Fire & Ice ~ The Drake Legacy: Book One Read Online Free PDF

kitchen were delicious and heady as they drifted past us.  
    At the other tables were well-dressed couples and occasional businessmen, all out on meetings … or maybe affairs.  
    I could get used to this kind of life, I thought.  
    When my eyes finally came to rest on Xander again, I realized he was smiling at something and shaking his head, as if tickled by a joke.  
    “What?” I asked, genuinely puzzled.  
    “Cheeseburger and fries!” he said, repeating my order, a note of amazement in his voice.  
    “Oh geez,” I said, feeling my stomach lurch. “Did I order the wrong thing? Have I made some kind of faus pax? I guess it was pretty childish, wasn’t it?”  
    “No, no!” he said, quickly. “It’s just that … the women I know usually just order salad. And then, most of the time, they don’t even eat that . They just sit there and move it around the plate with their fork. It’s good to meet someone with a real appetite for once.”
    If only you knew, I thought, remembering again my marathon self-plesuring session in bed last night.  
    “So tell me a little more about yourself, Cassie,” he continued. “Where are you from? You sound … you sound …”
    “English?” I suggested.  
    “Yeah,” he nodded, leaning in a little.  
    “Well, I was born there,” I explained. “In Bristol. I lived there until my dad got a job in the Mid-West, just before my tenth birthday.”
    “That’s too bad,” he said. “It must have been tough for you, moving at that age.”
    “It’s hard to remember,” I said, which was the truth. “And anyway, I’m kind of glad I moved. Otherwise …”
    And then I quickly stopped myself, realizing just what it was I was about to say.  
    “Otherwise what?” he asked.  
    I paused for a moment. The words I’d almost spoken were still spinning around in my head, ringing out as loud as a pair of stiletto heels on a marble floor: Otherwise I wouldn’t be sitting here in this amazing restaurant with you!
    I swallowed and opened my mouth to speak.  
    “Otherwise, I’d probably never have had a chance to see so much of the world.”
    At this, Xander smiled and nodded.  
    I breathed out a quick sigh of relief, then continued, still feeling my heart pounding from my near miss with embarrassment.  
    “I mean, not like you,” I smiled. “I’ve seen your diary! It must be amazing, jet setting like that. Seeing so much of the world.”
    He laughed.  
    “Oh, it’s a lot more boring than you think!” he said. “Sure, I might well be in Tokyo or Amsterdam, but usually all I’ll ever see of it is the airport and some corporate board room. And they all look pretty much identical, no matter where you are in the world.”
    “Oh, that’s too bad,” I said, honestly feeling sorry for him. “Don’t you ever feel like staying longer, turning it into a holiday? It seems like such a shame to go so far and then not take in any of the sights the world has to offer.”
    “I’d love to,” he said. “But as you said, you’ve seen my diary. I hardly have the time, Cassie. I’ve worked all my life. I never have a day off. And anyway, it’s not such fun if I’m going to those amazing places alone.”
    At this my heart flipped again.  
    Was he suggesting that he didn’t have a girlfriend? Surely a man like him must be fighting the women off?  
    And was I really wondering if perhaps I could be the one to accompany him on my travels?
    My crush was getting way out of control and I knew it. I had to put a lid on my silly daydreaming, and quick.
    “I’m just gonna pop to the ladies room,” I said, smiling politely. “Back in a moment.”  
    And so, just like that, I quickly got to my feet and headed in the direction that looked most likely to be the bathrooms. Luckily I was right. I pushed through the doors and the room was empty. I gave myself a long look in the mirror, checking if my makeup or hair was out of place. It wasn’t.  
    The words I’d almost spoken