Page 31 of Pervade London
Kindness softened her eyes.“You’ll always be okay.” She looked down at her phone.
“Something important?” I asked.
“My boss wants me to call him.” She pushed to her feet and stared at me for the longest time. “I have to go.”
“Oh, that’s fine. Are you going back to Selfridges?”
She launched the strap of her Louis Vuitton over her shoulder. “You’re a good person, Emily.”
Kitty strolled out without looking back.
My phone pinged. It was a text from Xander:Dinner 8? I’m cooking.
I squeezed my phone to my chest as a thrill made me shudder deliciously. God, I loved this man. We’d made a home with each other in his one-time bachelor pad and not a day went by I didn’t thank God for this life.For him.
Half distracted, I watched Kitty climb into a black SUV.
The car sped off into traffic.
The Savoy
Ilooked around the restaurant’s opulent interior, bracing myself in case I saw Xander with another woman.
The quiet place was nearly empty.
Ten or so striking men sat around a corner table, all wearing elegant suits and each nursing a glass of bourbon as they chatted. The empty bottle of liquor sat in the middle of the table.
And there he was…my Xander in his tailored-to-perfection Savile Row ensemble that included a pair of highly polished Oxfords. He lifted an ice-filled glass to his lips and finished off his drink in one gulp.
I saw him set his tumbler down, as though sensing me behind him.
Feeling embarrassed over gate-crashing such a formal elitist gathering, I spun around to bolt and nearly ran into the maître d’.
“I’m so sorry, sir,” she said, capturing everyone’s attention.
I cringed inwardly, facing them with a wave. “Hey.”
Surprised disappointment flashed across Xander’s face as his crystal blue eyes narrowed, and I saw dread reflected in those dazzling eyes. A chill slithered up my spine, my forearms prickling.
Xander threw a look of concern over to one of the men.
I followed his line of sight, blinking at the striking vision of the thirty-something man staring back. Complex emotions bubbled up inside me, a sense of my rising insignificance in contrast to the man’s profoundness. I snapped my attention away from the glare of his raw beauty.
Then, daring to look back, I let his chestnut gaze capture mine and lost myself in what seemed like a multitude of worlds, all touched by privilege.
His hypnotic stare held me transfixed as the room and everyone around us disappeared. I studied his perfect features, his regal nose and full sensuous mouth. Raven-black hair framed his devastatingly chiseled features.
His intense scrutiny took my breath away.
He pushed to his feet with a deadly grace. He was tall, a couple of inches more than Xander’s six-foot-two. Versace-clad broad shoulders made him stand out and when he tilted his head with intrigue, he held the silence hostage, commanding the room.
The way the other men deferred to him with reverence confirmed he had the authority. He was the only one not wearing a tie and his shirt collar fell open casually. For some reason that made him look all the more powerful…
He stood there, exuding power while looking my way, his voice deep and penetrating. “This must be Emily,” he said seductively.
“She’s no one.” Xander shot me a look of concern.
My throat constricted and I tastedgin on a wave of nausea. Xander had virtually denied he knew me.
