An American Submissive in Britain (3 page)

Guy led Gina across the road and into a multistory parking lot. The air was crisp and cold even though the sun was still shining, and she shivered at the extreme temperature change from inside the airport.

Guy obviously noticed her shiver. “I always hate that about flying. You spend hours breathing in reconditioned air and then either freeze or overheat at your destination.”

Gina smiled, pulling gloves out of her coat pocket. “This should do the trick.” While she pulled them on, she hoped to God that her breath was not too evil and her hair didn’t look like it’d been pulled through a hedge backward. She’d not had a chance to look at herself since she’d used the bathroom on the plane about four hours ago. She groaned inwardly. He probably thought she looked a complete mess. He, on the other hand, was anything but. Gina couldn’t wait to call Maggie and knock her ideas about British men right out of the park.

For God’s sake, get a grip,
she thought.
What the hell does it matter what this man is like. You’re here to sort out the house and meet a new brother and sister. That was more than enough to deal with.

“Is everything okay, Miss Ramsey? That’s quite a frown.”

Gina glanced up at him, embarrassed. “Oh, yes, everything’s fine. It was just…well…”

Guy raised an eyebrow and then grinned as he opened the trunk of the car they had stopped in front of. It was a dark blue Daimler Jaguar, a classic, and Gina smiled in appreciation.

“Wow, this is beautiful,” she said, taking in the sleek lines and the chrome jaguar hood ornament. “It’s late seventies, early eighties, right?”

Guy closed the trunk and glanced at her in surprise. “I’m impressed. You’re a car fan?”

“My stepdad is into classic cars in a big way,” Gina answered. “It drives my mom crazy sometimes when he drags her to car shows hundreds of miles away just to look at an old Mustang or whatever, but I picked up a few pointers during my childhood. I can appreciate a nice-looking car as much as the next woman.”

He opened the passenger door for her, and she stepped in, running her hand along the cool cream leather and admiring the dark wood interior. It felt strange, sitting on the left hand side of the car but having no steering wheel. After closing her door, he walked to the other side and got in beside her, starting the engine straight away and cranking up the heat at once so she would be able to warm up. She smiled her thanks, and he grinned at her before reversing out of the parking space and driving them away from the airport craziness. This beat a busy train or bumpy coach ride any day.

Gina reached down into her bag and retrieved a couple of printouts she had brought with her from home. “I did a bit of research on Newmarket just so I had some idea of the area. It seems really interesting. I hope I get the chance to explore the area a little.”

Guy glanced at her before returning his eyes to the road. “I’d be happy to show you around myself. It’s a great place to live, and work, with plenty of history and culture thrown in for good measure.”

Gina looked through the papers for a minute or two, then reached down to put them back in her bag, accidentally knocking the book she had brought to read on the train out on to the floor of the car.

Guy flicked his eyes down for a second and caught just part of the title. “…of Dominance and submiss…”

Surprised, he trained his eyes back on the road and let Gina push the book back into the bag. Not able to help himself, he turned again and caught the flush of color in her cheeks before she glanced out of her side window.

Chapter Two

As the motorway stretched out before them, Guy settled himself comfortably behind the wheel and put his foot down. The car purred as he increased the acceleration; he had definitely been right to take his car to London instead of the train. And not just because of the chance to drive on the open road.

He glanced at Gina appreciatively, taking in her shapely legs and graceful hands resting in her lap. She wasn’t typically beautiful, but there was something definitely alluring about her, an honesty and straightforwardness she had shown from the moment she opened her mouth as well as a pretty face and curvy body.

No, Anderson, absolutely not,
he told himself. It was only a couple of months since he and Jessica had gone their separate ways. It was too soon; he knew that.

Shit, what was he thinking? Just because a couple of his friends had told him he had an uncanny way of being able to pick out a submissive woman in a crowd didn’t mean that he was right about the woman sitting next to him now. Reading a book about Dominance and submission could mean anything. Lots of people got a kick out or reading about kinky lifestyles, right?

To be honest, he was surprised at the impression Miss Gina Ramsey had made on him. It was the first time he had really studied a woman and liked what he saw since Jessica had left. Maybe he would push her just a little bit and see if he could find out a bit more.

He trained his eyes firmly on the road ahead. “So, Miss Ramsey, will you tell me what that deep frown was about back in the car park?”

She looked up, startled, as if he had interrupted her in deep thought, and he was surprised to see a faint blush rise up her cheeks again as she stared at him.

“Please, call me Gina. When you say Miss Ramsey, I feel like I’ve just been caught not paying attention at school.”

Guy laughed. “Okay, first names it is.”

“Well, the thing is, my best friend Maggie informed me—after extensive research, of course—that English men were…um…how can I put this…a bit reserved and introverted. You know, a bit geeky. When you saw me frowning, I was actually wondering where she had done her research as she appears to have it all wrong. Do you use the word geek over here by the way?”

Guy glanced across at Gina and grinned. “Oh yes, we’re familiar with the expression. So tell me, was she referring to Scottish, Welsh and Irish men, or was this just an attack on English manliness?”

Gina laughed, and Guy enjoyed the way she tilted her head back as she did so.

“Actually, I hate to say it, but she told me that Scottish men were sexy as hell, and great in the sack!”

“Hmm, well, I can’t say I’ve had any experience having sex with Scottish men, but I beg to differ as far as Englishmen are concerned.”

He loved the easy banter between them, considering the only contact they had had before this was by e-mail.

“So am I the only English man you’ve had a conversation with since you got on the plane?” he asked.

“Yep, you’re the only one,” Gina replied.

Guy slowed the car down as they hit some heavy traffic and then studied her face. The blush had deepened in a very endearing way. She had obviously realized he was now aware that it was her first impressions of him that had proved her friend wrong.

“In that case, I’d like to return the compliment,” he replied in a mock-serious tone. “My first impressions of you have turned my view of American women around completely.”

Gina kept her eyes on the cars in front of them. “Oh really, and what was that view exactly?”

His answer was instantaneous. “That all American women are needy, superficial and tend to be extremely high maintenance.”

Gina gasped and swung round in her seat, apparently ready to do battle. “You arrogant jer…” The words died on her lips when she saw the huge grin on his face. “Oh, very good,” she drawled, “nicely done.”

They both laughed as Guy put his foot down and the sleek Jaguar picked up speed again.

He was enjoying himself far more than he had anticipated. She was turning out to be a fun companion to travel with.

The car ate up the miles quickly, and after a short while, Guy glanced at her, wanting to explain about the inn where he had booked her a room. To his surprise, she had fallen asleep, her head turned toward him, a peaceful expression on her face.

She really was attractive, he thought. He stole another look before turning back to the road ahead. She had a lovely curvy shape with long legs that he could just imagine wrapped around him…her arms restrained above her head, securely tied to his bedframe…

No, he had to keep it purely business. He was doing this for his father who’d retired from the family firm, and only then because her father and his had been good friends.

He settled back in his seat and let the powerful car have its head. The next hour passed quickly, and the light began to fade. When they were about ten minutes from Newmarket, Guy gently said her name.

Gina opened her eyes and sat up straight. “Wow, I guess I was more tired than I thought. Sorry I fell asleep on you.”

“I’m glad you had a chance to rest. We’re almost there now. I didn’t get the chance to tell you earlier that I’ve booked you into an inn on the outskirts of town. I know you said you would sort all that out when you got here, but this place belongs to a friend of mine and I think you’ll enjoy staying there.”

“An inn? I was just going to find a local hotel, but this sounds wonderful, thank you.”

“You’re welcome. You should be able to see the inn around the next corner. It dates back to the 1700s. My friend, Andy, took it on nearly five years ago, and he’s worked a miracle in my opinion. It was on its last legs when he bought it, but as you’ll see, it’s almost fully restored now.”

The Jaguar rounded a sharp bend, and Gina drew in her breath. In the fading light, the white building looked like something out of a Jane Austen novel. Set back off the road with a cobblestone courtyard in front, the two-story inn with wooden shutters and a massive wood front door was lit by several antique looking lamps set on wrought iron posts.

The sign, hanging from an old-fashioned post in front of the building, read “The Red Lion.”

“Oh my God, it’s amazing,” Gina said softly. “Is that hay on the roof?”

Guy laughed. “It’s called a thatched roof. Quite a few of the houses in this part of the country have them. It’s quite a skill to be a thatcher, dating back hundreds of years. Don’t worry, though, it’s completely waterproof.”

He turned into the courtyard and parked in the small parking area close to the entrance. They both got out, and after taking Gina’s suitcase from the trunk, he walked with her into the inn.

An amazing aroma filled the air as they entered the main bar. “Smells like Becky is cooking up a storm again,” Guy commented. Before he had time to explain who Becky was, an enormous redheaded man strode up to them and grasped Guy’s hand, shaking it firmly.

Gina instinctively took a step back; the guy was like a brick wall.

“Guy, good to see you,” the man exclaimed, “and I see you’ve tracked down your American visitor successfully.”

“I certainly did.” He turned to Gina. “I’d like you to meet Andy McCallister, Gina. As you can hear, he doesn’t fit into the reserved, introverted geek category. With that accent, he obviously falls under sexy and great in the sack.”

Gina gasped, her mouth falling open and her face blushing furiously.

Andy grasped her hand and shook it firmly. “It’s great to meet you, Gina. Do I want to know what the hell that sentence was about, or is it best not to know?”

“It’s great to meet you,” she managed to reply, “and it really is best not to take that comment any further.”

Andy laughed, the booming sound resonating around the room. “Okay, I’ll take you at your word.” He released her small hand from his giant one and turned toward the bar area. “Becky, come and meet Guy’s American guest.”

Several patrons turned to look at the three of them, and Gina felt quite self-conscious standing there.

Guy put his hand on her arm and squeezed it gently. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to Andy. If you’re with him for any length of time, everybody will know about it. His voice could start an avalanche from twenty miles away.”

Gina smiled up at the big Scottish man and then caught sight of a small, pretty, blonde woman making her way over to the three of them. Andy put a huge arm protectively around the woman’s shoulders when she reached him. He was easily a foot and a half taller than Becky. Andy bent to kiss the top of her blonde curls as she fit snugly into the side of his body. Becky glanced up at Andy, and he smiled and nodded to her.

She turned back to Gina. “It’s great to meet you,” she said, giving Gina a big smile and shaking her hand. “I’m glad Guy found you at the airport and you didn’t have to learn the English public transport system after that long journey.”

“I totally agree with you,” Gina said. “I guess I’m much more tired than I thought I’d be. It’s the first long flight I’ve ever done, so I didn’t really know what to expect.”

“Well, you come along with me, and I’ll get you settled in your room. I think a hot chocolate wouldn’t go amiss as well.”

Again, she looked at Andy, and he bent and gave her a kiss on the lips. “Go ahead, sweetheart. I just want to have a quick word with Guy. Leave the suitcase, and I’ll bring it up in a couple of minutes.”

Guy watched Gina closely, having seen that she had noticed the interaction between Andy and his submissive. He wondered if she thought anything of it or if the eye contact and subtle command had passed over her head.
What does it matter either way,
he remonstrated with himself. He was here to do a job, nothing more.

Gina turned to Guy. “Thank you for picking me up this afternoon. I don’t mean to be boring, but I think I probably should get some rest.”

“Of course. Why don’t I meet you here in the morning? Say about ten. We could take a drive over to your house, and then I’ll show you around the local area.”

She smiled at him. “That sounds great. I’ll see you in the morning then.”

Gina turned to Becky and followed her across the room and through some pocket doors to a hallway beyond. Guy’s eyes followed their progress until Becky closed the doors behind them.

“Do I detect an interest in our American visitor?” Andy asked with a smirk on his face. “Do we have another case of your famous intuition on our hands, my friend?”