paying us any attention. He stepped close to me, reaching behind my head, and tugged my hair down. “Mm. Much better.”
“Don’t,” I said playfully. “We both know what happens when the hair comes down.”
“We sure do.” He brushed his thumb across my lips. “I can’t take this anymore, Becca.”
“What?”
“Looking at you and not touching you. I’m going mad. I need you.”
I sighed. “Thank god it’s not just me.”
“Let’s get out of here. No one else is at the hotel yet except Ryan and I’m sure he’s fast asleep.”
“We can’t just leave.”
“We have to, or I’m going to tackle you right in front of everyone.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I might.” His finger dipped inside my pants and pressed against the spot where he’d marked me. “When it comes to you, Becca, there’s no telling what I might do.”
Blushing, I kissed him softly on the lips.
But when the door of the pub opened I jumped away from him, crossing my arms in front of me.
Mia, the tour’s blogger and Ryan’s niece, walked out with two other girls. “Oh hey, guys.”
“Hi,” I said. “What’s up?”
“Not much. This is Kate and Sarah.”
I nodded at the other girls, but they were ignoring me and staring at Dex. Something primal in me wanted to growl, scratch at them. I guess he wasn’t the only one with a possessive side.
“Are you all leaving?”
Mia shook her head. “Nah. Just waiting with them. They’ve got some friends coming to join us.”
One of the other girls nudged her.
“Oh yeah. Um Dex?”
“Huh?” He looked a little surprised and distracted, but finally turned his attention to her.
“Kate wants to ask you something.”
“Okay.”
The girl stepped forward, twisting a lock of long, dark hair around her finger. “I was reading an interview you gave. Said you are half American?”
He sighed. “Sort of. I’m an American citizen, but I was born outside London and I’ve lived all over the world.”
I thought back to when we were heading to catch up with everyone. I’d mentioned going home and he agreed. More than most people, I understood that home isn’t always a place. Sometimes it’s the people you feel the most yourself around. But I didn’t imagine the drunk girl was capable of understanding that, and she certainly didn’t know that this was not the best time to make Dex think about his parents and his upbringing.
“That’s really interesting,” she continued, still rolling that piece of hair in what she probably thought was an alluring manner, but struck me as a nervous habit. “I bet you have a woman in every city.”
He shrugged and cast a quick look over at me. “I meet a lot of people.”
“Well, if you’re in need of a tour guide, I’ve lived here all my life. Never been nowhere.”
“Well, thanks. But we’re only here another day and a half. Not much time for sightseeing. But if you like, I’d be happy to hook you ladies up with tickets for the show tomorrow.”
The girl pouted prettily, batting her eyes at him. “Is that all?”
Dex slipped into flirting with her naturally. “Is it?” He leaned against the wall, letting a lock of hair fall over his face.
She giggled and glanced over at her friend before moving closer to him. “There could be more. If you want. I could show you around my neighborhood. And my place.”
My fingers curled into fists and stung where my nails dug into my palms. I tried to remind myself this was part of his job. And covering both of our asses. But I’d had enough.
Oblivious, Dex kept chatting playfully with the girl, Kate. “Now what could we possibly do in your neighborhood? Is there a good pub?”
“No,” she said, smiling. “But I’ve got a stocked liquor cupboard. I can make anything you want.” Her hand finally left her hair and moved to play with the strip of flat stomach exposed between her halter top and denim mini. “I am very good with my hands.”
My eyes narrowed. I was going to explode.
“Don’t,” I said playfully. “We both know what happens when the hair comes down.”
“We sure do.” He brushed his thumb across my lips. “I can’t take this anymore, Becca.”
“What?”
“Looking at you and not touching you. I’m going mad. I need you.”
I sighed. “Thank god it’s not just me.”
“Let’s get out of here. No one else is at the hotel yet except Ryan and I’m sure he’s fast asleep.”
“We can’t just leave.”
“We have to, or I’m going to tackle you right in front of everyone.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I might.” His finger dipped inside my pants and pressed against the spot where he’d marked me. “When it comes to you, Becca, there’s no telling what I might do.”
Blushing, I kissed him softly on the lips.
But when the door of the pub opened I jumped away from him, crossing my arms in front of me.
Mia, the tour’s blogger and Ryan’s niece, walked out with two other girls. “Oh hey, guys.”
“Hi,” I said. “What’s up?”
“Not much. This is Kate and Sarah.”
I nodded at the other girls, but they were ignoring me and staring at Dex. Something primal in me wanted to growl, scratch at them. I guess he wasn’t the only one with a possessive side.
“Are you all leaving?”
Mia shook her head. “Nah. Just waiting with them. They’ve got some friends coming to join us.”
One of the other girls nudged her.
“Oh yeah. Um Dex?”
“Huh?” He looked a little surprised and distracted, but finally turned his attention to her.
“Kate wants to ask you something.”
“Okay.”
The girl stepped forward, twisting a lock of long, dark hair around her finger. “I was reading an interview you gave. Said you are half American?”
He sighed. “Sort of. I’m an American citizen, but I was born outside London and I’ve lived all over the world.”
I thought back to when we were heading to catch up with everyone. I’d mentioned going home and he agreed. More than most people, I understood that home isn’t always a place. Sometimes it’s the people you feel the most yourself around. But I didn’t imagine the drunk girl was capable of understanding that, and she certainly didn’t know that this was not the best time to make Dex think about his parents and his upbringing.
“That’s really interesting,” she continued, still rolling that piece of hair in what she probably thought was an alluring manner, but struck me as a nervous habit. “I bet you have a woman in every city.”
He shrugged and cast a quick look over at me. “I meet a lot of people.”
“Well, if you’re in need of a tour guide, I’ve lived here all my life. Never been nowhere.”
“Well, thanks. But we’re only here another day and a half. Not much time for sightseeing. But if you like, I’d be happy to hook you ladies up with tickets for the show tomorrow.”
The girl pouted prettily, batting her eyes at him. “Is that all?”
Dex slipped into flirting with her naturally. “Is it?” He leaned against the wall, letting a lock of hair fall over his face.
She giggled and glanced over at her friend before moving closer to him. “There could be more. If you want. I could show you around my neighborhood. And my place.”
My fingers curled into fists and stung where my nails dug into my palms. I tried to remind myself this was part of his job. And covering both of our asses. But I’d had enough.
Oblivious, Dex kept chatting playfully with the girl, Kate. “Now what could we possibly do in your neighborhood? Is there a good pub?”
“No,” she said, smiling. “But I’ve got a stocked liquor cupboard. I can make anything you want.” Her hand finally left her hair and moved to play with the strip of flat stomach exposed between her halter top and denim mini. “I am very good with my hands.”
My eyes narrowed. I was going to explode.
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