Roman-2(Lane Brothers, Book 5)(177)

When they pulled up the drive to Thomas’s house, Sasha gasped. The house was an enormous glass fronted mansion. There was a lawn stretching up to the front steps with a fountain. It was the most beautiful place she’d ever seen.

Inside was just as elaborate. Pale wooden floors, a grand sweeping staircase and chandelier. There was something incredibly English about the look of the place. It was like an architectural modern wonder from the outside, but an English country manor on the inside.

Thomas immediately strode off to the master bedroom and locked himself away.

Pippa looked at Sasha. “So it didn’t go as well as we’d hoped?”

Sasha shook her head. “He’s still mad at me. Actually, I think he’s more mad at me than before. He couldn’t even look at me in the car.”

“Oh darling,” Pippa said, kindly. “He’s upset about Crystal, not you. That’s what’s on his mind. Trust me, he’d be in a far worse mood if you two hadn’t…” She wiggled her eyebrows in a cheeky way.

“So you heard?” Sasha said, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks.

“Oh I heard alright,” Pippa said laughing. “I get why he wants to hold onto you.”

Sasha shook her head. “I don’t think it should happen again.”

Pippa flapped a dismissive hand. “Why not? I thought you were meant to be all sexually liberated these days.”

“Just because Amore thinks I am, doesn’t mean I really am. Fucking someone who’s angry with you… it’s just weird.”

“Weird?” Pippa cried. “Darling, it’s fabulous! Knowing that you’re that irresistible is a massive turn on. Don’t you agree?”

Just like that, Pippa could turn everything around again. She had a knack for down-playing a situation, an ability to dampen the emotional turmoil Sasha was in. Everything was easy-breezy for Pippa, just a series of setbacks to solve. Reconciling Sasha and Thomas was probably just another bullet point on the agenda in that folder of hers.

But Sasha wasn’t so sure what she felt anymore. Her mind was a jumble, just like it always seemed to be when it came to Thomas Lloyd.

“Let me give you the grand tour,” Pippa said, taking her by the arm.

She led her round the house then up to the guest bedroom where she’d be staying until, in Pippa’s words, Thomas “pulled himself together.”

“Now, freshen up ready for the Amore people,” Pippa said.

Sasha did as she was told, too overwhelmed and confused by everything that had happened to argue. A mixture of alcohol and orgasm had left her muggy-headed. Once today was over, she made a note to get into some kind of routine in order to re-establish normalcy. She’d always been an early riser, a morning jogger, but ever since Thomas had flipped her life upside down things had been completely out of sync.

After showering, Sasha put on a fluffy robe and stepped out into the hallway. Her hair was wet and dangled down her back. There was no point styling it if she was getting her hair and makeup done professionally.

Thomas left his bedroom at the exact time she left hers. He’d washed as well, and changed into something more relaxed. It felt strangely intimate seeing him in his casual clothes. He glowered at her.

“You’re wet,” he said.

“Yes,” she replied, not knowing what he was expecting her to say but knowing instinctively that she’d somehow done something to annoy him. Again.

He looked at her a moment longer. Then she realized the look in his eyes wasn’t anger. It was lust. It was the same penetrating look he gave her when he was focused on making her orgasm.

Sasha realized then that her wet hair was turning him on. And his gaze in return was turning her on.

Thomas coughed, breaking the intensity of the moment, and went down the stairs.

Sasha stood there blinking, panting, almost winded. How did Thomas possess the ability to make her so wet just by looking at her? It was like a superhuman power.

The makeup artist and hairdresser arrived and set up in Thomas’s plush living room. For some reason, he sat in on the pampering session. Pippa must have told him to. To keep up appearances. He sipped a cup of tea and read a newspaper over his crossed leg, giving off the image of someone calm, cool, collected and completely unfazed by the crazy goings on of the last few days.

Once Sasha’s hair and makeup was done she looked in the mirror. She looked so different, so glossy. Almost as glossy as Thomas himself, almost as though she wouldn’t be completely out of place on his arm.

Once the makeup and hair team had done their thing, they left and were immediately replaced by Tina, the stylist from Amore. Sasha couldn’t help but wonder how Thomas coped with all these people constantly streaming in and out of his life. Didn’t he ever get time to himself?