Page 51 of An American in London

He heads to the window and peeks through the curtains. “It’s raining,” he says.

“How is that possible?” I ask. “It was bright sunshine a few hours ago.”

“A sign autumn is on its way.” He takes the pillows and comforter from the bed and arranges them just like he did last night, then slips under the blanket, eye mask in hand.

“I had a really nice time today,” I say.

It seems ludicrous that I’m getting paid to be here. I’m having a better time than I would have in London on my own. I’m getting to experience more of the country I’m visiting, meeting more people, even seeing more Daniel De Luca film locations.

“Good,” he says as he tucks an arm behind his head. I flop back onto the bed, restless and not ready to sleep.

“How did snooker go with the duke?” As shooting was abandoned, the duke joined us for lunch and then invited Ben, Nick, and some of the other men to play snooker with him. The duchess arranged in-room massages for wives and girlfriends, or pedicures in the morning room. She and I spent the afternoon going through the house, and she regaled me with more stories from the filming ofA Duchess for a Duke. Most excitingly, she confirmed the affair between Daniel and Avani. I’d had a lovely afternoon, but it was strange to be separated from Ben. I doubt the feeling was mutual. Ben got what he wanted, which was time with the duke.

He sucks in a breath. “Really bloody well actually.”

“Really? Tell me.”

“Apparently the duchess is trying to convince him he needs to take control of his legacy. He doesn’t want distant relatives inheriting, so he’s considering liquidating some assets and creating a foundation to support worthy causes.”

I sit bolt upright and crawl to the end of the bed to see his expression. How is this guy not punching the air with excitement? “What’s the catch?”

He glances over at me. “Well, there’s nothing certain. He’s not entirely convinced, and from what I know of him, the hotels won’t be the first assets to go.”

I swing my legs over the end of the bed. “Okay, so you’re telling me the duke has gone from the mindset of never selling the hotels to maybe selling the hotels, and you’re lying there like you’ve still got the weight of the world on your shoulders? Why aren’t we cracking open the champagne?”

“There’s still a long way to go.”

I shake my head and slide off the bed. “You’ve got to celebrate the small wins.”

He pulls himself into a sitting position and nods. “So far so good. But it’s a delicate situation. I don’t want to fuck anything up.”

I spring up and take a seat next to him and immediately regret it, because I feel I’ve overstepped a physical boundary.

“How could you? He clearly likes you, and he must be considering you as a potential buyer or he wouldn’t be telling you about his plans.” I’m thrilled for him and proud I might have had a hand in making this happen. It’s like I’m on Team Ben, sharing in the victory.

He pushes his hands through his hair. “I know. I just want to tread carefully. I don’t want to push too hard. He needs to make this decision in his own time.”

“You’ve told him you’re still interested, though?”

“He knows.”

“But does he? You should make sure he does. You don’t want any misunderstandings between you.”

Ben turns to meet my eyes, and we stare at each other for a few minutes. I’m waiting for him to say something. And it’s like he’s waiting for me to say something.

He sits back, pulls in a breath, and exhales very slowly. I can’t take my eyes off his rising and falling chest. His T-shirt is rumpled above his hips but doesn’t quite give me a glimpse of skin underneath. I know how that flat, hard chest feels. I’ve just not seen it.

“I’m very single-minded about things. Sometimes that’s my best asset and sometimes my biggest weakness.” He’s staring at the ceiling, and I take the opportunity to watch him. I want to memorize thismoment, and every part of him. There’s something very attractive about a man who accepts his weaknesses as well as his strengths. Jed always viewed personal foibles as fatal flaws, which I realize now put a ton of pressure on me to be infallible. How did I ever think I was happy before?

“But he should know if you’re interested,” I say.

“I said, he knows.”

“Okay,” I say. “If you’re sure.”

We sit side by side in silence, neither one of us moving. What’s he thinking about? Maybe he wants his bed back. I should stand and go back to bed. But something is stopping me.

Finally, he speaks. “I think you’re lovely.”

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