by Magan Vernon
I just had to imagine what he would have looked like in that and not trousers and a button-down.
And oh, what a sight that would be to imagine now that I’d seen the real half-naked man in the flesh.
“Oh, hi, Gavin, Lord Gavin,” I stuttered, hoping he couldn’t read my mind as my face burned.
What was it about this guy that could either bring out the sassy queen or the bumbling idiot?
His jaw ticked. The fire I’d seen burning in his eyes earlier was gone and back to stoic. I was starting to think every time I saw a little glimpse of the sexy man in the water or who teased me was only in my imagination.
“Just coming to check that you are okay. Nothing broken or bruised from your fall.”
I shivered involuntarily, a warm sensation filling low in my belly that I tried to tamp down. “Nope. Fine here. Are you okay? I think you got the worst of it.”
It wasn’t a smile, but I was rewarded with a slight turn of his lips. It was just enough to have my already fuzzy brain now spinning. As if my entire body were floating and my brain was trying to tell me to come back down to reality.
“Should be fine. No bumps or bruises from the fall. Alfie sent a doctor already to check me out, so I’m assuming they’ll be here soon.”
“I’m fine. Really.”
He nodded. His hands shoved in his pockets as he stood a little straighter. “Good, because I was also informed moments ago that I’ll be playing in a charity polo match. Since neither of us are injured, I figure we should both be able to go.”
I blinked, tilting my head slightly as my fuzzy brain started to come back to reality. “Polo?”
“On horses. Ever been to a match?”
I shook my head.
That smile. That damn smile was now fully on his lips, showing off straight rows of pearly white teeth.
Back was the hazy brain and the warm fuzzies leading down my chest and into my stomach.
“You’ll have to come, then. It should be a gas to watch. I can’t remember the last time I’ve played, let alone even attended a match, since Uni.”
“What do I wear?” I blurted, wishing I could take it back as tension gathered in my neck.
He shook his head, the smile fading as his entire body stiffened. “I’ll make sure Meredith takes you shopping in town.”
My eyes widened as I shook my hands in the air between us. “No, that’s not necessary. I have more than enough. I just didn’t know if there was a protocol.”
He stepped closer, taking my hands in his.
Warmth trickled from his fingertips into mine, sending an electric zing through my already heated body.
This was more than the touches in the pool or a handshake. This was something that vibrated through me. Something different than I’d ever felt before.
“I insist, Natalie. I’ll tell Meredith and have her take you into town tomorrow when you’re done with work, okay?”
I swallowed hard, not sure if I’d rather have my blurting take over or if I should stay silent.
Then, when that smile reappeared, he bent down, his lips ever so gently brushing against my knuckles.
Holy. Mother. Of. Pearl.
If I wasn’t already a blurry mess, now I hummed with a new sensation that vibrated all the way to my core.
From just a kiss on my hand.
I had to get a freaking grip.
“I’ll let you get back to your bath,” he whispered.
Then he let go of my hands as I tried to control them from trembling.
He disappeared down the hallway, and I waited until I couldn’t smell his cologne anymore. Then I shut the door, letting out a deep breath.
One minute the guy said we should stay apart, the next we were in a pool, and then his lips…oh those lips.
I still had at least a month left of work in the manor. Possibly more.
If I was going to survive that time, I had to learn to keep myself in check.
Unless, of course, he was the first one to cross the line. Then I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep saying no to my sexy, noble boss.
…
I expected Meredith or one of the maids to show up at my door with breakfast and coffee as they usually did.
But today when I opened the door, I wasn’t greeted with the wonderful smell of coffee or a smiling Meredith. I was face-to-face with a slender man in horn-rimmed glasses and very dark eyes.
“Um, hello?”
He put his hand to his chest. His chest that was covered by an electric blue jacket.
“Oh, darling, you scared the bananas out of me,” he screeched in a very high-pitched French accent.
“Sorry? You knocked and I was expecting someone else, I guess?”
He smirked and then waved his hands before a few maids bustled in pushing garment racks full of clothes.
Where the hell did they come from?
I stared wide-eyed as they settled the clothing into the sitting area of my room. “Are you sure you have the right place? It’s a pretty big manor, and there must be some mistake.”
He raised a very thin eyebrow. “I’m Pierre LeSant. I was told mademoiselle needed an ensemble for the polo match.”
His dark eyes roamed over my UNC shirt and plaid boxer shorts I slept in. Not in an appreciative way like Gavin’s heated stare, but one that had me wanting to crawl into myself. “And by this look, I came just in time.”
I thanked all my lucky stars when the other maids scurried out and Meredith came in with a tray of coffee and other breakfast dishes. “Meredith, hey. Did you know about Mr. LeSant coming? Weren’t we just going into town and I was just going to pick out a little something?”
So I had planned on maybe picking out a scarf to go with one of my blouses or a cheap sundress. The designer names on the dress labels had the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. No way that was in my budget.
Pierre blinked hard, looking at me with his hand to his chest as if I just slapped his mother and called her a turtle. “Mademoiselle, you can’t just wear any outfit to the Webley polo match.”
I bit my lip, looking from Pierre to Meredith. Sweat gathered on my palms. What would happen if I got giant armpit stains on any of these delicate dresses?
Meredith must have taken pity on me because she stepped forward, a warm smile on her face as she put her hand on my arm.
“Natalie, you’re to be a guest of Lord Gavin. This is one of the UK social calendar’s highest regarded events with celebrities and nobles in attendance. Mr. LeSant just wants to make sure you’re properly outfitted.”
If she imagined that was going to calm my nerves, she obviously didn’t see the sweat that I was pretty sure had to be pouring out of me by now.
“Oh, okay,” I said shakily.
I stepped closer to the rack, scanning the pieces. “But, um, there aren’t any price tags? Is there a clearance section of these racks?”
Pierre let out another high-pitched gasp, clutching his chest. “Mademoiselle, these are couture! Not some off-the-rack ensembles from a department store.”
Meredith came to my rescue again. “Compliments of Lord Gavin.”
My mouth dried as I wiped my sweaty hands on my shorts.
“I can’t accept this. He’s already done too much,” I managed to croak.
Finally, Pierre smiled, his hand on my wrist with a gentle squeeze. “Trust me, darling, if this man wants you in one of these dresses, you should be more than honored.”
I let out a deep breath, trying not to let it drift as a strangled garble. “It’s too much. Really. I don’t need him to do this for me.”
Meredith kept that sweet smile on her face. “He wants you to attend with him and Hugh and feel comfortable. He’s grateful for what you’ve done for the manor already and bringing pieces of Lady Sarah back to life. It’s jus
t his way of showing appreciation.”
Slowly I turned to look back over the racks of clothes. I couldn’t even imagine their cost or, if these charity polo matches really were a big deal, what they could be worth. That’s when it was as if a lightbulb went off in my head.
“Okay, I’ll wear one of these on one condition.”
“Condition?” Pierre put his hands on his hips, jutting his neck forward as if he was the one calling the shots.
I nodded, licking my lips and trying to stand straighter to gain some confidence in what I was saying.
“After the match is over, my outfit and Lord Gavin’s uniform are donated to the historical society of Webley. Then auctioned off with the money going to the English Street Dog Advocates.”
Pierre stared at me wide-eyed, but Meredith nodded. “I’ll inform Lord Gavin and the historical society of your wishes.”
“It’s not a wish. It’s the only way I’ll do this.”
My pulse pounded in my ears.
I’d never demanded anything, but this was the only way I could see accepting something so grand.
But what if they refused?
Then what?
Meredith nodded curtly. “I understand your request. Since yours is a gift, you may do whatever it is you please with the outfit once the match is over.”
I let out a breath that I didn’t know I was holding in.
“Good. Then let’s get started.”
“Finally,” Pierre sang.
…
I stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror, barely able to recognize the girl standing before me.
Sure, I’d dressed up before in sundresses or even a black cocktail gown for my graduation. But nothing felt like the long, flowy silk against my skin. The beige color didn’t wash me out. The delicate, hand-stitched pink flowers added a soft glow to my otherwise pale skin. A high collar wrapped around my neck with a keyhole cutout that could have been scandalous on a chesty girl, but with a really great bra, and my B cup, it added a hint of elegance to the ankle-length day dress.
I chose to wear a few swipes of mascara and a bold, mauve lipstick that matched the flowers. Twisting my hair into a chignon, I took one last look again at my reflection.
Who was the girl looking back at me?
The one who was used to hanging out with antiques and history books instead of people was now going to watch a bunch of noblemen at a charity polo match.
In freaking England.
Where I was living.
Child-me would be super jealous if she would have known my future.
But adult-me had to shake my head at my own silliness. I had to get a grip.
This wasn’t a big deal, and by watching the game and talking to some of the other attendees, I could get a feel for more of the Webley history.
That’s right. That’s all this was.
A work trip.
Nothing more.
Though my heart sped up at the thought of spending the day watching Gavin on a horse. Maybe even getting another glimpse of that sexy smile.
Or a sports shirt clinging to the expanse of his chest and clinging to his biceps…
There was nothing wrong with looking when everyone else was, I figured.
Even if maybe I did find my face heating up at the thought of him catching me checking him out. Again.
I was more than ready when a knock sounded at my door, expecting Meredith, or even Sully and Hitchcock, to be on the other side.
But the wind was knocked out of me when Gavin stood there in a jersey that molded to his body like a second skin. Visible beneath the fabric were the high lines and curves of his biceps and the chest and stomach that had to have been molded by a Greek sculptor. Or maybe even an English one. I’d really have to do some research on that. Or stop drooling over my boss.
“Natalie, you look stunning, as always.” His rich accent wrapped around me like a warm blanket, and I tried not to squirm under his hooded gaze.
Though his eyes didn’t roam over me, just stayed on my face, rewarding me with the slight curve of his lips.
Holy hell, those lips.
I could still feel the tingle they left on my hand from that one little brush of his mouth on my knuckles.
I wasn’t inexperienced or a prude or anything, but that little gesture had stirred something completely different in me. It wasn’t like the overbearing hormonal rage I’d get from high school boyfriends, but a new flutter. One like I’d never experienced and had my brain floating with a big smile that I couldn’t hold back.
“Thank you, Lord Gavin, you look, um, stunning as well. Is that the right word for someone in a jersey? I don’t think I’ve ever actually been up close with someone in a sports uniform or known what to say as a compliment.”
I did play basketball at one point when I was in middle school and quit pretty quickly once I realized I couldn’t even dribble.
But teen girls in baggy pants and sleeveless jerseys weren’t the same thing as the white shorts falling just above Gavin’s knees, revealing sculpted calves and a hint of naturally sun-kissed skin. Suddenly I was more interested in sports than I ever had been.
Or at least the uniform.
Gavin smirked, crossing his arms over his chest so that the white fabric pulled against his skin, giving a little hint to the toned muscles beneath.
Stop. Checking. Him. Out.
“I’m just wearing what they tell me to. The same outfit that I’m told you requested be donated after the match is over?” His lip twitched slightly at what could have been the start of a smile.
I bit my lip so I didn’t let out the giggle caught in my throat.
But I wasn’t going to just be some little girl with a crush. I had to let him know I was serious.
So I cleared my throat and took a step forward. “Yes. I told Meredith I’d accept this dress only if it would be donated and auctioned, along with your uniform. Is that going to be a problem?”
He shook his head, and there was the slightest upper curl of his lips, but I couldn’t be sure. “No problem at all. I think it’s a great idea.”
“Good,” I nodded, internally holding back a scream.
He then put am arm out, motioning toward the hallway. “Shall we? Hugh and Cecily will be heading there shortly, so we’ll meet them there.”
“Hugh and Cecily?” I asked, following him out of the room as the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end at the mention of another woman’s name.
“My sister, Cecily.”
“Oh,” I stammered, trying to keep my voice even and failing miserably. “Will your parents also be in attendance?”
My palms were sweating, and it took everything I had not to wipe them on the silk fabric that was threatening to stick to my skin.
He shook his head and gritted his teeth. “No, they won’t be in until the Iris Festival.”
“Oh. Okay. Just making sure, since I haven’t cleared another guest room since Hugh’s been here.” I slumped my shoulders, hoping he didn’t see the relief that washed over me.
Instead of walking to the elevator and heading to the underground garage, we went through the grand foyer and out to the front, circular drive, where a queue of black sedans waited.
“Is the queen here or something?” I looked over the different cars with their black tinted windows, wondering if I’d actually be able to see inside.
He hummed. Not a laugh, but like the sound someone makes when a child says something crazy.
“No, this is our ride. I don’t think she’ll be in attendance today. Though I’m sure you’ll get enough of some duchesses and dukes talking about their latest yacht excursions, disguising them as well-being trips.”
“Really?” I raised my eyebrows, thinking this was his attempt at adding some humor to the situation.
He
looked at me out of the corner of his eye, his face flat. “Yes.”
“Guess you’ll fit right in then.”
He tilted his head slightly. “Why is that?”
I smiled, adding a short laugh to the end so he knew I was ribbing him. But I was also partly serious. “Come on, you can’t deny that you can be a little brooding and pretentious when you want to be.”
Swallowing hard, I stared at the lines of his face, hoping for any hint of a smile so he knew I wasn’t trying to insult him.
“It’s not a bad thing, and I get it. You can’t exactly come off as a pushover to everyone. Just saying, maybe it wouldn’t hurt you to smile once in a while.”
“Smile? That’s all it would take for me not to be an arsehole then?” His lips twitched, but again, no smile.
I pinched my finger and thumb together, holding them in front of my face. “A little bit.”
A man in a blue suit with aviator sunglasses opened the back door of the sedan directly in front of us. I didn’t even hear the car come up until the creak of the door sounded.
He looked slightly familiar, but the staff was so big, sometimes I couldn’t keep up with who was who.
“Lord Gavin, Miss Natalie,” he said coolly.
Maybe he didn’t hear any of our conversation, or maybe he was trying to get us to stop and this was the best way to do it.
Either way, I took my out before Gavin could either respond with something snarky or just give me that steely stare that I couldn’t read. Both made my insides garble.
I slid into the backseat, the buttery leather cool beneath my dress.
Expectantly waiting, I looked up to see Gavin nodding at me.
“Um, are you getting in? Did I do another faux pas by sliding in first?”
Stone-faced.
Of course.
“I’ll be riding in the car in front of yours.”
I tried to hide my disappointment with a wide, fake smile. “Okay, I’ll see you at the match then. Maybe even with a smile.”
“Right.”
The door was shut by the man in the suit before he got into the driver’s seat. So I didn’t see if I got a smile.
Something didn’t sit right with me.
Not just the sickening feeling that still crept in my stomach. Or the chilled air conditioning of the car against the cold seats, now pressed on my bare arms.