by Rachel Lacey
“I should drive you home now,” he said.
She nodded, slipping out of his embrace, her hand in his as they walked down the street to the public lot where he’d parked. He opened the door for her, as memories of last night slammed into him, the way he’d gotten her off in the front seat of the car, the way she’d tortured him through his pants as they drove home. His cock went from half-mast to hard as granite in a few frantic beats of his heart.
She gave him a heated look as she stepped into the car, as if her mind had taken a similar journey. He closed her door, adjusting himself discreetly inside his jeans as he walked around to the driver’s side.
“Last night feels like a lifetime ago,” she said as he lowered himself into the driver’s seat.
“Tell me about it.”
“I really am sorry about this morning.”
He started the engine and pulled onto Main Street. “It’s fine. I probably overreacted. I don’t really have much experience with this kind of thing.”
“What kind of thing?” she asked. “Like, relationships?”
“Relationships with, I don’t know…if I say ‘emotion,’ does that make me sound like a psychopath?” He flinched at his own words.
“No,” she said softly. “But it’s kind of sad.”
“It’s not sad. I just usually think about things in business terms. Dates are scheduled, the outcome is mutually satisfactory for both parties, and then we move on.”
Elle snorted with laughter. “‘Mutually satisfactory for both parties?’ Who are you, and what have you done with the Theo I spent last night with?”
“Things are obviously quite different between us, and I…well, I like it, but I’m not exactly sure how to react either.” His hands tightened around the steering wheel.
“It’s chemistry, right?” she said. “Or that’s what you told me that day in the gazebo.”
“We’ve got chemistry in spades,” he agreed, although this was more than chemistry, and she knew it was well as he did. No doubt it was the reason she’d fled that morning, and it was a damn good reason for him to stay away from her, but he just couldn’t seem to manage it, and it would seem, neither could she.
When they got home, instead of turning in at the guest house, he pulled through the circular drive in front of the castle. She’d suggested they slow things down, so he’d better say goodnight now before they had a repeat of last night. He came around and opened her door, drawing her in for a greedy kiss as she stood. Their tongues tangled, hands frantically groping, searching, touching.
Finally, he lifted his head. “Goodnight, Elle.”
She let out a breathless sound, halfway between a whimper and a sigh. “Goodnight.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned against the side of the car, watching as she climbed the steps to the castle’s heavy wooden doors. She stumbled slightly on the top step, reminding him of the day she’d arrived when she lost her shoe, the way it had tumbled down the steps to him. Tonight, her shoes stayed firmly in place. With a quick smile and a wave, she stepped inside the castle, closing the door firmly behind her.
13
Elle found Megan and Ruby sitting on her bed with all three dogs when she made it upstairs—first she’d stopped in the kitchen for a much-needed bottle of water.
“We were starting to think you were spending the night at the guest house again,” Megan said with a smile as Elle sat in the chair beside her bed. Darcy hopped down and came to sit beside her.
Elle rubbed her sweet little pug face. “He dropped me off out front tonight.”
“So?” Megan’s gaze was curious. “What happened?”
“We’re good,” Elle said, clutching the bottle of water between her palms. “I apologized for bolting and said we needed to slow things down, which is why he dropped me off instead of taking me back to his place again.”
“That was a smart decision,” Ruby said, nodding.
“I think so.” Elle took a long drink. “Anyway, I’m semi-trashed and completely exhausted. I’ll make better decisions tomorrow.”
“I think you made great decisions tonight,” Megan said. “But we’ll let you get your beauty sleep.”
“’Night.” Elle stood as her friends headed for the door. Shiloh the lab mix followed at Megan’s heels.
“Oh, and by the way, I gave Sean my number. He’s going to take me dancing this weekend,” Megan said with a wink.
“Awesome,” Elle told her with a smile, not at all surprised that Megan had finagled a date out of their run-in with the guys tonight.
Once they’d gone, Elle sat on her bed with Darcy on one side, Remington on the other. She chugged the rest of the bottle of water and then gathered the dogs close for a hug. Tears welled in her eyes. What the heck was that about? Too much beer and not enough sleep, probably. She’d been at the castle for a month now, and what a rollercoaster ride it had been so far. She was so close to achieving her dreams, but at the same time farther than ever.
“Why hasn’t anyone adopted you yet?” she asked Darcy and Remington. They were adorable and generally well-behaved. If the Fairy Tails program failed…well, it would be a huge disappointment.
With a heavy sigh, she climbed out of bed and clipped leashes onto both dogs to take them for their last walk of the night. She went out the side door by the kitchen, leading them over to the patch of grass designated as their potty area. While they did their business, she allowed her gaze to wander down to the guest house.
The lights were still on. What was Theo doing? She imagined him sitting in the living room, reading a book. No, that didn’t sound quite like him. He might be watching the news. Maybe he was already in bed. Did he sleep naked? He had last night. A flush crept across her skin.
Feeling somewhat ridiculous, she hustled the dogs back inside and changed into her pajamas. Instead of crating them, though, tonight she let them get in bed with her. As she drifted off to sleep, her final thought was that she was snuggled up with another warm body three nights in a row. What was happening to her normally anti-snuggly self?
She woke the next morning, refreshed and rejuvenated. After a long, hot shower, she felt ready to take on the world. Even her toe felt better. Maybe it wasn’t broken after all. She wrapped herself in a towel and headed into her bedroom to get dressed. But, crap, her bedroom door was open. She rushed to close it before anyone happened by and saw her in her towel.
And…double crap. Both dogs were gone. She hadn’t taken them out yet this morning, and if one of them peed somewhere in the castle…well, that wasn’t the kind of impression she wanted to make with their new program. She scrambled into a tank top and jean shorts, shoved her feet into sneakers, and raced down the hall.
“Have you seen Darcy or Remington?” she asked Ruby, who was coming up the stairs with a cup of coffee in her hand.
Ruby shook her head. “No, why?”
“They got out of my room.”
“Oh. Give me a minute, and I’ll come help you look for them.” Ruby gestured to her coffee cup.
“Thanks,” Elle told her as she headed down the hall past the guest rooms. Luckily, they didn’t have any guests this morning who might wake up to loose dogs roaming the halls or worse…a puddle of dog pee. Why hadn’t she walked them before her shower? Or remembered to close her bedroom door?
Since there was no sign of the dogs in the guest wing, she went downstairs. It was early still, only seven o’clock. No one was around but Beatrice, already cooking in the kitchen.
“Did you see any of our dogs come through here?” Elle asked her.
Beatrice turned, taking an earbud out of her ear. “What was that?”
“Have you seen any dogs in the kitchen? I’ve got a couple on the loose.” A sinking feeling settled in Elle’s stomach as she noticed that the door leading out to the gardens was open. Beatrice often left it open while she baked to let in fresh air.
“Haven’t seen them,” Beatrice answered with a smile.
�
�Thanks. Do you mind if I close this while I look for them?” Elle gestured to the door.
“Not at all.”
Elle hurried down the hall, checking each room as she passed. In the library, she found Theo crouched in the corner, a stack of books perched beside him. As she watched, he felt around on the empty shelf before them, pressing against the wood—almost as if he expected it to spring open and reveal a hidden compartment.
“Looking for something?” she asked.
He turned, knocking over the stack of books in the process. She walked over to help him restack them, glancing with curiosity at the empty shelf, but as far as she could see, it was just a shelf.
“Seen any dogs?” she asked.
“No.”
“Darcy and Remington are loose somewhere in the castle. Let me know if you see them,” she said as she stood.
He nodded. “Are you free tonight?”
“Yes.” Anticipation fluttered in her belly at the look in his eye.
“I thought maybe we could enjoy a date here at the castle, dinner and a movie in the theater.”
“I’d love that.” She remembered her last attempt at watching a movie there, when she’d fallen asleep and woken to a sexy advance from Theo. “Who gets to pick the movie?”
“I’ll leave that to you,” he said with the dry smile that she’d come to love. There was a quirkiness to his staid demeanor that was irrationally sexy.
“It’s a date,” she told him with a quick kiss. “But right now, I’ve got to go find my dogs.”
“They can’t have gone far.”
Famous last words. Because by the time she’d finished searching the castle, she was starting to think the dogs might have gone pretty far after all. Right out the kitchen door, to be exact. She headed into the garden, trying to imagine where a couple of dogs taking a freedom romp might have gone.
The blue glint of the pool caught her eye. Oh God. Was the gate latched? Did Darcy and Remington know how to swim? A tight fist clamped around her stomach as she raced toward the pool. Empty. Gate latched.
Phew.
Okay, onward. She hurried through the gardens, calling for them as she went. Movement caught her eye from the far end of the rosebushes a moment before Darcy’s little tan head popped out.
“Darcy, you naughty girl!” Elle rushed toward her and scooped the dog into her arms. Darcy’s curly tail wagged like crazy. “Okay, one down and one to go,” Elle said as she carried the pug back toward the castle. In her haste, she hadn’t thought to bring leashes with her. Back inside, she brought Darcy up to her room, grabbed Remington’s leash, and headed downstairs.
“Find them?” Megan asked, poking her head out of her bedroom.
“Got Darcy. Remy’s still MIA. I’m pretty sure he’s outside somewhere.”
“I’ll help you look as soon as I finish getting ready.”
“Thanks.” Elle was still in a tank top and shorts, no makeup, her hair air-drying over her shoulders as she walked. Not a look to greet guests as they arrived, but Megan and Ruby could cover for her if necessary. She needed to find Remington before he got into trouble out there on his own.
Outside, the sun shone overhead, already warm enough to let her know today was going to be a hot one. Well, hot by Virginia standards. The air always felt fresher here than it did in Orlando. The humidity was lower. And the mountain breezes were absolutely fantastic. Blowing out a breath, she struck out. “Remington! Remy, where are you?”
She tried to remember the areas he preferred when they ran. Sometimes he tried to guide her toward the woods behind the pond. Shit. The pond. Would he try to go for a swim? Breaking into a jog, she headed for the pond, but it looked as deserted as ever when she reached it.
Of course, it would look like that too if he’d already gone under…
No. Falling into a pond wasn’t like falling into the pool. The edges were shallow. He’d have been able to climb back out. “Remington?” She slapped her thigh the way she did when she was encouraging him to run toward her when they played outside.
Nothing.
She walked a little way into the woods, calling and calling, but still no response.
Oh, Remington, where are you?
Theo finished work by five that night, eager for his date with Elle. He’d already spoken to Beatrice about having a dinner tray sent to the theater for them. But when Elle came down the stairs, he knew right away something was wrong. Her usual radiant personality was dimmed tonight by the cloak of worry she wore around her shoulders.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as he walked to her. She wore form-fitting purple pants and a long, flowy top, and she smelled like sunshine and flowers.
“I’ve lost Remington,” she said.
“You never found him this morning?” Theo frowned as he thought of the miles of Appalachian forest surrounding the castle. How far could a little dog go?
She shook her head. “We’ve looked everywhere, called for him for hours. He’s just…gone.”
“Surely, he’ll turn up when he gets hungry, right?”
“I don’t know. I don’t have much experience with dogs.” She let out a weary sigh. “We had to let the shelter know he’s missing. They’re probably not very impressed with me so far. We’ve had five of their animals for several weeks now without a single adoption, and now I’ve lost one.”
“Well, I can’t speak for the animal shelter, but I’m quite impressed with your work.” He tugged her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.
“Really?” She peeked up at him through a wayward blonde curl.
He tucked it behind her ear. “Really. And I very much did not want to be impressed by you, Elle. It wasn’t in my best interest to become involved with you, personally or professionally, and yet I’m quite taken with you on both fronts.”
“Oh.” She burrowed closer, tilting her face up to his for a kiss.
“What do you say we take a stroll through the grounds before our movie date and see if any dogs pop out of the bushes while we’re at it?” he said. “I can ask Beatrice to delay our dinner.”
“That sounds…perfect, actually. Thank you.”
“Of course.” He let go of her and walked into the kitchen to ask Beatrice to hold dinner for an hour. By now, she must realize he and Elle were more than friends, but she’d been with the family long enough for him to know he could trust her.
For the sake of their guests, however, he and Elle kept their hands to themselves as they left the castle. They struck out along the path that led to the stables, calling for Remington as they went.
“What if he doesn’t come back?” she asked, her brow drawn with worry.
“You’ll cross that bridge when you come to it. I don’t know much about dogs either, but I imagine he’s having a little adventure and will come home when he tires of it.”
“What if he gets lost?” she asked. “Or hurt? Or worse?”
“Those are things you have no control over. We’re looking for him. The shelter is looking for him. That’s all you can do for now.”
“We’ve also put the word out on social media,” Elle told him. “We posted his picture in some lost and found pet groups.”
“There you go. Someone will find him.”
She glanced over at him. “You sound awfully sure about that.”
“I’m an optimist by nature.”
“So am I. I’m just…I’m worried about him.” She blew out a breath. “And I’m so mad at myself for leaving my bedroom door open this morning.”
“Pets get out all the time. It happens.” He squeezed her hand.
They walked to the barn, checking to make sure Remington wasn’t hiding inside.
“Why don’t you rent it out?” Elle asked.
He shrugged. “Maybe the next owner will.”
She huffed in annoyance. “I really don’t see why you’re so set on selling. We could rent out the farm house and the stable for you and bring in so much money. Reservations at the castle are pick
ing up too. And tours are booked out for the next three weekends, although I have to say the percentage of women is unusually high on those tours.” She gave him a sly look.
“Are you saying you wish I were ugly so your tours attracted fewer women wanting to date me?” He grinned at her. “Because I thought I’d made it abundantly clear that the only woman I’m interested in is you.”
A blush spread across her cheeks. “I don’t care who comes as long as they fill my tours.”
They left the stable and kept walking. He held her hand as they walked, enjoying the beauty of a summer evening in Virginia. The sun streaked the sky with pink and purple as it sank below the tree line. Several birds flew overhead, and the air hummed with the sound of insects.
“What are you looking for, Theo?” she asked suddenly, turning toward him.
He didn’t follow her question. “Excuse me?”
“A couple of times now, I’ve seen you searching for something here in the castle. And maybe I’m being nosy, but what are you doing?”
“Oh,” he paused, debating for a moment how to answer. “Apparently, my grandfather hid several family heirlooms somewhere in the castle, pieces of Rose’s jewelry. I need to find them before I sell.”
Elle’s eyes rounded. “Like hidden treasure?”
He chuckled. “Not exactly. A tiara. A ring, and a few other items.”
“That sounds like treasure to me.” She gave him a playful shove. “Can I help look?”
“At this point, I can use all the help I can get.”
“Is it okay if I tell Megan and Ruby? Then we can all keep an eye out for them.”
“That’s fine. Just make sure they keep it to themselves. The last thing we need is guests going treasure hunting and getting sticky fingers with my grandmother’s jewelry.”
“Our lips are sealed.” Elle leaned against him with an easy smile. “Don’t worry, Theo. Between the four of us, we’ll find them.”
He squeezed her hand. “And we’ll find Remington too. I’m sorry about the circumstances, but this has still been a nice start to our date.”