ATasteofLondon Read Online Free Page A

apparently not the elusive
purse. The girl muttered as the woman behind the counter threw Ryan an
apologetic glance.
    “Sorry,” the girl said, looking up at him, “I’m holding you
up.”
    She stated the obvious, yet Ryan barely noticed. When she’d
been riffling through her bag, her blonde hair had covered her face, but now
Ryan could see. And he really liked what he saw. The girl had a beautiful
heart-shaped face, wide blue eyes and what he and Kristian liked to call
blowjob lips.
    He smiled at her. “It’s okay,” he said, “I’m not in a rush.”
    The girl smiled back. “It’s in here somewhere, I promise.”
    “I tell you what, then. How about I pay for both of us, then
you can give me the money when you find your purse?”
    “How do you know I’m good for it?” she countered cheekily.
    “You a student?”
    She nodded.
    “Well then. It’s two quid. If you make a run for it, then I
haven’t exactly squandered a fortune, have I?”
    He turned to the cashier, handed her the money with a grin
and took the tickets she gave him. Turning, he indicated that his new companion
should ascend the stairs before him. Naturally he was just being polite, but
his actions had a bonus—he’d be able to watch her arse wiggle as she climbed to
the top of the Monument. A gentleman with an agenda.
    “Thank you,” she said. “You’re very kind. I do have the
money, you know.”
    “I don’t doubt it. But don’t worry about it now. Just worry
about getting up three hundred and eleven steps!”
    She laughed. “That’s true. I’m not exactly fit. You may need
to give me CPR.”
    Her tone was light but her gaze met his and her expression
was intense. She was flirting with him. Result.
    “I think I can manage that,” he countered. “I’m first
aid-qualified, so you’re in safe hands.”
    At that she glanced down at his hands, then back at his
face.
    “I’m glad to hear it…”
    “Ryan.”
    “Hayley.”
    “It’s lovely to meet you, Hayley.”
    He indicated the spiral staircase once more. “After you.”
    She flashed him a smile, then shifted her bag on her
shoulder and began to climb the steps. Ryan started after her, leaving a few
stairs between them. He didn’t want to crowd her personal space, plus being too
close meant he’d be staring at the middle of her back rather than her arse. And
her arse was definitely a view worth checking out. Possibly even better than
the view he was climbing three hundred and eleven steps for, he decided, as he
enjoyed the sway of her rounded cheeks in her well-fitting jeans.
    The climb wasn’t a swift one. Only a super-fit person could
get all the way to the top without stopping at least a couple of times for a
breather, plus they had to keep flattening themselves against the wall to let
people descending the stairs get past. By the time Ryan and Hayley got to the
top of the Monument they were both huffing and puffing. He followed her out of
the door at the top and onto the narrow viewing platform that ran the perimeter
of the column. He laughed as Hayley slumped onto the barrier that stopped them
plummeting one hundred and sixty feet to the ground below.
    “Fucking hell,” she said, reaching a hand into her
voluminous bag, “I think I’m ready for that CPR now.”
    Her hand emerged seconds later, grasping a bottle of water.
Hayley unscrewed the lid and took several mouthfuls before wiping the top and
offering the bottle to Ryan. He smiled and took the water from her before
swallowing a few gulps down himself.
    “Thanks,” he said, handing the bottle back. “That handbag
does have its uses after all.”
    “Shut up, you. Surely you know how much stuff us women like
to carry around with us?”
    “But not their purses, it would seem,” he responded with a
huge grin, earning him a slap on the arm.
    “Ow,” he said, cradling his arm and pouting, “what was that
for?”
    “You deserved it,” Hayley said, reaching into the now
infamous bag once more. “I told