London Falling (38 page)

But this time it mattered. His life with Aimee was at stake. The one person in the world who got him, who loved him for who he was, not for what he could provide.

But did he really know that? Could he really contemplate choosing Aimee over his inheritance and his life until now? He didn’t even know if she would have him. What if he gave up his inheritance for her and she still spurned him?

He didn’t care. He wanted her no matter what. And he’d do whatever it took to win her back. And unlike the bank–or his father–there was actually a chance that she could love him back.

He made his decision. And the weight he’d been carrying on his shoulders suddenly lifted.

“I’ll be out in less than an hour,” Simon said to his father.

His father dropped the phone back into the cradle. “You’re bluffing,” he said.

Simon turned and walked to the door. Before he walked out, he stopped and turned to his father. “I’m sorry it had to end this way.” He walked out the door.

And didn’t look back.

Aimee ducked her head in the cool mist that was February in Seattle and adjusted her book bag at her side. She had an afternoon of freedom before heading down to work at the garage. The only thing she wanted to do was crawl into her pajamas, curl up under her comforter, and not think about Simon.

But that was impossible.

She’d been thinking about him non-stop since she returned, and she feared that he would be at the top of her thoughts forever. She missed him.

His smile. His laugh. His sexy British accent. Even that stupid eyebrow quirk of his. Most of all, she missed the way he made her feel when she was near him.

Too bad he couldn’t change. He was tied to the bank forever. And his dad would never cut the strings he used to control Simon. She was grateful to him, as well, since he taught her to open her heart again. Until Simon, she hadn’t realized how closed off she’d become and how quickly she pushed others away. He showed her that she didn’t have to be that way. She’d gone out with her study group the other night and actually had a good time. She’d also reconnected with Paige and several other friends from her early years in school. Now she could open up and have a true relationship, surround herself with friends and still live a fairly full life. And maybe someday even meet someone she could love.

Except Simon had ruined her chances forever. She pulled a dead sprig off a dormant lavender plant. How could she love anyone else when it seemed she’d never get over Simon?

Aimee turned down the sidewalk as she searched through her bag for her keys. She caught sight of something furry and black before it launched itself at her. “Aaack!” she yelled, before she realized that it was just a tiny puppy that was putting its muddy paws on her jeans.

A puppy that looked suspiciously like another puppy she knew.

“Cupcake?”

The puppy hopped around in circles, before shaking a bucketful of water all over her.

“I thought you might want your dog back,” a deeply familiar voice said.

Aimee pushed her wet hair out of her eyes. It was almost as though her thoughts about Simon had conjured him up from thin air, except that this Simon was sitting on her front stoop and wearing jeans and tennis shoes–something she was absolutely certain the real Simon didn’t actually own. He unfolded his lean form and stood.

He was real.

Why couldn’t Simon have shown up this morning when her hair looked good for once? She needed to do something about her shaking hands, so she bent down to greet Cupcake, who answered her by jumping up to lick her nose. “You never found the owners?” She couldn’t believe she sounded so calm and collected, when all she wanted to do was jump Simon and drag him inside to her futon.

“I found them.”

“They didn’t want Cupcake?” Who wouldn’t want Cupcake? He was the perfect dog. Cupcake went over and peed on the rose bush next to her door.

Okay, not so perfect.

“They wanted him. It took quite a bit of convincing and the promise of a new puppy and a 6-week training course before they allowed me to keep him.”

Simon sounded stilted and not at all like himself. Aimee tilted her head to gauge his expression, but he was unreadable.

“Why are you here?” she asked. “To bring me Cupcake? You know I don’t have the money to take care of a dog.” Oh, how she wished she did, however.

“To bring you Cupcake. That, and …” He gave a sort-of half-laugh, half-groan. “Well, I needed some advice.”

Aimee stood up, so she could see his face better. He sounded so strange.

He held his expression so tight and his gaze was strangely watchful. “You came all the way to Seattle to get my advice? You know, there is such a thing as the telephone now? Lucy has my number.” He was torturing her just by being here. Why did he come?

“Yes, but I thought you’d give better advice in person.” He put his hands in his pockets like an awkward teenage boy. “You see, I’m in the market for a job, and since you’ve had quite a few, I thought you could give me some pointers, maybe look over my CV.”

Was he joking? Aimee had to step closer to see into his eyes. The emotion she saw reflected there was almost her undoing. Her voice came out in a whisper. “Your dad fired you?”

“I quit,” he said.

“Over me?” She held her breath as she waited for his answer. If he said yes, then she would never forgive herself for ruining his life. If he said no, then she’d know that he was only here because she was convenient and available. Neither option was good.

“Yes and no,” he said.

Great. The worst of both worlds. “I don’t understand.”

“I brought my father the royal family’s business–”

“But how? I thought you’d lost it?”

He smiled. “I did. But I brought him something even better. And it was because of your advice to me that I even thought of it. You told me to focus on what I did well, not try to copy what everyone else was doing. And you were right.”

So was he here to thank her? Was that what this was all about? He brought her Cupcake as a consolation prize?

“I brought him a venture fund, wherein the royal family and others invest their money in helping small businesses in Great Britain that couldn’t normally get funding. The criteria was that they create jobs for the country–it’s a charitable investment. Not as high of a return, but it does good. They loved it, as long as I was attached to the fund.”

Aimee stuck her hands in the pockets of her coat. “But if that’s the case, why did you quit your job?”

“I gave my father an ultimatum. I bring him the business. He allows me free reign to date whomever I want.”

“He didn’t agree to it.” Aimee could have told him that before he even asked.

“No. It made me realize that he’d been holding the business over my head for my entire adult life. And while I still love my father, I can’t ever work for him again. I never got over the fear that he created when he almost lost the bank. I never trusted him, which is why I gave so much to my work. I couldn’t let go and my father used that. But you were right about me. I do crave adventure–and autonomy–more than I want the bank. Although, there’s something I crave even more than adventure.”

Her hand moved to her throat. “What are you saying?”

“I need to know if you’ll give me a second chance. A do-over.” His mouth tilted adorably.

She wanted to say yes, but he still hadn’t said the words she needed to hear. And what if he made her fall more in love with him and then left her?

But hadn’t she just decided that in order to love, she had to risk rejection?

That she was forever pushing people away before they even got a chance to love her?

And here was the one person that she loved more than anyone else in the entire world asking her for a chance. She had to do it. Her breath caught in her throat and she couldn’t make a peep. She nodded instead.

He stepped closer. “Yes?” he asked. His eyes were full of emotion–worry, hope, and something else she couldn’t define, but it was the worry that finally loosened her tongue. He was putting himself out for her. She could do the same.

“Yes,” she said, before he wrapped her in his arms and twirled her around on the sidewalk in front of her apartment.

“I love you, Aimee. God, I love you so much!”

Aimee pulled back. Could it be true? The answer was there, reflected in his eyes. He did love her. He put his hands on her cheeks and pulled her in for a kiss. She returned his kiss with all the love in her heart.

“I love you too,” she said in between kisses.

Now he pulled back in surprise. Something in her eyes must have convinced him, because he twirled her around again. Cupcake started barking at all the commotion, and then he pee’d on another bush. Aimee started to laugh, and then Simon did too.

Simon followed Aimee inside her apartment, already tugging his coat off.

He couldn’t wait to show her how much he loved her. He’d been dreaming of her for weeks. He only hoped that he could keep his enthusiasm to a low boil, so that they’d both enjoy their reunion.

Aimee turned on a light, and Simon paused with his coat hanging off one arm. Her place was a dump. It was barely the size of his bedroom. Then again, they didn’t need much more space than that to do what he had in mind. He looked around for the bed. There wasn’t one, just an old futon in the corner, sheets and blankets thrown willy nilly about the thing. There were dishes in the sink. On the counter. Half-empty soda bottles on the desk in the corner. Clothes strewn about the floor.

He turned to Aimee in shock. “I thought I was a slob! You need a cleaner.”

Aimee blushed. “I wasn’t expecting anyone. And I can’t afford a cleaner.

So don’t think that’s how you’re going to earn your paycheck.”

Simon dropped his coat over the desk chair, since there didn’t seem to be another place to put it. “I don’t have a work permit.”

“Maybe we could work things out in trade?” Simon felt the heat slide into his groin. “You cook and clean and I let you stay here for free?”

“Not exactly the type of trade I was thinking of,” he said.

Aimee blushed. He was going to enjoy making her blush for the rest of their lives.

“Seriously, Simon. How long does it take to get a work permit?”

He shrugged his shoulders. She was wearing entirely too much for his taste. He took off her page-boy cap and unbuttoned her coat. “I like you in your own clothes.”

She looked down at her polo and jeans and then wrinkled her brow at him. “I’m wearing a sweater and jeans.”

“I like your cap. It suits you.” He pulled her coat down her arms and let her coat and hat drop to the floor.

“It’s second-hand,” she said, as he nuzzled the soft spot on her neck, just beneath her chin.

“Dreadful,” he said, only because he knew it would get a rise out of her.

“I can’t wait to teach you how to buy second-hand clothes. I think this will be fun. Money will be tight for a while, especially with two more mouths to feed, but maybe I can pick up a few shifts at the Crab Shack.” She leaned her head into his shoulder and breathed in as though she had missed his scent.

He leaned down to kiss her, even as her words penetrated his one-track mind. He pulled back.

She opened her eyes in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

“Why would you be picking up extra shifts?” he asked.

She looked at him like he was balmy. “Because we need more money?

For food. And the dog. Thankfully, I don’t have a limit on the number of people who live here. At least I don’t think so. Cupcake might be a problem though. My landlord has cats.”

Simon started laughing. He couldn’t stop himself. All that worrying about whether or not anyone would ever love him without his money, and he’d found out his answer. Without even trying. “We’re not living here,” he said.

Aimee crossed her arms over her chest. “And just where do you expect to live, Mr. Moneybags? This is the cheapest rent I could find.”

Simon pulled her into his arms. “I love you,” he said, laughter tingeing his words.

She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. “Simon. Be serious. We don’t have enough money to live somewhere else.”

“I am serious. And we do have money.”

She let out her breath in an exasperated sigh.

“Just because I quit my job, doesn’t mean I have no money.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve invested most of my salary for the past few years. I’m quite well-diversified.”

“You’re serious?”

“I couldn’t be more serious when it comes to money. And I think we can afford to live somewhere a little nicer than this tin can.”

“How much nicer?”

He shrugged, trying desperately to hide his smile.

“Simon!” she said, playfully swatting his arm. “How much money do you have?”

He whispered the amount in her ears.

She gasped, and he felt her knees give out. He put his arm under her knees and carried her to the bed.

Which is exactly where he’d wanted her all along.

Chapter Eighteen

“Aimee Eileen Kennedy” the announcer said. “Summa cum laude.”

Aimee took a step toward the podium before she heard the thunderous applause from her section of the arena. She shook the hand of her dean, whom she’d never seen once in all ten years of her college career, and accepted her diploma. Flashbulbs went off in the audience, and she knew who had to be taking pictures.

She couldn’t keep the grin off her face these days.

She walked off the stage and waved her diploma in the air, before returning to her assigned seat on the arena floor. After what seemed like hours–thankfully she was graduating during winter quarter and not at the big spring graduation ceremony–she was finally able to meet her cheering section.

Simon met her with a huge hug. “I’m so proud of you,” he said. “Summa cum laude?”

She grinned. “I had to have some secrets.” She’d had such a hard time keeping it from him, but she wanted to surprise him.

“Congratulations!” Lucy said, giving her a hug. “These are for you,” she said, handing over a bouquet of flowers.

“How was your flight?” Aimee asked.

“Long,” she said.