Page 38 of The Himbo and the Lord

What on earth is he doing here?

Thankfully, I manage to school my startled look into something more neutral as he turns round and catches sight of me. His face spreads into a friendly smile, and I find myself returning it, which is the wrong thing to do because now he’s coming right over.

“Rupert, how are you?” He holds out his hand and I shake it firmly.

“I’m good. What brings you to London?” I ask.

“Well, I do live here,” he replies, and I inwardly cringe before I remember my manners.

“Of course. Sorry. Let me introduce Jenna Marchant.”

Chase turns his winning smile on Jenna and she beams back at him. “Jenna, this is Chase Knightly. He’s a client and friend of my father.” Chase frowns a little at the last statement, but his smile doesn’t falter.

“Sorry you left us in a hurry back in Melbourne.” Chase turns his attention back to me. “I don’t know what you said to Nate Waterford, but he was looking for you.”

The first thought that hits me is that he waslookingfor me, and something shifts deep inside me.

I’m still mad at him, but maybe he was trying to make amends, even if he didn’t do a very good job of it and I wasn’t in a mood to listen.

The second thought is that I have a full name for him. Not that it would do me any good. I don’t do any sort of social media. I have a message app for the few friends I can trust, but I stay away from everything else. I hate the vultures in those places, and I don’t want any random people following me.

Jenna does, though, and I see her slyly take out her phone and start tapping, a wicked gleam in her eye.

Chase and I talk for a few more minutes, and he says he’ll be visiting the office soon so I’ll see him then. As I watch him walk away and find some other acquaintance to talk to, I feel a sharp dig in my ribs.

“Fuck, Ru. No wonder you’ve been pining for months.”

“I havenotbeen pining.”

I turn to Jenna, and see the phone screen she’s holding out to me.

It’s a picture of Nate, shirtless, tanned, smiling, and looking fucking beautiful. My heart tightens at the sight of him. Even my dreams haven’t been able to do him justice.

“I’d forgive him, and I don’t even like men.” She gives me a shit-eating grin. I take the only action I can towards one of my best friends, and go on the attack.

“Does your girlfriend know how shallow you are?”

Jenna just laughs at me and pulls her phone back, scrolling through Nate’s account and making appreciative noises that have me looking over her shoulder. And for the first time in my life, I regret not being on these apps.

“You could always join under a pseudonym,” Jenna says as if reading my mind.

Nope, not gonna happen. I look up and see Alice walking towards us, and I wait until she’s within earshot.

“Jenna, you can stop looking at half-naked men now, Alice is here.”

“Well, if your boyfriend wants to put half-naked pictures of himself all over the place, what can I do?”

“He isnotmy boyfriend,” I grind out, but she’s already given her attention to Alice, and I’m left with the same feeling I have whenever I try to get one over on Jenna or my sister.

Never pick a fight with girls.

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

Nate

Another day,another fucking familygathering.

Since that night a week ago, I haven’t spoken to Dad, and I’ve barely spent any time at home.

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