Page 39 of The Exposed Heiress

Taking the elevator up to the fourth floor, she got her keys out of her handbag and unlocked her flat. Stepping inside, she dropped her keys back into her handbag, leaving it on the table just inside the door.

Pulling off her Manolo Blahnik grey pumps one at a time, she carried them through to her closet. Placing them on the shelf, Emma unzipped her dress and placed it in a bag for the cleaners.

Removing her earrings and necklace, she placed them back in her jewelry chest.

She thought about Leo. Her feelings had completely changed. She wanted to know what his thoughts were and trusted his advice. A few weeks ago, she avoided him at all costs. Now she relied on him to help solve huge problems. It wasn’t just that. There was an attraction between them that encouraged her to open up. There was nothing about Leo that reminded her of Tyler, but it seemed like a problematic connection.

Looking through her more casual clothing, she put on a white fitted T-shirt and salmon-colored jeans. Finding a pair of black, strappy sandals, she put them on.

Grabbing a canvas bag from the hall closet, she placed a bikini, sweater, water bottle, and towel in the small bag.

Leaving her flat, she turned her phone to silent and locked her door. Walking back onto the sidewalk, she relaxed a bit when she saw Leo leaning against his car talking on his phone. He stood up and ended the call. She shouldn’t want to spend time with him. There were so many things that she shouldn’t allow herself to want. But she wanted Leo Bloom, and it would take every smidgen of her strength to resist him.

Chapter 8

Leo walked along the wooden planks of the dock. It wasn’t often that he brought someone sailing with him. He preferred the freedom of being on his own and letting the wind guide his movements.

“How can we get from here to the river?” Her voice soothed his jagged nerves.

He resisted the attraction. His younger brother had been foolish to fall under her charms.

He glanced behind him. She had taken her hair down as they walked along the dock. The long strands were already being whipped about in the breeze. “It’s connected by a channel now known as Greenland Cut, which is a lock that gives access to the River Thames.”

“It’s a warm evening. Will we get a change to swim?”

“Most boaters don’t swim in the river. The water can be cold in July and it’s rough.”

He couldn’t remember swimming in the Thames. He wanted to help her loosen her natural reserve. Helping Francis Bolles survive the restructuring would depend on her resilience and creativity. It wasn’t good that she hid herself away.

He stopped at his sailboat. “Here we are. It’s a twenty-four foot Beneteau.”

Emma looked at the boat. “The black and red design is striking.”

Leo climbed on board. “Come aboard. I need to open things up and get the small motor warmed up.” He unlocked the cabin and removed the safety lock from the small engine. Turning on the instrument panel, he checked the lines and switched the radio on.

Starting the engine, he asked her, “Have you helped launch a sailboat before?”

She smiled. “No.”

“It’s rather simple. If you untie the four lines on the dock, with the last one, you can step back on the boat.”

Stepping back onto the dock, she undid each line, tossing it onto the sailboat, and with the last one she held onto it and looked at him.

“It’s good.” He unclipped the cable and motioned for her to step onto the boat.

She sat near him as he maneuvered the sailboat through the channel and out to the river.

“I thought a whole crew was needed to sail.”

He gave a faster commuter ferry space and headed east towards the sea. “Often when racing, a crew is needed, but the beauty of this boat is that I can sail it by myself.”

She glanced up at the mast. “What about the sails?”

“We’ll put them up in a little while. We have to get past the Tower Bridge.”

She pushed her hair out of her face. “What if it gets dark?”

He laughed. “London has plenty of lights.”

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