“I’m heading back to London so how about we stay in touch? You can tell me when we can meet up.”
I was going back to London regardless. I had to get the watch without him knowing that I lied about it being with the appraiser. What were the chances I could even get it back?
“That might work. Sure.”
“It must be hard leaving your little boy behind,” he said. “Why don’t you bring him?”
My mouth fell open. How did he know? He must have heard Riley at the house but how did he know he was a boy? His face was neutral but his eyes were hard. He knew that he had caught me out. Or at least he thought that he had caught me out. If someone had told him how to get here, they must have told him that I had a child. I took a deep breath.
“What about Lisbeth? Your fiancée? Where does she think you are right now?”
He frowned. “I don’t know what you think you know but you have the wrong idea.”
“What is the reality then?”
“It’s a problem at the moment that I haven’t had time to rectify,” he said. I rolled my eyes. That was an interesting way to put it. I didn’t envy the poor woman, whatever the problem he had was.
“I’m sure.”
“Right now, I want to get my watch back so how about this,” he said, pivoting.
“Anything to change the subject,” I said under my breath. He ignored me.
“I can get to London in three and a half hours driving. Come with me, bring the boy. You can stay in my suite, there’s plenty of space. We go to the appraiser and I drive you back after. Maybe tomorrow depending on how long it takes.”
Well, he was serious about this watch, wasn’t he?
I wasn’t expecting him to pull plans out so fast. I didn’t know what to say. I opened my mouth and right at that moment, the sky rumbled with thunder. Just then, it opened up and rain came down. It was heavy, soaking through my hair and clothes. I looked around for shelter.
“Come on,” I shouted over the rain, pulling Niall towards the shed near the pond. We ran for the shed, taking shelter.
“Are you okay?” he asked when we were inside. I looked at the state we were in. We were soaked. My clothes were heavy and stuck to me. I ran my hands over my face, brushing my hair back. Niall was a mess too. His hair was darker when it was wet, but he looked like he had just taken a dip in the pond. I couldn’t help it. I laughed.
13
Niall
“What’s so funny?” I asked her. That seemed to set her off even more. She laughed harder, covering her face with her hands. She was soaked from the rain. Her hair was stuck to the sides of her face, the bun that she had gathered it all into completely disintegrating. The blouse she was wearing was wet, clinging to her, exposing the lacy bra that she had on underneath.
It really wasn’t the time, but I could see her nipples hardening through it and it was sending inappropriate thoughts through my head. I was hardening underneath too. It was such a change seeing her laughing and smiling from the welcome she had given me twenty minutes ago but here I was, about to ruin it with my cock. Could anyone blame me, though? She was absolutely delectable and we were in a small, enclosed space together. I didn’t know what she thought would happen pulling me in here with her.
I reached for her.
“What are you…”
I kissed her, cutting her off. I ran my hands over her wet clothes, feeling the heat of her body through them. She softened and leaned into me, but it was only for a moment. She pulled away from me.
“What's wrong?” I asked her. She looked down, sighing. Pe
rfect, I ruined it. She wasn’t here to do that with me. She didn’t want to have sex in a dingy little shed with shovels and fertilizer in the corner. She was classier than that.
“I know that our history has been… complicated. There’s a lot there and it’s not that I don’t want to… I just,” she sighed again, but looked up, meeting my eyes. Uncertainty, confusion; was that regret?
No. I didn’t want her to feel regret for anything we had done together. Not that.
“What’s the matter?” I asked. A lump formed in my throat and my chest felt tight. Suddenly, I was afraid of what she was going to say.
“I’m not comfortable sleeping with a man who’s engaged to be married to someone else. Especially not when I’ve met the woman.”