Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye - Jacquelyn Middleton Page 0,21

for me, right? He thinks I have a boyfriend. Her attention swerved to his hands. Nails clean, neatly trimmed with no ragged cuticles—I bet he gets manicures. I like a guy who takes care of himself.

Looking up from his meal, he noticed her furtive glances, his mouth breaking into a cocky grin.

My face always gives me away. Leia’s pulse rushed, but she held her ground, refusing to look away. Okay, then. You wanna play, mister? Let’s see what you got. She sat up and smiled back, silently challenging him as she trailed a finger along her collarbone…back…and forth. Flirt with me, Tarquin. His heavy gaze wantonly followed her fingers and drifted to her lips, the heat of his stare replacing Leia’s thoughts of dresses and playing tourist with visions of slow, deep kisses, his tongue teasing, asking for more. Tarquin Balfour, never mind our London Q&A—what do you think of no-strings sex?

“How is everything?” The Scottish accent of an exuberant male waiter catapulted Leia from Tarquin’s mouth down to her plate.

“Great!” she blurted, dropping her hand to her lap as she flashed a grin. “Really great.” Her spontaneous outburst and the warm flush creeping across her cheeks roused a soft chuckle from Tarquin.

“It’s all good, thanks,” Simon added with a nod, his squint glued to Leia’s latest photos while his veggie pasta grew cold.

Leia’s glance boomeranged from Tarquin to Simon and back again. Everything IS good. If I asked, I bet Tarquin would hook up with me. She picked up her sparkling water, taking a long satisfying drink.

Tarquin wore an impish smile. “Someone’s thirsty. Another round, I think.” He ordered more beverages from the waiter and somehow got pulled into a chat about the pub’s quiz night. “It’s packed out Monday nights? That’s great!” The property developer kindly indulged the waiter’s giddy enthusiasm and rattled off another question, his gaze escaping to Leia every chance it could while his hands gesticulated, punctuating a sentence here, a word there. “Well, meat platters make great prizes. You can’t go wrong there.”

A laugh stuck in Leia’s throat, her eyes sweeping over Tarquin’s broad shoulders and the loosened black tie looped around his unbuttoned collar. He talks with his hands a lot. Free of his suit jacket, his form-fitting burgundy dress shirt skimmed over his toned arms and firm chest as he moved, hinting that Mr. Balfour wasn’t a stranger to the gym now and then. He’s gorgeous, kind, charming—a bit cocky, but he’s kinda goofy with it, which I like. And his passion for his work is sexy as hell. She bit her lip. He would be one hot hookup—

“Leia, you naughty girl,” Simon whispered conspiratorially, leaning into her right shoulder.

Shit! Leia squeezed her drink. Caught undressing his friend. She gulped her water, stealing a moment. Refocus! You’re here for a BUSINESS meeting. Sleeping with Tarquin isn’t on the agenda. But damn those dimples… and shoulders…

“Hiding these dresses from the world?” Simon grinned. “It’s a crime against fashion.”

Oh, phew. Simon didn’t notice. Leia swallowed, lowering her almost empty glass. Professional rep remains intact.

“They don’t look upcycled, and that’s a huge selling point.”

Simon likes them! “Thanks! That’s my goal.”

“Do you use much dead stock?” Simon scrolled through the photos again. “A lot of the fabric looks vintage.”

Ending his chat with the waiter, Tarquin’s gaze strayed to Leia. “What’s dead stock?”

“It’s surplus material from garment factories and textile mills,” said Leia. “They sell it off instead of dumping it in landfills.”

“Oh, that’s smart.” Tarquin picked up his cocktail, enjoying a long sip.

“Yeah, the fashion industry is one of the world’s worst polluters.” Simon squinted at the screen. “If leftover fabric can be repurposed, it helps the earth and designers like Leia.”

She nodded. “I also have an arrangement with a factory that sorts secondhand clothes. They know what I like and put aside a lot of vintage items for me. So, I mix those materials with dead stock and biodegradable fabrics made from hemp, organic cotton, and linen. I’m hoping to work with vegan leather, too. Frill-Seekers needs to be truly sustainable, so eco-friendly textiles and upcycled materials are the way to go.”

“Do you outsource production or sew everything yourself?” asked Simon.

“Right now, I sew everything. I love being hands-on, but when demand grows, I’ll team up with a local factory. I’ve already scouted a few places who share my vision for high-quality work.”

“Well, you’re doing an amazing job on your own. Your tailoring is exquisite. I love the ethereal gowns for special occasions, but your