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I flushed. If that was all it took to look like a girlfriend then this was going to be a piece of cake.
A poised and beautiful blonde woman—Imogen Carmichael, apparently—greeted us at the hotel entrance, an American from the sounds of her accent, explaining about the various facilities in the hotel and giving directions. She greeted me without a flicker, her handshake firm and cool, just like her smile.
‘Right,’ Ash said, steering me down one high-arched hallway floored in white marble. ‘Time to find Delaney.’
A flutter of nervousness collected inside me, but I tried not to think about that or how out of my depth I felt in my dress.
Imogen had given us directions to the bar area—a big open space intended to give the feeling of a Bedouin tent, with lanterns of coloured glass hanging over ornate tables in heavy dark wood, and low divans covered in brightly coloured silk cushions. A fountain played in the centre, the splashing water in counterpoint to the murmur of voices and the low pulse of music.
Ash steered me in the direction of one of the tables, where an older man sat, his white hair expertly coiffed, his smile welcoming as he stood to greet us.
‘Evans,’ he said warmly, reaching out to take Ash’s hand. ‘Glad you could make it.’ His attention turned to me. ‘And this is...?’
‘Ellie Little,’ Ash said. ‘Ellie, this is John Delaney, a business associate of mine.’
I swallowed my nervousness and tried for a smile, shaking his hand. ‘G’day, Mr Delaney.’
Delaney smiled. ‘Oh, you’re Australian. How charming. Please, call me John.’
‘Good to meet you, John.’ I gave his hand a firm squeeze.
Ash’s arm stole around my waist again, pulling me close, his hand splayed on my hip, the heat of it seeping through my gown as if there were nothing between his palm and my skin.
It was a very possessive hold and obviously for Delaney’s benefit, though some part of me found it thrilling in a way I wasn’t expecting.
Was it weird to like the thought of being his? To enjoy the way he held me? As if he wanted the entire bar to know who I belonged to?
It’s fake, though.
Yes, it was. Which, in a way, made it okay for me to like it. If it wasn’t real, I could let myself enjoy the sensation of being protected, of having someone at my back in a way I hadn’t had before.
Delaney’s gaze lingered on the positioning of Ash’s hand on me. ‘Don’t worry, Evans. I’m not going to steal her from you, though...’ there was a sparkle in his eye ‘...maybe if I were twenty years younger I might.’
Ash’s smile was little more than bared teeth, the pressure on my hip increasing. ‘Try it.’
Delaney grinned. ‘Relax and have a seat. I want to know how you two met.’
We sat down on the divan, Ash not allowing an inch of space between us, the heat of his powerful thigh pressing against mine. ‘It was at a charity event in July,’ he said gruffly. ‘We got to talking, one thing led to another and the rest is history.’ He sounded impatient. ‘What else do you want to know?’
Delaney watched us from his seat opposite. ‘I must say, I was surprised to hear you had a serious girlfriend. I haven’t heard anything about it in the media.’
‘No, because I wanted Ellie to stay out of the spotlight.’
‘Which I prefer,’ I added, putting a casual hand on Ash’s hard thigh. He was hot there, too, powerful muscles tensing under my palm, making me want to squeeze them, test them.
Delaney leaned back in his seat. ‘So what brought you to London, Ellie?’
‘Work,’ I said truthfully. ‘I design luxury cars for my family’s company.’
Delaney’s eyes widened. ‘Do you indeed? Impressive.’
‘I thought so.’ Ash’s arm tightened around my waist, the muscles under my hand flexing yet again. ‘At least, she impressed the hell out of me.’
There was an element of certainty in the words that made me blush like a fool. As if he was telling the truth.
Delaney clearly saw my reaction because he smiled. ‘I can see that. So...forgive me for asking, but what are your plans together? I like to know these things,’ he added, clearly for my benefit, ‘because Evans here is wanting to buy some islands of mine that have sentimental value. I wanted them to go to someone who is family-minded. I hope you understand.’
‘Of course I understand.’ I gave Ash what I hoped was an adoring glance. ‘So, our plans? Well, at the moment I’m considering moving to London permanently.’
