Rachel gave him a cold look. “I don’t do slumming.”
“Savoy it is then.” He looked down at Megan, noting how perfectly she fit in his arms. He could tuck her under his chin and surround her. Protect her. He silently scoffed at his thoughts. Like Megan would ever let anyone protect her. Still, he filled his lungs with her strawberry scent. She didn’t need to know she was being protected now, did she?
“I need my shoes.” Megan pushed against his arms. Reluctantly, he freed her and then watched her dress cling to her backside as she bent down for her shoes. It showed every sensually perfect curve. Yeah, he really hated that dress.
“Rachel?” he called.
“What is it now?” Rachel snapped.
“Has the Savoy got any shops? Megan needs some new clothes.”
“Yes.” Rachel stuck her nose in the air. “There are a few boutiques, but I doubt very much Megan would find anything to her taste.”
“You mean I wouldn’t find anything I could afford,” Megan said. “Honestly, Rach, you are such a snob.”
“Yes, but I’m an accurate snob.”
Megan rolled her eyes as she looked at Dimitri. “Can we swing past the flat at the office so I can pick up some stuff?”
“Too dangerous.”
“Well, can we go to the Savoy via Oxford street? There’s a sale on in Top Shop.”
Dimitri just stared at her. Seriously?
“No shopping,” Callum barked.
“Oh for the love of all things Prada.” Rachel let out a dramatic sigh. “I’ll pay for some new clothes at the hotel.”
Knowing how independent Megan was and how much animosity was between her and Rachel, he expected her to refuse. Instead she grinned widely.
“I’m going to need one of everything,” she said as she followed Rachel out the door. “All I have on me is this dress and the bikini I stole from you.”
“What happened to your underwear?” Rachel said.
“I left it at Rudi’s house,” Megan said.
And Dimitri had to hold the wall for a second until he got that image out of his head. She’d stripped for Rudi Abramovich? Yeah, they were definitely going to have a very long, private chat once they got to the hotel.
Right after he burned that dress.
Chapter Twenty-Three
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nbsp; Julia rushed down the hallway into a darkened room. When she flicked on the light switch she saw it was Rachel’s home office. Julia didn’t care what room it was, only that it was empty. She dumped her dress and shoes onto the desk and unwrapped the towel around her. Her slip was still wet from jumping into the pool like a scared rabbit. Only rabbits would burrow, not jump in water. She shook her head. The slip had to go. She could pull on her dress over her damp underwear. Not perfect, but there was no way she had the confidence to walk back out there without any underwear on.
She tugged the knee length slip over her head and looked around for somewhere to put it that wouldn’t be ruined by the water. That’s when the door opened. She squealed and scrambled for her towel, just in time to hold it in front of her before Joe stepped into the room.
“Joe! I’m getting dressed here.” Her cheeks burned and she unconsciously backed up until her hip hit the desk.
The room seemed to fill with his presence as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Julia felt her heart race. Her eyes flicked between Joe and the door. Without being able to stop herself she cast around for somewhere to hide. Her only option was under the desk. She took a step to the side, ready to run around the large wooden corporate desk and duck under it.
“Don’t even think about it, Jules,” Joe rumbled.
She froze in place. She knew her eyes were wide and she had the terrified look of a rabbit in headlights. It was just another one of the many things she’d change about herself if she could. Maybe, once this whole mess was over, she’d use her unemployment time to check into a clinic where they could reprogram her brain. Cognitive behavioural therapy. She’d tried it years earlier but had been told she was trying to change her personality, not her behaviour and it wouldn’t work. The therapist had been a lovely man. He’d told her there was nothing wrong with her. She’d laughed hard until she cried and he’d comforted her. All she could think was, if there was nothing wrong with her then why did she have so many problems doing things other people took for granted. Maybe another clinic would be willing to give her a go.
“Whatever you’re thinking,” Joe said, “stop it.”