Heired Lines

by Magan Vernon

  But, for now, we’d keep it friendly.

  I wasn’t going to make a move if she didn’t want me. Right now, it was up to her.

  “It’s right off the sun terrace, come, I’ll show you,” I nodded behind me.

  I turned around and headed for the side door.

  “I’m sure you can find something to occupy your time, Hugh.”

  He muttered under his breath but I ignored him as Natalie and I walked out of the gym then down another paneled hallway, dotted with framed oil paintings.

  I used to never really pay attention to the artwork in the castle, but now that Natalie and her vast knowledge had entered my life, I started to see them in a different way.

  “This enclosed space was added in the 1800s. Before that all of this was an open courtyard with a pool that the people of Webley could swim in during special holidays, from what Aunt Sarah used to tell me.”

  “Ah, a lido,” Natalie replied.

  The sun cast a warm glow over her face, giving her an almost ethereal presence.

  Bloody hell, she was gorgeous. Just looking at that small smile had something low in my stomach doing somersaults.

  I squared my shoulders, trying to tamp down the sensation.

  “Yes, I guess that’s what they used to call the outdoor public pools. Though I’m not sure it was really that public, even after what Aunt Sarah said. I can’t imagine the older generation of Webleys letting just anyone onto the grounds. They probably just allowed the upper crust of the town.”

  She flinched at the words, but it was almost too quick to spot. Her head went down slightly as she nodded. “From what I’ve understood, they weren’t very common for nobility to have, but I have seen other British castles develop a similar swimming area for the public as a way to create goodwill. Kind of like you did with adopting those dogs.”

  It took everything in me to hold back a smile, trying to ignore the warmth in my chest that Natalie was giving me a lot of lately.

  I was used to people kissing my arse because of who I was, but none of my wealth actually impressed her. It was the little things, like spending time with the dogs or talking about my Aunt Sarah, that brought out her brightest smile. The one that she had now.

  “A goodwill gesture to the community and, if I have the space, why not use it? The new pets are getting along well with the Pyrs, and I think they add a little something extra to the landscape. Though I wouldn’t call this a castle.”

  She laughed, her head tilting back so her curls from her bun brushed against her cheek. “I’m pretty sure the definition of a castle is a large fortified building, which this would qualify as,” she said, lifting her head as well as her hands, circling the air above her as if she could encompass the entire space.

  “By that definition, almost any military base would be considered a castle,” I added, biting my lips so I could resist a smile.

  “I guess it could, but I highly doubt anyone refers to a base as a castle or a palace. Or anything really associated with wealth and royalty. Which, thus, wouldn’t make it a castle and, Webley, in turn, would be a castle by that definition.”

  “Can’t argue with that one, but I still don’t think of this place as a castle.”

  “Then what do you call it?”

  I shrugged. “Home.”

  I waited for her sassy retort, but then nothing came. She was just biting her bottom lip. Bloody hell, it was sexy when she did that. I don’t know if it was nerves or her holding back something. But every time she did it, how I wished I could be those lips.

  Bollocks, I had to get a bloody grip and stop focusing on the way she looked. She was just the historian helping with the castle.

  A beautiful historian.

  I cleared my throat as we approached the wide set of doors leading to the orangery. “This is the orangery, which is a weird name because I don’t think there has ever been a single orange tree in here.”

  I opened the doors to the domed room surrounded entirely by windows that looked out onto the sun deck and rolling hills below. Natalie sucked in a deep breath, the sound echoing through the room.

  I walked onto the marble floor. Even though the sauna and pool, both decorated in Grecian tile, were turned on, not a spot of water was on the floor or any of the wooden deck chairs.

  “These are the first things I’d want to see about. Wood inside a room like this? It doesn’t make sense. I don’t even know if they’re worth anything other than historical or sentimental value,” I said, putting a hand on one of the caned deck chairs.

  She took a few tentative steps toward me before slowly circling the chair as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

  She knelt down, running her fingers on the wood, nodding a few times.

  This was like seeing a master at work. She was always so focused, and a sense of pride always swelled in me when watching her.

  “These actually look really similar to the ones that were on the Titanic. Actually almost identical to Mackay Bennett’s pieces that he repaired from water damage after they were recovered.”

  “They are.”

  She looked up, blinking quickly before tilting her head. “They are what?”

  “The chairs. Great Aunt Sarah bought them from a collector a few years back. She really liked the 90s movie and wanted some pieces to commemorate it. So, she bought these on a whim about ten years ago. Helped her rearrange them around the pool myself.”

  Natalie’s eyes widened as she stood up, looking around the room. “There were only about fifty chairs saved from the wreck, and you must have at least fifteen here.”

  She took another step forward and then a squeak escaped her lips.

  Her body titled to the side before she windmilled her arms, her feet sliding against the marble tile. Everything moved in slow motion as she splashed sideways into the pool.

  My heart sank in my chest as I scrambled, running to her side as fast as I could.

  I crouched down just as she sprang from the water, her hair matted against her head before she pushed it away from her eyes.

  “Are you all right?” I asked, my pulse thumping loudly in my ears. “Bloody hell, I should have told the maids to keep the pool and sauna off. I didn’t even see any water there.”

  She laughed, taking me off guard as she smiled up at me. “I didn’t slip on water, mainly my own feet. Guess I should have been looking where I was going instead of the deck chairs.”

  I smirked, trying to bite down my anger. Someone was going to get in trouble for this shite and yet, the soaked woman in front of me was laughing it off.

  “I’ll have someone take care of this right away.”

  She blinked slowly so water dripped off her long eyelashes. “Help me out?”

  I extended my hand, taking a few steps forward in my crouched position.

  The wind knocked out of me as my loafers teetered on a wobbly tile. I tried to grab onto the side, but the piece broke beneath my fingers and I slammed headfirst into the warm, salty water.

  I paddled to the surface, pushing my hair out of my face as I treaded water in front of Natalie. The anger that was once coursing through me had dulled. The whole thing was almost comical, a laugh lodging in my throat.

  “Did you do that on purpose?” she asked, wiping her face free of a fresh new spray of water droplets.

  “Are you mad? Why would I come into the water on purpose? Fully clothed at that?” I asked, pushing back until I hit the wall behind me.

  As soon as my body hit the tile, little flakes of rubble crumbled against my neck. I immediately pushed forward before the wall came crumbling into the pool. But not fast enough that the little splashes didn’t speckle Natalie and me in the face.

  “Ack,” she spat, rubbing at her eyes.

  “Are you okay? Guess saltwater and one-hundred-year-old dust isn’t the be
st combination.”

  “Definitely not,” she sputtered, as if she were trying to hold back a laugh.

  “Here, let me get out, then I can help you.” I grabbed onto the side of the wall, only to have it crumble in my fingertips, a big heap splashing the water. An epic splash of dust and water sprayed my face and chest. The wave rolled over to Natalie who let out a bark of a laugh.

  I should have been rightfully pissed that pieces of the pool were falling into the water and that now I was soaked to the bone. But I was distracted by her laugh.

  “Bloody hell, this damn thing.”

  I spat water out of my mouth, wiping wet specks out of my eyes.

  “Are you sure you didn’t do this on purpose just to splash me?” she joked, her voice almost a squeak.

  Turning toward her, the wet hair now pushed away from her face, the smile was so broad on her face I couldn’t help but laugh in return.

  “Did I?” My heart beat heavily as a rush of adrenaline coursed through me. I could either get pissy, or I could have a little fun with this situation.

  I reared my hand back, pushing it under the water, then broke a wave right at Natalie’s startled face.

  She squealed, holding one hand up to shield her face and the other went to the water, slapping it as if the splashes would somehow defend her.

  “What? Who started the splashing?” I called over our hands lapping against the water.

  She backed up and I kept treading forward until she hit the wall with nowhere else to go. She closed her eyes, both hands in the water, slapping at the waves so little liquid pellets rained down on us.

  I laughed, for what was like the first time in forever. A lightness took over my chest as I pushed forward, grabbing her wrists and holding them to me.

  She slowly opened her eyes as her body wriggled against mine.

  Through her hooded lashes, something else was brimming in those gorgeous brown eyes. Something unspoken between the heavy breaths that floated in the air.

  “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard you really laugh.”

  I shook my head, my heart beating so wildly in my chest, she had to feel it. “I can’t remember the last time I laughed like that.”

  I licked my lips, my heart and other parts of my body beating, coming alive.

  As I leaned in slowly, her eyes fluttered closed.

  One more breath and I could crash my lips to hers.

  One more moment and that mouth would be mine.

  “Lord Gavin!” The bellow of my property manager, Alfie’s, voice, echoed through the room.

  Natalie’s eyes snapped open as she wiggled out of my grasp. She swam toward the ladder just before the portly, balding man could waddle in with a few maids and butlers following him.

  “Are you all right? Hugh said you were in the orangery and when I didn’t hear from you…”

  Alfie looked at the crumbled pool wall then down at my wet clothes as I followed Natalie out of the pool. My shorts and shirt weighed on me like wet cement.

  My heart still assaulted my chest as I glanced at Natalie, her shirt clinging to her skin and her eyes downcast. For the first time, in possibly my life, a sense of shame washed over me.

  Bloody hell, the girl fell in the pool and I was splashing and trying to kiss her instead of helping her out?

  I was a damn knobhead.

  “We’re fine, Alfie.” I turned to fully face Natalie, putting a hand on her shoulder. She didn’t tense like I expected. Not even a flinch. Her body melting against my hand.

  Maybe I wasn’t imagining that moment.

  “Are you okay, Natalie? Do you want me to have Meredith draw you a bath?”

  She laughed, and damn it was a beautiful sound that had my body now coming to life again. “No, I’m fine. But I probably need to change before I get back to work on marking those deck chairs.”

  I shook my head, my shoulders sagging in defeat. “Don’t worry about those today. Probably scared you enough for today with the orangery.”

  Slowly she looked up, a mischievous smile crossing her face that had me swallowing hard. “No, you didn’t.”

  What the bloody hell did that mean?

  Instead of asking that very question, though, I nodded, brushing the water out of my face before peeling off the wet T-shirt that was weighing me down.

  We had an audience. And if something was going to happen it would. Just not in front of everyone. And not when I was a soaking wet rat.

  “I’m going to go change. But see that someone comes out and fixes the pool then helps Natalie by moving the deck chairs to an easier location to access and tag.”

  Alfie nodded, holding my shirt out as if it were an old sock. “As you wish, sir.”

  “Sorry about that again, Natalie,” I said softly, as I turned back toward her.

  Her cheeks flushed and her eyes flickered toward my stomach then back to my face as if she couldn’t decide what to look at first.

  My own gaze trailed over the way her shirt clung to her, leaving little to the imagination as to the curves of her body.

  The ones she hid behind the baggy shirts as she worked.

  True, I’d seen the way her perfect arse hugged her tights when she climbed the ladder, but I wasn’t the type of man to openly ogle a woman like that.

  But with her look carrying the same fire as my own body, there was something more that we were both feeling.

  Maybe it was just lust, and the quickest way to get it out of our system was for me to send Alfie away, get back in the pool with her, and finally give in to everything I wanted just moments ago.

  But the parting of her lips with a quick breath broke my trance.

  “I need to go change,” she squeaked.

  Before I could get another word in edgewise, Natalie wrapped herself in a towel and scurried out of the room.

  I wasn’t sure what the hell just happened between us, but if the rapid beating of my heart said anything, I wanted it to happen again. As soon as possible.

  Chapter Eleven

  Natalie

  Gavin was going to kiss me.

  At least I think he was.

  Gavin, who had a freaking chiseled six-pack and a wicked V that dipped low into his shorts.

  We were pressed against each other.

  Every hard line of his body against me.

  One little move and my lips would have been on his.

  I could have run my fingers through his wet hair and wrapped my legs around his waist. It was so real. So close. I could almost taste his minty breath on my tongue.

  That was before Alfie walked in.

  And before I was pretty sure the guy caught me checking him out.

  So maybe I was staring at the lines of his chest and the treasure trail that dipped oh so dangerously against the waistband of his shorts.

  When I looked up and found him watching me, I wasn’t sure what I expected.

  A smirk?

  A smile?

  There was nothing but that heated stare. The one he always had. The damn one I still couldn’t pinpoint and turned me into a little girl with a crush and my insides into a pile of goo.

  I had to get out of that room as quickly as possible before any of the staff noticed my gawking and I was reprimanded by someone for checking out the boss.

  When I got back to my room, Meredith walked out of the bathroom, a set of fresh towels in her hands. “Your bath has been drawn, Miss Natalie.”

  I shook my head, the wet strands of my hair splashing against my cheeks. I was a hot mess, that was for sure, and with my pounding heart, I just needed a minute to cool down.

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  She smiled. “Nonsense. You poor thing. I’m dearly sorry about that pool deck. That should have been repaired months ago. Alfie is on it right now.”

/>   If it had been repaired, I would have never had that moment with Gavin. And if no one would have come into the room, it could have continued.

  A heat gathered low in my body just thinking about it.

  I had to get a freaking grip.

  So I shook my head, trying to free my thoughts of that wicked V line.

  “Thank you, Meredith. For everything really.”

  “It’s my pleasure, dear.”

  She started toward the door but before she could put her hand on the handle, I blurted, “Tell Alfie, and Lord Gavin for that matter, that I’m fine. Not to worry about me.”

  She looked over her shoulder, a small smile on her face as she nodded. “I will, miss.”

  I waited until she left the room before I tossed my wet clothes to the floor. Then I got in the warm bath. It was just the perfect temperature with the scent of lavender surrounding me.

  I wasn’t much of a bath taker, but the giant claw-foot basin was a measure of luxury that I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to experience again.

  Just as I thought I might drift off to sleep from a long soak, a knock came at the door.

  Usually the maids just kind of barged in after a knock, so I waited for a few seconds.

  Then another knock rattled the wood.

  Without even giving it a second thought, I sloshed out of the tub. I quickly toweled then put on a fluffy white robe.

  I wasn’t exactly keen on having a bunch of older women see me naked in the tub.

  Padding quickly through the room, I ran to the door, throwing it open before a maid could knock again.

  But it wasn’t Meredith or another maid with some extra towels. My heart fell to my stomach when Gavin stood there, one hand up, about to knock again.

  He put his hand down and his eyes briefly flitted over my body. The one covered in nothing but a robe that went to the middle of my thighs. Not that the big, fluffy thing showed much, but I pulled it closer as if it could somehow shield me.

  Still, my body heated as if he was undressing me with his eyes.

  Too bad he wasn’t wearing a robe, too, so we could be on equal footing.