Eugenie had insisted.
Bethany had pissed and moaned about it.
There was no way London Warwick was going to see her scandalous undergarments. But Eugenie had insisted that the sexy lingerie was going to give Bethany all of the confidence she needed to go up against the man she had secretly been crushing on for years. It was why she had also been adamant that Bethany wear a particularly shocking lipstick color. It drew the eye to her mouth, and she wasn’t sure she was entirely comfortable. Especially not when she was being stared at by every other man on the tube. There was no way she was wasting the cash on her Oyster card.
“I’m here to see Mr. London Warwick,” she said to the security guard in the lobby of a rather luxurious building.
The security guard, a young man who couldn’t have been more than twenty, gave her a slow once over that made her skin itch. Did he have to leer? For one terrifying second, Bethany was concerned that the man could see her underwear. That wasn’t it, of course. He was just a creepy creep creeping. She rolled her eyes at the silliness of men and stood her ground. She was Bethany Russo. She was here on the job, and she wasn’t going to let this little insignificant toad mess with her confidence seconds before she met London Warwick for the first time.
The guard continued his perusal of her body. Bethany slammed a hand on the black marble countertop, bringing him back to attention. The man shook his head, a gross smile bending his poorly shaped upper lip.
“Do you have an appointment with him?” the guard asked.
“No, but Mrs. Warwick has sent me over to speak with him.”
There was a bit of fearful respect that flashed through the guard’s eyes. “Oh. Of course. Go on up.”
The clicking sound of her heels filled the marble-heavy lobby as she made her way to the elevators. She wasn’t surprised that London had the penthouse suite. After all, his family owned the building. It was a tall, sleek structure in one of London’s most prestigious neighborhoods. An apartment in this building would have the same square footage as her townhouse but would be quadruple the price. She didn’t even want to know what the penthouse suite would cost.
The Warwicks had more money than the queen and god combined, so she couldn’t be surprised that they led a lavish lifestyle. And that was coming from her, who was by all accounts, an heiress. Though her own fortune, still tied up in a trust, was nothing compared to what London and his kin had.
The ride up the elevator was quick, but it did nothing to ease the bubbling acid climbing up the back of her throat. She had no way of knowing how London would react to her sudden appearance. Johanna had assured her that her son would be expecting her, but that didn’t change the fact that Bethany didn’t know what to expect. She had the vague impression that London, a grown man, wouldn’t be too pleased by his mother’s interference in his life.
But Bethany had to do this.
She rolled her shoulders back and lifted her chin up high. She was Bethany Russo, goddamn it, and she was going to conquer this job. Who cared if her heart was going to get the shit-kicking of its life? She was a professional, and this job could set her up for life. No matter what Leonard Humphreys said or threatened. No matter what the tabloids printed about her next.
If she had a secure business with one of the wealthiest families in the universe, she would be able to weather any storm.
She knocked on the door, wracking her knuckles hard on the shiny wood surface. The seconds ticked by slowly, but soon, she heard the thumping of footsteps. The door swung open, and Bethany’s breath caught in her throat, threatening to choke her.
There he was.
London Warwick.
He was wet, drops of water slowly running down his tanned, muscled body. A series of roman numerals were tattooed over his left pectoral, and a large dragon was wrapped around his bulging bicep. A black towel was wrapped around low on his trim waist. Low. Way low. Enough for Bethany to make out the V-shape that was sure to lead to some impressive hardware. She had the sudden urge to lick his abs, and she bit down hard on her cheek to push the silly, lustful thought away. London ran his hand through his wet hair, and a few stray droplets landed on her arm.
Bethany could feel them burning against her skin. It was entirely too erotic for drops that had been on him to land on her. She would have to replay this moment again in her head when she was alone. Or rather, when she was in the presence of her BOB.
As she watched London’s muscles move under his tanned skin, Bethany couldn’t breathe, let alone remember her own name.
“Can I help you?” His brow was pulled down into a confused frown, but even then, he was a magnificent man. He oozed natural confidence and sex appeal. His dark brown eyes were full of thunderclouds, but Bethany couldn’t understand why.
Was it because she had disturbed his shower? Then why would he even bother opening the door?
Unless he had a lady with him or had been waiting for a lady to join him in said shower. Bethany gulped at the idea of being in naked under the hot spray of a shower with London. She felt herself blush and cleared her throat against the tidal wave of dirty thoughts that assaulted her. Apparently, it wasn’t only her heart that she would have to fight against, but her hormones, too.
“I’m Bethany Russo. Your mother sent me to speak with you. She said she would let you know about our appointment.”
London’s stare didn’t move away from her eyes, and Bethany had to work very hard to suppress a shiver of pure lust. He retreated back into his flat, leaving the door wide open. Bethany watched as he made his way toward a marble counter and slid a phone into his hand. His agile fingers tapped on the screen, and before long, he sighed deeply.
“Are you going to come in, or are you just going to stay out there all day?” London was looking at her intently, water still dripping onto his shoulders from the tips of his hair.
Was it normal that she wanted to track the wet streaks with her tongue? She cleared her throat again, forcing her hands to remain immobile. She didn’t want to smooth down her skirt or have any other outward signs of nervousness. London was a dragon, and just like his mother, he would be a perceptive being who could guess at her emotions.
She could only hope that he remained blissfully ignorant that she imagined what it would be like to have London take her from behind while she bent over the counter.
“So, my mother sent you to clean up my act, did she?” His words startled her out of her dirty reverie.
“Not quite.” Bethany bristled that she had been reduced to a mere appearance cleaner. She was so much more than that.
“She says here that you’ve known her a long time. If that’s true, how come I never met you?”
“I was living in the US for a while. Hence the American accent. I’ve only just moved here in the last five years. Besides, do you think you would have made time to meet me?” It was a cheap shot, and she knew it. She was a friend of his mother’s, and she was also not the type of woman he was always seen with.
Bethany wasn’t a stick figure. She had hips and valleys of curves, all of which she was damn proud of. She hadn’t inherited her mother’s small and tiny frame, and she was fine with that.
London didn’t seem the least bit phased by her jab. He shrugged one very large, very naked shoulder. “Fine. You’ve got me. What’s the purpose of your visit?”