imply they were dating.
“Carson Erving?”
As if there were multiple Carsons running around London and familiar to Liz. “Yes.”
“That’s a pity.”
Chapter 5
Liz hammered on the door of Carson’s Brentford villa. The fashion show had not been fun. She’d been caught between Brandon and her aunt Natalie making big eyes at her, amused by his presence—something he’d noticed. Liz had been forced to whisper in his ear, “My family don’t know about my relationship with Carson”, adding to herself, for the simple reason that it doesn’t exist .
“They won’t hear about it from me,” Brandon had replied.
And somehow, a cold shiver had snaked down her spine.
There was a relentlessness about Brandon that was all wolf. It had made his fortune on the stock market, but directed at her…Liz didn’t like it.
Damage control! This was her problem, and she’d panicked and handled it badly. Dragging Carson into it was unconscionable. He had his own problems with the Elixir Gentian and the people after it, and he’d made it plain that he couldn’t, and wouldn’t, take on her problems.
Okay. I can handle this. She ran the plan over in her head. First, she had to confess to Carson what she’d done. She winced. He wouldn’t like being claimed as her boyfriend. But then, she’d make everything better. She knew what they needed to do. They’d pretend to break up. She’d find one of her chatty cousins, “confess” the relationship breakdown, and Carson would be out of the picture.
Then, Liz would think about a better strategy for dealing with Brandon. Maybe something simple and direct. She tried it out loud. “No, Brandon, I don’t want to date you.”
“My name’s Carson.”
“Oh damn.” Liz whirled around.
Carson hadn’t answered the door. Instead, he’d walked around the corner of the house and now looked quizzically up at her. Evening sunlight haloed him in gold.
“Hi,” she said weakly.
“Hello.”
“I guess you didn’t expect to see me back, here.” She walked slowly down the four front steps to join him on the miniscule front lawn.
“Nope.”
“About that…”
A car slowed on the street and crawled past. Carson raised a hand in greeting. “A neighbor. Come around to the back.” Out of sight.
“I won’t be here long,” she said to his back. A very lean and well-muscled back covered by a thin white t-shirt. At the fashion show she’d seen gorgeous clothes on beautiful people, but for her money, give her a man who could fill out a white t-shirt and faded blue jeans the way Carson did. Mmmhmm .
He stopped to open a narrow side gate and caught her checking out his butt.
She refused to blush. “I told Brandon we were dating.”
The gate clicked open and Carson pushed it wide, gesturing her through. “I told you not to involve me.”
“I know!” She hurried through the gate. “And now that you’ve explained about the gentians—wow! It looks bigger in daylight.” She marveled at the huge glasshouse hidden behind the street front Victorian villa and high brick walls. “Are those the plants?” She squinted to see through the glass panes.
A security guard looked at them from the kitchen doorway, received a nod from Carson, and stayed in the house.
Carson led Liz into the glasshouse.
“It’s not as hot as I thought it would be.” She looked around at the orderly rows of plants growing in individual pots on raised stands. The leaves were dark green, luxuriant and healthy. The scent was more overwhelming, of damp earth, minerals and chlorophyll.
“Sub-alpine conditions.” Hands in his back pockets, he stared at her.
She remembered that they weren’t here for a tour of the greenhouse. “Brandon turned up at my house unexpectedly to escort me to Cobar’s fashion show. He indicated fairly strongly that he was interested in a relationship with me, a serious one.”
“You knew that last night.”
“Yes, but…he was at my house!”
A keen look,
“Carson Erving?”
As if there were multiple Carsons running around London and familiar to Liz. “Yes.”
“That’s a pity.”
Chapter 5
Liz hammered on the door of Carson’s Brentford villa. The fashion show had not been fun. She’d been caught between Brandon and her aunt Natalie making big eyes at her, amused by his presence—something he’d noticed. Liz had been forced to whisper in his ear, “My family don’t know about my relationship with Carson”, adding to herself, for the simple reason that it doesn’t exist .
“They won’t hear about it from me,” Brandon had replied.
And somehow, a cold shiver had snaked down her spine.
There was a relentlessness about Brandon that was all wolf. It had made his fortune on the stock market, but directed at her…Liz didn’t like it.
Damage control! This was her problem, and she’d panicked and handled it badly. Dragging Carson into it was unconscionable. He had his own problems with the Elixir Gentian and the people after it, and he’d made it plain that he couldn’t, and wouldn’t, take on her problems.
Okay. I can handle this. She ran the plan over in her head. First, she had to confess to Carson what she’d done. She winced. He wouldn’t like being claimed as her boyfriend. But then, she’d make everything better. She knew what they needed to do. They’d pretend to break up. She’d find one of her chatty cousins, “confess” the relationship breakdown, and Carson would be out of the picture.
Then, Liz would think about a better strategy for dealing with Brandon. Maybe something simple and direct. She tried it out loud. “No, Brandon, I don’t want to date you.”
“My name’s Carson.”
“Oh damn.” Liz whirled around.
Carson hadn’t answered the door. Instead, he’d walked around the corner of the house and now looked quizzically up at her. Evening sunlight haloed him in gold.
“Hi,” she said weakly.
“Hello.”
“I guess you didn’t expect to see me back, here.” She walked slowly down the four front steps to join him on the miniscule front lawn.
“Nope.”
“About that…”
A car slowed on the street and crawled past. Carson raised a hand in greeting. “A neighbor. Come around to the back.” Out of sight.
“I won’t be here long,” she said to his back. A very lean and well-muscled back covered by a thin white t-shirt. At the fashion show she’d seen gorgeous clothes on beautiful people, but for her money, give her a man who could fill out a white t-shirt and faded blue jeans the way Carson did. Mmmhmm .
He stopped to open a narrow side gate and caught her checking out his butt.
She refused to blush. “I told Brandon we were dating.”
The gate clicked open and Carson pushed it wide, gesturing her through. “I told you not to involve me.”
“I know!” She hurried through the gate. “And now that you’ve explained about the gentians—wow! It looks bigger in daylight.” She marveled at the huge glasshouse hidden behind the street front Victorian villa and high brick walls. “Are those the plants?” She squinted to see through the glass panes.
A security guard looked at them from the kitchen doorway, received a nod from Carson, and stayed in the house.
Carson led Liz into the glasshouse.
“It’s not as hot as I thought it would be.” She looked around at the orderly rows of plants growing in individual pots on raised stands. The leaves were dark green, luxuriant and healthy. The scent was more overwhelming, of damp earth, minerals and chlorophyll.
“Sub-alpine conditions.” Hands in his back pockets, he stared at her.
She remembered that they weren’t here for a tour of the greenhouse. “Brandon turned up at my house unexpectedly to escort me to Cobar’s fashion show. He indicated fairly strongly that he was interested in a relationship with me, a serious one.”
“You knew that last night.”
“Yes, but…he was at my house!”
A keen look,
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