The Earl of London

by Louise Bay

  And I wanted to take the woman to dinner.

  I saw her before she saw me. She stood in the driveway, her jeans hugging her arse perfectly, her brown hair tumbling down her back as she looked toward the entrance to the driveway as if she were waiting for something.

  “Darcy,” I called.

  She turned, a look of shock passing over her face as she saw it was me. She probably thought I was a man who’d retreat after a defeat to lick his wounds in private. It was a shame she didn’t know me better. But she would soon.

  “Hi,” she replied, gathering her hair and coaxing it to one side. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  She already knew about the planning decision.

  “I would have thought you’d be expecting me. I’m here to fix a date for dinner.”

  She tipped her head back and laughed. “You’re serious? I thought this planning thing was important to you. Shouldn’t you be devastated?”

  I found myself studying every part of her as she stood bare-faced out in the sunshine. Her eyebrows were two perfect arches above her chestnut eyes. She had a small smattering of freckles over her nose that made her look younger than she was. Her ears weren’t pierced and I was pretty sure there was a story there that I wanted to hear.

  I could stare at her forever.

  “Logan?” she prompted when I didn’t reply.

  “I told you it was just business. I can compartmentalize. And anyway, it means we can be friends now, right? I get to take you to dinner.”

  “Well, I’m not one to renege on a deal, so sure, we can do dinner. Shall I come over to your place? The three of us could eat together.”

  “I don’t think so.” Nothing that was going to happen between us before, during or after dinner was going to be witnessed by my grandmother. “Friday at six. Be ready—and dress up.”

  She groaned.

  “Don’t complain. You made this deal.”

  “But dressing up?”

  What was Darcy’s problem? “Yes. Black tie. No excuses. I’ll pick you up.”

  “Logan—”

  “I don’t want to hear it. You made the deal.” By the time the evening was over and she was underneath me, writhing, chasing an orgasm I might or might not grant her, she’d have forgotten all about her reservations.

  Seventeen

  Darcy

  “But sequins? Gold sequins?” I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was piled on top of my head and the full-length gown sucked me in all the right places. It had a slit up one side, a deep v-neck and a black fabric belt. I’d bought it for a charity gala in New York last year, but hadn’t worn it.

  Still, I loved it. It made me feel sexy and slightly dangerous, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to feel either when I was anywhere near Logan Steele.

  “He said black tie,” Aurora replied. “You don’t want to be underdressed.”

  “You don’t think it’s too much?” I asked as I smoothed my hands over my waist.

  “You look sensational,” Aurora said. “Logan’s not going to know what hit him.”

  I pressed my glossed lips together. I liked the idea of shocking him. He’d only ever seen me in jeans and no makeup. No doubt, the women he usually took to dinner were super glamorous—designer clothes, never left the house without a blow-dry and professional makeup. “If he’s not in a dinner jacket when he arrives, I’m going to look like a complete idiot.”

  “You couldn’t look like an idiot in that dress. You’re beautiful. And you so rarely dress up—it’s nice to see you like this.”

  I’d enjoyed getting ready. Taking time with my makeup. Plucking, moisturizing. Not that I was doing it for Logan. Not at all. I just wanted him to know I could compete with the women he was used to.

  The doorbell sounded and I heard Lane’s footsteps along the hallway. Too late to change now.

  “He’s on time,” Aurora said, handing me my black clutch.

  Part of me wondered if he’d just not turn up to try and exact some kind of revenge. It would have been really embarrassing to dress up only to be stood up.

  “I’ve put two condoms in your bag,” Aurora whispered. “I’m going to be disappointed if you don’t use them.”

  “I have no intention of sleeping with him. I said yes to dinner because he lost his planning application. It’s a deal, not a date.”

  Aurora groaned. “You might as well kill two birds with one stone—Sam Jones cannot be the last guy you slept with when he was so lacking in so many areas.” She tried unsuccessfully to hold back a giggle. “I bet Logan Steele is killer between the sheets.”

  “Have you been imagining him?” I asked, elbowing her in the ribs.

  “Uh, yeah—just like every other woman who’s met him.”

  I opened my clutch, pulled out the condoms and tossed them on my bed. “I absolutely will not be sleeping with him, but thank you for thinking of my sexual health.”

  “Just think of it as exercise. It’s way past when you should have last got laid.”

  I laughed and headed out. “Speaking of, why are you in my bedroom, handing me condoms on a Friday night? Take some of your own advice.”

  “I intend to—the guy I’m seeing is due at my place at seven.”

  Had I heard her right? Aurora hadn’t mentioned anything about a guy she was dating regularly. I thought she was on serial dates with different men. “He is?”

  “Yes, so I’m definitely getting laid tonight.”

  Was everyone having more sex than me?

  “We’re in our twenties, Darcy. This is when we should be having all the sex.”

  I glanced at the condoms, half-tempted to scoop them off my coverlet, but Lane’s knock interrupted my train of thought.

  “Miss Westbury, Mr. Steele is downstairs for you,” he said when I answered the door.

  “Thank you, Lane. I’m just coming. Aurora?”

  “Have a great night. I’m going to play in your dressing room for a while and then make my way home.”

  “Have fun,” I said.

  “Let’s both have fun tonight—and share the details tomorrow at the Dorchester.”

  I blew her a kiss and headed down the sweeping staircase. I tucked my clutch under my arm and used one hand to pick up my long skirt and clung onto the old oak balustrade with the other. If I managed to get down these stairs without falling, I’d call tonight a win. I was much better barefoot or in wellies.

  Halfway down where the two sets of stairs joined leading down to the hallway, I glanced down to find Logan grinning at me, in a dinner jacket that made him look even broader and taller than he already was. As much as I liked being barefoot in jeans, there was nothing like a man in a dinner jacket to make my pulse race and my stomach flip.

  “You look completely breathtaking,” he said, shaking his head.

  And Logan in his suit looked better than any man I’d ever seen. The man never looked anything but movie-star gorgeous despite his attitude, but in a handmade tuxedo, he took good-looking to a whole new level.

  “You said black tie,” I replied.

  “And you decided on breathtakingly beautiful,” he said and held out his hand as I reached him. “But no change there.”

  I tried to bite back a smile, pleased that he’d said it, even though I didn’t believe it.

  “Have a good evening, Miss Darcy,” Lane said.

  “Thank you,” I said, grinning despite the fact I was about to share the evening with someone I couldn’t even decide if I liked.

  Outside the front door, a black Lexus idled, a driver at the wheel. It was a strange choice. He could clearly afford a helicopter, so I was more than a little surprised that he hadn’t picked me up in a Bentley or a Jaguar—something a little more showy—but I was pleased he hadn’t. He opened the door and guided me inside before rounding the back and joining me. He grinned as we pulled out in silence.

  “I thought I might arrive and you would claim to be washing your hair or something,” he confessed.


  “I told you I would go to dinner with you when you lost the planning application.”

  Logan chuckled. “When, not if?”

  I shrugged and glanced out of the window. I wondered where we were going, but didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of asking.

  “Seriously, Darcy,” he said. I turned and he looked into my eyes as if I was the only thing he was thinking about. “If you really don’t want to be here, then we’ll turn around. I don’t want to take a woman out who has no wish to be in my company.”

  It was as if my annoyance at him was a balloon and he’d popped it with a pin. The problem was, if I hadn’t wanted to go to dinner with Logan, I wouldn’t be here. I was turning my irritation on him, when it should be aimed at myself. I’d found myself wanting to spend time with this man since the moment I first laid eyes on him, when I knew I shouldn’t, and I couldn’t explain it. So I just got angry. “I’m sorry. I’m so used to fighting with you. I don’t know how to switch it off.”

  He swept his thumb under my bottom lip. “Relax. Be yourself. I’ve never seen you fight with anyone but me, so maybe pretend I’m someone else?” he suggested.

  I laughed. “You want me to imagine you’re another man?”

  “You know, you’re the first woman to trample over my ego like it’s a worn rug.”

  I focused on the crinkles around his eyes as he smiled, and that generous mouth of his. I bet women didn’t say no to him very often. “Then it’s long overdue. Ego shouldn’t drive a man.”

  “No? Then what?”

  “Character. Values. The need to make a difference, create a legacy.”

  He nodded, but didn’t say anything, almost as if he was taking in everything I was saying. “And what about you? What drives you?”

  It was an obvious question, but I wasn’t sure I had an obvious answer. “I want to preserve the Woolton Estate.”

  “But isn’t that your brother’s legacy? Your grandfather’s? What about you?”

  “It’s my family’s legacy. Just because I don’t have the title doesn’t mean I don’t feel the responsibility.” I sighed. I should make an effort to be nice at least for the evening. What was I afraid of? “Just because it was my grandfather’s legacy doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be mine. It’s really not Ryder’s. He’s never had the same connection to the estate that I do. Maybe because he went to America when he was right out of university. I don’t know. But I love Woolton. I’ve always loved it. It’s always been a sanctuary for me. A safe space.” I clasped my hands in my lap. “It’s important.”

  He stayed silent for a few seconds, as if he were assimilating what I was saying. I wasn’t used to the men I dated being interested in what I did.

  “So it’s not a burden? It’s such a big place, and it’s just you living there.”

  “I understand how someone might think so, and I can’t say that the responsibility isn’t huge, even overwhelming at times. But overall, it’s an honor.” Glancing out at the darkening sky, it looked like we were headed into London. Most men would head into the city if they were trying to impress a woman, but I wasn’t sure if Logan was trying to impress me or analyze me. Was I here because he was attracted to me? I was sure there were plenty more attractive and exotic women he could take to dinner who wouldn’t trample on his ego.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I need to make a brief appearance at an event on our way into town. My assistant double-booked me.”

  “You could have canceled dinner.”

  “And lose an opportunity to spend time with you?” He grinned. “Never.”

  I didn’t know if he was teasing me or giving me a compliment. Perhaps both. “You want me to wait in the car?” I asked as we pulled into a dimly lit North London car park. Jesus, it looked like he was about to meet a mafia contact or make a drug deal.

  “I’d like you to come in with me, but do what you feel comfortable with.”

  I squinted as I looked out of the window. “Where are we going?”

  “Live a little. Let it be a surprise.”

  I peered out at the shabby, utilitarian, box-shaped building that had been built in the Sixties. The paint peeling from the window frames suggested that no one had looked after it since, although a stream of teenagers in school uniforms were filing inside, so it wasn’t abandoned.

  Logan opened my door. “You want to come in?”

  What was going on in there and why on Earth was Logan here? “Sure,” I said, stepping out. “Clearly, I’m overdressed.”

  “Not at all. You can get dresses similar on the high street, right?”

  I laughed. “Yeah.” He was probably right, Zara probably did an excellent knockoff of this Gucci number.

  I shivered as his hand met the small of my back and he guided me toward the door the teenagers were all going through. Were we volunteering at a youth club or something?

  As we drew closer, we caught the attention of one of the boys. “Hey, Stevie, look! It’s Wolverine.” His face broke out into a grin and he came bounding up to us, knocking fists with Logan. “We didn’t know if you were coming tonight or if Mr. Graham was going to make the announcements.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” Logan replied.

  “I hope you’ve brought your credit card,” another of the boys said as we collected a swarm of boys around us as we made our way inside.

  The bright electric lights overhead lit up a large room lined with informational posters about local services and groups. Rows of orange plastic chairs faced a small stage, most of which were occupied by teenagers in uniforms.

  Behind the stage, a banner read: Welcome Young Entrepreneurs and then beneath in smaller letters, Sponsored by the Steele Foundation.

  “You okay?” Logan whispered in my ear.

  “I’m fine. You making a speech?”

  “We’ll be out of here in twenty minutes, I promise.”

  I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it. Take your time.” He had me intrigued.

  Logan smiled and reached into his breast pocket, pulling out some index cards. “You’ll get a good view from here.” He headed toward the stage where he shook hands and swapped pleasantries with several people.

  I took a seat and waited for whatever was going to happen, to happen.

  A woman in her early forties sat down beside me. “It’s so nice that Logan brought someone with him tonight,” she said. “I’m Avril.” She held out her hand.

  I took her hand. “I’m Darcy. How do you do?”

  “He never wants any press or publicity for this. I always think that he should be shouting it from the rooftops. He’s helped so many young people.”

  “How did he get involved?” I asked, pretending I knew what the hell was going on.

  I followed her gaze to where it was fixed to the front of the hall in anticipation. “We’ve all followed Logan’s career since he left—it’s not often that you have an earl go to a state school.”

  Logan had been one of these scruffy kids? Surely not. He was an earl. His family must have had money. He would have gone to boarding school.

  “But especially not one that turns around and builds a multi-billion-pound empire. Kids from schools like this don’t do that. But he defied the odds. And he decided that he wanted his path to be one that created a way forward for others. He passionately believes that these kids just need an opportunity.” She glanced at me, but I didn’t know what to say. Logan had been one of these children?

  Logan stepped up to the podium. “Good evening, pupils of Newham Comprehensive,” he began, and I had to bite back a grin. He commanded the room, stood tall and broad and spoke confidently. I shouldn’t have expected anything less.

  He didn’t talk about his story, although the way the pupils were transfixed by him, it seemed most of them knew it already. Instead, he immediately launched into the reason he was here. “We have had some excellent students in Steele Enterprises on our work experience program in the last twelve months. As well as giving practical experience, it�
�s important to me that Newham students coming to Steele Enterprises understand what’s possible. I started exactly where you sit now. You need to figure out what you want in life. It’s important to dream big. Then make that dream a reality by working hard, keeping focused. Take the opportunities that come your way. Turn rejection and failure into a lesson. And most importantly, never give up.”

  I felt like an idiot. I’d made assumptions about Logan’s upbringing that were clearly completely off. Furthermore, I’d thought his wealth and privilege meant that he didn’t care about anyone other than himself.

  He went on to speak about the various students who had done work experience at his company in the past year, and then announced the names of those who would be taking the spots for the following year.

  “Now, what you’ve all been waiting for—time to announce who won the investment in their business idea.” He talked through some of the ideas that had crossed his desk and how impressed he was. “What I have enjoyed the most about this year’s entries is the tenacity of some of the applications. I had ten people apply this year who also applied last year but were unsuccessful. Those students aren’t giving up, and I admire that. Others wrote about what lessons they’ve learned when things haven’t gone as they’d hoped. That determination is key to success. Being able to fail and stand up, dust yourself off and try again is the most important thing you can do for yourself. Don’t write yourself off. Failure is the foundation of success.”

  “If it had been anyone else,” Avril whispered, “the students wouldn’t take any notice. They’d think he was some rich snob from London who had no idea what their lives were like telling them what to do. But because he’s an ex-student, they listen. They want to learn from him. Be him.”

  I nodded. “I can see that.” I glanced around at his audience and they were listening like he held all the answers.

  “I’ve decided to invest in three businesses this time around,” Logan continued. “All three of these people worked hard, had clear plans that they’ve followed, adapted and learned from. Most importantly, they’ve gotten them off the ground without any financial help. The first recipient is Stacey Grant, who started up a dog-walking business and needs money to advertise and expand. She’s worked hard, endured failures, but hasn’t let them beat her. I’m pleased to be helping her on her way.”