Just Desserts (32 page)

The door closed behind them. Her heart sped up. She wanted to drop to the floor and crawl to the nearest chair. She turned to face the stunning view of the city.

Sebastian joined her. “Just wait until we get to the top.”

The Ferris wheel began to move. “Oh God,” she croaked, her arm shooting out to find the wall…something to keep her upright. Finding nothing, she sort of half-crumpled, half-slid to the floor and pressed her fingertips to her eyes, breathing deeply.

“
Daisy.” She felt Sebastian sit beside her. “Are you all right?”

“
No,” she said on a sniff and looked up at him. Compassion on his face. “I’m scared of heights, but I didn’t want to ruin your surprise.”

“
You should have told me anyway.” He stroked her hair, taking out the chopsticks and placing them on the floor. “I’m not too fond of confined spaces, really. This capsule was pushing it.”

“
You’re not? It is?” She searched his face. “Why not?”

Soft compassion melted away, leaving nothing behind. His pale eyes were hard and his mouth drawn tight. For long minutes, he said nothing, then, “My father’s favorite punishment was to lock me in a cupboard under the servants’ stairs for hours at a time.”

Bile rose in her throat. Locked him up, for hours at a time? “Favorite?” She didn’t want to know this. She didn’t have a right to know this.

“
Achieving perfection comes at a high price.”

“
There’s no such thing as perfection, not really.” Reasonable people knew this. His father should have known this. His father should have been put in jail.

“
The punishment must fit the crime, or in my case, receiving a B instead of an A. Or playing a joke on him. Vladimir was a remarkably inventive man when it came to punishments,” he continued, as if he hadn’t heard her. More likely, he didn’t believe her. “And God help you if you showed the slightest hint of weakness when it was meted out.”

“
What about your brother?”

“
Christian had it much worse.”

Worse? “Oh, I—”

“
After our mother left us, Vladimir ignored him. It was as though Christian didn’t exist. Given the choice, I’d think he would have picked the cupboard, because in some fucked-up way, it meant Vladimir actually cared.” He was matter-of-fact while saying this, like he was relaying the evening news to her.

Tears pricked at her eyes and gathered in her throat. She slowly reached out to touch his face, the rough stubble of his five o’clock shadow tickling the tips of her fingers. “I’m sorry he hurt you and your brother. His job was to protect. People with power should always choose to protect the ones without it.”

“
I’m nothing like my father,” he said fiercely. “
Nothing
.”

“
You don’t have to convince me,” she insisted, turning his face to hers. “You’re one of the most compassionate people I know.” Tears escaped, slipping down her cheek.

“
Don’t cry, Daisy.” He wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb. “It’s in the past.”

She tried to take a deep breath, but it ended up being shallow and shaky. “I don’t think it is.”

“
Perhaps you’re right.” He leaned into her touch, his eyes closing. “Vladimir fucked me up good, huh?”

She didn’t know what to say to that. Instead, she sat there with him, never taking her eyes off his face as she caressed him. Finally his eyes opened, blue eyes glittering with an emotion she couldn’t define. Or maybe she was too scared to name.

He smiled tightly, and then kissed her forehead. “You did it.”

“
Did what?” she asked as he gently grabbed her wrist and pulled them both to their feet.

He tipped his head toward the glass. “Made it to the top.”

“
I did? Oh my God, I did!” Refusing to look at the view, she threw herself against him and hugged him tight, mostly because she still hadn’t gotten over her fear of heights.

“
You’re not letting go of me for the entirety of the ride, are you?” he asked, amusement lacing his words.

She shook her head, his wool sweater prickly against her cheek. “Nope.”

Chapter T
wenty

After her last sightseeing tour stop fail, Daisy had insisted Sebastian to take her to a local pub. He, of course, wanted to go home. But she couldn’t trust herself to go home with him, not without sleeping with him, and her desire for Sebastian was getting worse by the second.

The way he’d helped her in their private capsule hadn’t helped at all. Neither had his confession of some of his most secret fears. Or when he’d held her the entire time while they rode The Eye and didn’t take Afternoon Tea. She still felt guilty about wasting all that food and his money.

The cab they shared bumped down a narrow road. “How far away is this pub?”

Another bump and he slammed into her. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“
You really don’t want to eat another one of my cupcakes ever again, do you?”

He placed his hand on her thigh and leaned closer, his sweater-covered chest brushing against her breasts. “I could eat your cupcakes for hours, for days on end, and always come back for more.”

Oh my mercy.
Heat pooled low in her belly and she managed a weak laugh. “Sweet talking me won’t help you.”

He wriggled his brows and grinned. “But it doesn’t hurt things either.”

The cab stopped, saving her from answering as Sebastian got out to pay the driver. Why he didn’t pay the man while they were in the car made no sense to her, but who was she to judge? She stepped out of the cab and made her way to the entrance of the—oh Dear Lord—she gaped at the name. “The Cock and Beaver?” The rooster painted on the wooden sign was practically straddling the poor beaver. “He wants me to order food from here?”

“
My favorite place,” Sebastian said from behind her.

“
I won’t be able to tell anyone I ate here.” She busted out laughing, tears forming in her eyes.

“
What’s so funny?”

“
Translations.”

“
We speak the same language.” He opened the door for her and held it. “A cock’s a cock and a beaver’s a beaver.”

“
Oh my mercy,” she giggled, then dug her phone out of her purse and took of picture of the sign, sending a text to Isabella and Haven. Hopefully, Haven would have cell service soon. She would love this. “When in Rome, I’ll eat at the Cock and Beaver.”

“
Really, Daisy, I don’t understand why the name is so amusing.”

She bit back another smile. “I’ll explain it to you when you’re drunk.”

The pub wasn’t too crowded and it fulfilled the hyped-up vision she’d had of an English pub. Low ceilings stained with smoke from a huge fireplace, exposed wooded beams and an ancient bar. There was a dartboard off to the side, with a chalk scoreboard. A couple played at the moment, drinking beer and giving each other kisses after each throw.

“
Shall I order, while you find a table or would you rather sit at the bar?”

She pointed to an empty table in a shadowy corner of the bar. “I want to people watch.”

“
Today’s her day,” she heard him mutter.

After practically running over to the table, she sat in a chair that faced the room and pulled one up for Sebastian beside her.

“
Two pints—one for the lovely countess,” the server said with a smile.

“
What countess?” More honest-to-goodness titled people? “What does she look like?” She searched the room, thinking she’d see a woman wearing a crown and a ball gown, as one did in a bar in the middle of nowhere, but the only person who stuck out was Ivan, wearing a grim expression as he surveyed the room.

“
Maybe you should hold off on ordering another one until you’ve eaten something.” Setting the drinks down, the server gave her a this-woman-is-clearly-already-drunk look. “Sebastian said to tell you he had to take a call and would return in a bit. Fish and chips should be right up.”

Oh, the server meant her. Daisy grinned sheepishly, her shoulders rising. “Thanks. Can’t wait.”

“
Cheers.”

Before Daisy could further make a fool of herself, Sebastian appeared and sat down beside her. “Does my pub meet with your approval?”

“
As in you own it or this is my most favorite place ever and I like to come here all of the time?”

“
The latter.”

She took a drink of her ale as their food arrived. “Couldn’t say it, could you?”

“
No.”

“
Want to invite Boris and Ivan to join us?” The two had been following them all day, mostly at a discreet distance, but she wasn’t dumb. Sebastian lived a life that required security. Maybe it wouldn’t be too weird not to have large men with guns following her around when she and Sebastian went their separate ways.

Her heart pinched. She didn’t want to think about separate ways.

“
No drinking on the job.” He toasted her, smiling so bright that she couldn’t see anything but him. “To more days like this.”

“
Ten more at least,” she said, lightly hitting her glass against his. She had to be wary of that smile, of his actions—like surprising her with a hat, a
jumper,
and a t-shirt with the Union Jack on it. “Then it’s back home for me,” she reminded him, really herself. This was not permanent.

“
Right. Can’t forget that.” He looked off into the distance, his smile disappearing into his drink.

With a heavy heart, she dug into her food, eating fish and fries that tasted so good she wanted two more orders of it. Sebastian ate his as well, but kept quiet.

On her second glass of ale, music began to play and a woman picked up a microphone, singing along. A nearby television displayed the words and highlighted them.

She halfway rose out of her chair. “Do you ever Karaoke?”

“
No.”

She sat back down again. “Oh.” Something on his sweater glittered and she peered closer. “You’re wearing the flag pin I got you.”

He flushed. “Guilty.”

She wiggled her eyebrows. “We match, like a real couple and everything.” Her heart soared and a smile curved the corners of her lips.

“
You’re quite pissed, aren’t you?”

“
No, I’m not.” She frowned. “Why would I be mad at you for wearing my pin?”

“
Pissed means drunk, darling.”

“
Oh…You really are sweet,” she sighed. “And nice.”

“
I’m not sweet or nice.” His voice lowered. “And if you weren’t drunk, I’d take you home and shag you senseless to prove it.”

Blood pounded in her ears. Desire unfurled, winding through her body and making itself at home. She throbbed. She ached. She wanted him. Her nipples grew hard, her breasts heavy and sensitive against her lace bra. “I’m not drunk, Sebastian.”

He leaned into her, nibbling on her neck. “I’m not too sure about that.” His large hand covered her breast, gently squeezing.

Shutting her eyes, she moaned. His fingers slipped up and under her sweater, finding her nipple with ease. He tweaked the hard nub and her breath hitched. “Someone might see.”

“
Too dark.” He pinched her nipple again, sending sparks of pleasure right to where she throbbed and pulsated for him.

“
Please,” she panted. Although she wasn’t sure if it was a plea for more or for him to stop.

His palm ground against her clit and she wished she didn’t have on jean or panties. “I have a place nearby.”