No overt affection—good to know. He joined them, but he only had eyes for Rosalind. “How are you?”
“Better.” She smiled up at him, silently telling him she wanted to kiss him. But then she turned to the ladies. “Nick, these are my older sisters, Beatrice, Viola, and Portia. Everyone, this is Nick.”
Luca put a finger under Beatrice’s chin and redirected her gaze back to him. “The view is better this way, no?”
“I hadn’t noticed.” She deliberately moved her chin from his grip.
Nick grinned and stuck out his hand toward Rosalind’s sister. “I have a feeling we’re going to get long magnificently.”
“Interesting.” She shot Rosalind a look. “Are you keeping secrets, Ros?”
The other sister who looked weary around her eyes, Viola, lifted her shot glass to signal Niamh for another drink. “It seems like it’s what we do.”
The third sister, who wore black head to toe like a cat burglar, leaned toward Luca. “For the record, I think the view is lovely.”
The Italian raised his brows at Beatrice. “Your sister shows good sense.”
Beatrice tipped her head, her lips pursed with feigned contemplation. “Perhaps you should sit with her then.”
Niamh arrived with a saucy smile and elbowed Nick’s side. “Joining the party?”
“A couple pints for us,” he said, looking questioningly at the ladies.
“Yes, please,” Viola said as she lifted her shot glass.
“No.” Beatrice took the glass from her sister’s hand and stood. “I’m taking Vi home.”
“No, cara.” Luca took her hand and placed it on his chest, over his heart. “Stay with me for this one drink.”
She patted his chest and withdrew her hand. “If you have trouble drinking on your own, I’ll make sure she brings you a straw.”
Nick chuckled under his breath.
The cat burglar—Portia?—raised her hand. “I’ll stay. I’ll have another.”
Luca lifted his brow at Beatrice. “Your sister is very amenable.”
“If you find out how amenable she is, I’ll hang you by your bollocks.” Bea smiled as sweetly as a shark and took Viola in hand. “You’re fine, Rosalind?”
“Of course.” She waved them off. “I’ll see you later.”
Luca sighed lustily as he watched them leave. “That is a magnificent woman.”
“She eats men’s balls for lunch,” the cat burglar said.
“Even better.” He turned his wicked smile on Rosalind. “Cara, you must be the one Nico pines for.”
Nick pushed the Italian back and sat on the stool next to Rosalind. “His English isn’t very good.”
“I understand him.” Portia looked primly at the race car driver. “Have you been in London long?”
Luca shook his head, smiling at Niamh as she set their drinks on the bar. “I’m here only to convince Nico—”
Nick kicked him under the table.
“—that he should race me.” The Italian looked at him with narrow calculation. Then he returned his slick smile to the women. “I am a Formula One driver.”
“Are you good?” Portia asked, making a face as she sipped her drink.
“The best.” He faced Rosalind. “Nico is also good at many things, including driving, but not as good as me.”
Rosalind smiled. “I wouldn’t think so, since you race for a living.”
Luca gave him a look. Then he said, “Nico races—”
“Me racing is a mad thought,” he interrupted, taking a sip of his beer.
“Is it?” Luca tipped his head as if imagining it. “Perhaps we should test it with a race. Now.”
Aware of Rosalind’s questioning gaze on him, he explained, “Luca likes to test his Ferrari against my Lotus. He won’t accept that you can’t beat British engineering. Italians are all flash and no substance.”
“That’s a shame. I’ve never seen a race before. It seems like something a bad girl would do.”
He heard the promise in her voice—so did certain parts of his body that perked immediately to attention. A drag race through the sleepy streets of London with Rosalind at his side was a potent aphrodisiac concocted just for him.
Luca knocked his arm. “You see, caro? We should race. You will take the fair Rosalind, and I’ll take beautiful Portia, and we’ll see who’s all flash.”
“Let’s do it.” Portia downed her drink and set it on the table.
Nick glanced down at his beer, barely touched. Just as well since they were apparently going to drive hard. He pushed it aside and stood. “We left the cars at home.”