Page 14 of On Her Terms
“Nice. If you make it to New York, you have to look up me and Tate,” I say, but then swallow down the knot jumping into my throat. Soon enough I’ll be packing up and heading back to Italy. My thirtieth birthday is around the corner and I won’t be able to put it off any longer.
Henry turns to another customer and I spin on my stool and glance around, looking for Tate. Instead I find Brianna and her grandfather, seated near the window. I can’t hear what they’re saying from here, but from the intense look on her face, I’d guess it’s a pretty serious conversation.
I look her over, revel in the way her jeans hug her curves. My eyes go to her buttoned-up blouse, and how she’s toying with the top button. As I gaze at her, and think about last night, every instinct I possess tells me she remembers me from Oxford. So why is she pretending otherwise? Why the secrets? I’m not sure what sort of game she’s playing, but I’ll let her play it, for now.
I pick up my beer and head farther into the room, about to grab a table, when her big blue eyes meet mine. She runs a hand through her hair, and I can almost see the wheels turning in her head as she stares at me. I stop walking, my gaze going from her to her granddad, and then back to her. She’s clearly agitated about something.
Before I even realize what’s happening, she jumps from her chair and crosses the room, coming at me fast. She reaches me, goes up on her toes and throws her arms around me. “Just go with it, please,” she begs, and presses her lips to mine.
I slide my free hand around her back, tug her sexy body against mine and breathe in the floral scent of her shampoo as we kiss. She finally breaks from my hold, and I dip my head, waiting for an explanation.
“Please, just follow along.” she says, and grabs my hand to drag me over to her grandfather.
“Well, well. I knew there was something going on with the two of you,” James says.
Brianna gestures for me to sit, and she grabs the chair next to me and shimmies closer. She reaches for my hand. “Look, Granddad, we didn’t want anyone to know. This week is about Tate and Summer, and we didn’t want to take any of the attention off them.”
James folds his arms and assesses us. “I guess that’s where you were last night. With Luca in his chalet.” Damn, for a guy who swears he’s on his deathbed, he sure has his ear to the ground and knows everything going on around him.
Heat crawls into Brianna’s cheeks, and her gaze jerks to mine. Her mouth opens and closes again, like she can’t quite figure out how to answer. Coming to her rescue, I say, “Yes, she was with me. But like Brianna says, we’d prefer not to steal Tate and Summer’s thunder by announcing we’re together.”
“I suspected you two knew each other.” He taps the side of his head. “An old man knows these things.”
“You’re very astute,” I say.
His grin is cocky as his head bobs. “Can’t keep anything from me.”
“Apparently not.”
“You’ll keep our little secret, Granddad?” Brianna asks, leaning toward the elderly man.
“How did you two meet?” he asks.
“Back at Oxford,” I say honestly. “At a party. Isn’t that right, Brianna?”
“Ah...that’s right.”
“I was wearing one of those popular blue hoodies. Brianna had a thing for them. I guess that’s why I caught her eye.”
Brianna toys with her straw and looks down, like she’s recalling our first spoken words. I smiled at her, and she glanced behind herself, unsure. I’m not sure what that was all about. But hours later she came at me with liquid courage.
“We went our separate ways after Oxford, and when I found out he was working for Tate, well...here we are.”
“Here we are, indeed,” James says, a sly look on his face. He taps his cane and stands. But then he glances at Brianna’s bare ring finger and frowns. “Where’s the ring?”
Ah, so she told him we’re actually engaged.
“Getting sized,” I say quickly, and she gives my hand a thankful squeeze.
“When we get back home, I’d better see that ring on her finger,” James says to me. He taps his cane. “Well then, I don’t want to be a third wheel. You two kids have a good night.” He zips his lips. “And don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” His eyes sparkle when he adds, “At least I’ll try. Sometimes I just blurt things out without thinking. Senility.”
Senility my ass. The man is a sharp son of a bitch. Why is it no one can see it but me?
Brianna frowns as she watches him go. It’s easy to see how close they are and how much she wants to make him happy. James slowly makes his way across the polished wood floor, and when the doors close behind him, Brianna shrinks into herself and cringes.
“I’m so sorry, Luca. He was giving me a hard time about meeting the fiancé I lied about, and I saw you there, and before I could even think better of it, I decided to pretend we were a couple.”
I grin at her and think about all the fun ways we can be a couple, all the benefits of a pretend engagement.