Page 9 of Sinister Games

CHAPTER4

RICHARD

Icould feel the slightest scruff from my five o’clock shadow against the soft skin of her forehead as I tilted my head down to answer her.

“Richard.”

“Richard,” she repeated as if tasting each syllable on her tongue. I loved the sound of my name on her lips.

I had to pry my gaze away and pay attention to the traffic up ahead. Still, I couldn’t help thinking about how close I’d come to losing her. The vision of that hulking black cab pivoting as its tires locked and screeched toward her small frame as she stood frozen in fear will forever be burned into my mind.

As we passed the large lions, I briefly considered sitting down on those steps and just cradling her in my arms. Damn the rain. It wasn’t possible, not yet anyway.

I needed to play this just right or all my plans would be for nothing.

Giving her delicate frame one last squeeze, I gently put her back on her feet as we neared the stone steps leading up to the museum.

Keeping my hand on her back, we made our way up the steps and under the portcullis.

Shrugging my coat off, she handed it back to me.

“Thank you for everything.” She bit that plump bottom lip of hers and looked up at me with those stunning green eyes.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” I teased. “I mean, I did just save your life and all.”

Her cheeks blushed a pretty pink. “Of course! My treat!”

She really was adorable. I hung back to allow her to pass through the entrance first. It gave me time to once more admire the gorgeous sway of her hips and those slender thighs tucked into her tall boots. It really was a wonder she should be blessed with such curves on such a tiny frame. When I’d held her in my arms, she’d weighed next to nothing.

I would have to be careful. There was no doubt she would injure easily and while I couldn’t wait to see my mark on her fair skin, it wasn’t in my plans to give her a broken arm or leg.

That would ruin all our fun.

I let her approach the ticket counter as I handed my coat to the porter who came rushing over the minute I was recognized.

“It’s free to enter the main galleries but it will be thirty-two quid if you want to see the special exhibits… oh, sir, sorry, I didn’t see you standing there. Are you two together?” asked the museum employee as she gestured between Elizabeth and me.

I nodded as Elizabeth sent me a puzzled look over her shoulder.

“Yes, we’re together but I’m paying for our tickets,” she remarked as she dug around in her purse, presumably for her wallet.

“There’s no charge, of course,” purred the museum employee as she slowly stood to face me. “I highly recommend the Titian exhibit, sir. It’s called “Love, Desire, Death” and it just opened.” Her voice had taken on a deep throaty quality as her hands grazed her hips, pulling her uniform shirt down slightly, forcing it to tighten across her ample breasts.

I knew all about the Titian exhibit. I should, they were mostly my paintings.

“Thank you. We shall.”

Placing a hand between Elizabeth’s shoulder blades, I led her away.

Looking down, I could see her small face upturned to me, a piqued moue to her lips.

“If you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to assume you don’t want to look at the paintings.”

“You’re seriously not going to explain what just happened there?”

I shrugged. “I’m very fond of this museum. I come here a lot. Most of the employees know me.”

As an extremely wealthy contributor, but she doesn’t need to know that just yet.

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