London (International Guy Book 7)

by Audrey Carlan

  “It’s bow chicka bow wow—” I say, but he cuts me off again.

  “What do you get when you cross a brown chicken with a brown cow . . . brown chicken brown cow . . . ,” he sings again, and laughs himself hoarse.

  “Jesus, why do I put up with this?”

  “Because you love me. Admit it. You. Love. Me. I’m adorable. And, I’m always there for you. Like that time you punched a wall while holding a beer bottle . . .”

  “Ugh, don’t remind me.” I open my palm and am glad to see the skin healing up nicely and only a faint pink raised area where my skin was sliced open and stitched back together. The two broken fingers, however, are still tender when I bend them, though I’ve kept them taped together to be safe.

  “Sorry, bro. All kidding aside. How are you and Sky?”

  Just hearing her name has me smiling and seeking out her beautiful face. I catch her across the room shimmying her stellar ass and dancing down the aisle behind her bookcase to a beat I can’t hear. “What can I say? I’m in love.”

  Bo lets out a long whistle. “Thank God. We didn’t want to play sides and wanted to wait until you’d had some time before bugging you about it. Did you work it out?”

  “Yeah, yeah, man, we did. She didn’t cheat, and she understands that she put herself in a very dangerous situation and will not be doing anything so stupid in the future.”

  “And you?” Because my brother knows I played a role in our breakup. A big one.

  “I apologized too. For not trusting her. I’m working on it, but I’ve come to realize that shit with Kayla, her royally screwing me over, really affected how I perceived my relationship with Sky. And I learned I can’t do that. Skyler’s nothing like Kayla, and I just have to trust what we have and hold on to it as tight as possible.”

  “Good. I’m happy for you, brother. Royce is too.”

  My heart eases into a relaxed rhythm. I’m not sure why, but I guess in the back of my mind I was worried that Bo and Royce might have changed their opinions of Skyler because of what happened with Johan. It’s good to know they are trusting me and her, which is a first. They must really like her for me.

  “Thank you. Now the reason for my call.”

  “I’m all ears . . . well, not all ears.” His voice drops into the seductive tone he uses on his chicklets. “I do have a really large—”

  “How would you like to do a book-cover photo shoot with Skyler as the subject and Geneva James as the author?” I cut him off before he starts talking about the size of his johnson.

  “Park, you had me at book-cover shoot.”

  “You’re such a fuckin’ girl. Now let me tell you what I’ve got in mind . . .”

  Two hours flew by, and there was still a line around the block. Geneva demanded to stay until the very last person was seen. Another three hours later, now ten o’clock, I’m leading an exhausted author and superfan to the blacked-out Audi SUV that Nate rented. The three women squeeze into the back as Nate drives, and I take the passenger side.

  Skyler sits forward and covers Nate’s shoulder. “Thanks for keeping me safe.” Sky eases back and grabs Rachel’s hand. “Thanks, girl.” It’s the same thing she says after each outing we take with them.

  “We got your back.” Rachel nudges Sky’s shoulder playfully.

  Geneva leans forward and puts her hand on my shoulder. “Thank you, Parker. Today was amazing. Seeing the fans, hearing their love for Simone and Dean, it just . . . it gives me so many ideas on where I could take the story.”

  I grin wide and glance at Skyler over my shoulder. “Just what we want to hear. How’s about tomorrow we sneak out and see some of the sights? Skyler, baby, your choice. Just make sure your team knows.”

  Skyler rubs her hands together. “Well, there’s the London Eye, which is iconic. Buckingham Palace, an obvious go-to. Hello, the guards.” Her eyes widen with excitement, and her previous exhaustion slips away as her joy takes over, giving her a second wind.

  I just watch her beautiful face as she becomes animated, the hills of her cheeks pinkening with each smile, the dip above her lip as succulent as the day I met her, and the sexy curve of her jawline mouthwatering in its perfection. It all bewitches me. The woman’s beauty stuns me silent at the strangest times.

  How lucky am I to have this gorgeous woman’s heart within my hands?

  “There’s the Tower of London, Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Windsor Castle . . .” Sky cups both of her cheeks with her hands. “There’s honestly so much, I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

  Geneva jumps into the fray. “I do. How about since you two are here because of me, I take you around and show you London by a true native.”

  Skyler holds up her hand, and Geneva pops her a high five. “Works for me. Honey?”

  Honey.

  I grin and pair my gaze with hers. She smiles softly, and I know she gets it. Honey. I missed that one word coming out of her lips more than I missed the sex, and that’s saying a lot. I never thought I’d be the sappy fellow who’s starry-eyed over his mate, but with Skyler, it’s as if I don’t even have a choice. The universe has decided for me.

  “Yeah, that works for me.” My words are filled with emotion as I keep my eyes on my beautiful woman.

  “Just give us the rundown of what you’re planning, and we’ll be ready to take you guys,” Rachel adds.

  Geneva frowns. “Wouldn’t you two rather have the day off?”

  Rachel puts her hand over the author’s. “Where Skyler goes, we go, unless she’s buttoned up safe with Parker, on set, or home.”

  Geneva looks at Skyler, and a gloomy expression takes over her features. “Are you ever able to go out alone?”

  Skyler shakes her head. “I’ve tried it before. It’s not a good idea. When I wasn’t in so many blockbuster films, I could go a lot more places unnoticed. Now I can’t walk down the street unless I’m in a pretty good disguise.”

  Geneva pats Skyler’s hand. “You poor dear. To not have an ounce of privacy sounds awful.”

  Skyler’s lips flatten into a line as she shrugs. “Nature of the beast. I love my job, and most of my fans are truly kind and considerate, but not all of them. We have to be careful with the ones who can’t distinguish reality from the world they see on the movie screen.”

  “I see. Well, we’ll have fun tomorrow, and I’ve got a fabulous red wig that will look amazing on you.”

  My girl grins wide. “I’ve thought about becoming a redhead.”

  I cringe, and Sky catches the slip.

  “Or not.”

  I answer as a man should unless he fancies standing in front of a female firing squad. “I’d love you with red, black, or even purple hair.”

  “Good answer, honey. Good answer.” Skyler laughs.

  Nate lifts his fist, and I fist bump him.

  “You’re learning.” He smiles for the first time all day.

  “That I am.”

  7

  “Why aren’t you wearing the wig?” Geneva asks as she gets in the car the next day.

  Skyler runs her fingers through her long blonde tresses. “Honestly, I had a headache after wearing the brown one all day yesterday. My head needed a break. I’ve got my guy’s Red Sox hat and a nifty pair of aviators. We should be fine.”

  Nate’s lip flattens, and a grimace steals across his face. I know he doesn’t like these public escapades out where we don’t have a bigger security team with us, but Skyler needs to be able to go out into the world. I can’t risk her going back into her shell again. Especially not after she’s found her craft and happy place within herself again.

  “Don’t worry, Nate. I have full faith in your wife’s and your abilities to take care of our girl.” I try to pump up his ego, but Nate isn’t really the type to get off on that shit. Still, a man likes to know that the people he’s caring for believe in his abilities.

  Nate doesn’t say anything, just nods curtly. I can understand the nerves he must have, but he’s going to have to get over
it. Rachel, on the other hand, is a burst of energy this morning. With a giant venti Starbucks cup in her hand and a green straw stuck to her lips, she exudes cheerfulness.

  “What’s our first stop?” Skyler asks Geneva.

  “First stop, the ruins of Saint Dunstan in the East,” Geneva exclaims.

  Skyler furrows her brow. “I haven’t heard of that. What is it?”

  Geneva grins. “You’ll see.”

  For another thirty minutes the ladies quietly chat in the backseat as I stare at all the streets and pedestrians. London is really an interesting city. A lot of cobblestone streets mixed in with the norm. Small European cars jetting from place to place are a far cry from the giant SUVs, minivans, and trucks back home. The boxy buildings with their square shapes and stones that cut into the surfaces, the old bridges, and the Thames just make the city feel positively royal. Which I guess makes sense with the most well-known royal family in the world living here.

  A few minutes later, Nate finds a parking spot on the street and gets out. Rachel follows him to the passenger side of the car. They let Geneva and then Skyler out. Sky puts my hat on her head, and I wrap my arm around her waist and follow Geneva to what looks like a war-blasted relic.

  “What is this place?” Skyler asks, her gaze on the tall stone structure with its cathedral-style windows, which have long since been blasted out. Black burn marks mar the side of the stone facade, and vines crawl up the sides and through the gutted windows and roof.

  We enter through a fence and note some people milling about, but none of them pays attention to us.

  Sky lifts her glasses off her face and spins in a circle, taking in the ruins. “Was this a church?”

  Geneva nods. “During World War II, Germany bombed England in a campaign that we called the Blitz. When the bombing stopped and the war ended, over a million homes and buildings were destroyed, including this one. In 1967, the city decided to turn the ruins into a public garden. It’s one of the city’s secret gardens, hidden away among the newer buildings around it. Ever since I was brought here as a child, I’ve been enchanted by it.”

  Skyler nods and takes my hand so we can walk alone. A moment of privacy for the two of us. Skyler takes off her hat and runs her hand through her golden locks.

  “I think we should take a selfie.” She smiles. “We don’t have a lot of pictures, and I think we need to change that.”

  I hook her around the waist and hug her to my side. “Whatever makes you happy, Peaches.”

  We walk over to a section of the building that has an entry with some stone steps leading up into a courtyard and a huge window with a bench under it.

  Skyler goes to the bench and sits down, patting the wooden surface for me.

  “Hey, guys, I’ll take a photo of you,” Geneva offers, and Skyler readily hands over her phone.

  I sit next to my girl with my arm around her shoulders and a big goofy smile on my face. Skyler snuggles against my side and gives her award-winning pearly-white smile a workout as Geneva takes a couple from Sky’s phone and then her own. “For the muse,” Geneva says.

  Rachel and Nate keep an eye on the property, but every so often I see Nate make his way over to his wife and playfully nudge her side or pinch her ass. Rachel’s response is always retaliation, getting him back with a hard ass smack or an attempt to trip him. Still, their attention is focused on the environment even though there really isn’t anything to worry about.

  Once we’ve walked through the remains of the old church, Geneva waves us over to the exit. “You guys up for a spot of tea and a biscuit?”

  Skyler grins. “I love freshly made English tea and biscuits.”

  “Then you are in for a real treat!” Geneva gushes as we all gather in the SUV and motor down the road.

  The conversation in the car carries us to our next destination, which has Skyler bouncing out of her seat the second she sees the white archway in between two much larger buildings. There’s a gold lion perched above the door with two male Asian statues sitting next to it. Under that is a gold sign with the most recognizable name in the tea industry. “Twinings!” Skyler blurts on a rush of air.

  Geneva smiles and opens her car door. Before she can even place a foot on the concrete, Nate is helping her out and Rachel is scanning the area.

  We’re led into the very small store, which smells of rich spices and fresh tea leaves. The store manager, a tall, thin, well-dressed man, comes over to Geneva and shakes her hand. “Ms. James, it is so good to see you again. It has been far too long.” He lifts Geneva’s hand and kisses the top formally.

  “Abbot, thank you for making an exception on such short notice for our little band of renegades.” She pats his hand.

  “But of course.” He lifts his chin and posture to full height before going to the door and turning the lock as well as the “Closed” sign.

  Geneva spins out and claps her hands. “I’ve booked the shop for the next hour and a half for a private tea sampling. This will give you two”—she points to Rachel and Nate—“an experience to enjoy with us.”

  Nate bows his head a little. “With all due respect, ma’am, I should be guarding the front door and my wife the back door, to ensure we won’t receive surprise visitors.”

  The store manager, who’s wearing what seems to be a bespoke suit, runs his hands down his pristine tie and shirt and holds out his hand. “If I may, the doors are locked, and I can assure you that we will go uninterrupted, as is customary during private tastings. I tend to the royal family without issue. An American celebrity and a well-known author will be well cared for and safe in our little sanctuary.”

  He nods to the window, where a security guard, complete with appropriate weaponry, stands in front of the door.

  “There is another in the back. Now, if you will be so kind as to have a seat at the bar. I have already heated the teapots and provided each station with a variety of noshes and nibbles. If you are all ready, I shall get started on the first flavor.” He dips forward and with a gentle tone states, “It’s the Darjeeling. Only five hundred tins made this year. Come, sit a spell.”

  The five of us find seats, and Abbot proceeds to lift a teacup. “Take the first cup, which I’ve already added the leaves to. You will note first the emerald color of the leaves along with the silvery tips. Inhale the scent within the cup, and you may note the floral fragrance unique to a tea that’s picked this young.”

  We all follow along, and the floral notes tickle my senses pleasantly, so I inhale more fully.

  Abbot pours hot water in the first cup and proceeds down the line until he reaches Skyler and then me.

  “Now inhale the scent and note the floral notes have adjusted slightly when wet. Feel free to sample the tea and pair with a biscuit of your choosing.”

  “Mmm.” Sky sips the tea and wraps her hands around the warm white cup. “So good.” She smiles at me. “What do you think?”

  I lick a drop of tea off my lips. “Love it. We should get some.”

  She nods. “Let’s buy whatever teas we like today—” she starts to say, but Abbot cuts in.

  “Any of the teas you like will be put into a personal takeaway Twinings box courtesy of your host, Ms. James.”

  Sky turns to Geneva and pokes her arm. “You didn’t have to do that!”

  “Are you having a good time?” Geneva asks.

  “Gen . . .” She says it like the name Jen, having already shortened the author’s name into a nickname. “This is an experience I’ll never forget.”

  “Good,” she says with a nod. “There’s more to come, so drink your tea and we’ll try the next.”

  Abbot goes over to Nate, who’s first in the lineup. “The next tea is a double mint tea.”

  “Like the twins?” I joke, and Sky rolls her eyes. “What? They used to be on gum commercials back when I was a little guy watching Saturday morning cartoons.”

  Abbot continues his spiel regardless of my joking nature. “It’s a mixture of peppermint and
spearmint and can be grown anywhere. Give it a good inhale, and the leaves may clear your sinuses.”

  The five of us breathe in the leaves, and Geneva hums. “I love mint tea.”

  “It’s best used for waking you up or finishing off a meal in the evening,” Abbot offers, while pouring the water over each person’s leaves, one cup at a time.

  I inhale the steam from my cup and can’t help but sigh. There’s something calming about the scent of mint to me.

  “You seem content over there.” Skyler runs her hand down my thigh, her touch adding to the contentment I’m feeling.

  “This one reminds me of my grandmother. When my brother and I would visit my grandparents in Rhode Island during the summer, she’d sit on her porch swing overlooking her land and drink mint tea. When I was about ten years old, she started sharing her tea. Well, making me a cup, heavily filled with sugar and milk, as my ten-year-old taste buds wouldn’t have appreciated the stuff the way she drank it. It was something we used to do together, and I enjoyed it, having something special with my gran.”

  Skyler rubs her hand up and down my leg, likely for no other reason than making contact physically. “Maybe that’s something you can share with your own children or grandchildren one day?”

  I smile and lean over close enough to smell the mint on her breath. “Maybe I will. Would you like that for your children?” I say the words not realizing what I’m insinuating until it’s too late.

  Skyler licks her lips, and I flick my gaze to her pink tongue, wanting to touch it with my own but warring with the need to be civil, especially in mixed company. “As long as I was there to partake of the tradition with you, I’d love it.” Her dark gaze lights up, and she grins, not pushing or digging me to commit to something neither of us is ready for right now.

  “I think that could be arranged.” I cock an eyebrow, feeling brave, but not so brave that I want to make plans for the future right here and now. But I will admit that talking about it, taking the mystery out of it, makes the idea a lot less frightening.