Lucy felt like a different person. When Kirk suggested another bottle of champagne, she knew the old Lucy would have said no. So she said yes. Amy had already left, to talk about a work project with a woman she’d met at the bar, checking first with Lucy that she was happy to stay on with Kirk.
‘My mobile will be switched on, Luce. You call me if anything happens, OK?’
Lucy had reassured Amy she would call should something go wrong, but she was sure Kirk would be quite gentlemanly.
Amy blushed furiously as Kirk kissed her goodbye.
As the party wound down, Kirk suggested he get his driver to drop Lucy off at home before heading back to his hotel. When his charcoal-grey Jaguar pulled up at her flat, Lucy knew she should at most kiss Kirk and give him her number. But where had doing the right thing got her so far? No boyfriend, miserable and most probably despised by half of London’s elite. And this wasn’t just any guy, it was Kirk Kelner. One-night stands had never been Lucy’s thing – mainly because she was sure she’d struggle to cope with no contact after sharing something which should be special. But hell, you should do everything once. And if you’re going to have a one-night stand, it might as well be with Kirk Kelner.
Lucy realized this was the logic of far too much wine and champagne, but it also made a great deal of sense.
‘Would you like to come up for a coffee?’ Lucy couldn’t believe she’d said it.
‘I’d love to.’
Kirk followed Lucy out of the car, said something to his driver and took Lucy’s hand. She felt like a giddy teenager on a first date as she led the way up the communal stairs. She wondered if Kirk even understood the concept of a shared entrance. A man with a penthouse at the Dorchester for six months of the year and a mansion in Los Angeles probably had little opportunity to contemplate such a notion.
And yet she didn’t feel self-conscious in the slightest. Maybe Kirk craved some normality in his fairy-tale life. She unlocked her door. As she stepped inside, Kirk pulled her round to face him. His warm lips were on hers, moving with her own. She felt his tongue on hers, soft at first, then searching, firmer. God, he was hot, she thought, brushing her fingers against his rock-hard stomach. Lucy took his hand and led him to her bedroom.