Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“You don’t want to sell them?”
My throat tightened at the thought. “I can’t,” I choked out.
She nodded in understanding and then did me the favor of changing the subject. “I love the high ceilings and windows. It’s gorgeous.”
“Yes,” I murmured, watching her as she kicked off her shoes and curled up on the sofa beneath a window. She rested her chin on her arm as she stared out at the world passing below. Her silky hair slid across her shoulders, and I suddenly imagined her naked with soft morning light spilling across her smooth skin. I’d never had a woman stay in my flat before. I preferred to fuck them at their place so I could leave.
Guilt flickered through me, and I was reminded of the moment at the airport with the flight attendant. I hated the idea of Sarah finding something abhorrent in me. I wanted to be better for her, but an insidious voice reminded me of the truth.
I wasn’t good enough for this woman.
Then she turned and smiled at me, and my selfishness won out. “Let’s freshen up. I want to take you somewhere.”
An hour later we were in a restaurant having dinner when Sarah’s phone buzzed and mine rang. It was an unfamiliar London number again, so I silenced it as Sarah peered at her phone screen.
Swallowing a bite of pasta, I asked, “Anything interesting?”
She nodded, smiling. “An email. You got the same one. It’s from Liz. She says the contract is almost ready and will be back with you by the end of the week.”
“Wow. They certainly pushed that through.”
“You did ask her to.”
“Yes, but I wasn’t quite expecting it this soon. Good for her.”
“I’m going to ask her about meeting up while I’m in London.” Her fingers flew over the keys as she responded to the email. “Who was calling you?”
“I don’t know …,” I trailed off as my gaze returned to my phone, and I noted the voicemail notification. Sighing, I put the thing to my ear to check who it was. Unsurprisingly, it was DCI Rick English sounding more urgent now as he again asked me to return his call. “No one.” I hung up annoyed. “Just my brother acting insane.”
Hopefully, news of my return to London would put a stop to this nonsense.
“Anyway, my team should be able to get the contract back to Liz within a week or so. It’ll probably take a few more back-and-forths from there, but we should see it finalized by the end of January, I would think.”
“Aye?” Sarah’s excitement was palpable.
It reminded me of what I was like when I stepped on my first film set, and it just hit me how fun it was going to be to make this thing with her. I had to have her on set, at least for the first episode. “Once that’s done, we’ll cast Juno and Peter and shop it out to Skylark. If they don’t want it—which seems unlikely—we’ll try some streaming services.”
She bit her lip, eyes alight. “It’s getting so real now.”
I grinned. “We’ll need permits to film in Dundee and Edinburgh.” The first book split its time between the two cities. “And then you’ll get to be there while we film.”
“I can’t wait.”
We chatted a little more about the script and after dinner, I led her out to find a cab.
“Where are we going?” Sarah asked for the fifth time as the cab tried valiantly to get through London evening traffic.
“It’s a surprise,” I insisted.
She didn’t seem too bothered as she gaped out the window, taking in everything. It reminded me that this was her first time out of Scotland, never mind her first time in London. I wanted to show her everything, and it was a bit like seeing it all through new eyes.
Finally, about fifteen minutes longer than it should normally take, we arrived at Kew Road.
I paid the driver and helped Sarah out. People were already filing into the gardens. Tightening my hand around hers, I guided her through the black decorative wrought iron gates situated between four stone pillars.
“Where …?”
“Welcome to Kew Gardens, Ms. McCulloch.” I gestured as we entered a Christmas wonderland.
Sarah’s mouth parted as she took in all the lights.
“This is nothing,” I promised in her ear.
It had been years since I’d visited Kew Gardens, but Christmastime was quite the spectacle. Trees and hedges wrapped in fairy lights, others aglow in rainbow hues cast by light shows, and archways made entirely of light. The illuminations were a little magical, and Sarah needed a little magic this year.
She took in the sights with wonderment in her eyes, clinging to my arm, gasping, smiling up at me like a girl seeing Santa for the first time. It amazed me she could have reached this age and still be filled with awe by things I’d grown used to overlooking. I was somewhat jealous. But my overarching emotion was protectiveness. For the first time in years, I wanted to protect someone else. I didn’t want anyone to break her or take that wonder from her.