Page 17 of Tears of Ink
He doesn’t answer but fires the ignition and coaxes the car out into the weave of black cabs and post rush hour traffic.
As we sit in the car, silence laps between us. “Did you have nothing better to do than come and give me back my portfolio? You know you could have given it to Gerard.”
His head flicks in my direction. He drives sexy. Confidently weaving in and out. Strong fingers flick the indicator and shift the gears.
Stop it, Faith.
“That wouldn’t be very gentlemanly.”
“Are you always a gentleman?”
He flicks those blues onto me again. “Sometimes.”
Yikes.
“So where are we going?”
“The Green Man.”
“Could you narrow it down? There are at least a hundred and fifty Green Man pubs in London.”
“Have you counted them all?”
I’ve got to laugh. “Not personally, but I have it under good authority.”
He laughs too and the car fills with the sound of our mingled mirth. “How do you enjoy London?”
“It’s okay.”
“And you were in Brighton before?”
I cast him a side eye. “Have you been stalking me?”
“No. My mother found out when she was talking to Gerard about you.”
I blush a little. That makes so much more sense than him stalking me.
“And I’ve been Facebooking.”
“Facebooking? The baroness’ son is on Facebook?” I chuckle under my breath. “What is your title? If your mum is a baroness, what does that make you?”
He turns, his smile enigmatic. “Elijah, it makes me Elijah.”
He flicks the indicator and turns into a small car park lined with rose bushes. I lean closer, peering through the windscreen. The roses are a similar colour to the ink on my chest: dusky pink and cream.
“I saw your tattoos and thought of this place.”
“You didn’t plan to come here?”
He shrugs but neither of us move to get out of the parked car. “I change my mind frequently.”
That sounds dangerous. I swallow hard and reach my hand for the chrome handle.
“Why?” I ask.
“It’s just who I am.”
The lapis blues meet mine. Message received perfectly clear.
