Page 74 of Not My Little Drummer Boy
“Can I ask you something?”
“Ask whatever you want, counsellor.”
“Are you funding this, Teddy? The charity.”
He hesitates a beat. “Some,” he admits. “Not all of it.”
“But most of it?”
A small nod.
Something sweet and fluttery unfurls in my chest. All this time, I thought we were competing for prize money that would make a real difference. But Teddy—he’s been quietly supporting these families all along, letting me believe we needed to win because he knew how much it meant to me.
“We didn’t need to win the competition, did we?”
“No,” he says. “But you wanted it so much. Don’t get me wrong. I wanted it too, but—”
I place my finger on his lips. “It’s okay. I get it. And thank you for indulging my competitiveness when you didn’t have to.” I glance back at the hospital doors, thinking over the evening. “Can I ask you something else?”
He huffs a laugh, rolling his eyes. “So many questions. Comes with dating a lawyer, I suppose. Go on.”
“Why did you bring me here tonight?” I keep my voice low. “Really.”
He looks past me to the glow of the foyer, then back, thumb brushing over my knuckles. “To show you how much I want you in my life. To stay. There’s no way in hell I’d have let you meet Ellie ifI wasn’t serious. You’re the first woman I’ve ever brought near her. No one else has ever mattered enough. Not like you matter.”
The car pulls up, and we slip into the back seat. Gavin, the driver, catches my eye in the mirror; I nod. He already knows the way to my house in Notting Hill.
“Take the long way home, please, Gav.” Teddy settles back against the leather seat. “Round Oxford and Bond Street, yeah? Might be nice to see the Christmas lights.”
I snuggle into Teddy, enjoying the perfect end to the night. Cocooned in the dark, he leans close, his breath warm, a brush of lips against my ear.
“Can I ask you something?” His voice is barely a whisper.
I nod. “Sure.”
“Do you kiss on the first date?”
I answer without words, my mouth finding his. It’s only been two days since I last kissed Teddy, but god how I’ve missed this.
Chapter 27
There’sabikebaytucked away on a small street just off Sloane Street, and I swing in there like I’ve done it a hundred times. Kill the engine, kick the stand down. The cold slams into me the second I pull off the helmet—like having my face slapped with a frozen fish. I dig out the beanie from my jacket pocket and shove it on, tugging it low. Not just for the warmth—though that helps as it’s fucking freezing—but to cover the mop of red hair that makes me instantly recognisable. The last thing I need is someone clocking me outside Harrods and turning this into a photo op. Not today.
Aviators go on, though the sun’s barely pushing through the grey sky. Head down, hands shoved deep in my pockets for the short walk.
Rounding the corner, even though it’s Saturday, there’s already a small crowd waiting for Harrods’ doors to open at ten. Rachel stands like a beacon amongst them in a bright red coat, her blonde hair in loose waves. She scans the street, her eyes lingering on every car thatslows down, like she’s expecting me to roll out of it. I should have warned her I’d be on the bike.
I walk up behind her and place a hand on her shoulder.
“Hey, there.”
She turns, and just like that, she’s smiling, that bloody smile that makes the rest of the world blur. I’d love nothing more than to lean in and kiss her, but that would only draw unwelcome attention.
“Fuck, Teddy.” Her grin flashes. “You look like you’ve escaped from the set ofTop Gun. Very conspicuous for someone trying to blend in.”
I pull the sunglasses off and tuck them in my pocket. Maverick lookalike or not, the leather jacket’s staying. It’s too bloody cold.
“Better?”
