My Summer in London (My Summer #1)(6)

“Easily. Just have coffee with me.”

“Okay,” I finally agreed. “But just so you know, I’m not drunk, so I don’t need sobering up.”

“Of course you’re not.” His eyes twinkled, not buying the load I was selling him.

Gathering ourselves out of the booth, I barely noticed people watching us depart. I was too absorbed in the fact that he had his hand on the base of my back as he guided us out of the bar. His warm hand made me feel electrified, and I simply wanted to stop thinking and have fun with him, come what may.

Emerging from the bar and walking towards his parked car, I noted that his hand hadn’t come off my back. I was beginning to like it too much, having him this close to me.

“What is that scent you’re wearing?” I blurted out as I leaned a little closer to get a whiff of it. “What cologne is it?”

“I don’t wear cologne. Maybe it’s my aftershave.”

Well, hell, was there anything about this guy that I didn’t like? I just wished I could find something to put me off so I didn’t have to act like a fool around him. All this excitement was too much for my blood pressure.

“My car is through here,” he said, guiding me towards a black Range Rover.

Just as he was opening the door for me, I spun around to face him, curious. “Is there something wrong with denim skirts on this side of the world that I wasn’t aware of?”

His brows furrowed, taken aback by my random question. “You’re asking me about denim?”

“Yeah …”

“I find it … well …” His gaze dropped to my skirt, lingering on my legs while his eyes burned. “You have quite the lovely gams,” he rasped out in such a way that it sent tingles all over me.

Sexual thoughts, here we go once more. f*uk.

“You can stop staring at my legs now.” It was too much too soon. It was undeniable, this chemistry we had. I wasn’t imagining it, either. It was obvious he felt it, too.

“You did invite me to, so here I am … enjoying the view.”

My sanity was on the verge of being thrown to the wind. Even though there was this thing with Cruz, I didn’t want to make a fool of myself. My ex-boyfriend did such a number on me, and I didn’t want that repeated.

“Jesus Christ, must you all be so flirty? Archer, you—I can’t breathe for a second without having palpitations. You both are just too everything—”

“You find my brother charming?” he inquired.

There was stillness in him that made me seek his eyes. “No—yes … Well, it’s hard not to be.”

Something flashed in his eyes. “He’s a good man, but he doesn’t like to take women too seriously. I’m just giving you a precaution in case you get carried away. He’s not that type. He likes variety.”

He was giving me a warning of what type of a man Archer was, and I appreciated it, but maybe there was something he misunderstood from me.

“What makes you think I’m not that kind, as well? Who wants commitment, anyway?”

He studied me a moment, scrutinizing me with those vividly mesmerizing eyes. “Most women do.”

“Maybe I’m not like most women. Maybe I like to play the field, too.”

He nodded as if fully understanding me. “Brilliant. Then there’s nothing to worry about,” he said in a serious voice before holding the door open, indicating he was done discussing the subject.

His demeanor didn’t come off rude, but there was an apparent shift in his attitude. It didn’t give me the warm fuzzies; that was for sure.

The moment he started the engine, I could feel him deep in thought as he weaved into traffic. He didn’t bother turning on the music or making small talk. He was quiet as he concentrated on the road while I wondered why I had to say things I didn’t mean that had possibly offended him.

Was it that my statement about not wanting commitment and wanting to have fun made me look like a loose cannon? Was his silence an indication that he was worried I might bring problems to his mother’s household? Reflecting on what had happened, I hoped he didn’t deem me as trouble.





Chapter Five





“How about we have some coffee back at the house?” My suggestion got a nod and a cool “of course.”

As much as I loved being around him, I got the feeling I had somehow offended him, so maybe prolonging the night in his company wasn’t a great idea.

Here’s to hoping he wouldn’t really take up my offer of having coffee back at their house. I hoped he skipped it altogether so I could go to my room and scold myself for being a carefree idiot.

Parked right outside the house, we got out of the car, walking side by side. Producing his keys, he then let us inside the foyer. The house was dimly lit, bright enough for people to see as they navigated around their surroundings. I wondered where the stiff butler, whose name I had yet to find out, and Anne were. I supposed they had their own separate quarters, or they might have gone home and would come back in the morning.

“Do you still want coffee or a strong nightcap?” Cruz asked, stopping in his tracks in the middle of the foyer.

Frowning, I gazed at him with a contorted face. “Are you offering me alcohol?” I double-checked, confused at his sudden change of mind. Had I missed something? I couldn’t be sure.