by Faye Avalon
Emily was working a shift, which spared Lola having to explain that she was seeing Connor. She knew her friend still worried about Lola’s Plan A, and would have given Lola an earful if she’d known what was going on.
The nearest tube station was around the block from the West End restaurant Connor had chosen, and her chest hitched when she saw him waiting on the pavement by the entrance. The jolt to her system wasn’t entirely unexpected. The man certainly made an imposing sight. Well over six feet of nicely honed muscle, confidence oozing from the set of those impressive shoulders and an aura of strength emanating from his masculine frame as he stood surveying his surroundings with his hands in the pockets of his trousers.
As he was looking the other way, Lola stopped and took a moment to compose herself, to remind herself that she had a very definite plan for the evening, and that plan did not involve ending up in bed with him again.
Despite her self-talk, her mouth fairly watered as she watched him, as she took in the sight of all that male energy and leashed power. The muscles between her legs clenched in sympathy with her plight, and heat burned through her veins. It was as if her body already mourned the loss of all that excitement, adventure and erotic pleasure.
She started walking towards him and, as if he’d sensed her, he turned and met her gaze. Her stomach went into freefall.
‘Hey.’
He leaned down and kissed her lightly, his scent washing over her and making her insides do crazy, stupid things. Bearing in mind that her intention was to keep things light, she failed miserably as she met his kiss and deepened it a little.
He grinned. ‘How was your class?’
‘Good. How was your afternoon?’
He nodded. ‘Busy. Productive.’
Meaning that he’d been looking over the final contract for the Cabacal property before signing on the dotted line? A sinking feeling played in her stomach.
‘Hope you’re hungry.’
She was, and not just for food. Oh, hell. Why was she letting her desire for Connor overpower what she had to do?
Focus. She had to keep focused. ‘I’m famished. Didn’t have time to grab much of anything today.’
‘Let’s remedy that.’
Their table was on the mezzanine level in a secluded booth that nevertheless gave a bird’s eye of the diners on the lower level.
‘I’ve heard about this place,’ Lola said. ‘I thought they were booked out for months. How did you manage to get a table?’ She raised her eyebrows. ‘Or maybe you have a standing reservation?’
He smiled at her over his menu. ‘Yeah, it’s a necessity. Have to make sure I accommodate my revolving door of hot lovers.’
She really liked his ability to make her laugh. ‘In which case you must have some recommendations as far as the menu is concerned.’
He kept his gaze on hers for long moments, during which her pulse kicked up. He had the sexiest eyes, all that steely grey that turned to smoke when he was aroused. Like now. ‘Depends what menu we’re talking about.’
‘The one with food on it.’ She shook her head, then went back to perusing the offerings. ‘You’ve got a one-track mind.’
‘And yours went straight there. Explain that.’
She kept her attention on the menu but lowered her voice. ‘We’re not having sex again tonight, Connor.’
He likely wouldn’t want it anyway if he knew what secrets she harboured.
‘In that case, I’d better give the oysters a miss.’
Lola made the mistake of glancing up and smack into the depths of that sexy grin. The man was too delicious to resist. Was there anything quite so irresistible as an intelligent and devastatingly gorgeous male with the hint of bad boy about him?
‘I have no idea how anyone can eat them anyway.’
‘I should have known,’ Connor said with a shake of his head as he placed his menu down. ‘You’re going to tell me you’re a vegetarian.’
‘No, I’m not, actually. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.’
He pursed his lips, holding up his hands. ‘No argument from me.’
‘I’m actually pescatarian.’
‘Ouch.’ He mock-frowned. ‘Sounds painful.’
‘It means I eat fish.’
‘Okay.’
‘Nothing with batter around it, though.’
‘Whatever you eat, you look good on it.’
She put down her menu. ‘Thanks. But still not having sex.’
Connor was laughing as the waiter arrived. Lola ordered the steamed haddock and seasonal vegetables, asking for a plain white sauce. Connor chose steak. Rare.
When they were alone again, he raised his wine glass and nodded to her sparkling water with its slices of lemon and lime. ‘You’re sure you wouldn’t like something other than water. A mocktail, maybe?’
Lola picked up her glass. ‘This is fine. I’m not especially fond of the taste of much else, to be honest.’
‘Don’t drink. Don’t eat battered fish. If I didn’t know otherwise, I’d think you didn’t have any vices.’
Lola tried not to return his grin as he raised his glass to his lips, but there was just something too deliciously naughty about him that made that near impossible.
‘Any more news on the property front?’ Connor asked. ‘About those complications, I mean.’
Lola frowned at the question. ‘Not really. It’s a bit of a stalemate at the moment.’
‘What agents are you using? Maybe I can help.’
Why did he have to say that? Why did he have to be ultra nice and offer his help? It only piled on the feeling of being the biggest cheat. And what did she say to that anyway?
Actually, Connor. You can help. You can sell me back the property I’ve been deceiving you about from the get go.
She had visions of him tossing her over the balcony of the mezzanine, and she wouldn’t blame him. She’d endure just about anything if it meant getting the Cabacal back, even Connor’s wrath if she had to.
Since her throat was tightening up, she took a sip of the tart water. ‘That someone I told you about has beaten me to it. Offered a really competitive price.’
‘Do you still want the place?’
She made herself meet his gaze. ‘Yes.’
‘Then keep at it. Like I said, anything’s possible if you want it bad enough.’
‘The person buying it really wants it too. In fact, I think he might even have already signed the contract.’
Part of her wondered if he’d say how coincidental that was because he’d also signed a contract today. But he didn’t.
‘Call the agent. Find out. You need to know for sure. If the buyer’s stalling, you can get in fast with a counter-offer.’
She thought of Damian. Even if Connor hadn’t signed yet, even if for some reason things had stalled, her pig-headed brother wouldn’t budge. He wouldn’t let her counter-offer because he wanted to ensure she didn’t get to follow through on her plans, just as her father had tried to thwart her mother’s dream.
‘City people won’t have time for such foolhardy nonsense,’ her father had said one night, when Lola had been listening at the top of the stairs as their argument had become more heated. ‘They’re too busy making sound investments, keeping abreast of financial dealings, to worry about bending and stretching and chanting some mantra after a long day. If they want to let off steam they’ll take a run along the Thames, or find the nearest bar that sells a decent malt.’
Her mother’s protests had fallen on deaf ears, just as Lola’s had with Damian. The two men had been cut from the same cloth.
But Connor hadn’t been. He’d been supportive and had even offered to help her.
Before guilt could run its scratchy claws down her spine again, Lola asked, ‘Would you ever stall on buying a property you wanted?’
> ‘Can’t see the point. You want it, or you don’t.’
So the chances were that there wasn’t a hold-up with Connor signing the contract. Which meant the transaction had likely already gone through.
She took a steadying breath. ‘What if you bought a property then decided it wasn’t actually what you wanted? That the reason you’d bought it was no longer valid?’
She watched him closely as he pursed his lips, considering. ‘Hard to say what I’d do. Never been in that position before. But as long as it turned a profit, I’d find a way to make it work.’
As long as it turned a profit. Surely Connor was driven by more than financial gain in his acquisition of the Cabacal? There had to be more of an emotional reason for him, based on his history with her uncle. It couldn’t primarily be because the property would make him money.
‘Anyway, where is it?’
Lola had to refocus. ‘Where’s what?’
‘This property you want so badly.’
‘It’s way across town.’ She knew he’d probe and was thankful when the waiter chose that moment to bring their food. It gave her some thinking time. ‘But there are a couple of other properties I’ve seen that show promise.’
Why the hell had she said that? If she let Connor believe that, it would weaken her position when she came to negotiate with him. But right then she had to get his attention away from the real property she wanted. Because she wasn’t ready to tell him. While she hated lying to him, she still needed to know more about him and his reasons for wanting the Cabacal.
Should she allude to her own reasons for wanting it? Not directly, of course. She couldn’t come right out and say she wanted it yet. But if she could allude to the reasons, demonstrate how important it was to her, he might be more accepting of her behaviour when she eventually told him.
God. She hated the thought of things ending between them. She liked the way he took her seriously, how he encouraged her to go for what she wanted. She really liked his company, liked being with him. He gave her more confidence to go for what she wanted, which was kind of perverse, considering the situation.
‘I’d never recommend you compromise,’ Connor said, slicing his steak. ‘That’s an easy out.’
Lola speared a green bean. ‘Don’t you ever compromise?’
Chewing, he shook his head. Then he swallowed. ‘Not if I can help it. Compromised once and it bit me in the ass, big time.’
Did this have something to do with her uncle? Trying for nonchalance, Lola cut into her fish. ‘That can’t have been good.’
‘It wasn’t, but it taught me a valuable lesson.’
‘Which was?’
‘Trust your instincts. Don’t get screwed.’
That hit her right in the centre of her chest. Was that what he’d think she was doing? Screwing him? And not in a good way. What were his instincts telling him right now?
‘Those other properties you looked at,’ he said, giving no indication anything was currently amiss in the instinct department. ‘Have you seen them at night?’
‘No.’
‘It’s a nice evening,’ he said. ‘Let’s take an excursion after we’ve eaten and you can show them to me.’
Her heart jolted at the quick-fire suggestion. ‘Tonight? In the dark?’
‘Yeah. It’s worth checking out the areas at night since I assume you’ll be offering classes until late?’
‘Yes, that’s likely to be my busiest period.’
‘So you’ll get a feel for each place that’ll differ greatly from the one you’ll get during the day.’
Despite the moment of panic at Connor’s suggestion to see the properties, it was hard not to enjoy his obvious interest in her plans. The fact he’d actually give them some thought, and wanted to help her with the practicalities was incredibly addictive.
Just like him.
But then he was a businessman. That interest was innate.
‘Makes sense,’ Lola said, thankful she’d taken the opportunity at least to research other properties as back-up options. She hadn’t wanted to imagine the worst-case scenario—that she would never get the Cabacal back—but if despite her best efforts her plans for acquiring the property collapsed she had every intention that the health centre would still go ahead.
‘Great.’ Connor picked up the menu. ‘The chocolate torte here is the best you’ll ever taste.’
‘Then make it two. I never share dessert.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
THEY DROVE THROUGH the streets of London towards the address Lola had given for the first property.
Parking being what it was in London, they had to leave Connor’s convertible and walk a few streets to the first property. It was in a relatively quiet back street, with not particularly good lighting.
‘See, this was my point,’ Connor said as he slipped his hands in his pockets and looked up at the terraced building with its fairly dilapidated windows and doors. ‘You wouldn’t want to think about somewhere like this for your studio.’
As Connor looked around, Lola tried to think of relevant points to illustrate why this was a place she’d seriously been considering. ‘It’s close to a tube station, though. That’s an important consideration.’
‘Yeah. Really important. But it’s too quiet. Not enough footfall. You’d need good security lighting, state-of-the-art security generally. Maybe even someone manning the entrance. That would hike your start-up costs.’
Looking around, Lola agreed. She hadn’t factored in major overhauls to the outside of the properties, aside from general sprucing up, and Connor was right: there were too many dark areas once the surrounding small shops were closed up at the end of the day. Security would have to be a priority if she ever considered this place.
She thought about the Cabacal and its surrounding area. It was in a really busy, well-lit area with trendy bars where people milled about at all hours of the day and night. Security there wouldn’t be much of an issue beyond the basic requirements of lighting, good locks and a building alarm. She certainly wouldn’t need to hire a night guard.
The next property was an easy fifteen-minute walk. Connor reached for her hand, his fingers tightening around hers, drawing her close. His scent wafted on the evening air, doing delicious things to her insides and making her move even closer to him as they walked. She needed to focus.
‘What sort of things would you look for when property hunting?’ Lola asked, as casually as she could. ‘I suppose it depends on what use you intend, of course, but would you always have an idea of that at the point of purchase?’
She glanced over as he considered her question. With a bit of luck, he’d give something away regarding his plans for the Cabacal, and she’d have more information on which to build her case to convince him to sell to her.
He pursed his lips. ‘Can’t say I always know, although I’d have a general idea seeing as night clubs are my business.’
‘Then any other property you acquire would always become a night club?’
‘Not always.’
Before she could probe deeper, they turned a corner and the next property came into view.
Lola tucked away her frustration that she hadn’t been able to glean more.
‘This has more going for it, location-wise,’ Connor said as he perused what was this time a two-storey concrete block, freshly painted and with new windows and doors. ‘Although it’s not as close to a tube station. Plus, there’s noise from that bar across the road, which might cause you some problems if you’re trying to create a relaxing atmosphere.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘It’s still relatively early, so things are likely to get livelier, especially at weekends.’
Lola looked towards the bar, her rueful smile indicative of the fact she might never have given that much thought. ‘Good point. There’s so much to consider.’
Again, she thou
ght of the Cabacal. The trendy bars nearby were unlikely to get especially raucous since they attracted a different crowd, mostly after-work professionals who were stopping by to discuss business with a colleague, or taking the opportunity to enjoy a quick drink before heading home. Close to public transport, relatively quiet, yet busy enough that she wouldn’t have to worry about extra security measures. Even if the Cabacal hadn’t meant so much to her, she would be hard-pressed to find a property more suited to her plans.
‘You’ve got your priorities straight,’ Connor said, cutting into her thoughts. ‘Location and access. Once they’re in place, you can build on everything else. Where to next?’
As they walked to the final property, Lola had to admit that having Connor’s take on the properties was insightful and incredibly useful, and his willingness to help her by giving valuable advice only seemed to increase the gnawing sense of guilt about lying to him.
She had no intention of purchasing any of these properties. She wanted the Cabacal. Yet she couldn’t shake off the feeling of connection that was growing with Connor. He seemed genuinely interested in helping her. He was able to make suggestions and give insights, but in no way did he ever undermine her. He never dismissed her ideas out of hand, but somehow managed to make her question them herself to get things clear in her own mind.
She was starting to like him more and more as the evening went on.
The last of the properties was in an even quieter area than the first one. It was smaller than the others, but there was no denying it had a certain charm.
‘I thought this one might work because there’s a tube nearby and it has good bus links,’ Lola said. ‘But I think it’s probably too quiet. Too small.’
Connor came to stand beside her after he’d taken a cursory look at the front of the building. ‘Yeah, it’s quiet, but you could use the back entrance at night. Busier there and plenty of people around. And, while it might be small, there could be the possibility of extending into the next building at some stage.’
‘Hmm. And I do want to expand the business in the future.’