a wonderful human with a great big heart.
He could only hope that she had room for him in there.
Chapter Twelve
Bethany
Bethany tried to cover her mouth to hide her yawn, but she failed miserably. Her jaw cracked with the force of it. She hadn’t slept well the night before, and she had spent an insane day, running around all of the city with London. They had secured most of the vendors and made a serious dent in her To-Do List. Bethany wouldn’t admit it out loud, but she was quite happy that London had accompanied her through the entire day.
He was not the man that she had expected.
Was he the sexy and suave man who had answered his front door in nothing more than a towel? Yes. Was he the man who had told her she could ride his dick? Yes, he most assuredly was.
But he was also the man who rushed to open every door for her. He was the man who hadn’t complained but once through their long day. In his defense, it had been way past two in the afternoon, and she had been as hangry as him. He had insisted on paying for her lunch, and he had even found a way to take a lily from the florist to present it to her in the car. He hadn’t known that it was her favorite flower because the flower shared her mother’s name. It had been nothing but a pure coincidence, but it had made her heart clench a little bit.
London was knowledgeable and resourceful, but he had also spent all of the day deferring to her. He told her on multiple occasions that she was the expert, and he was only along for the ride. With a wink, he had added that he was sticking with her to make sure he didn’t cause some kind of incident with his nightmare PR self.
It had been a self-deprecating joke, and Bethany was convinced that London wasn’t happy with his fuckboy existence. He was missing something, and she could only guess that he didn’t know what that was.
“I’m beat,” he said from the other side of the car.
It was a sleek black car that he had hired for the day. The leather seats still smelled like they were on the factory floor, and she shifted her legs against the supple tan material to face him. “I’m really sorry it was such a long day. You were a trooper for sticking it out. Thanks for your help.”
“I did nothing,” he assured her. “But I would like to feed you after such a busy day.”
Bethany bit down on her lower lip. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
He gave her a smirk that made her heart dance a few beats faster. “Oh, come on, Beth. I’ll bring you back to my place and cook you something delicious.”
She couldn’t help her absolute shock. “You can cook?”
“I sure can,” he answered, a sly smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.
“And you want to cook for me?” Her jaw was slack with shock and wonder.
“Nothing would make me happier after the day we shared together.” He placed a hand over his heart as if he were taking a vow.
Bethany felt herself blush. She knew she should say no and demand to be taken home. But really, London had been a gentleman to her all day. It was dangerous for her to agree with going to his place. She had already had her self-control break once when she had kissed him the day before. Could she resist him in his own home, even as he cooked dinner for her? She inhaled deeply. Of course she could. She was a professional, goddamn it. She had a job to do, and he was, for all intents and purposes, her colleague. It would only make sense to share a meal with a workmate.
She knew she was trying to convince herself to go. Trying desperately to make it all right to go with him. And she would behave, she vowed to herself. She would keep her lips—and all of her other limbs—to herself.
“Fine,” she heard herself say. “I’ll allow you to cook for me.” There. That had been a perfectly fine and confident answer.
London gave her a smile that was part pleased and part predatory. It made her shiver. Not because she was scared or threatened. It was very much because she wanted him. He might be a big jerk who was entirely too pleased with himself.