taking her hand, pressed a kiss to her cheek. In a molten bedroom
voice, he said, "Ready?"
The question was heavy with
layers. She recognized each one and nodded firmly. "Yes."
Mel poked her head out from the
office and winked. "Be good, darlings."
"I plan on it," Colin
said with a secret smile for Leilani. "Let's go."
His car was parked right outside.
He opened the door for her and she slid in. A flare of nerves surprised her,
and as she buckled herself in, she tried to distract herself. "Your car is
nice."
He shrugged. "George picked
it out. He and Mel thought I needed something more exciting than the Mercedes I
was driving. I thought an Aston Martin was too James Bond, but truthfully I
quite like driving it."
"It's definitely
exciting." She ran her hands on the leather, trying to calm her beating
heart. "Men like their cars."
He nodded as he confidently
navigated the car through traffic that would have intimidated her.
"They're babe magnets, or so I'm told."
She angled herself to face him.
"You don't find that to be true?"
"I don't pay much attention
to such things."
"But you bought the
car," she pointed out.
"Because my father drove the
exact same model of Mercedes I had before." He gave her a look. "It
was part of my quest to redefine who I was."
"Does the new car
help?"
"Not at all." He
smiled. "The new car is just a symbol to remind me not to fall into the
box everyone wants to pack me away in."
"Does it work?" she
asked, for herself as much as for him.
"It definitely helps."
He smiled. "I have a surprise for you, but you'll have to wait for it.
We're taking the scenic route."
"I'm surprised by how lovely
London is," Leilani said softly as she looked out the window. "I
expected it to be dirty and crowded."
"Bits are, but there are
lovely bits too." He pointed. "That's Buckingham Palace. If you want,
we can go see the changing of the guards, although I don't understand why
that's so fascinating to you Yanks."
"You'd play tourist with
me?"
He'd play anything with her, if
she smiled at him like that. "London has a surprising amount of green
space, as you can see, with five royal parks. We owe that to our monarchs and
their penchant for hunting."
"If I didn't know better,
I'd think you moonlight as a tour guide."
"Only to beautiful curators
from Hawaii." He squeezed her hand. He kept up the small talk all the way
across town and after they parked. Excited to be sharing this with her, he had
to force himself to slow down on the walk to the museum.
"Tate Modern," she read
out loud when they arrived out front. She frowned at Colin. "You brought
me to a museum of modern art?"
He nodded, leading her inside.
"There's a painting I want to show you."
He was taking her on a date, she
realized with disappointment, when she just wanted sex. Didn't he want her as
badly as she wanted him? She'd been beside herself since he and MacLeod had
returned her to Mel's home after the pub.
She pouted.
Then she quickly shook off the
pout. She didn't want to be ungrateful. Yes, she wanted sex, but she loved
museums. That Colin was taking the time to take her to one, to show her
something he thought she'd enjoy, was sweet. Aaron would never have taken her to a museum.
So she smiled and took his hand.
"Show me."
"The British are very
nationalistic. For Queen and country, and all that," Colin said as they
walked through the galleries. "We often give our treasures to the
nation."
"In the States, we
hoard." She glanced at him. "Have you given treasures away?"
"My family has been known to
cast off a thing or two to the realm." He cleared his throat. "But
we're not talking about me."
"Whom are we talking
about?"
"Henry Tate. He was an
industrialist who made his fortune in sugar. In the 1800's, he donated his
collection to the nation. Tate was just one site to begin with, but grew over
the years. Tate Modern was opened in the twenty-first century." Frowning,
he looked at where they were. "This way."
They wound their way
voice, he said, "Ready?"
The question was heavy with
layers. She recognized each one and nodded firmly. "Yes."
Mel poked her head out from the
office and winked. "Be good, darlings."
"I plan on it," Colin
said with a secret smile for Leilani. "Let's go."
His car was parked right outside.
He opened the door for her and she slid in. A flare of nerves surprised her,
and as she buckled herself in, she tried to distract herself. "Your car is
nice."
He shrugged. "George picked
it out. He and Mel thought I needed something more exciting than the Mercedes I
was driving. I thought an Aston Martin was too James Bond, but truthfully I
quite like driving it."
"It's definitely
exciting." She ran her hands on the leather, trying to calm her beating
heart. "Men like their cars."
He nodded as he confidently
navigated the car through traffic that would have intimidated her.
"They're babe magnets, or so I'm told."
She angled herself to face him.
"You don't find that to be true?"
"I don't pay much attention
to such things."
"But you bought the
car," she pointed out.
"Because my father drove the
exact same model of Mercedes I had before." He gave her a look. "It
was part of my quest to redefine who I was."
"Does the new car
help?"
"Not at all." He
smiled. "The new car is just a symbol to remind me not to fall into the
box everyone wants to pack me away in."
"Does it work?" she
asked, for herself as much as for him.
"It definitely helps."
He smiled. "I have a surprise for you, but you'll have to wait for it.
We're taking the scenic route."
"I'm surprised by how lovely
London is," Leilani said softly as she looked out the window. "I
expected it to be dirty and crowded."
"Bits are, but there are
lovely bits too." He pointed. "That's Buckingham Palace. If you want,
we can go see the changing of the guards, although I don't understand why
that's so fascinating to you Yanks."
"You'd play tourist with
me?"
He'd play anything with her, if
she smiled at him like that. "London has a surprising amount of green
space, as you can see, with five royal parks. We owe that to our monarchs and
their penchant for hunting."
"If I didn't know better,
I'd think you moonlight as a tour guide."
"Only to beautiful curators
from Hawaii." He squeezed her hand. He kept up the small talk all the way
across town and after they parked. Excited to be sharing this with her, he had
to force himself to slow down on the walk to the museum.
"Tate Modern," she read
out loud when they arrived out front. She frowned at Colin. "You brought
me to a museum of modern art?"
He nodded, leading her inside.
"There's a painting I want to show you."
He was taking her on a date, she
realized with disappointment, when she just wanted sex. Didn't he want her as
badly as she wanted him? She'd been beside herself since he and MacLeod had
returned her to Mel's home after the pub.
She pouted.
Then she quickly shook off the
pout. She didn't want to be ungrateful. Yes, she wanted sex, but she loved
museums. That Colin was taking the time to take her to one, to show her
something he thought she'd enjoy, was sweet. Aaron would never have taken her to a museum.
So she smiled and took his hand.
"Show me."
"The British are very
nationalistic. For Queen and country, and all that," Colin said as they
walked through the galleries. "We often give our treasures to the
nation."
"In the States, we
hoard." She glanced at him. "Have you given treasures away?"
"My family has been known to
cast off a thing or two to the realm." He cleared his throat. "But
we're not talking about me."
"Whom are we talking
about?"
"Henry Tate. He was an
industrialist who made his fortune in sugar. In the 1800's, he donated his
collection to the nation. Tate was just one site to begin with, but grew over
the years. Tate Modern was opened in the twenty-first century." Frowning,
he looked at where they were. "This way."
They wound their way
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