Rowan:
I zip up my black gown and stare at myself in the mirror. Tonight's the night of the gala. I wish I could say I'm nervous about something going bad tonight or running into Johnathan or Rico. I'm actually nervous about acting as a couple with Luke.
Knowing my uncontrollable emotions and hormones, I know they're going to go wild the moment a tux clad Luke walks into the room.
I check my phone, 7:34pm. Luke will be here to pick me up in about ten minutes. Rosie and Rachael are driving together and are planting the tracking devices under Johnathan and Rico's cars.
I make my way downstairs and notice Rosie and Rachael in their disguises, ready to blend in. They're both dressed as security, that way they can have access to the parking garage.
"You look sexy." Rachael grins at me, "Is the dress new?"
"Thank you, and yes, the dress is new." I give a little twirl and she gives me another nod in approval.
"Ro! Luke's here!" Rosie yells from the front door.
I turn around immediately and see Luke standing in the kitchen doorway. He's dressed in a midnight black tux with a gray tie. His hair has been styled and he has an expensive watch on his left wrist.
I can't help but ogle slightly at the sight of him. I'd feel embarrassed, but at the moment, Luke is also checking me out.
Luke roams his eyes up and down my length. His eyes have widened and I'm not sure if he realizes that his mouth has slightly opened.
My thoughts are interrupted when I hear a cough beside me. I turn to look at Rachael and Rosie who are both grinning like idiots.
I roll my eyes at them and turn back to face Luke.
"You—you look absolutely beautiful Rowan." Luke smiles at me, taking a step closer.
I blush slightly. I've been complimented many times before, but hearing it come from Luke makes my heart sore.
"Thank you. You don't look that bad either." I smile.
"Are you guys good with the plan? You know what's happening and what you need to do?" Rachael asks us.
Luke nods, "Locate Rico and Johnathan, and see if they're dealing any drugs tonight."
Rachael nods her head in approval, "Great." Rachael pauses, looks at Rosie, then back at Luke and I, "There is something—"
The sound of the doorbell interrupts Rachael.
"I'll get it." Rosie comments, already making her way towards the door.
Luke steps closer to me, "You really do look stunning. I don't think I'll be able to focus much tonight." Luke leans into whisper in my ear, "Especially since you're my date."
My eyes widen slightly.
Stop it Rowan. You can't go falling for him, especially since he'll probably just break your heart.
I'm about to respond when I look up and my words cut off.
There, standing in the doorway, is none other than Flynn Davies.
My eyes widen at the sight of him. Not just because he's here, but also because he's wearing a tux too. He's grinning from ear to ear and he has his arms stretched out.
"Flynn!" I exclaim, running over to him and wrapping him up in a big, un-lady like, bear hug.
He chuckles softly as I wrap my arms around his neck.
"Hello to you too Ro-boat."
I take a step back, still grinning, "What the hell are you doing here? And why are you wearing a tux?"
Flynn's about to respond when suddenly, there's a loud sneeze next to me. To clarify, I mean a loud fake sneeze.
Everyone turns their heads to Luke as we all look at him weirdly.
Luke lifts his eyes and moves them to Flynn, scanning him up and down, "Excuse me, but, who are you?"
Flynn holds out his hand, "Flynn Davies, pleasure to meet you. I'm a part of Rowan's gang back in Manchester."
Luke hesitates for a second before shaking it, "So, what exactly are you doing here? In America?"
Flynn grins slightly, "I'm here to help out. At least for tonight. I had a break in Manchester and I missed the Royals, so I decided to fly in."
I smile, "That's awesome! I can't wait to show you around a little bit. Maybe tomorrow?"
Flynn nods, "I'd like that."
I hear a slight scoff come from Luke.
I turn to him with a raised eyebrow, "Do you need something?"
"Actually, I was just going to say that we need to get going."
"Luke's right. We have to go." Rosie says.
We all pile into our designated cars, and Flynn rides with Luke and I. The whole ride to the gala Luke keeps quiet while Flynn and I catch up. By the time we reach the building, I have tears of laughter streaming down my cheeks.
Luke, Flynn and I all stop right outside the doors.
Luke looks at Flynn, "Alright British boy, keep yourself under the radar and try to find any sketchy deals going on. We showed you Rico and Johnathan, so don't draw attention to yourself."
Flynn nods, "Got it."
"Good. Don't mess this up Flip."
"It's Flynn."
Luke shrugs, "Same thing."
I give Flynn an apology look and give Luke an incredulous look.
Luke wraps an arm around my waist and brings me closer to him. I feel his hand slightly tighten and his face relax.
I lean towards Luke, "You know, you don't have to be so mean to Flynn. He's super nice and has done absolutely nothing to you."
Luke shrugs, "I just want to make sure he knows what he's doing."
"Mhm."
Luke just grins back at me and walks us towards the door. The three of us walk into the large ballroom where hundreds of people are chatting.
"Excuse me? Forget about someone?"
We turn around to see a seething Ashlyn standing with her hands on her hips.
Ashlyn glares at me, "Way to be a team player Rowan. Almost forgetting me." She eyes Flynn with annoyance, "And who is this?"
"This is Flynn. He's from my gang in Manchester. He's helping us tonight."
Ashlyn just rolls her eyes, "Whatever." She seems to think for a bit until her eyes light up, "I have a great idea. Since Flynn seems to be so close to Rowan, maybe they should go as dates. Luke can be my date for tonight."
I see Flynn shrug and Luke furrow his brows. I really don't want Luke and Ashlyn near each other for the whole night, especially as a fake couple.
Luke breaks the silence, "I don't think that's a good idea. I came in here with Rowan anyways. If anything, Flynn should definitely be Ashlyn's date. It's also important for us to split up. Flynn and Ashlyn can go on the opposite side of us and stay far away from us as possible."
"I guess that sounds smart." I say. Not exactly sure what's going through Luke's mind.
Flynn leans in and whispers to me, "Please don't make me stay near that Ashley girl. She already seems like a pain in the arse."
I chuckle softly and pat his back, "Really sorry Flinnie. Good luck with her, because I can't stand her."
***
Luke and I go to one end of the room and maneuver our way around the perimeter. Luke keeps his arm secured around my waist the whole time, while I try to keep cool, as if it doesn't effect me.
"Do you see Rico or Johnathan anywhere?" Luke murmurs to me.
"Uh, no, no I don't." I say quietly.
Luke suddenly takes a step back from me and look me dead in the eye, "Are you alright? You've been acting strange these past couple of days."
"I'm great. Why do you ask?" I say nonchalantly.
"Ever since the party you've been acting distant from me. I don't know, I guess I just thought that—" Luke sighs, "You know what, never mind. Let's just focus on the assignment. We'll talk about this later."
My earpiece crackles in my ear and Rosie's voice fills my head, "Rico and Johnathan were just spotted on the north-west side of the building."
"Okay." I whisper. I tug on Luke's arm, "C'mon, they're over here."
We walk over to the north-west area of the building, where a large set of doors are. There's still people standing near the door, so Luke and I easily blend in.
A man walking around with champagne walks past us and Luke swipes a couple of glasses. He passes me one and I take a sip of the bubbly drink. It immediately calms my nerves and I finish the rest of it in a couple of gulps.
Luke looks at me with raised brows, "And I was just going to toast. Guess you're really thirsty. You want mine?"
I hesitate but nod anyways.
"I see them. Rico and Johnathan just entered through the double doors. We have to follow them. I don't wanna leave this night without any new information."
Luke grabs my hand and interlaces our fingers together. My heart immediately starts to speed up, which is something my heart has been doing a lot around Luke.
"I don't think you need to hold my hand anymore Luke. No one's around right now." I whisper.
We've made it past the double doors and we're walking down a dimmed hallway. Shockingly, they're haven't been many body guards around.
"Gotta stay in character Ro." Luke states.
We reach the end of the hall and Luke puts a finger to his lips. There's voices around the corner but they cut off when the sound of a door closes.
I peek my head around the corner and notice no ones around.
Quietly, we make our way towards the door and stop right outside of it. I can hear mumbled voices through the door.
"Rico and Johnathan are in there. Do you think they're making a drug deal?" I ask.
"Possibly. Use that hearing device and listen on to their conversation." Luke states.
I grab the hearing tool from my clutch and place it against the door. The hearing device is perfect for eavesdropping through walls and doors.
I put my ear up to the door. There seems to be only male voices, and at least four.
"Johnathan Hunter, long time no see, how are you?"
"Let's cut the pleasantries Mason. I need the money now. No money, no drugs."
"I promise you Mr. Hunter, I will have the money by next week."
"You have till the end of the week to deliver my money. If not, then my good friend Rico will surely help you out."
"Of course. How much money again?"
"Well now since you've wasted my time, I need seven million. Not a single penny less."
"That seems a bit much, don't you—"
"Shut up. Seven million by Friday night. Bring the money at midnight at the location we talked about. One more thing—"
I'm cut off from listening when Luke suddenly pulls me away.
I look at Luke incredulously, "What the hell Luke? Why would—"
He puts a hand over my mouth, cutting of my words.
That's when I hear noises coming from down the hall. My eyes widen and I freeze in my spot. There's no other way out than the way we came in. I look over to Luke who has his brows furrowed, thinking of a way out if this.
"Just go with it." Luke whispers in my ear. So quietly I barely here him.
Before I can ask what he's doing, Luke's lips are on mine.
His lips are soft and warm. He moves his lips against mine and he wraps one arm around my waist and the other on the nape of my neck. I loop my arms around his neck and pull him closer to me.
I feel his tongue at the edge of my mouth, asking for entrance. I part my lips eagerly and smile when he slips his tongue in. There's no doubt in my mind that kissing Luke feels so good.
I almost forget that we're not kissing for the fun of it, but for a distraction.
"Hey! You guys!" A deep voice says.
Luke and I pull away and we stare at a man dressed in a black suit with an earpiece and walkie-talkie.
"This isn't some strip club. You can't be back here." The man says in a deep voice.
Luke grins at the man sheepishly, "Sorry Sir. My girl and I just got engaged and I guess we both got a little too excited. We'll leave now."
I wrap my arms around Luke's waist and lean my head on his shoulder, playing the role of the love struck girl. Luke kisses my temple and I can't help but blush.
The man grunts, "Fine. Leave now though and don't come back here."
Luke nods, "Of course. Sorry again. Have a good night."
We walk away from the man and leave through the big double doors. The moment we reach the main area, I release the breath I didn't even realize I was holding.
I glance over to Luke who's already staring at me. The corner of his lip starts to lift, "Not gonna lie. That was the best kiss I've ever had."
I blush, "Your lips are really soft."
The moment those words leave my mouth, I internally smack myself. Your lips are soft? What the hell Rowan? Who says that?
Luke chuckles, "Thanks Ro. I really hope that's not our last kiss."
My eyes widen and I have absolutely no words. So instead, I walk away and murmur a quick, "I'll meet you at the door."
My plan to not let Luke get to me clearly failed, and I have absolutely no idea where I go from here.
***
So I finally updated...
I'll be honest, I don't even remember the last time I updated. For that, I am truly sorry.
I'll update faster hopefully. Fingers crossed.
I finally got my computer fixed which is amazing because now I can write more!
I made this chapter longer than usual to make up for not writing in a while. I'll probably make the next chapter in Luke's POV. Possibly. Most likely. We'll see.
Hope you're all enjoying fall, because I'm not at the moment. Only because it's been more colder than usual and much more rainier.
If you liked this chapter, PLEASE vote and comment!