Page 20 of Scottish Seducer
Chapter 8
Charlie
The moon was risingbut watching Stephanie sleep beside me was peaceful. Watching the almost perfect mounds of her breasts rise and fall while she breathed was fascinating, and I noticed they weren’t quite perfect because the right nipple was slightly larger than the left. I don’t know if I’d ever noticed such a small detail about a woman before.
She soon let out a small sigh and woke up. Her brown eyes studied me, and I squeezed her hand and tossed the sheets back fast. “Get dressed. We have reservations.”
She yawned as she ran her fingers through her hair and stared at me blankly as she asked, “We do? Where?”
I didn’t care that I was naked when I pulled open the door to the next room where all my things were, and said, “We’re going to Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.”
She stayed in the room but called out, “That place is hard to get into.”
I tugged on a fresh pair of underwear and black pants while I answered, “I booked us the private room so we can talk. Now, dress.”
I cleaned up and sprayed some cologne in the bathroom, then grabbed my shirt. She came in wearing a simple black dress that fit her, though I missed her nakedness. She patted her stomach and said, “Thank you. I’m very, very hungry.”
I finished dressing and said, “I worked you out pretty good, so we both need food, and I gave my staff the night and morning off so we’d be alone.”
Once I had my shoes on, I offered my arm. She took it and we went down the stairs. The night air was cool and a bit damp, like it might rain later. The restaurant was virtually next door, but during our short walk she asked, “How often are you in London?”
“Indefinitely.” I kissed her hand and met her bright gaze. She was so sweet that I winked as I said, “Could be forever if you want to keep me around.”
She cupped my cheek as she said, “I’m sure you’ll—”
A high-pitched, nasally woman’s voice interrupted her. “Stephanie? You just had your things moved?”
Stephanie’s entire face reddened, and she glanced down at her black heels. “Yes, well…Richard, Ann, this is Charlie Grannd, my––”
“Boyfriend.” I put my hand out to shake and stared at the portly fellow in the black jacket that didn’t quite fit him as I said, “You’rethatRichard. I should thank you.”
His lips thinned as he shook my hand and asked, “For what, Mr. Grannd?”
I hugged Stephanie and kissed her forehead. “For being stupid enough to let this treasure out of your hands. I’ll forever be grateful.”
The woman with fake red hair crossed her arms.
These two people were dull compared to the glow of Stephanie’s light, but she tugged my arm and said, “Charlie, we should go. Reservations.”
I waved at them and took one last glance as I said, “Right.” Stephanie was better off away from these two. Then I nodded at both of them and said, “Have a good evening.”
I walked in, and the maître d’ directed us to the private room with the sixteenth-century table and chairs once fit for royalty. We slipped into the chairs.
I held her hand up and asked, “Did you really go out with that guy?”
She slipped her hand back and held the menu in front of her. “Yeah.”
I waited till she put the paper down and said, “He must have been fucking boring in bed.”
Her face pinked, but this time, the same way she did in bed earlier, she playfully rubbed her feet up and down my lower leg under the table. “You’re so bad.”
I don’t remember ever playing footsie before, but we both ordered. She picked the powdered duck and I chose the lamb with cucumber.
When the waiter left, I said, “And, you must have been sleeping when he came near you.”
She chuckled and said, “Not everyone has your endurance, and I hear that the duck here is cooked more like the Regency era. I’m so excited to try it, because I’ve never been able to cook the bird right.”
Duck was always too dry for me. I saw how her face glowed and remembered how she caressed my face earlier as I said, “Now that’s cute, and American.”
