The Redhead Revealed (Redhead #2)(27)
Author: Alice Clayton

“He’s killing me. I almost can’t stand it,” I admitted, fanning myself.

“Grace, I have to tell you, he’s so in love with you,” she said, reapplying her lipstick.

I stopped fanning and looked at her.

“Why do you say that?” I asked, really interested in what she was going to say.

“I just know. He talks about you all the time. And he really misses you. You should’ve seen him in his interviews today. He was bouncing out of his seat, checking his watch. Ya know, he tries to play it so cool, but he’s just an idiot. Those fangirls think he’s all sexy scientist man, and really, he’s just a British goober who adores his girlfriend.”

I was so glad he had a friend like her. She really got him.

“He is kind of an idiot, isn’t he?” I laughed, thinking of him back at the table. Massaging his breadstick.

But he’s your idiot.

Yes, he really just is.

“Boys are idiots when they’re in blue-ball hell. You need to make sure he gets some tonight. I can barely contain myself with all the sex vibes being thrown around, and he’s like a brother to me!” She grimaced as we walked back to the table.

We arrived to find the security guard, Joe, talking quietly to Jack. I slid into my chair, grasping Jack’s hand on the way and kissing his knuckles as he curled his hand around mine.

“Hey, love. Miss me?” he asked quietly, winking.

“I did actually. Are we leaving soon?” I winked back and waggled my eyebrows suggestively.

He exchanged a glance with Joe, then looked back at me.

“Well, yes. Soon. But you should know there are a bunch of photographers outside. You okay with that?” His concern for me showed on his face.

I took a deep breath.

“Grace, it’s cool. You can walk out with me,” Rebecca said. “We’ll play this off. They don’t need to know you were here with the Jack Hamilton. Maybe you were just here with the slightly-less-well-known-but-equally-hot Rebecca Lake,” she said, fluffing her hair and striking a pose.

I took another deep breath.

This was going to happen eventually. It was shocking that it hadn’t happened yet. If I hadn’t moved to New York, I probably would’ve been identified long before now. But Rebecca was right. I could walk out with her, grab a cab, and meet Jack back at the hotel.

“It’s cool. I’ll do whatever you want, love. You know that.” I placed a finger over his lips as he started to comment on my very easily misinterpreted statement. “Obviously, for everyone involved, I think it’s probably better if I walk out with Rebecca, though, don’t you?” I giggled as he tried to nibble on my finger.

“Yes, yes, it would be better, I suppose.” He sighed heavily.

“I’ll get a cab and meet you at the hotel.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Grace,” he said. “We can all ride in the same car. Just don’t let them photograph us together.”

I rolled my eyes, but decided to let him have this one. We stood up and made our way to the front of the restaurant. Rebecca went out first, with me following, but when I saw the flashes, I froze a little. She smiled gamely, took my arm, and guided me to the car. I tried to hide my face without looking like I was trying to—who knows if I actually pulled it off. Jack followed a moment later, grinning for the cameras.

We all piled into a black Suburban with tinted windows and sped away toward the Plaza. Jack and I held hands in the backseat, talking quietly. We dropped Rebecca off first, and then once we got to near the Plaza, I insisted they drop me off in front of Bergdorf’s so I could walk the last block or so.

“Now you’re just being silly, Grace,” Jack pouted as I bundled up for the short walk.

“No, I’m being realistic. Your movie comes out in less than two weeks, and the last thing you need now is to have me show up, making your fans think you’re unavailable. We can discuss this again in a few months once things have mellowed a bit. No more discussion tonight.”

This brief encounter with what he went through on a daily basis had confirmed what I already knew about how I’d be treated if the press found out he was dating someone—especially someone older.

He pulled me to him for one last kiss. “Room 1492. And, Grace?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t wait too long,” he whispered, kissing me slowly.

I kissed him back, then slipped from the car. The cool air did nothing to cool me down as I walked around the block, dodging the still-thick traffic on the sidewalks. After circling once, I figured enough time had gone by, and I began to make my way back toward the park and the Plaza.

***

When I got to his room, I found the door slightly ajar. When I entered I saw that my Brit had been busy. There were candles lit throughout the room, and he was waiting. He still wore his black pants, but the sweater had come off, revealing a long-sleeved white T-shirt, untucked and slightly slouchy.

“Hey,” I said, setting my bag down.

“Hey yourself,” he answered, taking a sip of his wine. He had a bottle of red open on the sideboard, and he’d poured a glass for me.

I crossed to him, picking up my wine. He didn’t move, but his eyes followed me. I raised the glass to my lips, sipping slowly. I felt the warmth slip down the back of my throat and rolled the taste around on my tongue. A slow smile crept across my face.

He ran his hand through his hair and grinned sexily at me.

I began to unbutton my coat, and he said, “Slower.”

My eyes widened, and then I understood.

“Slower, huh?” I asked in a low voice.

He nodded.

I set my glass down, biting back a smile, and let my hands return to the buttons on my long coat. I slipped each one of them open, slowly and methodically. I watched as he watched me, his eyes following my movements. Once the coat was unbuttoned, I gently removed it from my shoulders, allowing the leather to slide down my arms, before laying it on a chair. His eyes traveled the length of my body and back again, the green noticeably darker once they returned to mine.

I smiled, enjoying his reaction. I grabbed one end of my scarf and tugged. As it untangled, the ends trailed down my skin, the fringe catching a little on the low neck of my dress. Once again, he followed my movements with his eyes only, before bringing his gaze back to mine. His breath was coming faster, although, to his credit, he was containing his excitement better than I was.

I was breathing rather heavily, and I could feel my cheeks flushing. But I was nowhere near finished. I bent over slowly, allowing the v-neck of my dress to fall open, giving him a little peek. I removed one boot, then the other, unzipping at an almost unbearably slow pace. He took another sip of his wine, then set the glass down. He hooked his thumbs in his belt loops and leaned back against the dresser.