The Barefoot Groom: Bachelor Billionaire Romance (A Last Play Companion) Read Online Free PDF Page B

laughed too. Had he really just said that?
    Almost immediately, embarrassment filled her. She pulled herself halfway out of the hot tub and let her feet dangle. She told herself to relax. It was stupid to be all flustered. “I cannot believe that just happened.”
    Somehow his grin grew even wider.
    There was the heart hammering again. Trying to ignore it, she put her hand out in a professional way. “I’m London by the way.”
    The spark came back when he took her hand. “London?”
    Letting out a nervous laugh, she shook her head. “London Bridge.”
    One corner of his mouth turned up, but he couldn’t stop it there, and the other side came up for a full smile.
    When she tried to tug out of his grasp, he tightened his grip. “Wait …” His eyes fluttered.
    Ripping her hand back, she pushed herself back into the water, loving the way her body felt like spaghetti. “If you sing ‘London Bridge Is Falling Down,’ I’ll punch you in the nose. I’m not kidding.” She closed her eyes and slid down until the water was up to her chin.
    A half laugh came out of him. “ Wowza , London Bridge.”
    She couldn’t help laughing at the way he mimicked her. “Right? My parents willfully did that to me. Believe me, my older brother was brutal in the teasing.”
    Coughing and then clearing his throat, he visibly clenched his jaw shut.
    London knew he was trying hard to keep some snarky comment in, and it didn’t bother her one bit. For some reason, she hoped the encounter wouldn’t end.
    Both of them sat there for a few moments, and when she opened her eyes, he was staring at her.
    “What?”
    “Nothing.” But his gaze was intense.
    “Something.”
    “Tell me more about you.”
    Without warning, thoughts of the beach and Dillon rushed into her mind. If she let this guy get closer to her, it would just open her up for pain.
    Watching the play of emotions across her face, he let out a low whistle. “Seems like there’s an interesting story.”
    Hesitating, she figured why not spill to a complete stranger? “No, not really. Actually, it’s quite cliché—girl meets boy, falls in love, plans wedding on a Hawaiian beach, and … boy doesn’t show up.”
    Seeming to measure her revelation, he squinted. “Ouch.”
    His reaction made her laugh. “To boot, I found out later he and my best friend …” She couldn’t even say it.
    “Ah, I’m sorry.”
    Waving her hand in the air, she grunted out a laugh and wagged her finger at him. “See, I wasn’t going to tell anyone that story this weekend.”
    Not reacting for a second, he said, “Why not? Everyone has pain. Most of us wouldn’t be here if we didn’t.”
    She hadn’t thought of that. She’d been focused on the meat market and hadn’t even thought about what others were going through. She squinted back at him. “So what’s your pain?”
    She knew, from the look on his face, it was the wrong question to ask, but the journalist in her had to know. And, she admitted to herself, maybe it was more than just the journalist who wanted to know.
    Letting out a breath, he put his hands up in surrender. “Nothing to tell.”
    Suddenly London felt naked, and it had nothing to do with being half-clothed. She’d just bared her soul, and he hadn’t reciprocated in the slightest. She had a flashback to Dillon and the way he would never engage about personal things without drastic measures. “No, of course you don’t have a story.”
    He snapped his head up. “What?”
    “I sit here and tell you all about me …” She let out a derisive laugh. “Man, I guess I’m the emotional, needy one in my seven circles of hell.” She moved to get out of the hot tub.
    “Wait, don’t leave.” He put his hand out. “Just calm down.”
    But she was already out, wrapping her towel and sliding into her flip-flops.
    “You say I didn’t reciprocate, but you didn’t even ask my name.”
    Rattled, she hesitated and stared back at him.
    He didn’t answer.
    And then it hit