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He clears his throat.
‘I tell you what,’ I say. ‘How about I send some pictures through of various possibilities? That way you can choose my entire outfit...all the way from the base layer up.’
He looks ready to choke over the suggestion. ‘I don’t think you need to go that far.’
I bite my lip, fighting back laughter. ‘I don’t know. I think it could be kind of fun.’
He shakes his head and strides for the door.
‘Running away again, just as things were starting to get interesting?’
He reaches for the door handle and looks back at me over his shoulder. ‘I’ll see you Thursday.’
‘You will.’
He pulls open the door.
‘Oh, and, Valentine?’
He turns to me once more and I give him a smile so full of satisfaction his eyes are already narrowing before I even speak.
‘Don’t forget to send me your driving licence details...a scanned copy would bejust splendid.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
Valentine
IT’STHURSDAY.Seven in the evening. And I’m early.
But as I stand before her garden gate, the idea of returning to the car and doing a few circuits of the block doesn’t appeal. I want to know she’s ready, or at least close. I want to know we have this in the bag, that tonight she will be the woman I’ve respected from afar for years, the woman who had it all under control and a firm handle on life.
Now I’m here I have time to hurry her along.
Now I’m here I can reassure myself we’ll get to dinner as planned.
Now I’m here I can acclimatise to her appealbeforeI have to perform normally in front of others.
And there’s the real reason I’m here. To get used to her.
Doesn’t matter that I’ve seen her plenty over the last few days. That I should be used to dealing with her and keeping a lid on the chaos she inspires within.
She’s a wild card and no amount of knowing it helps me when I’m in her presence. Her ability to say or do something that I least expect. To drag my thoughts into the gutter when I should be focusing on business. She’s impossible to predict, impossible to prepare for, and by getting here early I get to adjust to her long before we meet with the people who could be pivotal in the future success of her charity.
I push open her garden gate and stride forward. Remind myself of why I’m here, and who she is, and what this isn’t—a date.
I lift my hand to the heavy-weighted knocker and my hand stills. I’m back in the club. Electra’s room. The door and the lion’s head and the view I saw within.
It’s like a switch turning on, sending my pulse into overdrive before I even cross the threshold. ‘Fuck.’
‘Is that any way to say hello?’ Her disembodied voice greets me from nowhere and I glance to my left, my right—there’s a security camera—and grimace.
‘A frown too...that happy to be here, hey?’
I shake my head, my lips lifting a little. ‘My apologies.’
‘You’re early though; surely that’s contradictory in itself.’
I look into the camera. ‘You going to let me in?’
