Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 129951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Fortuitously, I didn’t slide into unconsciousness at the contact, but this was partly because he broke our connection, his focus on our hands, his brows inching together in confusion, like he felt it too.
“I think now, I should go lay down for a little while,” I whispered like I couldn’t talk louder (and I couldn’t because…what the hell was going on?).
“I believe that’s for the best.”
He shifted, and since I didn’t, he raised his arm for me to precede him, so I did.
I also tried to salvage this situation by saying, “I appreciate you coming up with a compromise.”
Under his breath, he replied, “If I was a diarist, I’d tally this as one of the few instances a female could agree to such a thing, albeit not without some headache.”
And thus, I stopped dead. “Pardon me?”
His patronizing brown eyes came to mine. “We have a détente, Vivienne. It’s lasted all of two minutes. How about we nurture it for a bit longer?”
“A good way to do that is not to mutter about women not being able to compromise. We can compromise.”
His wide, burgundy-cashmere-sweater-covered chest expanded before he released another beleaguered sigh.
All right.
What was I doing?
This was my host.
Sure, he was kind of an asshole, but I was going to be living under his roof, eating his food, reading all about his family history, and he’d come up with a doable compromise so I wouldn’t be thrown into a career tailspin that would have my agent and editor hunting me down to strangle me.
“Okay, yes, you’re right,” I said swiftly. “Détente, Duke.”
He scowled at me, and let me tell you, the man could scowl.
It was gorgeous, and petrifying.
“You could fortify that by calling me by my bloody name,” he said.
“Of course,” I mumbled.
“Are you always this disagreeable?” he asked irately.
I opened my mouth to retort.
Then I closed it.
He watched my mouth doing that, something I hoped he never did again because my nipples liked it way too much.
And then he said, “Good idea.”
Uh-oh.
My mouth again opened immediately to retort.
His gaze came to mine, and I didn’t miss the dare in his eyes.
This is my host. This is my host. This is my host!
I shut my mouth again.
Luckily, he didn’t gloat.
Instead, he indicated the smart unit on his desk and said, “You can intercom me when you’re ready for dinner. I’ll have the agreement ready for your perusal and signature.”
“Perfect.”
“Indeed.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Did you carry me to the couch?”
His head ticked before he replied, “I thought it better than leaving you lying on the floor.”
I was never eating another dessert again.
“Well, thank you for that too,” I said, and I felt badly, because even I could hear it was begrudgingly.
His beautiful mouth moved, and I watched in no small amount of fascination, because his mouth was beautiful, but also because I thought he might smile.
He didn’t.
He prompted, “You were going to rest before dinner?”
“Right,” I muttered.
“Until then, Vivienne.”
My purred name again.
God!
I just waved.
And got the hell out of there.
CHAPTER 4
THE ANIMALS
Whoever modernized the mattresses, and the sheets, had my undying love and admiration.
The mattress on my bed in my pretty room with a view to a garden was a firm, supportive, cushiony cloud.
The sheets were downright heaven.
But sadly, both made me nap half an hour longer than I’d planned.
I’d wanted to luxuriate in the use of that vanity, but instead, after a quick shower and face cleanse, I had to hurry.
Making matters worse, my slinky, full-length, pine green satin gown had a mock turtleneck formed by a scarf tie at the back side of my neck, which made hairstyles a challenge.
Therefore, I’d had to intercom the staff to get the Wi-Fi info, which made me feel weird…again.
Obviously, these people had money. But I was still sleeping on their celestial bed, eating their scrumptious cream scones and using their very fast Wi-Fi.
In truth, it’d taken Prudence some doing to talk me into staying this long. The Downs being The Downs, I wanted to stay, but everything drilled into me by my mother and grandparents dictated I shouldn’t stay as long as I agreed.
Prudence had worn me down.
I shouldn’t have let her, but here I was, with a gracious invitation from a friend, an agreement with Battle and a job to do.
So I just had to shake it off and do it.
Two weeks would fly by (I hoped).
But the Wi-Fi gave me access on my iPad to watch the hair tutorial on YouTube the fifteen times it took me to get it down, though it took me five times of trying with my actual hair to get it right.
I did my makeup in subtle shades of smoke and drama, allowing my ruby-red lips to do the heavy lifting.
Fortunately, the simple gown, which bared not only my shoulders but also, with the low elevation of material at my back, my shoulder blades, skimmed my body like a lover, so I didn’t have to go gung-ho on accessories.