Page 96 of Peasants and Kings
Hadrian’s stoic face greeted me as he slowly rose from the couch. “Where have you been?”
I raised my brows. “Me? Where haveyoubeen?”
His jaw clenched. “I don’t owe you an explanation.”
I shrugged. “You’re right. You don’t.”
Hadrian’s brow furrowed. “What are you playing at?”
“I’m not playing at anything,” I assured him. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to fix my hair. I really should’ve worn a head scarf while driving with the top down.” I hastily tried to gather my tangled locks into a makeshift ponytail.
“Driving with the top down?” he inquired.
I grinned cheekily at him. “I took your Shelby Cobra for a spin. That car is sexy, Hadrian. You really should drive it more.”
His eyes glittered with an unfathomable emotion, and I wondered if he would lay into me for driving one of his cars without him present.
“Dinner tonight on the rooftop terrace at seven,” he said sternly.
I saluted him and then attempted to move past him to the staircase, but his hand on my arm stopped me.
“You haven’t greeted me properly,” he admonished.
“I haven’t, have I?” I murmured, looking up at him through the sweep of my lashes. I gripped his lapels and raised myself up on my tiptoes.
I was still too short to reach his mouth, so his head dipped and took my lips with his.
His tongue thrust into my mouth, boldly claiming me.
Four days without Hadrian’s dynamic presence and all it took was one kiss for my body to flare to life. I leaned into him, my breath hitching when his arms swept around me. He hauled me closer and continued to ravage my mouth.
I was about to suggest moving things to the bedroom and giving him a pleasurable afternoon when he pulled away.
His thumb swept across my lips, now swollen from his attention. “Dinner,” he reminded me. “Don’t be late.”
Without a farewell, he stalked from the living room toward the elevator and then he was gone again.
I frowned in confusion. I could tell Hadrian had wanted me.
What game washeplaying?
I didn’t see him all afternoon or into the evening. Two hours before dinner, I started my transformation. I showered and scrubbed my body with luxurious citrus body wash. After I dried my hair, I curled it and let it fall across my shoulders. My makeup was soft and demure except for my dramatic red lips. Then I went into the closet to pick out a dress.
I chose a sleeveless black gown that clung to my curves and paired it with spiky black heels. I had only the jewelry I’d worn when traveling from New York, but it didn’t match my outfit, so I left myself unadorned. We were dining on the rooftop terrace and I knew it had heat lamps, so I didn’t bother bringing a wrap.
I left the bedroom and still didn’t see a sign of Hadrian. It was nearly seven o’clock when I took the stairs to the rooftop terrace. I opened the door to the roof and strode to a table that had been covered with a cream tablecloth and two place settings. In the center was a gourmet charcuterie board, olives, and other antipasti, and an unopened bottle of red wine.
The sun was still aloft but the air was cool and teased the hair at my nape. Heating lamps dispersed around the terrace roof were on full blast, and I didn’t even shiver. I walked to the terrace wall, which was four feet in width and breastbone high, designed as a stronghold against the powerful Shetland wind. I rested my hands flat against the gray surface and stared at the vast ocean below me. There wasn’t a cloud for miles, and I hoped the weather held.
The door to the terrace opened and the sound of Hadrian’s steps approached. He came to stand next to me, mimicking my pose by placing his hands on the wall. Hadrian was still in his suit from earlier and he reached into his inner breast pocket and pulled out a black velvet jewelry box, setting it down in front of me.
“A gift from Edinburgh,” he said.
“Thank you.” I ignored the box and kept my gaze on the horizon.
“Most women would be more effusive in their gratitude.” His brogue was thick and heavy, and it settled over me like a warm blanket.
I looked at him and grinned. “I’m not most women.”
