by Rachel Lacey
They kissed and teased, hips rocking as the city came alive outside the hotel window. Her hair hung like a curtain between them, getting in his face and tangling beneath his arms, causing more laughs as she lunged for a hair tie on the nightstand and pulled it back. By the time he rolled on a condom and pushed inside her, he was wishing like hell he didn’t have to say goodbye. They moved together in the soft morning light, their gasping breaths and moans the only sound in the room.
Ruby came first, throwing her head back as she rode him right over the edge. He gripped her hips, thrusting up into her until he’d joined her in release.
“Hell of a way to say goodbye,” she said with an impish smile.
He pulled her down against his chest. “Wish it didn’t have to be goodbye.”
She dropped a kiss against his neck, snuggling against him. “So do I.”
They lay like that for several long minutes as they caught their breath and their bodies cooled. He tugged the band out of her hair, tracing shapes through its shiny depths.
“I’m meeting my friend Megan and her boyfriend Jake for breakfast this morning before they fly home,” she said finally, looking up at him. “Would you like to join us?”
“I’d like that,” he said.
“Me too.” She gave him a quick kiss before sitting up. “I need a shower before we head out.”
They spent the next half hour or so getting ready. He put on his trousers and button-down shirt from last night, but left off the tie and jacket he’d worn to the theater. Ruby dressed in form-fitting black jeans and a multi-colored top that billowed over her chest and clung to her hips. She dried her hair and clipped it up in her usual style, applying minimal makeup that emphasized her natural beauty.
“So, what’s on your agenda for the day?” he asked as they left her room, trying to keep the wistfulness out of his tone.
“I have no idea,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “It’s all part of the adventure.”
“Will you text me?” He cleared his throat, feeling suddenly awkward. “I mean, if you feel like it. I’d love to see where your journey takes you.”
“You can follow me on social media,” she told him as they waited for the lift. “It’s hashtag Ruby Goes Rogue.”
“I’ll do that.” With a ding, the door to the lift slid open, and they stepped inside.
Ruby leaned in, pressing her lips against his ear. “But I might text you anyway.”
They walked outside into the cool, gray London morning, with Ruby leading the way toward the café where they would meet Megan and Jake.
“Does the sun ever come out here?” she asked, squinting up at the sky, which was fairly bright despite the overcast haze in the air.
“It does, although fall is our rainiest season, so this is likely to be the kind of weather you see for the majority of your trip, I’m sorry to say.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “I don’t really mind it. Mother Nature can’t rain on my parade.”
“That’s the spirit.”
They walked several blocks before she turned left, following GPS directions on her phone. She stopped in front of a glass-fronted café. “This is the place.”
A woman inside—Megan, presumably—waved excitedly when she caught sight of them. Ruby waved back, clasping Flynn’s fingers in her own as she led the way inside.
“Hi,” the brunette said with a wide smile. “I’m Megan, and this is Jake.” She gestured to the man beside her, who nodded politely.
“Flynn Bowen. Very nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Megan said, still smiling. “We’ve all been dying to meet the man who swept Ruby off her feet the other night.”
“Megan.” There was a slight rebuke in Ruby’s voice, but she was smiling too. “He didn’t sweep me off my feet so much as untangle me from a rosebush.”
“This is very true,” Flynn agreed.
“Ah, you guys are adorable.” Megan gestured to the empty seats at the table. “Sit down. We waited for you to order.”
Flynn and Ruby sat across from her friends, exchanging casual conversation until the waitress approached to take their breakfast orders.
“Coffee?” Ruby asked in disbelief when the waitress walked away. “I thought you guys only drank tea.”
“I hate to break it to you, but we Brits drink almost as much coffee as you Americans do, although I do enjoy a good cup of tea.” This morning, he needed the extra caffeine boost of coffee after being up half the night with Ruby, working their way through that box of condoms, but he thought it best not to mention that detail in front of her friends.
“Flynn, what do you do for a living?” Megan asked.
“My family owns the Exeter line of hotels and resorts,” he told her. “I’ll be overseeing the newest location in Dubai beginning next month.”
Megan’s eyes widened dramatically. “Um, wow. Sorry. Just…ouch!” She glared at Ruby, who had obviously kicked her under the table.
“Don’t mind her,” Jake said amiably. “She’s nosy and easily flustered.”
“I am neither of those things,” she said, giving him a look of mock exasperation before returning her gaze to Flynn. “Sorry for being dramatic. I know Theo has a lot of rich and important friends. I just didn’t realize I was having breakfast with one of them.”
“Wishing you’d held out for one of Theo’s rich friends?” Jake asked, eyebrows raised.
Megan’s expression softened as she gazed adoringly at him. “Hardly.” She nudged him playfully with her shoulder. “It’s funny. Of the three of us—Elle, Ruby, and me—I probably would have been most likely to say I wanted to fall in love with an earl or a hotel heir. But I would have been wrong, because I only have eyes for the horse trainer.” And she turned and kissed Jake full on the mouth.
Ruby cleared her throat. “Get a room, you two. Anyway, Flynn and I aren’t together, really. Not after this morning, anyway. He’s got to get back to work, and I’m carrying on with my solo trip.”
“Maybe your solo trip needs to keep you here in London a bit longer,” Megan stage-whispered to Ruby with a wink.
Ruby mock-glared at her. “Solo trips are, by design, meant to be undertaken alone.”
An air of awkwardness descended over the table then. Megan turned to say something to Jake, and Ruby gave Flynn an apologetic glance before fiddling with the contents of her purse. Their food arrived soon after, and they turned to more casual topics again as they ate. Megan and Jake were headed straight to the airport after breakfast.
“I’ve already been away from the horses longer than I’m comfortable with,” Jake explained. “Not that I don’t trust the guy I’ve got looking after them, and I’ve sure as hell enjoyed our trip to London, but it’s time to go home.”
“And one of us needs to get back to the castle,” Megan said. “We run an inn out of Rosemont Castle,” she explained to Flynn. “We closed it for the long weekend since we were all here for Elle and Theo’s wedding, but we’ve got guests booked tomorrow night.”
“It’s finally your turn to run the inn on your own,” Ruby told her with a teasing look. “I bet you’ll be calling before the end of the day with questions.”
“I will not.” Megan pointed a fork in her direction. “Just because you and Elle have handled most of the business end of things up until now doesn’t mean I can’t do it.”
“I’m just ribbing you,” Ruby said. “Call anytime you want. I’ll be missing you by then anyway.”
Flynn watched, fascinated by the easy rapport between them. He was glad to know Ruby had Megan—and Elle too—in her life back home. He knew what it was like to have that kind of bond. He shared it with Pippa to a greater degree than his other siblings, but also with Aidan, who’d been his best mate since childhood and who Flynn would be working with for the next few weeks as he designed Aidan’s new home.
They finished their meal, and Megan and Jake said their goodbyes. She and Ruby hugged before they headed out, leaving him and Ruby alon
e at the entrance to the café.
“I guess this is where we part ways too,” he said.
“I suppose it is.” Ruby went up on her toes and kissed him, not a quick peck on the lips, but a deep, delicious kiss that reminded him of all the reasons he wished he didn’t have to let her go. Finally, she stepped back, her smile tinged with the same nostalgia he was feeling. “Thanks for these last two days. It’s been amazing.”
“It really has.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had this kind of connection with someone I just met before.” Her hands were still clasped in his. “And I really would like to keep in touch. I mean, at least a few messages here and there to let each other know what we’re up to. That’s not weird, is it?”
“I think it would be weirder if we didn’t, don’t you?” He squeezed her fingers. “I would genuinely like to hear about the rest of your trip, and to keep in touch after that, even if we have to limit our relationship to being friends.”
“That’s what I was hoping for too. Well, I guess we’d better just get this over with, then.” She leaned in and gave him another kiss. “Goodbye, Flynn.”
“Goodbye, Ruby.” He drew her in against him, holding her close for a long moment, and then he let her go, walking briskly down the street to hail a taxi.
7
Ruby stood in the entrance to the café, sucking in deep breaths that did little to calm the jittery feeling that had overtaken her. Her heart raced, and her palms had gone damp where they clutched her satchel. Yesterday had been magical, exactly the kind of adventure she’d dreamed of. Now, she was really and truly alone in London, alone in a huge, bustling city an ocean away from home. And she was absolutely terrified.
Before she knew what she was doing, her feet were already carrying her toward her hotel. She speed-walked the whole way there, halfway winded by the time she made it to her room. She put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door and turned the deadbolt before flinging herself face down on the bed, coughing as she caught her breath. The sheets were a rumpled mess, and they smelled like a mixture of sex and Flynn.
She’d thought yesterday was the first day of her solo adventure, thought Flynn—being little more than a stranger—was part of that adventure, but now she realized he’d been a crutch. He’d led the way yesterday, guiding her, keeping her on track. Now, she had to do what she’d intended to do from the start and create her own journey.
At that moment, she would have given anything for the comfort of her laptop, to bury herself behind its screen and come up with a detailed itinerary for the rest of her day. But that was exactly why she hadn’t brought it. She was supposed to take this week to teach herself how to fly blind and appreciate the moment.
Carpe fucking diem, Ruby.
She grumbled at herself, thumping her fists against the mattress. She’d been on her own for all of fifteen minutes, and she’d already locked herself in her hotel room and thrown a pity party for one. Of course, she could make an itinerary on her phone, but not doing it was the whole point.
She sat up and glanced around the room. Her red dress was still tossed over the chair from last night. The whole room was a mess, really, and she’d never been able to tolerate a mess. That was one thing she could fix. Resolutely, she got up and hung her dress in the closet before straightening up the rest of her things. Then she got her satchel off the desk and put her e-reader, a bottle of water, and a granola bar into it. She freshened up in the bathroom and unbolted the door.
Look out world, because Ruby’s solo adventure had just begun.
Outside, she paused on the sidewalk, wondering where to go. Truthfully, she was exhausted, and the damp weather had given her a bit of a cough. She and Flynn had been nonstop yesterday and then up half the night. Today seemed to call for a quieter approach. She remembered him mentioning a park with views of the city, and that sounded like exactly what she needed this morning. Google suggested Hampstead Heath might be what she was looking for, so she set out.
She walked to the Underground station and stood there, staring at the huge map in front of her. So many colors. So many different lines. An overwhelming maze of trains to choose from. Truthfully, she had no experience riding public transportation. She could spend hours analyzing a transit system of this size, figuring out the best routes to get herself everywhere she wanted to go.
Since that was out of the question, she consulted her phone to find the closest subway stop to Hampstead Heath. She swiped her card without difficulty and rode the escalator down to the platform. A train was already sitting in the station, and she ran to catch it, wedging herself in with the crowd and trying not to step on anyone’s toes. She’d ridden four stops before she realized she was going the wrong way.
Frustrated, she got off at the next station and boarded a train headed in the opposite direction. Almost an hour later, she exited at Kentish Town, so flustered by her subway ride that it took her several long minutes to get her bearings and locate Hampstead Heath. On her way into the park, she stopped to buy a small blanket. She walked aimlessly for a little while, enjoying the scenery. Eventually, she climbed Parliament Hill and spread her blanket over an open patch of grass. She sat, legs extended before her, and took in the view of the city below.
Now, this was more like it. She reached into her satchel and pulled out her phone, snapping a quick photo of her surroundings to share on social media.
Totes jealous! came the text from Megan. We’re about to board.
Have a safe flight, Ruby responded. She got out her e-reader and lay back to read. The sky overhead was still heavy and gray, the air cool but not uncomfortably so. Hopefully, it didn’t start pouring while she was out here. She made it through a chapter of her book, but soon the words began to blur before her eyes, and she shut them, just for a moment to rest.
The next thing she knew, a shriek startled her awake. Her eyes blinked open, focusing on a group of teenagers nearby, playing a raucous game of soccer. She rolled onto her belly, fumbling for her phone to see how long she’d been asleep, and holy crap, it was past noon already. She’d slept away the whole morning.
Irritation prickled in her chest, because surely she ought to be doing something more productive with her day than sleeping in a London park. But no, she was not going to feel guilty about this. Her reasons for being tired this morning were exciting and adventurous, and anyway, this was her trip to do whatever she wanted, no judgment from anyone else, including herself. Obviously, she’d needed the sleep.
She sat up, stretching as she glanced around to make sure she still had her satchel. She would be pissed at herself if someone robbed her while she slept, but everything was still here. Her skin felt cool and damp from the London weather, but at least she hadn’t gotten rained on. Her stomach was clamoring for lunch, and she had to pee, so she packed up her things. She crammed the blanket into her satchel and headed for the exit, deciding to walk until she came across someplace that looked good for lunch.
As she walked, she scrolled through the notifications on her phone, pausing as she found a text from Flynn. Nice view! How’s your day going?
He’d obviously found the photo she’d shared earlier while she was sitting up on Parliament Hill. A warm tingle spread through her belly.
Moving at a slower pace today, she texted with a winking emoji. But no less fun.
That was a lie. Yesterday had been one of the most amazingly fun days of her life, but Flynn didn’t need to know she was struggling to find her balance today, that she was fighting an underlying sense of panic about not knowing where she was headed next. Yesterday, he’d kept her moving, so busy and enamored with his company, she hadn’t even realized she’d been flying without a net. Today, it was all she noticed.
Glad to hear it, he replied.
She shoved her phone into her bag as she walked through the gates leading out of Hampstead Heath. After looking both ways, she headed left, which looked like the direction with more restaurants. Twenty minutes later, she was comfortably nes
tled at a table in the back of a little sushi restaurant with a plate of tuna maki in front of her.
This was a start, but she still couldn’t shake the nagging sense of unease, the urge to bullet point the rest of her day. She had a lot of work to do to truly achieve her goals for this trip.
It had taken Flynn most of the morning to drive to Aidan’s new home site in Wales. After stopping for lunch, they’d spent several hours surveying the property together. Flynn was completely taken with the location, nestled into a wooded hillside that overlooked the Wye River Valley. Peaceful. Invigorating. He could already picture a house here, built with local wood, rustic but with a sleek, modern look, big windows and a deck overlooking the valley.
“I love that,” Aidan said, nodding excitedly as Flynn explained his vision. “Can we put a hot tub on that deck too, mate?”
“Of course.” Flynn laid out the surveyor’s map on a rock between them and spent the next hour determining which would be the best location for the house and how to orient it. Energy flooded his system as things began to fall into place. His vision combined with Aidan’s to create an idea that truly excited him. This house would be something unique that reflected his friend’s needs and allowed Flynn to challenge himself in ways he hadn’t been able to at Exeter.
He walked the property, snapping photos on his phone as he noted the specific angle and coordinates to capture the best views. Before putting his phone back into his bag, he thumbed quickly through his notifications, somewhat disappointed not to have a new text from Ruby. She was enjoying her vacation the way she’d meant to now…on her own.
“You have a new girlfriend you haven’t told me about?” Aidan asked, sitting sideways in the front seat of his car, feet in the dirt, watching as Flynn worked.
“No.” Flynn pushed his phone into his pocket and returned to his measurements.