Page 48 of The Exposed Heiress

She held up her glass and he touched it with his.

He looked at her. “I owe you an apology. I should have voiced my concerns about your broken engagement, and not made assumptions.”

She took another sip of whiskey. “I thought he told you about the problems we were having. It wasn’t normal and it frustrated him.”

Leo tightened the grip on his glass. “I objected to his relationship with you. He wouldn’t have told me about any issues. I can see that now.”

Looking into the night sky, Emma said, “I should go. I’ll get a taxi.”

He touched her back. “I’ll drive you back on the Ducati. We could both use some fresh air.”

* * *

On the rideback into downtown London, Emma thought about her night with Leo. He had let passion rule him until thoughts of his brother filtered back in.

Leo slowed for a light near her flat, and as the motorcycle came to a stop, he placed his feet out to balance them. Holding onto his torso, she could feel the powerful muscles beneath his leather jacket. It did nothing to calm her jagged nerves.

She hadn’t thought about Tyler in weeks, and the painful incident no longer held any power over her. But it bothered her that Leo had held onto resentment about her broken engagement with his brother. Her relationship with Tyler had been so different. She hadn’t desired him, and they had never gotten beyond a few chaste kisses. But somehow it remained between her and Leo.

When he pulled up to her street, he found a parking spot a block from her flat. Emma climbed off the bike and removed her helmet.

“It’s fine. You don’t need to walk with me.” She needed time alone to think through everything.

Leo climbed off, and removed his helmet.

“It’s not fine.” He pulled her into his arms and held her.

She moved her hands around his chest and pulled him closer. Letting herself breathe in his masculine musky scent, her body relaxed.

He drew her closer. “I want to come up.”

She smiled. “I want you to, but I think we both need some rest. Tomorrow is going to be difficult.”

Leo touched the side of her face and leaned down to capture her lips in a series of kisses. Emma could feel her body heating under his touch and stepped back.

She leaned forward and kissed his mouth briefly. “Good night.”

He gave her a slow smile and stood up straighter. “Good night, love.”

She handed him her helmet and gathered her bag closer. Turning, she walked down the block and resisted looking back. It’d be so easy to fall under his spell.

The next day passed in a blur of activity. Emma coordinated packing and boxing supplies. Leaving her phone with her assistant, Claire, she left the press up to Leo. He had organized a press release and was spending the day at his office conducting phone interviews.

One of her longtime seamstresses asked her, “How can we possibly pack if we don’t know where we’re going?”

“The board has put feelers out for warehouse space, but nothing affordable has been found yet.”

The middle-aged woman wearing a black skirt with a black silk blouse asked, “We need a showroom. A warehouse is not going to work.”

Emma continued organizing materials. “Eventually we’ll open a showroom in a different location, but for now we’re going to concentrate on the Fall fashion show.”

Her voice lowered. “How can we have clients in for sizing?”

Emma shrugged. “We might be going to their location for a while.”

“I can’t work like that.”

She slowed her movements. “I know it’s hard. We’re re-inventing ourselves. There will be positive elements to all of this, but the first step is to become cash-positive.”

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