“It was only a matter of time.” He pointed to the structure in front of us. “Second stop- straight up.”
“Up?” I looked toward the top of the pillar and was surprised to see an observatory deck. “What is this place?”
“The Monument.” He pointed to a sign nearby giving the history of the landmark. “It was built to commemorate the Great Fire of London. 311 steps all the way up so we better get started.”
I suddenly understood why he had been so adamant about comfortable shoes. “The view better be worth it.”
“It will be,” he said with certainty.
Dexter led the way as we climbed, stopping occasionally to look over his should at me. About halfway up, he asked, “The view is worth it, right?”
“Ha.” I scowled. I couldn’t deny that I had been checking out his firm butt. Since it was directly in my line of sight, I’d barely been looking at anything else. “At least now I’ve found your redeeming trait.”
“Funny,” he said, not-quite-smiling.
By the time we made it to the top, my legs were beginning to burn and I felt slightly dizzy from the winding repetition on the way up.
“Oh!” I was pleasantly surprised to find that the view had been more than worth the climb. “Nice work, Sanders.”
“We’re still talking about my butt, right?”
“You’re incorrigible.” I slapped his arm and he caught my hand, pulling me out further.
Dexter led us to the edge. “See that building there with the gargoyle type thing on top?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s my office.” He smiled proudly. “Scuttle takes up the top three floors.”
It was cute to see him finally showing some excitement when talking about his company. “When do I get to see the inside?”
“Whenever you want.” His hand pressed against my lower back as he looked over my shoulder. I got a whiff of his clean, manly scent and my heart jumped.
“It really is a beautiful city,” I said, more to myself than him.
“We’re just getting started.”
Dexter tapped the arm of a nearby tourist and held out his phone. “Would you take our photo?”
I was surprised. “Really?”
“We need to document this moment,” he said. “Smile.”
His arm went around my shoulders easily and I leaned into him, forcing a smile despite the butterflies in my stomach. I was surprised that the picture actually turned out pretty well.
“That figures,” I said, frowning at it.
“What?” Dexter looked at it closer.
“We’re up here with the wind whipping around after having climbed all those stairs and I look like a crazy person while you look like a model. Figures.” I handed him the phone.
“You are insane.”
I remembered what he had said just prior. “Why was it so important to document this moment?”
He leaned close, lips a few inches from my ear. “Because this is the moment where you start to realize that you are crazy about me.”
“Oh, please. Get over yourself.” But my heart was still racing and my knees felt weak. I was confident that neither of those things had anything to do with the climb.
“The lady doth protest too much.” He gestured to the stairs. “Let’s go. Next stop.”
“You going to put that picture on Scuttle?” I teased.
The climb down should’ve been much easier than going up, but now my legs were numb and I was feeling breathless. As much as I didn’t want it to be true, I was immensely attracted to Dexter. That was going to make it hard to stick with my just friends approach to our relationship.
“What’s next?” I asked when our feet were back on the ground.
“How are those legs feeling?” he asked.
“A little tired, but not bad.”
He thought for a second. “At the risk of being terribly cliché, you up for a ride?”
Ten minutes later, we were located on the top of a double decker bus, along with twenty other tourists.
We sat at the back, drinking large coffees and enjoying the ride. “I was skeptical at first,” I admitted. “But this was a good idea.”
“It’s one of the easiest ways to see all the big attractions. Or should I say, almost all the big attractions. But if you’re lucky, you’ll get to see another one later tonight.” He waggled his eyebrows and I groaned.
“I’m assuming a follow up pun is coming about Big Ben?”
Dexter laughed and put his arm on the seatback behind me. “Sorry to disappoint you, but that hadn’t crossed my mind. I’m not as perverted as you.”
“How are you still single?” I wondered, faking awe. “I would think that calling women perverted would really work for you.”
“I have commitment issues,” he said, his smile weak. “I’m married to my job. I don’t believe in monogamy. I’ve had my heart broken. I haven’t met the right girl. Which cliché gets me the most sympathy?”
“The truth.”
He froze. “You say that now.”
“Try me.” I asked again, seriously this time, “Why are you still single?”
He looked away before answering. “This probably won’t be that hard to believe, but I was a total nerd in high school. I was scrawny, shy, and preferred computers to girls.”
‘You’re kidding.” I almost laughed at the thought of Dexter as a shy computer nerd.
“Not even a little bit,” he said. “I never went to a single school dance, didn’t even kiss a girl until after graduation.”
“You were a total nerd,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. “This is so fascinating.”
“Glad you’re enjoying my shame.” He pretended to be hurt. “Anyway, things were a little better in college. I no longer had panic attacks whenever I talked to a girl. But I was also busier than ever, focused almost completely on my business. The other guys still wanted to party and enjoy college, but I was focused on the future.”
“Other guys?”
“Kenny Marks and Bill Young. We met in our computer science class freshman year and came up with the idea for Scuttle together.”
“Kenny and Bill? Are they still with the company?”
Dexter shrugged noncommittally. “Kenny asked us to buy him out a few years ago. He took the money and retired to the Caribbean at the ripe age of 24. Bill is still technically the CTO of Scuttle, but he only shows up to work about one day per quarter.”
“Leaving you to do all the work?”
“Not all of it, but a lot of it. I’m fortunate to have good people working for me now, but in the beginning I was on my own and had to put in a lot of hours. That didn’t leave a lot of time for developing meaningful relationships.”
It seemed like a logical explanation. I would imagine that establishing a company that netted a billion dollars every year required an insane amount of hard work. But I suspected there had to be another reason that he had remained single. “That’s it?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“It’s just, if you meet someone that you really like, you’ll find time for them. It’s that simple. It doesn’t matter how busy you are, or how many millions your company is making, you’ll find a way to be with them. If you’d met ‘the one,’ there’s no way you would still be single now.”
Dexter turned to study me, his beautiful face just inches from mine. “I suppose you’re right about that. But then, I only just met you a few days ago.”
Gulp. I was pretty sure Dexter was implying that he thought I might be “the one.” Was it even possible to know something like that so soon? We hadn’t even kissed yet!
“Again with the charm,” I said, trying not to picture our wedding and children. “Give it a few more hours. You’ll be sick of me soon enough.”
“You’re probably right about that,” he agreed, laughing when I elbowed him in the ribs.
It was such a relaxing ride that we began to settle in, leaning against each other. We exchanged funny stor
ies from our past, teasing each other good naturedly. I loved hearing tales of a nerdy Dexter trying to flirt with girls and failing miserably.
By the end of our loop, I had fallen half-asleep, my head on Dexter’s shoulder. His arm was around me now, his hand gently stroking my shoulder.
“We need to hop off soon,” he said reluctantly. “It’s time for the next stop on our adventure.”
“Do we have to?” I sighed dramatically. “I’ve finally gotten comfortable.”
“We can stay on the bus, but we’ll miss our dinner reservations.”
He knew exactly the right thing to say to get me to move.
We had looped completely through the city and were now at the Thames. Dexter led us to a quaint looking restaurant directly overlooking the river. When he gave his name to the host, we were immediately ushered to a table by the window.
“I could get used to this celebrity treatment,” I said as I looked out over the water. The sun was beginning to set and a cool breeze came through the open window.
“It has its perks.” Dexter looked at me over the candles that decorated the tabletop.
“I don’t think I’m dressed appropriately,” I said, observing that everyone around us was dressed quite nicely. “I’m probably ruining your image.”
Dexter continued to stare. “Not a chance.”
“Why are staring at me like I’ve grown two heads?” I nervously patted down my hair.
“I’m sorry. I’m still getting used to your beauty. Sometimes it takes my breath away.”
It sounded like a line from a cheesy romantic comedy. Or the line of a man determine to get a woman into bed. But I also knew exactly what he meant because I felt the same way around him.
I would catch him at a certain angle, or like now in the candlelight, and my attraction to him would flare up, igniting a fire within me that I had never before experienced.
There was no way to deny it- I wanted Dexter Sanders.
“You should see me when I wake up in the morning,” I joked. “My hair is out to here and if I didn’t sleep well I have these big, dark circles under my eyes.”
“I hope to see that someday,” he said with a meaningful look.
My entire body flushed with warmth. “Just friends,” I reminded him, completely lacking enthusiasm.
We placed our orders and Dexter requested a ridiculously expensive bottle of champagne. As dinner progressed, it became more and more obvious that I wasn’t going to be able to resist him much longer. He was funny, kind, charming, smart, and sexy. In short- he was too good to be true, and for some reason he didn’t seem to know that he was out of my league.
To cover my blossoming feelings, I drank. A lot. Unfortunately, that also had the effect of loosening my tongue.
“I’ve never been in love,” I said, waving my fork in the air. “Does that strike you as abnormal? I’m nearly 22 and I’ve never been in love.”
“You’ve got plenty of time for that,” Dexter said with humor dancing in his eyes.
“I don’t know if I even want that.” I slammed down my fork a little too hard, rattling my plate. “My father loved my mother and look where that got him. Dead.”
Dexter coughed uncomfortably. “I’m not sure those two things are directly related.”
“Have you ever been in love?”
“No.” The long look he gave me was intense. “For a very long time, I wasn’t sure I believed in falling in love.”
“Typical guy,” I said with a roll of my eyes.
“Give me a chance to explain. I believed that people thought they were falling in love, but really they were just deciding to love someone.” His foot grazed mine under the table. “But I think I’m beginning to change my mind.”
“You are?” I swallowed hard.
He reached over, his fingers skimming the top of my hand and making my skin tingle. “Maybe I just hadn’t found the right girl.”
“Maybe not.” I opened my hand our fingers threaded together. “How many more stops tonight?”
“One. Maybe two, if you’re up for it.”
“Let’s go.”
Our next stop turned out to be right around the corner. This was one that even I recognized.
“The Eye?”
“It’s our last touristy stop of the night, but an important one.” He took my hand and pulled me to the front of the line.
“What’s so important about this place?” I asked, wilting under the angry glares of the people waiting in line.
Dexter stopped and pulled me closer. “This is where you’re going to decide that you don’t want to be just friends with me.”
“Oh it is?”
He turned away and approached the young guy taking tickets. After a quick conversation and a handshake that no doubt covered for an exchange of money, he stepped back.
“Let’s go. Step forward.”
I eyed Dexter suspiciously, but he gave me an innocent look.
“Step on!”
The glass car came around, door open, and we stepped inside while it was still moving. I expected a dozen more people to fill the car behind us, but the door closed with just Dexter and me inside.
“What did this cost you?” I asked.
“I don’t know what you mean.” Dexter came close to me and took my hands. “This whole trip around takes about thirty minutes. That should be more than enough time for me to convince you.”
“Convince me of what?”
“That I’m worth the risk.”
Locked in the car with no other distractions, it was impossible not to become overwhelmed by my feelings. Desire, passion, attraction, and even fondness. Yes, I had to admit to myself that I adored Dexter Sanders.
“I think the city looks even better at night,” I said, stepping away from him and toward the glass wall. The river was just below us, Big Ben just across the way. But as much as I tried to focus on the view, all I could really think about was the amazing man standing behind me.
He moved closer, brushing against my back. I stood very still, taking shallow breaths. “This has been a really nice day,” I said, my voice hushed.
“I agree.”
I could feel the warmth of his breath on my cheek. My body responded with a warm flush. “I almost don’t want it to end.”
“It doesn’t have to.” His hand caressed my shoulder, moving down my arm.
I caught his reflection in the glass, saw the desire in his icy eyes. It matched my own. Our eyes locked and my breath hitched.
Dexter’s hand moved from my arm to my side, his fingers finding a small sliver of exposed skin.
“Just friends?” he asked, voice deep.
If I’d had a white flag, I would’ve thrown it up in surrender. Instead, I turned around slowly.
“Friends with benefits?” I asked, unable to look away from his mesmerizing eyes.
Dexter didn’t bother answering. His lips closed over mine so forcefully that I melted into him. My arms went around his neck, pulling myself even closer to him. He backed me up against the glass and I could feel its coolness pressing against my back as his hand went under my shirt.
The warmth of his touch blazed a fiery trail over my skin, first at my back and then up my side until the palm of his hand cupped my breast. It occurred to me that we were moving too fast, giving into our hormones, but I no longer cared. All I cared about was how good his lips felt grazing my neck.
I gasped when Dexter’s phone began to vibrate, pulsing against me in a fortuitous position. He ignored it, or perhaps just enjoyed the way it made me squirm. The third time it happened, he reluctantly pulled away.
“I should probably answer it,” he said, breathlessly.
“Please,” I gasped, thankful for the interruption.
He took a few deep breaths before answering. “Sanders.”
His ability to focus under the circumstances was impressive. I was still breathing hard, adjusting my shirt, and smoothing my hair.
“I thought we already dis
cussed this. We’re not going to agree to those terms.” Dexter paced away from me, running a hand through his hair.
I stayed on the other side of the car, giving him as much privacy as possible. But it was impossible not to overhear his conversation. Based on the one side I could hear, something was blowing up back in the U.S. and they needed Dexter to return as quickly as possible.
“Alright. I’ll confirm my itinerary. Just tell Paulsen not to sign anything until I get there.”
He hung up quickly, his eyes flitting in my direction. “Bad news.”
“I figured as much. You need to go back to Chicago?” I tried not to sound as disappointed as I felt.
“One of the third parties we work with is trying to change the terms of our contract. I need to go meet with their CEO and square everything away.” He approached me at a slow saunter.
I had to resist the urge to rush him, jumping his bones. Now would not be a good time for that. “When will you leave?”
“As soon as possible.” His eyes bore into mine. “We’ll have to continue this later.”
I had approached our day together with no expectations. We would spend some time together, have some fun, and that would be it. We would say good night and go our separate ways. But now that I had actually spent the day with him, I wanted more. And now I couldn’t have it.
Dexter insisted on calling a car to take me home. He needed to stop by his office before catching a flight out of town. We said goodbye at the curb, our earlier passion tempered.
“I’ll call you,” he promised before giving me a sweet kiss.
“I’ll answer,” I said.
It took a lot of effort to force myself into the backseat. Dexter gave me one last, long look before shutting the door. Something about the way it slammed shut felt painfully final.
The next morning, I was still thinking about our kiss and the way it had felt so natural to be in his arms. I was still thinking about Dexter when my bedroom door flew open and Cessy sailed into the room.
“Where have you been?” she exclaimed, flopping onto the bed next to me.
“Right here, sleeping.”
“Alone?”
“No, with my imaginary friend Hector.”
Cessy jabbed me in the ribs with her elbow. “You are not as funny as you think.”
Love in London (Restless Hearts) Page 5
