A rush of self-loathing filled my guts.
Jessica, you idiot.
My little ass-grab would be plastered all over the tabloids.
Luke turned away, the moment broken, and plowed through the crowd. The waiting agents at the airport took our bags from the driver who left when Luke handed him an envelope.
“This way, Mr. Pardini.”
He kept a firm grip on my hand as we walked through the airport, and we bypassed the normal security to go through some sort of VIP screening process. As the agents loaded our luggage on the conveyer belt, Luke turned toward me. His cheeks were a bit pink, and it thrilled me. He leaned into me and I flushed under his accusatory stare.
“So, care to explain what that was all about?”
My face would be stained permanently red. I lowered my gaze. “I was just acting for the cameras.” I cringed at myself as Luke’s dry laughter shook through my body.
“Yes, you certainly were.”
The amount of smugness in his voice should be made illegal.
It was all right though. At least he wasn’t mad. I got a bit carried away, but still, my guilt stayed with my all the way to the small jet was waited for us on the tarmac. I seized Luke’s hand and my nails bit into his palm.
I looked at him in alarm as the driver opened the doors of the Porsche.
“Relax,” he said unhelpfully.
The scream of jet engines echoing throughout the yard, I climbed the steps to the jet. I chose one of the ten white leather seats near the middle, but I couldn’t decide whether the flight would be more terrifying with the window open or closed.
The stewardess practically bowed to Luke as he entered the plane. He spotted me huddled into my seat.
“Jessica, I need to do some work. Will you be fine?”
I waved him off. “Yeah, whatever.”
He chose a seat with a table and reached into his bag to remove his laptop. The door slammed shut and soon after that a roar of the jet engine rumbled under my thighs.
It’s so loud. Is it supposed to be this loud?
The seatbelt light flared on and I quickly grabbed the belt, missing the buckle several times in my haste to secure myself.
“So where do they keep the parachutes?” I said to Luke, who looked up from his computer.
“Uh—there are none. There’s a floatation thing under your seat, though.”
What? “Well, that’s stupid. What if there’s an attack or an explosion and we’re plummeting down?”
He looked at me coolly. “Then we’ll die.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“I’m okay with the logic of it.” He shook his head before returning to his laptop screen.
I gripped the sides of my armrests as the plane lurched forward. I had to remind myself that the flight was nine hours long.
Calm the fuck down!
Maybe I'd have one of those mini liquor bottles.
What if I died without saying goodbye to Natalie? I opened my phone and sent her a quick text: Plane’s leaving now. You’ve been an awesome friend. I’ll call you when/if I land.
There. At least Natalie would know how much I cared. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth as the plane began to turn. Something bumped into my seat.
It was Luke. He sat down in the adjoining seat in an effort to calm me down. It would have been sweet if only he would stop laughing at me.
“This isn’t funny." I reached over and shut the window.
“It is, though.” His voice was strained.
I groaned as the flight attendant spoke over the intercom, telling us to prepare for takeoff.
He broke into fresh peals of laughter as I buried my face in my hands, then Luke lifted the armrest and pulled me into his arms. I relaxed as he snaked his arm around my shoulders. I was nestled between his neck and shoulder. I breathed in the aroma of his cologne. It was incredibly soothing. What would it be like to fall asleep like this, every night?
“I think I know how to distract you.”
It was working. All I thought about was how nice it was to be held. Then the jet suddenly soared forward and Luke let out a grunt as I seized a handful of his arm.
“There, there. It’ll be all right.”
His fingers were under my chin, making me tilt my head back. Then his soft lips kissed me gently. Desire radiated like a heat lamp, pounding all the way down my abdomen. He pulled back as I responded more passionately.
There was no one here to see us, save for his flight attendants. Why was he toying with me like this? I saw some of my confusion mirrored on his expression.
I buried my face into his chest when the wheels lift from the ground. It was the most curious sensation. At the same time the weight lifted, pressure increased over my shoulders as we climbed into the sky. Luke reached over and opened the window, revealing a field of blue beneath us.
“See? It’s not so bad.”
“I guess not.”
“How come you’ve never flown?”
I snorted at the question. He might as well have asked why I didn’t own a yacht.
“I grew up poor in foster homes. No one would have flown me anywhere.”
He made a deep sound that rumbled through my back. “How ironic. My dad put me on a plane the moment my mother died.”
Something cold went through me as I imagined a dark-haired nine-year-old boy, surrounded by strangers on an airplane, wiping tears from his eyes.
“How did she die?”
He sighed. “She committed suicide.”
My whole body stiffened. His hand rubbed my shoulder as if I was the one who needed comfort. I wanted so badly to turn around and hug him. Luke’s voice was very even, but I detected a note of resignation.
It would mess with anyone’s head.
“That’s fucking horrible.”
He shrugged. “I’m over it.”
“There’s no way you’re over it,” I blurted. “I’m sorry. I keep trying to filter my thoughts, but it doesn’t work.”
He weakly chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. Everyone’s always sucking up to me, hoping I’ll advance their career or give them money or something. I’m sick of it. Besides, you might be right."
“Why don’t you cut ties with people who suck up to you?”
“Because then I’d have to fire a good ninety percent of my employees and cut ties with most of my family. I can’t just do that.”
Sure you can. “Well, I promise I’ll never do that. I wasn't taught manners, for one.” Bringing this up gave me a fresh wave of anxiety. “Seriously, you’re going to have to teach me.”
He leaned in so that his breath whistled in my ear. “Jessica, relax.” He patted my arm. “Sorry, but I need to do some work.”
I left him alone for the rest of the flight. Aside from a few bouts of turbulence, the ride was uneventful. I was excited for the three-course meal, but frowned at the small pile of minuscule black balls with the tiniest spoon I ever saw. Next to it was a stack of crackers. I peered at the menu. Caviar.
This is supposed to be a delicacy? It tastes like fishy salt.
The next item was much better. Maine lobster and butternut squash sauce. I devoured the cheery, orange-red lobster and sauce, marveling how buttery it was. Mentally, I was taking notes for the soup kitchen. Getting approval for lobster would be next to impossible. I looked at the menu eagerly for the third course: Princess cake with navel orange marmalade. What the hell was a Princess cake? Was it blessed by an actual princess or something?
I had fun taking pictures of all the courses with my phone, scribbling down in my journal what each one tasted like. Luke barely touched his plates, occasionally looking over to see what I was doing, and perhaps wondering why I got so excited over food.
Now that my anxiety over flying was mostly over, my brain boiled over how I would eventually be confronted with Luke’s friends and family. He counted on me to make this work, and to convince his father that this romance was real. A rush of warmth fi
lled my cheeks as Luke looked up from his laptop and grinned. I couldn’t stop thinking about how he held me in his arms, his eager mouth and hard body. When he smiled at me, my heartbeat galloped ahead.
It’s a bit too real.
I had to keep reminding myself to not get attached. When this was over, Luke and I would go our separate ways.
Get a grip.
Luke returned to sit beside me when we started to land. “Why?” I asked.
“Landings are worse.”
Sure enough, the horrible free-falling motion made my guts clench. I clutched Luke’s hand and squeezed when the plane dropped. He snorted with laughter whenever I let out a high-pitched squeal.
“I’m glad you find my fear so amusing. Didn’t you take an ethics class to become a proper gentleman?”
He tried to force his mouth into a neutral line, but failed. “No.”
I cringed as we plummeted what seemed to be a hundred more feet, bristling as Luke guffawed at my terror. As the plane made a right turn, London sprawled underneath us in a series of yellow lights.
I’m really here.
After we landed, a Rolls Royce whisked us off the airplane and dropped us at Heathrow’s main terminal. A gaggle of paparazzi stood in the lobby, elbowing each other as soon as they saw Luke. His guards fended them off, but this time the camera’s bright flashes exploded all around me. Clutching Luke’s arm, I walked out of Heathrow and inhaled my first breath of London.
I noticed the differences right away: the tiny cars, the black Hackney taxis, and a barrage of languages and English accents.
Once the paparazzi cleared, we entered into our car and sped toward our hotel. Luke’s hotel. We exited the car in a location that had an uncanny resemblance to New York City’s Times Square. I stared at the screen that wrapped around a building in the middle of two streets, flashing colorful advertisements as a slew of people jostled me down the street. Luke tugged my arm, and I looked up, staring at the giant letters over the hotel lit up like golden candles: PARDINI.
We entered it, the beige marble floors polished so well that I saw my own reflection.
“Good evening, Mr. Pardini.”
The receptionists obviously knew him by name. Luke inclined his head and continued to the elevators. Oh, right.
He doesn’t need to check in. Duh.
I followed him into the elevator as the bellhop rolled our luggage inside.
The elevator stopped on the twelfth floor and opened directly into the suite. My jaw dropped as we walked inside. There was a fully stocked stainless steel kitchen, a spa and indoor pool, a gym, and everything you would ever need. The king sized bed stood on a dais surrounded by glass, which overlooked the whole city. It was incredible.
Luke tipped the bellhop, and he shoved his hands deep into his pockets with an air of uncertainty once we were alone.
“It’s a beautiful room, Luke. I can’t believe this.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He rubbed his neck and swept back his hair. “I’m pretty tired, so I think I’ll go to bed now. I’ll sleep on a couch and you can have the bed.”
“No way,” I protested. “It’s your place. I’d feel guilty making you do that. I should get the couch.”
He smiled wryly and shook his head. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”
Arguing this with him was fruitless. He refused to violate his gentlemanly code of ethics.
“We could share the bed. It’s big enough for both of us.” My face grew hot at the idea of sleeping next to his inescapable heat. Maybe he would only wear boxers.
Maybe he would be naked.
A shudder ran through my body.
“As much as I’d like to sleep with you. It’s probably not a good idea.”
The sound of his strained voice and the inevitable flicker of his eyes down my body made my toes curl in pleasure. I wanted this man more than anything in my life. My heart raced as his hand lifted to my face and pulled a stray strand of blonde hair behind my ears.
“Goodnight, Jessica.”
I tossed and turned on the too large bed as though constant movement might dislodge the burning feeling of Luke’s hands and lips from my mind. I was alone with no one real to talk to.
Am I just another one of his paid employees?
My eyes stung from being awake too long, I flipped open my phone and texted a message to Natalie: I got here OK. Have a great holiday. xoxo Jessica
6
My eyelids cracked open to an unfamiliar ceiling, and it took a few minutes for me to remember where the hell I was.
Oh, yeah. I’m in London.
I leapt to my feet and gazed at the surrounding glass walls to my right. London sprawled underneath. I never felt so young and alive. Soon I would descend to its depths and explore the city until my legs stopped working. I couldn’t recall a time when I experienced such bliss I couldn’t stop grinning. Well, that wasn’t true. Some of the happiest times of my life were when Natalie and I hung out during summer vacation. I biked down State Street to her house every day so we could play in her big backyard and walk in the woods behind it. There was an inexplicable joy that came with freedom from parents or school, with exploring the world on our bikes until the sun dipped below the horizon. My eyes misted as I remembered how wonderful it had been—I forgot about it until now.
It was five in the morning and a slow stream of cars and taxis were making their way down the streets. I squinted and tried to locate Big Ben or the Tower of London, but I couldn’t recognize anything.
After a moment of hesitation, I found Luke. It was early, but maybe he was awake. There was a robe with his name in the armoire and walked around the cool tiles barefoot. I wandered into the silent kitchen, looking outside to gaze at the panorama of the city. Was every inch of this hotel room bordered by glass? I continued walking forward, not paying attention to where I was going.
BAM! My head smacked right into something solid and damp. A pair of hands took my arms, and I saw Luke looking contrite, dressed only in a towel wrapped around his waist.
“Jessica!” He released me. “Are you all right?”
My nose was stinging. Holy crap, I thought as I studied his perfectly carved chest and biceps. My chest felt feverish, and I was aware of how hot my face and neck were.
“Uh—wow. You’re in really good shape.”
Ugh. Once again, I was at the mercy of my exhausted brain.
He smiled and looked down at himself. “Well, I try.”
Please tell me there will be some public event that will require him to take his clothes off.
My hand flew to my hair, and I twirled a strand around my finger. “I’m sorry for bumping into you. I was distracted.”
The smell of his body wash hung like a musky cloud; it was intoxicating. He looked down at me with a seductive, shit-eating grin as he crossed his arms over his chest and studied me. The bastard knew how hot he was and he wasn’t ashamed of flaunting it. A guy like him—how did he keep his ego in check?
Stop twirling your hair, idiot!
I snapped my arm to my side. It was hard to keep my gaze fixed on his eyes; they wanted to wander down his chest to the towel wrapped around his waist, revealing trim abs and a sprinkling of dark hair that led straight to his—
Luke cleared his throat. Mortified, I glanced back to his widening grin. He definitely noticed me checking him out.
“I was thinking that we could explore London today. There are a couple meetings in the afternoon I can't get away from, but I could meet you afterwards.”
I can’t hear you when your clothes are off.
Somehow, though, my brain picked up on “explore London” and “today.” The excitement seared through my veins like caffeine. I couldn’t wait to go out there.
“Sure, I’d love that.”
“Why don’t you get yourself ready while I answer emails?”
“Okay.”
He walked around me with a small smile playing on his lips. For a moment, he looked like he wanted
to add something but he changed his mind at the last second and shook his head, laughing to himself.
Beaming, I practically skipped to the bathroom, which was more the size of a locker room. The heated tiles warmed my feet, and I sighed as I walked bare-footed, gazing at the gleaming porcelain sinks and the glass shower, which still had a sprinkling of water on the walls. I could imagine Luke showering in a fog of steam, his rippled body hanging out to grab the powder-white towel on the rail. For a moment, I envisioned us together, and gasped out loud. My legs wrapped around his powerful waist as he held me up in his arms and drove into me, my back against the shower wall. I could feel the stab of pleasure radiating up my thigh, glowing in the warmth between my legs.
The shower heated in seconds and I stepped into the hot blast of water, the knots in my shoulder melting away. It was stocked with a myriad of products. I lathered myself up in a perfumed steam and imagined Luke’s hands gripping my waist, his neck bending down to kiss my naked flesh.
A thrill of exhilaration and fear rippled through my body. I shook my head. It didn’t matter right now. I would not be having sex with Luke, even if we had amazing chemistry.
As I toweled myself off, I realized that the bathroom didn’t come equipped with hairbrushes. I had to return to my suitcase. I let my wet hair cascade down my shoulders and left the room wearing nothing but a towel. Anxiety stabbed my chest as I peeked around the corner and saw him in the living room.
Let’s see him react to me.
Luke was sitting on the couch with his laptop, fully dressed. A phone was against his ear. I walked across his vision and heard a lull in his speech. I glanced and saw that Luke was staring at me. Naked desire shone all over his face. His mouth hung half-open and the white-knuckled fingers clutched his phone. A moment later, Luke snapped back to his conversation.
The Cinderella Arrangement Page 6
