by Tina Beckett
‘No. She’ll be leaving in a week, when her father returns to Kenistan.’
‘I see. Will you miss London?’
A half smile curled his lip. Another quirk imprinted on her mind. ‘No.’
All her fantasies came crashing to a halt. ‘Not at all?’
‘No, because I’ll be staying for a while.’
‘You will? But what about your job?’
‘Kenistan reopened its embassy here. I’ll be working as part of their security detail until it’s up and running again. I grew up in London, so it seems a natural transition.’
‘I see.’
She wasn’t exactly sure why he was still standing here. He’d done what he came to do: give her Aidah’s contact information.
The concierge came over to them from behind one of the registration desks. ‘I just wanted to thank you again for your help. And for being so discreet.’ She hesitated. ‘I’m sorry for upsetting your date.’
Chelsea had a feeling not much went on inside the hotel that Sarah Rathborn wasn’t aware of. ‘It’s okay. It was a blind date. And a bad one at that.’
‘Ah, I see.’ The woman smiled. ‘If the Kenistanian president hadn’t taken care of the bill, the hotel would have.’
‘Thank you again.’ Far from being stiff and formal like one might have expected at a high-end hotel, Sarah was warm and welcoming. Probably a necessity at the Chatsfield, but it was also probably part of the woman’s makeup. It was hard to carry on a pretense for very long, as she’d discovered from Marty’s behavior.
‘We’re the ones who should be thanking you.’ With a quick wave, she headed back toward her desk, grey pencil skirt swishing back and forth with every step.
‘So the man you were with isn’t a husband or a boyfriend.’
‘No, thank God. I barely knew him.’
‘Do you often go out with men you barely know?’
Chelsea looked for a hint of disapproval in his voice, but heard none. ‘My flatmate set me up with him. It’s a mistake I won’t repeat.’
‘What if I asked you to?’
A couple walked past them arm in arm, giving her time to process what he was saying.
‘You’re asking me to go out with Marty again?’
‘No! You mentioned to Aidah about not having a chance to see London. Do you wish to?’
‘Of course, but—’
‘I have Friday free. Interested?’
In him? In seeing London? ‘Are you offering to act as a tour guide as well as a bodyguard?’
That slow smile again. ‘I’m a man of many talents.’
She’d bet he was. ‘I’m not sure...’
He nodded. ‘I understand. You don’t know me.’
That was just it. She almost felt like she did know him. She’d seen him struggle with whether or not he should go against his cultural mores, and yet he had, putting Aidah’s life ahead of a set of customs. He was an honorable man.
That wasn’t why she was hesitating. It was because of the chandelier. Hadn’t she just felt the universe had sent her a message through all those sparkling prisms? She was the master of her fate, and she could steer down any path she chose.
And if she chose to explore this particular avenue?
Yes, she might just do that. But it wouldn’t hurt to take her time. After all, if she appeared too eager to go out with him, wouldn’t it dilute his perception of her as a ‘weapon’? She could afford a little mystique. Especially after that experience with Marty.
She cocked a brow. ‘Can I think about it and get back with you?’
‘Certainly,’ he said, remaining where he was.
When the silence between them began to turn awkward, she realized he’d accepted her answer at face value. He wasn’t going to pressure her into accepting.
‘Okay, well thank you.’
‘Goodbye Dr. Serrano.’
‘Goodbye.’ She turned to go and then stopped when she realized something important was missing. ‘If I decide I do need a tour guide, how can I contact you? I don’t even know your name.’
His brows went up. ‘I’ve placed it all in your hands.’ He reached for her wrist, his fingers curling around hers. Her arm tingled, and her face warmed.
The piece of paper he’d given her moments earlier. He must have included his information on it as well. ‘Oh.’
‘Call me.’ His touch lingered, thumb sweeping across the knuckles of her hand.
Something else crossed her mind. He’d given the paper to her before he knew about Marty...that he wasn’t anything special to her. ‘How did you know I wasn’t married to him?’
‘I merely hoped.’
She nodded. The man seemed to prefer using two and three word sentences. ‘I think I asked you this once before. Are you always this talkative?’
She saw the barest trace of a smile. ‘There is one way to find out.’
A few seconds later he was walking back the way he came. She stared after him until he was gone and then slowly lifted her hand and uncurled her fist.
On the slip of paper she found Aidah’s contact information. Nothing more. Maybe he hadn’t wanted her to call him after all. Maybe he’d just felt sorry for her and had made up the whole tour guide thing.
Just as she was about to toss the information into her purse, her fingers slipped and the corner of another piece of paper poked from beneath the original. She separated the two and peered at the bold scrawl of a masculine hand. As promised, he’d written his cell phone number.
And his name.
She grinned. Jakob Almasi. So it wasn’t Earpiece Guy.
He hadn’t written anything other than that on the paper.
Like the hotel, he’d left the decision to call or not call in her hands. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before curling her fingers back around those pieces of paper. She was definitely going to call.
She moved toward the doorway once again, her strides turning more and more confident. Somewhere, she was sure her sister was looking down on her and smiling.
Then the revolving doors carried her through the entrance, hurling her back into the world and right into the arms of her future.
A future which suddenly looked as bright as the gleaming crystals on the Chatsfield Hotel chandelier.
*
If you enjoyed this book,
look out for Tina Beckett’s next Medical Romance
His Girl From Nowhere
August 2014.
ISBN: 978-1-474-00057-4
Doctor in the Executive Suite
© Copyright © 2014 by Harlequin Books S.A.
Special thanks and acknowledgement are given to Tina Beckett for her contribution to The Chatsfield series.
Published in Great Britain in 2014
Harlequin (UK) Limited
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