disappeared down the escalator into the cavernous Liverpool station. He wouldn’t have been held back by her bad leg this time. She’d been very impressed with how patient he’d been. London was a fast city. Unlike the States, almost no one viewed an escalator as something to ride. It was a tool to get a person to their destination that much more quickly. She’d nearly been trampled on escalators many times before since she couldn’t move fast.
Lee had simply moved her to the right and stood behind her, an arm around her waist to balance her against the rushing commuters. “Always stand on the right,” he’d whispered to her.
And she’d brutally insulted the man.
“He’s gone, Avery. Come up with me,” Adam offered. “You can tell me all about it while I cook some dinner.”
Or she could go and hide in her room and eat a nasty microwave dinner. No. If she’d proven anything to herself today, it was that she needed to be more sociable. Maybe then she would learn when it was proper and right to accuse someone of trying to seduce her for cash.
She followed Adam inside. The concierge looked up from his desk. The building was a mix of residences and condos purchased by large corporations for employees to stay in. The concierge was used to an ex-pat community.
“Nice day at the museum, Miss Charles?” He was dressed in a perfectly pressed suit.
She nodded. “Yes, thank you, though I fear it’s time for me to move on. Perhaps you can suggest some more excursions for me tomorrow?”
He nodded. “Absolutely. I’ll keep you right entertained, miss. Mr. Kelly, welcome back. Hope the market was good.”
“Absolutely,” Adam replied as he pushed the button to the elevator. He escorted her inside and soon they were on the seventh floor and he was opening the door to his and his partner’s flat.
Avery had only known Jake and Adam for a brief period of time, but she already felt completely comfortable with Adam. He had a way of putting a woman at ease. She didn’t have to worry about why he was interested in her, or if he was interested in her, because he flatly wasn’t. He was into his boyfriend, though they weren’t the most demonstrative couple. In fact, last night as she’d sat on their terrace, she could have sworn she’d glimpsed them punching each other, but it seemed friendly. Maybe guys were just guys whether they were gay or straight.
Jake was talking on the phone as she entered, his voice hushed. He was a hottie , too. Jacob was all beefy American male while Adam fit in with the well-dressed and mannered Europeans, though there was no doubting the man worked out.
Neither of them was quite as beautiful as Lee. Had she made a mistake? Should she have gone after him?
She’d never been kissed like that. Not in her entire life. It was like the whole world had melted away and nothing mattered or was even real except for him. She’d clung to him, wrapping herself around him, trusting him to hold her up. She’d made a baby with her husband, but nothing had prepared her for Lee’s kiss.
She was still shaking just thinking about it.
“Hey, babe,” Adam said, dropping the bag on the counter. “Guess what? Our little neighbor found a boyfriend and then accused him of whoredom, but not before she sampled the goods.”
Jake’s jaw dropped a little. “Are you serious? How did he handle that?”
A long look passed between them. Adam seemed to be holding in a smile. He started pulling out a bottle of wine. “Not well from the looks of it. He seemed a little out of control if you ask me.”
“Nice,” Jake shot back. He had his hand over his phone. “So you need to talk to Avery here and make sure she’s okay, right?”
Avery shook her head. “I’m fine.”
“She’s on the verge of tears,” Jake said, staring at her. “Oh, verge broken. Honey, you’re crying. You need a glass of wine and a shoulder to cry on. Why don’t you tell Adam what happened? He’s good at fixing bad