“You’re doing it again,” Bonnie said, not even bothering to look up from the brochure she was reading about a dinner cruise on the Thames.
“Am I?” Cassie covered her phone with her palm, not knowing why she bothered trying to play dumb. Crammed next to Bonnie as she was, there was no denying the obvious. It was late afternoon and their train car was packed with commuters, rank with the scent of sweat, stale air, and rancid coffee. Just like home. But unlike Chicago’s “L,” which for the most part traveled above the city streets, the Tube hurtled passengers through the dark corridors of London’s underbelly. Over the course of the day, as she and her friends hopped from station to station and rode down escalator after escalator, Cassie was shocked at how deep below the city some of the tunnels traveled.
The train slowed to a stop, the distinctly British reminder to “Mind the gap” chiming as the doors slid open—a marked change from the garbled voice she was used to hearing announce the next station on the red line. Cassie looked over the heads of the mass exodus of humanity and examined the color-coded map plastered near the ceiling. She counted the stations left until their stop and figured they had about twenty minutes to go.
She’d barely thumbed the screen awake when Bonnie grabbed it out of her hand.
“Aw, come on!” Cassie made a grab for her phone, but Bonnie dodged her and dropped the phone into the hobo bag slung over her shoulder. “You have got to stop doing that to me.”
“Sure, as soon as you stop checking your phone every ten seconds,” Bonnie agreed. “Therese got back to you. No excuses. You promised you’d stop thinking about work.”
“I wasn’t thinking about work,” Cassie muttered.
“Oh.” Understanding lit Bonnie’s eyes. “He hasn’t called, then?”
“Who hasn’t called? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Cassie bit her lip. Why was she was even trying to lie? Her best friend could read her way too easily. And the truth was, ever since she’d run into Logan at the castle, work had taken a back seat to … other things.
Bonnie fiddled with the brochure in her hand. “I never should have told you I gave him your number.”
“No,” Cassie countered, grabbing on to the dark blue pole as the train thundered to another stop. “You never should have given him my number, period.”
“Whatever.” Bonnie shrugged and went back to her brochure. “What’s past hope is past care, right?”
“Hmph.” Bonnie may know her well, but that knowledge went both ways. Cassie had a feeling her friend wasn’t done playing matchmaker. Though, what could Bon do? The man in question was hundreds of miles away.
The thought both cheered and depressed her. She shifted to check on the others. Delaney, of course, had nodded off, shoulder pressed to the window, her not-quite-so-perky-anymore ponytail listing to the side. Farther down, Ana and Sadie were also seated, currently arguing over which play they should try to get rush tickets for. When the train stopped again, Cassie took the opportunity to nab a spot next to Delaney.
A small snore escaped Delaney as she sat up. “When’s our stop?”
Cassie squinted at the station map. “Two to go, I think.”
“Okay.” Delaney blinked the sleep out of her eyes and glanced around the train car. “Who’s Bonnie talking to?”
“What?” Cassie jerked her head toward Bonnie, who was still standing, one hand gripping the pole, bulging bag swinging from her shoulder, the other holding a phone to her ear—Cassie’s phone. Bonnie glanced back, cheeks flushing with guilty heat when she caught Cassie watching her.
Immediately, Cassie knew exactly who Bonnie was talking to.
Mother effer.
CHAPTER 8
“FIRST A POSH hotel room, and now a fancy supper cruise. You sure know how to show a lad a good time.” Theo straightened his already straight bow tie.
How the nob managed to wear one of those hoity-toity getups and still look like chickbait, Logan didn’t know, but he’d take it. He needed Theo to keep Cassie’s flock of friends occupied. For a brief moment, Logan considered if it was selfish on his part to use his friend in such a way, but he suspected Theo didn’t mind.
“Remind me to get together with you more often, mate.” Theo winked and tossed back a flute of champagne.
Suspicions confirmed, Logan returned the wink and polished off his own champagne. A server crossed the deck, and Logan traded their empty glasses for two fresh ones. He raised the bubbly aloft. “To old friends and new adventures.”
“Here, here.” Theo accepted his glass and clanked it against Logan’s. “What’s the plan?”
“Divide and conquer.” Logan propped his elbows on the boat rail, the champagne glass resting loosely in his hand, almost empty already. He’d have to slow down if he wanted to keep his wits about him tonight. He couldn’t risk getting sloshed and letting his dick do the thinking for him again. Though, when Logan recalled his night with Cassie Crow, it wasn’t the time they’d spent in bed occupying his mind.
Oh, he thought about that part too—he was only human—but more often he found himself replaying the time they’d spent alone together in the hotel lounge, the amber light on the low table between them casting a golden glow over her chestnut hair and shining in her dark eyes as she smiled at something he said. Logan liked her smile.
“Look sharp, I believe our quarry is boarding.” Theo shouldered Logan, hitching his chin toward the dock where a bevy of females were making their way up the gangplank.
Logan straightened. “That’s them.”
Theo considered each girl as she stepped onto the boat. “Which one’s yours?”
“The one in green. And she’s not mine,” Logan grumbled, wanting to knee his friend in the bollocks for eyeing Cassie, even for a moment. If he had to make a wager, though, he’d say Theo’s attention seemed focused on the little redhead.
As if on cue, Bonnie turned toward them and waved, cheeks curving in an ebullient smile. When Theo returned the wave, the girl’s smile wobbled uncertainly. She abandoned her friends and hurried across the deck to greet them. “Logan! Nice to see you again.” She cast a wary glance up at Theo. “I didn’t realize you’d have company.”
“Theo Wharton, at your service.” Theo took Bonnie’s hand and bowed over it.
Instead of swooning, the girl pulled her fingers out of Theo’s grasp before he could brush his lips over them. If Theo was surprised by her apparent immunity to his charm, he didn’t show it.
Logan finally managed to recover his wits, which seemed to have abandoned ship the moment he saw Cassie. “I did mention in our wee chat on the phone that I’d come to town to visit a friend, remember?” From the expression on Bonnie’s face, Logan figured she’d thought he’d made the friend thing up as a ruse for following Cassie to London—which was more or less true. “Besides, entertaining five beautiful lasses is hard work. Promise me you won’t begrudge my need to call in reinforcements.”
“Well…” Bonnie hesitated.
“I don’t bite, I promise.” Theo grinned. An answering grin reluctantly teased the corner of Bonnie’s lips. Encouraged, Theo dropped his voice to a husky murmur. “That is, not unless you want me to.”
The smile fell from Bonnie’s mouth, and she flushed, dropping her gaze to the polished beams of the deck.
The raven-haired lass with the set of brilliant knockers sailed forward, stepping between Theo and Bonnie. “Is this guy bothering you?” She turned to Theo and froze, her face losing its confrontational edge as she stared, mouth agape. “Holy shit, it’s Prince Eric.”
“Sorry?” Theo asked, confusion furrowing his aristocratic brow, whether over Bonnie’s continued immunity to his charm or the buxom lass’s peculiar comment, Logan couldn’t tell.
The wee blonde joined them. “Ignore Ana, she’s obsessed with princess movies.”
Ana, that was the dark-haired girl’s name. And the blonde was Katie … no, Logan searched his memory for a moment … Sadie. That was it. Sadie preempt
ed Theo by holding her hand out to him expectantly. Brave lad that he was, Theo stepped back into the fray, lifting the blonde’s fingers to his lips with unruffled formality.
Unlike Bonnie, Sadie had no problem letting her hand linger in Theo’s as she met his eyes with a seductive smile. “Ana is right. You do look like Prince Eric.”
Theo looked to Logan for help, but he had no idea what the lasses were nattering about. Theo wasn’t a prince. He was a noble, aye, but not a royal one. Besides, they didn’t know that. Logan shrugged. “Must be some American thing.”
“It’s a Disney thing,” Ana huffed, as if that explained it.
“Like the mouse?” Theo asked.
“Like The Little Mermaid. You know, Prince Eric and Ariel…” Ana trailed off, glancing between Bonnie and Theo. She started to laugh.
Just as Logan was beginning to wonder if Cassie’s friends were a bunch of nutters, she joined them. After boarding, Cassie had remained on the other side of the deck, sipping champagne with the leggy strawberry-blonde and ignoring him completely. He’d been keeping tabs on her, trying to ignore the roiling tide of nervousness in his gut that had nothing to do with the gentle sway of the boat.
“What’s so funny?” Cassie asked, addressing Ana while still ignoring Logan.
Ana waved a hand between Theo and Bonnie. “Look at those two. Who do they remind you of?” When Cassie didn’t answer, her friend began to hum a tune. Though unfamiliar to Logan, the other girls seemed to recognize it.
The strawberry-blonde blinked. “Oh my God.”
“Delaney, don’t encourage her,” Bonnie said. If possible, the little redhead’s cheeks flushed a deeper shade of crimson, and Logan felt a pang of empathy. Ginger problems.
A server stopped to collect their glasses and ushered them through a glass doorway. The dining area was on the main deck, in a structure that looked like a garden conservatory, all windows. There was room to seat about fifty people, with three long tables, each sitting eight, lined up in the center of the room, surrounded by several four-tops and two-tops, elegantly adorned with fine china and silver.
Many of the smaller tables were already occupied with couples, laughing and chatting and absorbing the gorgeous view of twilight on the Thames. Logan maneuvered through the group, trying to negotiate a chair next to Cassie as they settled themselves around one of the long tables. She dodged him and slipped fast as a cat into the seat between two of her friends.
Undeterred, Logan shot around the table and took the seat facing her instead. He stared at Cassie across the snowy linen, daring her to continue to pretend she wasn’t aware of his presence. She bent her head and fingered her place setting. With a smirk, she held up her fork. “Remember, Bonnie, this is for eating, not brushing your hair.”
“Ugh, not you too.” Bonnie grabbed the fork out of Cassie’s hand. “Give me that before I stab you with it.” She set the silverware down and glanced across the table. “Cassie, you remember Logan, don’t you?” Bonnie smiled at him. “I’m so glad you could join us this evening.”
Logan knew the syrupy-sweet grin Bonnie poured over him was for Cassie’s benefit, a dose of female revenge, but he didn’t mind. At least it brought him into to the conversation. “Delighted to be here. Your suggestion couldn’t have been more perfect.”
It was true, the girl’s idea had been a lifesaver. When he first took off for London, he’d had no idea what his plan would be beyond tracking Cassie to her hotel. Once he’d finally grown the bollocks to call Cassie, and Bonnie had answered instead, Logan was worried he’d misunderstood the redhead, and that she’d slipped him her number that night at the bar. After Logan oh-so-casually mentioned he was in London (to see a friend, total coincidence of course, he had most certainly not chased after them), Bonnie bubbled over with excitement and within minutes had Logan agreeing to meet them later that evening on the dinner cruise.
Now here he was, and the stubborn Miss Cassie Crow was trapped with him on this boat for the next three hours—unable to escape. Aye, perfect.
* * *
Un-freaking-believable. Cassie gave the waitress her drink order—a Dark and Stormy, don’t scrimp on the rum, thank you very much—then sat back in her chair and stared across the table at the man she was going to be stuck with for several hours. Logan fucking Reid, with his shit-eating grin and his ginger mane tamed, except for the sexy tousle of hair that fell over one sexy, sinful eyebrow. He was in a crisp jacket and tie, and damn if he didn’t wear the fancier threads well. Kilt, jeans, suit, or naked—she liked the way he looked in every variation.
What she didn’t like, however, was the way he was looking at her now. Speculative. Considering. Determined. He’d followed her to London for a reason, and she had a pretty damn good idea what that reason was. Just as she’d known Bonnie had been up to something when she’d handed Cassie back her phone with a sheepish grin, Cassie knew Logan was up to something now.
Her drink arrived, and Cassie lifted the glass, letting the scent of ginger and lime fill her senses. She took a healthy sip. The waitress, bless her, had taken Cassie’s request to heart. The dark potent rum slid over her tongue, barreled through her belly, and shot straight down to her feet. She wiggled her tingling toes. She was wearing a pair of strappy heels she’d borrowed from Sadie, whom Cassie was convinced traveled with an entire suitcase devoted to shoes. The girl needed one. The number of pairs Sadie had bought in Milan alone were enough to fill a suitcase.
To Cassie’s left, Sadie was sporting a new pair of suede pumps with a peek-a-boo toe. Sadie tucked a blond curl behind her ear and poured a glass of water from the pitcher on the table. It was one of her rituals; Sadie always drank two full glasses of water before any meal. Cassie tapped Sadie’s arm and motioned for her to pass the bread, which as usual, Sadie hadn’t touched. How anyone could ignore the amazing smells wafting from the basket, Cassie couldn’t understand. She slipped a roll from beneath the cloth napkin, the still-warm bread heating her palm.
“Send that my way, please,” Ana ordered, eyes caressing the basket like a long-lost lover. Seated between Logan fucking Reid and his buddy, Prince Eric, or whatever his name was, Ana held the basket to her bosom and inhaled deeply. To their credit, neither man took the opportunity to sneak a peek down Ana’s dress.
Prince Eric was busy answering Sadie’s barrage of questions. No, he didn’t live in London, but an hour or so west of the city. Yes, he and Logan had been friends for a long time, since university. Where did they go to school? St. Andrews.
At the mention of St. Andrews, Bonnie looked up from where she’d been pouting into her wineglass. “Wait a minute. The St. Andrews? As in the same school Prince William attended?”
Prince Eric turned to face Bonnie, at the opposite end of the table from him. “Yes, his highness attended, though he was a few years ahead of us.”
“What about Kate? Was she in your year?” Delaney asked, surprising Cassie. A pint of Newcastle midway to her mouth, Delaney caught Cassie staring at her and lifted a shoulder. “Hey, I spend a lot of time in grocery store checkout lines.”
Prince Eric (she really needed to get the man’s real name) turned to Delaney with a question in his big, princely blue eyes. Delaney set her beer down and wiped the foam from her upper lip with the back of her hand. “Don’t tell me you don’t have tabloids in England.”
“Oh. Red tops, you mean,” he said, holding out a napkin to Delaney. “We’ve plenty of those. My mum reads them, though she’d disown me if she knew I told anyone.”
“Ah, a guilty pleasure, huh?” Delaney took the napkin and grinned conspiratorially. “Well, Theo, your mum’s secret is safe with me.” Theo. Right. Delaney took another sip of her beer and dabbed at her mouth with the napkin. “Sorry, when you spend most of your time with three- and four-year-olds, your table manners take a hit.”
“Delaney is a preschool teacher,” Sadie said, nudging herself back in to the conversation. She twirled a loose golden curl around one dainty finger.
Uh-oh. Cassie knew that move. Sadie was in flirtation mode. Cassie glanced over at Delaney, but she’d already caught on too.
“That’s right. I am,” Delaney agreed before calling down the table to Bonnie. “Hey, switch spots with me.”
Bonnie tightened her grip on her wineglass. “Why?”
“Because, talk of my profession has put me in the mood for a game of musical chairs, that’s why.” Delaney stood, rounded the table, and shooed Bonnie out of her chair. “Hurry up, before the waitress comes back to take our order.”
“It’s a prix fixe menu. We don’t need to order anything,” Bonnie protested as Delaney pulled her out of her seat and took her place.
“Oh, well that’s nice.” Delaney handed Bonnie her wineglass. “Here, go talk to university boy about books or something.”
Bonnie looked over at the empty seat next to Theo. “Fine,” she growled, taking a large swallow of wine before circling the table.
“That was generous of you.” Cassie took another long pull on her drink as Delaney settled in next to her.
“Generous?” Delaney dug her thumbs into a roll and cracked the crusty bread open, releasing a billow of fragrant yeasty steam.
“You switched seats so the very taken and very not-looking-to-hook-up Bonnie would be Sadie’s only competition.” Cassie slid the butter urn toward Delaney. “We both know Ana won’t make a move on any guy Sadie’s staked a claim on.”
Delaney slathered butter on both sides of her roll. “Oh. Well, there is that.” Delaney set the knife down and leaned closer to Cassie. “But there’s also the fact I wanted a front-row seat to the Cassie-Logan show.” Delaney lifted her roll, wiggling her eyebrows at Cassie before sinking her teeth into the bread.
Beneath the table, Cassie swung her foot, the narrow heel of her borrowed shoe catching Delaney in the shin. Delaney jumped, spewing crumbs.
Getting Hot with the Scot--A Sometimes in Love Novel Page 9