Page 20 of Landen
The front was asimple high-neck design, with a cinched-in waist and flowing skirt,until one looked at the back and noticed that there was nothingthere, all the way to the waist.
Taking a deep breath,she stepped back from the mirror and went to sit at the vanity. Shehad already put on a minimum of makeup but was now going to applylipstick. Picking up the tube of ruby red, she uncapped it and satthere staring at her reflection in the mirror.
“Girl, what areyou doing?” She muttered. She had spent last night agonizingover her decision and fell asleep in the early morning hours.
She was willinglygoing into a brief relationship with a stranger, a man who was notonly incredibly rich and entitled (She had finally looked him up!)but he was also handsome and would be gone in less than a month.
She would be goinginto this with her eyes open, and when it was time for him to leave,she wished him all the best. Planting a determined smile, she coatedon the lipstick and pushed to her feet. He had called and told her hewould take a cab to her place, and they would go in her car.
She knew why he hadsuggested it, even though he pretended he was unfamiliar with theroads here. “We drive on the left side of the road, which islogical; I won’t feel comfortable driving myself.”
So, she had agreed,knowing full well that they would either end up at her place or his.
Moving toward thebed, she checked everything in the large tote and went downstairsjust as she heard the doorbell.
*****
“You drive muchtoo fast,” he commented after they had been traveling for halfan hour. She had met him on the porch, deliberately closing andlocking the door behind her.
His only response hadbeen a knowing quirk of an eyebrow. An appreciative whistle escapedhim as he took in her outfit and the swing of her shoulder-lengthhair.
“Want to takeover?” She slanted him a glance as she navigated the late-nighttraffic. Her heart had bumped against her ribs at the first sight ofhim. He was wearing expensive tan trousers and a thin green cashmeresweater that mirrored the colors of his eyes.
“I might haveto if it means not being stopped by the police.” Stretching hislegs out, he adjusted the seat to be more comfortable.
“If you fallasleep, I will stop the car.”
Turning his head, hesent her a lazy, charming smile that spiked her blood pressure.“There is a hotel a few blocks from the pier. We could alwaysstop there.”
Ignoring thequickening of her pulse, she accelerated and shot through the lights,causing him to grip his seatbelt.
“Bloody hell!”
His heartfeltexpression made her laugh as she turned towards the pier.
The place was alreadypacked with vehicles of all descriptions and sizes. Valets decked outin dazzling white, directed the drivers, and repositioned thevehicles into allotted slots. Switching off the engine, she reachedinto the back to get her tote and discovered that he was opening herdoor.
“Just hand thekey to the valet,” he instructed as he took her arm.
Tessa stared inwonder at the brilliantly lit white yacht anchored just at the edgeof the pier with what seemed like hundreds of people already millingaround on the desk.
“Quite aparty.” She murmured as they walked up the steps and along thepier.
“Liam is knownto throw quite the party.” He agreed.
“Do you ownone?”
“One what?”He glanced at her briefly, taking her hand to help her onboard.
“A yacht?”
“A sailboat,”he told her with a grin. “I am not much of a sailor.”
“Yet you own asailboat.”
“I take it outwhenever I want to be alone.”
Before she couldrespond, their host and hostess were approaching them. She had metLiam several times before but had only seen his beautiful wife inseveral magazines, along with the other powerhouse ‘wives’who were making tremendous efforts regarding charitable donations.