Well, now that he knows… "His name is Hugh Parrish, the Viscount Sommerleigh. He's not a douche, and I can take care of myself."
"You're doing him, aren't you?"
"Stop it, Derek." I haven't technically had sex with Hugh, except for the phone variety, so I'm not lying to my brother. I think. "Go back to sleep. We can talk about this more later."
"Are you in bed with him right now?"
"For heaven's sake. That is none of your business."
He grunts. "That means yes."
"No, it means I'm alone on the sofa in my hotel suite watching stupid real estate shows. Hugh is on the other side of town in his apartment. Has been all night."
"Glad to hear it. But I still think I should check on you."
"You just did. I'm fine. Go back to sleep, Derek. Goodbye."
I hang up before he can say anything else. Calling my brother had been a bad idea. But he won't do anything rash like fly to London to rescue me from Lord Steamy. No, Derek will cool down and realize he overreacted.
For the rest of the day, I distract myself by going for a long walk to admire historic buildings and modern architecture, then I eat lunch at a cute little bistro. After that, I go sightseeing. Visiting Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guard isn't much fun by myself, so I give up on exploring the city. Hugh lives here, so he could serve as my tour guide and would know all the best places to visit, but I can't risk seeing him again. Not yet. Not so soon after our intimate confessions yesterday and the way I tried to seduce him. I need to wait until Monday. By then, I'll have gotten over this weird fixation with Hugh Parrish.
And yes, from now on I will refer to him only by his title.
With my boundaries reset, I go back to my suite and contemplate the room service menu—until my cell phone rings. I answer it without thinking. "Avery Hahn."
"It's me, darling."
"Hugh—Lord Sommerleigh? Why are you calling me?"
"We're back to Lord Sommerleigh? I thought after yesterday we were closer than just business associates. We have a more intimate relationship now."
"We've let our business dealings bleed into our personal lives, but that's over now. I'll be your fake girlfriend until you can find a real one. That shouldn't take too long since you're, um, good at, well, that sort of thing."
"It's called seduction, love."
"Yes, I know that. From now on, we will see each other only at your office or on our dates. There will be none of that…other stuff."
He chuckles. "Other stuff? You mean sex. The problem I had last night won't be repeated. After a good night's sleep, I feel refreshed and ready for anything."
"Good for you. Why don't you try going to a party or something on your own? Let the other aristocrats see who you really are."
"Without my best girl on my arm? No one would believe that. If you aren't there, they will assume you've thrown me over."
He's right. I know that, but I can't see him until Monday. I need another day to widen the distance between us. That will work, right? I'm not being desperate and half-crazy.
I take a deep breath and exhale it slowly, releasing the panic. "I will see you on Monday, Lord Sommerleigh."
"But I miss you, darling. I want to slide my hands under your skirt and—"
"Not wearing a skirt."
He sighs with a touch of melodrama. "If you insist on languishing in your suite alone, I won't bother you anymore. But if you change your mind, I'll be in my flat all evening."
"Good night, Hugh."
Only after I've hung up do I realize I used his first name again.Gah. He drives me insane.
Why had I confessed to Hugh that my life has left me feeling unfulfilled? At least I didn't blurt out that I'm lonely. For a long time, I've tried to deny it, though in the recesses of my mind I recognize the truth. Is that why I can't keep my hands or lips off Hugh Parrish? I need to know the answers to those questions. But there's only one way to make that happen.