his auto-CADD program laying the groundwork for his design. Now, he saved the program and exited, closing his laptop. Nothing was going to distract him from this project—not even Ruby—but it was late, and he’d made great progress today. He’d come at it again tomorrow with fresh eyes.

  Then, before he could lose his nerve, he picked up his cell phone and dialed.

  “Hi.” Ruby sounded breathless, maybe even aroused, but it was hard to read too much into one word.

  Flynn adjusted himself inside his trousers, somewhat embarrassed by the reaction he was having to the sound of her voice. “How are you? Your photos look like you had a good day.”

  “It was an amazing day.” Her voice was soft, pitched in a way he recognized from their night together, a way that only increased the pressure in his pants.

  “Ruby…” He wasn’t sure what to say. Surely what he thought was happening, wasn’t actually happening.

  “This is such a bad idea,” she whispered. “I should hang up.”

  “Don’t hang up,” he blurted. “Are you touching yourself right now?” He had to know, had to be sure he wasn’t inventing some sort of sex fantasy in his head.

  “No.” A hint of something coy entered her tone. “But I am using my vibrator.”

  Jesus Christ. Flynn gripped himself through his trousers, suddenly aware of the faint buzzing sound that traveled through the line. “Describe it for me.”

  “It’s black. Tear-shaped. Soft on the outside. It feels almost like skin when it’s warm…like a cock.”

  “Like my cock?” He stood, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt, wanting to strip out o
f his clothes but too impatient to undress himself.

  “Yes.” Her breath hitched, and his cock was about to burst through his trousers.

  He unzipped his pants and freed himself, sucking in a harsh breath as he took his aching cock into his fist.

  “Are you doing this with me?” she asked breathily. “Because I’m not that interested in describing things while you just sit there and listen.”

  “I am.” He gave himself a firm stroke. “But you’ve got to slow down a bit and wait for me to catch up.” Because she already sounded close, really close.

  “Flynn…” It was a whine, and he pictured her sprawled across the bed in her hotel room, one hand between her legs, the other on the phone, breasts bouncing as she panted for breath.

  “Does it have levels?” he asked as he kicked off his shoes and slid onto the bed, leaning against the headboard. He left his shirt on, trousers open in the front as he stroked himself.

  “Yes.”

  “Turn it down, then,” he said, heat building low in his gut as he worked.

  “Flynn.” This time it sounded more like a reproach, but the buzzing got softer, and Ruby grumbled into the phone.

  “Keep talking to me,” he told her. “You’ll help me get there faster. Tell me what you’re doing.”

  “Cursing your name is what I’m doing,” she said with a little whimper that made his cock surge beneath his fingers.

  “Tease yourself for a few minutes.” He gripped tighter, stroked harder. “For me.”

  “Umph.” Her voice was muffled, as if she’d pressed her face into the pillow. “I turned it off. Now I’m touching myself, just enough to be ready when you are.”

  “That’s right.” His voice was a growl, his cock painfully hard beneath his touch. He could come so fast talking to her like this. But then it would be over. She’d hang up, and he might never speak to her again. “Getting close.”

  His balls tightened, and he stilled his fist, holding steady until the sensation had passed. A drop of pre-cum glistened at the head of his cock, and he rubbed his thumb over it, spreading it over his skin, groaning at the sensation.