One Hot Escape (Hot Brits Book 4)

by Anna Durand

  She read one more book before she dozed off, and I read all the rest. My eyes are gritty and hot, but I don't care. I pull a Maddie trick, though for different reasons, and rifle through her purse to find a bottle of moisturizing eyedrops. I pour those into my eyes until I feel like I can look at a computer screen without going cross-eyed, then I draft a contract for Dexter. My company has a standard contract, so all I need to do is adjust some of the details to tailor it to this project. By the time I've emailed the contract to Ilsa, the sun is up.

  I glance at the bedside clock. It's six a.m.

  Maddie is still sleeping, her lips curled in the faintest smile.

  She's so lovely. Just watching her sleep gives me a dull pain in my chest, but it feels good instead of unsettling.

  A chime sounds, indicating one of us has a new text message.

  It doesn't sound like my mobile, but I check it anyway. No, I don't have a text. So I grab Maddie's mobile and turn on the screen, intending only to glance at it to see if she has a text. She does, but it's displayed on the main screen. "Have you decided yet?" someone called Naveen asks. I glance at Maddie, at her sweet, sleeping face.

  Another chime. Another text.

  I fight the urge to read it, but I seem to have lost my mind in the past three seconds because I look at the screen again. This time Naveen says, "Miss you, babe." And then he includes a kissing-face emoji. This must be her former lover, the one she met in Somalia. But why is he kissing her via text message? She said they aren't together anymore.

  Maddie rouses, sighing with contentment, and stretches her entire body. She yawns, opening her eyes. "Good morning. Sorry I fell asleep and left you to read all those books."

  "Don't worry about that." I scratch my cheek, grimacing. "I, ah, sort of did a…bad thing."

  She flips onto her back and laughs. "You being naughty? What a shocker."

  I know she's obliquely referring to when we had sex last night, but I can't manage a smile. I keep grimacing. "I read your texts."

  "You mean Dexter's books? Yeah, I know. I fell asleep and left you to do all the work."

  "No, I don't mean that." I scrub my hands over my face and groan. "I heard a noise, like one of us had a text, but it wasn't my mobile. It was yours. And I inadvertently read those messages. Sorry."

  "Messages? I have more than one text?" She sits up and checks her mobile. Her lips twist like she's trying not to smile, and she rotates her eyes to glance at me. "You read what Naveen said. That's the awful thing you did."

  "Yes. I invaded your privacy."

  She sets her mobile on the table, turns toward me, and… smiles. "You're adorable, Rick. I stole your wallet on the night we met so I could find out your name. You accidentally reading my texts is nothing."

  "I might have accidentally read the first one, but I did it on purpose the second time."

  "And I'm still not mad about that." She grasps my face and plants a firm but brief kiss on my mouth. "We're involved, right? I mean, you're taking me home with you, so we're not just two people having a fling anymore. That means you can check my phone if I get a call or a text and I'm…indisposed at the time." She bites her lip. "Was I snoring again?"

  "No. You were a silent, delicate angel slumbering beside me."

  "You are so full of shit."

  "Maybe, but you are lovely when you're sleeping." I hesitate, not sure if it's my place to ask the next question, but she did say we're involved and I can answer her mobile whenever it's appropriate. So I go on and ask. "Is Naveen the man you were involved with?"

  "Yeah, and he's also my coworker. Or he used to be." The second I open my mouth to speak again, she holds up a hand to stop me. "But no, I am not with him anymore, and I don't want to be. Maybe he wants that, but I'm over it. That emoji is his problem, not mine."

  "Good. I might've been slightly jealous when I saw that, but I'm not anymore."

  My mobile rings. This time I'm sure it's mine because the screen tells me it's Ilsa calling.

  "Good morning, Ilsa," I say when I pick up. "I assume you've seen the contract I sent."

  "Sir Dexter and I have both reviewed it. He is ready to sign." When Ilsa is talking business, she always refers to her employer as Sir Dexter.

  "He doesn't want to have his solicitor look it over first?" I ask.

  "Sir Dexter does not believe in lawyers," she says. "He hates them even more than he hates agents and publishers, but he likes you and trusts you. We will arrive in twenty-five minutes to sign the contract."

  "Dexter is coming here? To the resort?"

  "That's correct. We will see you soon."

  We say goodbye and end the call.

  I face Maddie. "Dexter is coming to see us. We have twenty-five minutes to get ready."

  "Twenty-five minutes?" Maddie almost shrieks. She flies off the bed, scrambling to find and open her suitcase. While she frantically searches inside it for the right clothes, she starts babbling. "I need a shower, but is there enough time? I haven't eaten breakfast yet either. Oh God, what if I have dark circles under my eyes? Where's my makeup bag?"

  "I need a shower too. Let's save time by doing that together."

  "Oh great. Like I'll get clean if we shower together."

  "You have my solemn word that I will not shag you."

  She's clutching a pile of clothes to her chest, but when she looks at me, she isn't as manic as she was a minute ago. "Okay, fine. We'll take a shower together." She manages to wag a finger at me while still clutching her clothes in both arms. "No sex, Rick. None whatsoever."

  "I promise."

  And I fulfill that vow. The shower is so large that we could stand five feet apart and still have room left. We don't stand that far apart, but I do keep my hands off her. While she blow-dries her hair and does whatever else women do to prepare for the day, I get dressed and print out the contract. I also arrange for a flight home for me and Maddie. We'll fly to the UK later today.

  I order breakfast too, making sure to order enough that Ilsa and Dexter can have some, in case they haven't eaten yet.

  Maddie emerges from the bathroom just as someone knocks on the door.

  The second I open the door, Dexter throws his arms around me. He thumps both hands on my back repeatedly. "Wonderful news, Rick, wonderful news."

  "What is?"

  He releases me but keeps his hands on my shoulders. "The contract, of course. What else? You're the perfect man to publish my books." He tips his head in Maddie's direction. "I knew your excellent taste in women meant you have excellent taste overall."

  Dexter hugs Maddie too, and Ilsa kisses my cheek. She hugs Maddie, but not as boisterously as Dex had done.

  He signs the contract before we eat, then we all enjoy a meal together while we exchange jokes and talk about Dexter's new books. Once the food is gone, Maddie and I tell him how much we love the stories, and I comment on the differences between these books and his old ones, particularly the family element.

  Dexter slips an arm around Ilsa's shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze. His expression becomes softer, full of genuine affection. "Family means even more to me today than it did in the old days. I had a son with my second wife, but we've grown apart. We still talk, but we're not especially close. When Ilsa came into my life, everything changed."

  Ilsa gazes at him with a tender smile curving her lips.

  He kisses her forehead. "Ilsa is my daughter. I never knew about her until five years ago when she sought me out. I'd had a fling with her mother, after my first wife divorced me but before I married my second wife. I never saw Greta again after our one night together, and she never let me know I have a child." He kisses Ilsa's cheek. "My daughter is the light of my life, and the inspiration for the family saga I've written."

  "You wrote all these books since you met Ilsa?" I ask.

  "That's right. I was inspired." He stands up, and so does Ilsa. "Time for us to go home. Thank you, Richard, for agreeing to publish th
ese books. I wish everyone could experience the kind of joy Ilsa has brought me, and I hope these books will accomplish that in some small way."

  "You should come to the UK sometime. For a visit, not publicity."

  "What a smashing idea. Ilsa and I would love that."

  Ilsa lays a hand on her chest, feigning a shocked expression. "Richard, you've performed a miracle. You have cured my father of his misanthropic ways."

  "Don't exaggerate, love," Dexter tells her. "I don't hate all people. Only publishers and literary agents." He slaps my arm. "Present company excluded."

  We all say goodbye—and it's time for me and Maddie to go home. Will she want to stay for long? I have no idea, but I plan to do whatever I can to convince her to stay forever.

  On the long journey back to the UK, we talk about everything except our feelings for each other. The need to tell her how much she means to me grows inside me, the pressure urging me to confess. But there's a certain someone she's going to meet tomorrow, and I haven't told her about him yet, so I'll hold off on confessing my feelings until I see how she reacts to Nick. I should warn her about my brother, but I'm too busy enjoying these last hours of solitude with Maddie. Though it will be early evening when we arrive in the UK, we both need to sleep before I introduce her to everyone. We'll drive to my home in Colchester to rest up, then tomorrow, the throng will descend—my family, her sister, the Dixons, and whoever else they invite.

  Can I handle it if Maddie takes one look at my brother and decides he's more exciting than I am? I can't believe she will, but my brother knows how to charm women, and they always love his career choice.

  Tomorrow, I'll find out if she wants only my face and my voice, or if what she feels for me is really about me.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Maddie

  I don't feel jet-lagged this morning, but then, sleeping with Richard Hunter always makes me feel relaxed and refreshed. After our whirlwind romance and our whirlwind trip to the UK, plus our whirlwind drive from London to Colchester, I'd needed lots of rest. Most people sleep on the plane, but we talked instead. So yeah, I conked out the second my head hit the pillow. I slept for twelve hours.

  This morning, I'm lying in Rick's bed while he snores this time. He looks so adorable spread out on his tummy, with his head turned to the side, his mouth open, and his hair a mess. He's naked too. So am I. We didn't have sex last night, though. We undressed and collapsed onto the bed, too exhausted to bother digging through our bags to find our sleeping clothes.

  The sheet has slipped off Rick's ass.

  Naturally, I ogle him. He has a great ass, and I have no willpower or desire to keep myself from admiring that part of him at length. He shouldn't sleep on his tummy if he doesn't want me to drool over his tight bottom.

  After a while, I get tired of waiting for him to wake up. So I crawl half on top of him and kiss my way up his backside, starting with those fine glutes and following a trail up to his cheek. The other kind of cheek, the one on his face. When I place a firm kiss on his lips, his lids flutter open.

  He blinks rapidly, scrunching up his face. "Maddie?"

  "Uh-huh. Who else did you think would be crawling up your naked body?" I nibble on his chin. "Good morning, Rick."

  Yawning, he tries to roll over but realizes he can't move because I'm on top of him. His lips curve into a sleepy, but still damn sexy, smile. "Good morning, Maddie."

  I lay an open-mouth kiss on his shoulder. "You better have food around here because I'm starved. I might eat you if I don't get some actual food soon. Well, I'll probably devour you anyway."

  "And I'd love for you to do that." He wriggles until I slide off him, then he turns onto his side. "Are you ready to meet my family today? The Dixons will be here too. My parents are good friends with their parents, and when I told Mum I was coming home—with my new girlfriend—she announced we need to have a big do. I normally don't like parties, but since I met you, I want all sorts of things I never wanted before."

  "And a party is one of those things."

  "We need to celebrate our relationship and the good news for my company."

  "Absolutely." I sit up, stretching. "But first, we need breakfast."

  We get dressed, then Rick makes me a delicious breakfast. After that, we have sex. Big surprise, right? We can't keep our hands off each other, but we also love cuddling and talking while we cuddle. Eventually, we have to get up and get dressed, again, so we can head over to the big house where the parents of the Dixon brothers live. Rick has a beautiful house, but it's not large, and he doesn't have the outdoor furniture to accommodate his friends and relatives. He can afford to buy a mansion, like one of those historic ones with five floors and umpteen rooms. But he told me he doesn't like huge houses.

  I don't think I'd like living in a mansion either.

  We arrive before everyone else—except, of course, the Dixons' parents since we're going to their house—but Richard's parents show up not long after us. They both hug me and say how happy they are that their son finally found the right woman. Rick points out we met two weeks ago, but they don't care.

  "You haven't been serious about a girl in ages," Rick's father, Edward, says. "It's about time you settled down. We need grandchildren."

  Children? Sheesh, we only admitted yesterday that we want more than a fling with each other.

  But Edward is smiling, and his eyes are twinkling, so I figure he's not seriously expecting us to have a baby next week.

  His wife, Pippa, clasps her hands under her chin, smiling too. "Oh Rick, I thought you'd never get married."

  Married? Well, at least she didn't jump straight to grandkids. Mrs. Hunter will probably ally with my sister to start planning the wedding this afternoon.

  Richard's parents are such nice people, though, that I can't be offended by anything they say. They're thrilled their son has a girlfriend, and I'm too happy to let anything unsettle me.

  Do I love him? Too soon to tell. At least I now have a place to stay, but I still don't know what I'm going to do with my life. I want to be with Rick, but that's all I can say for sure. My vagabond lifestyle is all I've known for years, and it's hard to break a habit. I don't want to go anywhere, though, not without Richard Hunter.

  His brother still hasn't arrived. Richard hasn't told me much at all about Nick, which only awakens the insatiable curiosity of Dr. Solberg.

  I'm relaxing on a lawn chair, the kind that lets me stretch my legs out, and admiring the gorgeous, flowering bushes when the rest of the guests arrive. I hear them inside the house laughing. Richard went in there a few minutes ago to wait for his friends and his brother to show up, but he encouraged me to stay out here and "enjoy the quiet while it lasts."

  Having met the Dixons, I know this will be one raucous party, especially with Reese Dixon on the premises. He's tons of fun. Rick is tons of fun too but in a different way. He's not as boisterous as Reese, and he's much less likely to make a raunchy joke.

  Like I said, I'm sitting here gazing at the flowers, not paying attention to anything else.

  A shadow falls over me, and I glance at the man standing beside my chair.

  "Not going to ogle me from the front again?" I ask. "You're trying the sneaky side attack this time."

  Though he's wearing slacks and a long-sleeve dress shirt, he sits down on the concrete patio beside me, much the way he'd sat next to my beach chair on the day we met. His shiny shoes and his clothes look nothing like what he wore back then. I'm still half-convinced he sprayed those swim briefs onto his body.

  "I've been talking to your sister," he says.

  "Let me guess. She's telling everyone I'm a combination of Marie Curie and Wonder Woman."

  "No, but I was less interested in what she said than the way she said it."

  I twist sideways in my chair to aim a sarcastically offended look at him. "Are you trying to make time with my baby sister?"

  "Rika is lovely, but no." He smiles,
and it's a mixture of sarcasm and smugness. "She sounds an awful lot like you. That's what I meant."

  "Oh, I get it. This is your revenge for what I said about how your voice sounds a lot like Alex, the Dixons, and Dexter."

  "I believe you said all Brits have the same smooth voices, and you suggested I have some bloke in my head telling me what to say."

  "No, you suggested all you Brits' voices are narrated by one man. I mentioned that movie about a guy who hears a writer's words in his head."

  "Hmm." He bends one knee to rest his arm on it, regarding me with a devious glint in his eyes. "Not only do you sound very much like Rika, but you both have voices quite like Elena's and Arden's. Maybe you lot have one woman narrating for you."

  "Don't be ridiculous. I sound nothing like Elena or Arden."

  "I see. There's a double standard, eh? I'm shocked at your lack of scientific rigor in this matter."

  He's smirking now, and I'm such a sucker for this guy that I love his sarcastic smile and his silly attempt to convince me that I sound like Elena and Arden, the wives of Chance and Reese Dixon. I'm right about his voice, but he is absolutely wrong about mine. Am I applying a double standard here? No, never, not me. Okay, maybe I am.

  Rick rubs his chin like he's giving his idea serious thought. "Maybe I should run a two-arm parallel assignment to prove my point."

  "Do you even remember what that means?"

  His mouth slides into a sexy grin. "Not a fucking clue."

  I roll my eyes to emphasize the sarcasm in my tone. "Oh, now that's very scientific."

  Rick watches me for a moment without speaking, and all the humor vacates his expression.

  "Are you okay?" I ask. "I was just teasing you."

  "I'm not offended." He bows his head. "I want to tell you something, but I'm afraid it might sound insane."

  "You can tell me anything."

  He swallows hard enough that I can see his Adam's apple jumping. Then he licks his lips but in a nervous way instead of a sexy one. Finally, he shoves a hand into his hair and clears his throat, his gaze aimed straight into mine. "I love you, Maddie."

  "I love you too." The words pour out of me before I realize what I'm about to say. Once I've spoken those four syllables, I can't believe I've said them. But I'm not embarrassed or freaked out by it. I meant those words. I love Richard Hunter.