Always Wrong - Xyla Turner Page 0,27

Mum was never the same after that. She held on to me with a power grip. It was suffocating, of course, which is why I subconsciously probably moved to London. To be free from the hold. She was not happy about this, but I think on another level, the woman might have been relieved. Happy to know that I was safe or could be safer.

“Well, hello to you too.” Sheryl pulled back and smiled at me.

Damn.

I wasn’t sure if she had reserved one of those smiles for me, but she was beautiful. Hell, it caused me to smile back.

“Hey yourself.” I nabbed her carry-on. “How was your flight?”

“I went to sleep, so it was great.” She chuckled. “I didn’t know you were meeting me here. That was not what we discussed.”

She was right, but I wanted to be here when she touched down.

“Right,” I commented. “Figured I’d show you around a bit. We get to pop around and get some food, then you can rest if you want. Jet lag sneaks up on you.”

“That sounds great,” Sheryl agreed.

Nabbing her hand with my right, I escorted her to the car. My driver was off this evening, because I wanted to make sure I had her to myself for a bit.

Sheryl was excited to ride up front and sit on the left side, which was our passenger’s seat, because the driver was on the right, unlike in the States.

“This is so weird,” she exclaimed with a happy but curious expression on her face.

Her hands caressed the dashboard, and then she turned to look at me as I started up the vehicle. Her face was filled with wonder, but fuck, was she pretty. She looked almost child-like.

“Was it weird for you, coming to London and adjusting to driving like this?” she asked.

I found my face morphing into another smile. Damnit, this was so different for me.

“At first, yeah,” I confirmed. “Now it works. What do you have a taste for?” I asked as we pulled into traffic.

Driving over here was not so different during than driving in the suburbs in the States. Traffic was traffic, hackneys were taxis and people were people. Just on the right side.

By the time we arrived at our destination, I listened to her admire the architecture, the telephone booths and many of the cobblestone roads. She explained that she was no stranger to London, as she did business here. Yet she found that her focus was on her work and not enjoying the city. I could understand it, because though it was my residence, I was focused on work. Lately, that had shifted, and I had been thinking about our plan. Our child. Leaving a legacy.

For some reason, it took priority and made work to be something that wasn’t what I ate, lived and breathed. Though the feeling was welcome, it was still foreign.

We popped into a pub and had a quick lunch, then I showed her a couple of homes and a plot of land that my realtor had found. This was on the Knightsbridge side of town. It was not my intention to tax her since she’d just arrived, so we only drove by the homes before I took her to my condo so she could relax.

My humble abode was definitely a bachelor’s pad, but luxury was dripping everywhere. Marble floors, walls, gold-encrusted pendants within the doors and various finishings. Smart everything, including the refrigerator, which alerted me when I was getting low on groceries. It was the best money could buy, and I had no problem exploring what those things were. For fuck’s sake, I worked hard. I also knew Sheryl was the same way, therefore she could understand. I had to make no apologies for my wealth, and I didn’t have to explain myself about why I lived the way I lived. Also, I didn’t have to worry about her using me.

This notion had been the bane of my existence when it came to relationships. Which is why I was doing what I was doing. Fucking with no expectations. Nothing owed and nothing to be borrowed. It was a mutual experience that required nothing from the other. An exchange of sex and then it was good night. This same thing was supposed to happen with Sheryl and now, look at us.

“Very nice.” She observed everything and touched only a few objects as she boldly took her own tour of the suite.

“You, sir, know how to live.” She gave me a half turn with a