Page 14 of Sinister Games

CHAPTER6

LIZZIE

The weather had cleared while we were inside the museum. The early evening sky now shown a bright amber and purple as we walked to the restaurant. Richard had one arm protectively around my shoulders, the other carried his coat slung over his forearm.

I was desperately trying to focus on his attempts at small talk and not on our almost kiss at the museum.

“Are you excited about starting the fashion program at uni?”

“Yes! I can’t believe I got accepted. It was a snap decision to come to London to go to school after I lost my parents.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your parents. How did they die?”

I waved his condolences off. “It’s fine. It was a year ago. Car accident. I’m fine,” I assured him dismissively.

I had already embarrassed myself enough in front of him for one day, the last thing I needed to do was to start crying about my dead parents and blabbering on about my guilt over them thinking my life had no direction when they died suddenly. It was why I was now in London. They’d hated the idea of me becoming an actress with nothing to fall back on, so I decided to get a degree in my second love, fashion.

Richard gave my shoulders a conciliatory squeeze. It felt good to walk by his side, the heavy feel of his arm on my body.

Looking up at him, my brow furrowed. “Wait. I don’t remember telling you I was a fashion student?”

He laughed. “You were pretty shaken up after that near miss with the cab. You mentioned it when you complimented my coat.”

Laughing, I figured it must be true. I barely knew what side was up between the scare of the cab and the attentions of the hottest man I had ever laid eyes on. I was lucky I remembered my own name.

Oh, yeah!

“Off the subject but… my name is technically Elizabeth but everyone calls me Lizzie.”

Richard stopped walking.

What did I say wrong?

Taking my chin in his hand, he tilted my head back. I was quickly learning he liked doing this. I think he wanted to make sure he had my complete attention. As if it were possible to focus on anything but him when he was around!

“If everyone calls you Lizzie, then I’m going to keep calling you Elizabeth.”

My mouth opened at the declaration.

Richard leaned in close. Once more today, I could feel the caress of his warm breath against my lips.

“The last thing I want is for you to mistake me for everyone else.”

Leaning back, he took my hand and pulled me along. The quiet evening was shattered by the chaotic thumping of my heart in my ears.

* * *

This time,when he was greeted like a king at Milos, I didn’t even bat an eyelash.

Of course he was.

Milos was an unbelievably posh Greek restaurant near the museum. The only reason why I knew this was because celebrities were often photographed dining here. There was no way I could ever afford to eat here. I was about to object, since I assumed we would be splitting the check. As I opened my mouth to speak, Richard looked down at me and squeezed my hand, tight. I could see the silent warning in his gaze. Feeling as though he read my mind and I had somehow offended him by even considering the possibility he would let me help pay, I kept quiet.

Following the hostess, we passed under these massive glass-sphere chandeliers. They looked like giant shimmering bubbles, as if the whole room were inside a glass of champagne. Walking through the dining room, I couldn’t help but notice all the extremely well-dressed patrons. Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Givenchy, Balenciaga, Dior; it was a who’s who of all the famous fashion houses.

Pulling my large purse protectively in front of me, I reached down to tug on the soft fabric of my over-the-knee boots.

Richard gave my hand a squeeze as he winked at me. “I think you look beautiful.”

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