Scattered Seeds

Chapter Thirty-Six

The car that Tom sent for her pulled up in front of The Landmark Hotel in Marylebone. Jess swallowed at the sight of the impressive Victorian-styled giant. Five-star luxury was a massive understatement. The Landmark Hotel was covered in ornate marble carvings, and the surrounding grounds were manicured to floral perfection.

She was already nervous as hell, and after watching the gilded upper crusts of London society float through the hotel’s doors, Jess was ready to bolt.

“Um,” she faltered to the driver.

Jess raised a finger and was about to point him in the opposite direction when a loud tap came at her window. It startled Jess, who was already on edge, and she jolted with surprise.

Luke was outside the vehicle looking quite debonair in his tuxedo, and Jess released a breath of relief at the sight of him. She thanked the driver and offered to tip him but the man refused, stating that Mr. Hiddleston had already taken good care of him.

Jess quivered at the mention of that man.

She’d spent the majority of last night beating herself up for sending Tom home. Jess knew why she’d done it and commended her fortitude, but the nagging thought that she might never see him again after tonight made the American wish she’d taken Tom up to her room instead.

His whispered words and the desperation with which Tom spoke them still hummed in her ears.

Please.

One more night.

Just once more.

And she’d turned him away.

Again, Jess cursed herself for being such a dumbass before Luke opened the car door and offered his hand.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Jess said with a shaky smile as they stepped under the glass covered wrought iron canopy leading to the entrance.

The gentleman servicing the door tipped his top hat and extended a gloved hand to guide them inside.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” Luke said, lacing Jess’s arm around his elbow. “Tom’s already inside. Why didn’t the two of you arrive together?”

Jess smiled, and Luke saw the apples of her cheeks turn a warm pink at the mention of his client. He’d yet to speak to Tom about where things stood between their female friend and him, but Luke imagined that Tom had no intention of simply letting Jess slip away.

Especially with the way she looked tonight.

Luke might not be attracted to the opposite sex, but even his breath was stolen when Jess came to stand before him. She was in a draped tulle lace gown designed, Luke was quite sure, by Monique Lhuillier. Sheer swaths of black ran from Jess’s delicate shoulders and crisscrossed over a fitted bodice, leaving an illusion-v neckline. The fabric cascaded down Jess’s slender frame into a flattering A-line skirt which spilled out onto the ground.

When Luke caught sight of the plunging V at the back of Jess’s gown, he made a mental note to catch Tom’s expression once he spotted it. Combined with the slit in the black and gray tulle under the see-through lace that ran all the way up to the middle of Jess’s left thigh, Luke was convinced that Tom was going to have a difficult time keeping his hands off the lady. 

“Tom sent me the spa,” Jess explained. “I have never been treated like that,” she added while splaying her hand for emphasis.

“Ah, and where did he send you?” Luke asked as they waited for the line of guests to filter through the grand lobby of the hotel.

Luke observed Jess taking in their surroundings as she answered him, her brown eyes wide and her lips parted in awe. A large mural above the majestic marble fireplace to their right caught her attention, and Jess pulled at Luke to take them a little closer.