Page 43 of By Virtue Fall (The Shakespeare Sisters 4)

; ‘Like I said, he’s hot,’ Cesca whispered, her gaze following Juliet’s. ‘He’s gorgeous, he’s available and he’s into you. What’s not to like about that?’

At that moment, Juliet couldn’t think of a single thing.

Ryan was staring into a half-empty kitchen cupboard, trying to decide what to cook for dinner, when the sound of the doorbell echoed through the hallway. He slammed the cupboard shut and walked to the front door.

As soon as he opened it, she took his breath away.

‘London.’ He smiled at her. ‘You okay?’

She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans that looked almost sprayed on, the denim accentuating her soft curves. She’d matched it with a cream cashmere sweater. With her red curls tumbling over her shoulders, she looked almost too good to be true. He remembered how that hair had felt as he tangled his fingers in the strands, how her body had fitted perfectly against his that night she kissed him. It was hard to think about anything else.

‘I’m fine. I just wondered if you and Charlie would like to join us for dinner. My sister’s visiting – she’s the one you saw me with this morning – and her fiancé is here too. I thought he could do with a bit of male company. Being surrounded by Shakespeare women is too much for most guys.’

Ryan felt his mouth turn dry. The only woman he wanted to be surrounded by was standing right in front of him.

‘Dinner?’ he repeated. ‘Tonight?’

‘It’s just a takeout. Does Charlie like Chinese food?’ Though there was colour on her cheeks, she was displaying none of the discomfort Ryan was feeling. The sexual attraction that was pulling him in seemed almost one-sided. He didn’t like that at all.

‘Yeah, he likes Chinese food,’ Ryan murmured. He dragged a hand through his hair, pulling it out of his eyes. ‘Though he’s been eating ever since he got home, so I doubt he has much of an appetite.’

She shrugged, a half-smile still tugging at her lips. He frowned, trying to work out what looked different about her. ‘It’s okay. We’ll grab them some egg rolls and put on a movie for them. If the Chinese doesn’t work, then I’m sure popcorn will.’

Did her smile turn into a smirk? Ryan wasn’t sure, but whatever it was about her was making her more attractive than ever. Which definitely wasn’t a good thing. Not at all.

‘Popcorn?’ he repeated faintly.

‘Yeah, we both know how much they like popcorn.’

He frowned, his eyes fixed on her face. Something about her was nagging at him. It was like one of those wispy dandelion clocks dancing just above his reach. He licked his lips, as she continued to smile at him. It was taking all his self-restraint not to run his finger across her jaw.

Then it hit him. ‘It’s a school night,’ he said, almost shaking his head to get some sense in.

‘So?’

‘And it’s almost seven o’clock. Haven’t you fed Poppy already? Isn’t it nearly her bath time?’ He knew their routine like clockwork.

Juliet shrugged. ‘My sister’s visiting, I figured we could throw the routine out this once.’

‘Just like that?’ he questioned.

She threw her head back and started to laugh. If he thought she was beautiful before, it was nothing compared to seeing her caught in a moment of carefree abandon. ‘Am I really that bad? You make me sound like a cross between a sergeant major and Mary Poppins. I can be flexible when I want to be.’

‘You can?’ Damn. As if he needed that image in his brain.

She nodded slowly. ‘So are you coming over to join us or what?’

A slow smile lifted the corners of his mouth. ‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’

Leaning back in his chair, Ryan lifted the wine glass to his lips as he drained the last of his Chianti. It was warm and mellow, adding to the sense of relaxation he already felt, thanks to the easy ambience of the evening. The four of them had talked and laughed all night, and he’d found himself liking Sam Carlton. They’d visited so many of the same cities, it made for easy conversation.

As for Juliet, he’d never seen her look so comfortable. It was as though she’d shrugged her worries off for the first time since he’d met her, and contentment seemed to radiate off her in waves.

They’d exchanged so many heated glances it was almost embarrassing. Whenever she spoke or laughed he found his eyes seeking hers, a jolt of pleasure washing through him each time their stares collided. He couldn’t help but smile as the wine worked its magic on her, making her both giggly and open. Like the girl he imagined she once was.

But she was all woman now.