Page 59 of The Love Rematch
Emily knits her brows, trying to figure out the why, but she’s blank.
Good.
He wants to see her face the moment she realizes where he’s taking her. It’s going to be a feeling money can’t buy.
“Have you been here before?” she asks, changing the subject while she looks out the window and drinks in the sights. “In London, I mean.”
“Twice. Both for work.”
“It’s my first time in Europe,” she says softly, like a confession. He wants to take her hand, but he knows that would be too far. She’s got no reason to be embarrassed. “Sam comes all the time for work, to meet with clients. She’s offered to bring me, but I don’t want to be a burden. You know?”
No. He didn’t know. She could never be a burden even if she tried.
“We went to Mexico once, just the two of us. And a few places in the Caribbean.” She sighs, a sound he can’t quite read, neither content nor sad, somewhere in between. “I guess that’s one of the reasons I decided to do the show. It’s forcing me to finally go to all the amazing places I’ve never had the courage visit on my own.”
Jake raps on the front divider.
“Oi,” the cabbie says.
“Can you take the scenic route?” Aka, the more expensive route.
The car immediately switches lanes and they turn down a small side street. Jake points out the window as they pass various landmarks—Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and finally, the Tower of London. The conversation is entirely neutral, carefully avoiding the past or anything too deep. Still, the act of being near her and sharing the same air makes it the best twenty minutes he’s had in a while. When they step out of the cab, he points out the famous Tower Bridge before they cross over the grass-covered moat, through the entrance gate, and into the walled-off fortress.
“I tried to get a group date set up here when I realized you were going to be the lead,” he explains as he guides her through another gate, along perfectly manicured grass, and past the central castle to the far side of the grounds. “But it was too late to get the proper permissions. Hence, my knocking on your door this morning. It’s the only open block of time while we’re in London, and I knew you’d want to see these while you’re here, so…”
He steps to the side, and Emily gasps when she sees the sign. Her eyes go wide. Excitement brightens her entire expression. She bounces on her toes, eager as she clasps her hands in front of her chest. The transformation leaves him weak.
It’s worth every risk of being fired to see the joy on her face.
To know he put it there.
“Jake, are we—”
“Come on.”
He takes her hand, caution be damned. To his shock, she doesn’t slap him away. He knows he’s taking advantage of her distracted state of mind, but touching her soft, warm skin feels so good he doesn’t care. He leads her down into the vault and hands over the tickets. She practically squeals when they step through the velvet curtain and into another world.
Everything twinkles.
Crowns. Scepters. Mantels. Rings. Swords. Bracelets.
All sparkling in the dark.
Emily drops his hand and darts to the first display. She drinks in every diamond, every gem, every precious stone—the cuts, the carats, the arrangements, and a million other details he would never pick up on because he doesn’t know any better. But she does. This is her passion, her life. She talks in a stream of consciousness as they wander through the displays, her enthusiasm wiping away her walls. When he’s walking too fast, she grabs his hand to pull him back. When he goes the wrong way, she tugs on his fingers to bring him closer. Every insignificant touch she makes without thinking leaves him reeling. They’re stolen moments he doesn’t deserve but greedily takes. Because yes, he wanted to do something nice for her, and yes, he wanted to make amends, and yes, he desperately wanted to see that fervent glow in her eyes one more time, but there’s more to it than that. Deep down, he can’t deny his selfish desire to be her first experience in London, before the dates begin and the Hollywood magic wipes all memory of him away. Jake basks in her presence, in her undeserved attention, knowing it will end too soon.
And it does.
They take a cab back to the hotel. They delay for ten minutes getting coffees from the shop in the lobby. They run out of excuses and ride the elevator up in silence. Jake walks Emily to her door. She scans her key card. When the light blinks green, she turns the knob and steps inside.
He wants to stop her.
He wants to follow her.
He wants to spin her around, push her against the wall, and do a lot of things he’s not allowed to do with her.
He doesn’t.
He stands there, rooted to the spot with his heart in his throat.
