Page 5 of He Loves Me Knot

She gave him a tight-lipped smile. “I can’t. I have plans tonight. Soon actually.” She walked backward toward the door. “And anyway, you already have plans with Vivienne.”

He followed her. “They’re not important.”

“Well, mine are.”

“Boyfriend?” He took another step toward her.

She shook her head and stopped.

She wasn’t the girl who purposely went for the jerks in life, but it was nice to bedesiredby the hot guy. Even going for drinks would be fun. New city...maybe a new friend.

He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a pen. Flipping to the end of the book, he wrote his phone number on the last page. Then he closed the book and held it out to her. “I’m only giving you this book under the condition that we take a rain check on the drinks. My number’s in here.”

He’s asking me out.

Even though she was flattered, she was determined not to make it easy for him. After all, he didn’t seem like the sort of guy who was told no often.

She hesitated, then nodded and took the book, sharing a warm smile with him. “What if I have a rule against writing in books?”

“Do you?”

“Yes.” She held his gaze. “But I’ll make an exception.”

“You sure I can’t convince you to cancel your plans? Go out with me instead,” he said, his voice a rough scratch, his piercing gaze almost commanding it.

And if I didn’t have that welcome dinner, I completely would.

For which she really needed to get going.

As smoothly as she could, she slipped the book into her purse and said, “I should go.”

Liddy left the bookshop, willing herself not to go back as she hurried toward the restaurant. Two blocks later, she realized she’d never asked the hot guy his name.

Idiot.

She paused, then pulled the book out of her bag. On the last page, she found the black ink and bold scrawl with his phone number and his name,Cal.

She closed the book, holding it to her chest for a moment before she gave an excited squeal.

Maybe London would be a fresh start after all. And it wassucha good first meeting. He definitely had a bad-boy side, no doubt, but he’d also made her go weak in the knees. And that wasn’tnothingeither.

The restaurant where she was supposed to meet Aiden and her new coworkers from Camden Enterprises loomed close by. Aiden had told her he’d rented the event space upstairs, but he waited for her near the doorway.

Aiden gave her a giant smile as she approached. “Has anyone ever told you that you have an uncanny resemblance to an American country singer?” Aiden teased.

She laughed. “Has anyone ever told you that you look like some Goody Two-shoes English viscount who is well-known for his international nonprofit endeavors?”

“Oh, touché.” Aiden winked. As the younger siblings of overachieving and successful older siblings, Aiden and Liddy had bonded over their shared woe at having been born second. No matter what they achieved, Elle and Quinn would both outshine them. Although they both tried to avoid stroking their egos, Liddy knew how lucky she was to have such an amazing sister.

“Ready to meet the team?” Aiden asked, adjusting his collar as he walked inside. “They’re all really lovely and keen on meeting you. Mason’s girlfriend, Rebecca, is in your department. She’s a good one to get to know and show you the ropes. And I hear one of the other women, Miranda, is looking for a new flatmate if you still need someone to share the costs of your flat.”

“Oh, wow. That would be great, Aiden. Thank you for that.”

“No problem. Let’s go.”

The news that Mason Camden had a girlfriend who would be working with her was welcome. All the Camden brothers were equally nice to Liddy, and if Aiden liked Mason’s girlfriend, it was a good sign. And that there might be a flatmate, too.Today seems to be my lucky day.

They went through a busy bar area and then headed up a stairwell. A flutter of nerves rumbled in Liddy’s stomach, reminding her once again that she probably should have eaten. The scent of food hung heavily in the air, but she couldn’t identify it—though Granny had once told her that a fried onion could be just as alluring in smell as a five-star dinner, and she wasn’t wrong about that.