If the Shoe Fits

by Rachel Lacey

  By the time she’d showered, dressed, and fed them, it was almost seven. She stuffed a few essentials in her duffel bag and headed for the guest house.

  “I’m around back,” Theo’s voice drifted out to her when she knocked on the door.

  She followed it to the patio behind the guest house. A fire was going in the firepit, and Theo sat lounging in an Adirondack chair beside it. The flames cast deep shadows across his profile, dancing over his cheek and jawbone and flickering in his eyes. She crossed the patio to press her lips against his.

  “Hey,” he murmured against her lips. “How was your day?”

  “Good, but it’s even better now that I’m here.” She straightened and walked to the back door to set her bag inside.

  “I could say the same.” He stood and walked to the small table at the edge of the patio where one of Beatrice’s silver trays sat, covered, beside a bottle of wine. He poured two glasses and handed one to her. “Hungry?”

  She nodded. “I’m always hungry for Beatrice’s cooking.”

  “I believe we’ve got pheasant tonight with garlic mashed and some spring vegetables.”

  “I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten pheasant before. It sounds very English,” she said with a wink as she sat across the table from him.

  Theo leaned forward and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper, “It tastes a lot like chicken.”

  He set a plate in front of her and the other at his own seat. Overhead, the sky had taken on the purplish hue of dusk. Insects hummed from the woods behind them, and the fire crackled nearby, sending flickering shadows across the table. Along the tree line, fireflies blinked as if the whole forest had been lit with fairy lights. She sipped her wine and felt peace radiate through her body.

  She lifted her glass and tapped it against Theo’s. “To perfectly romantic dates at home.”

  “I suppose this place is fairly romantic,” Theo commented as he took a bite of his dinner.

  Across the table, Elle gave him an amused look. “Fairly romantic? Rosemont Castle is the most romantic place I’ve ever seen, but I actually meant your back patio. With the fire and the fireflies, wine, fancy food…it’s pretty damn romantic.”

  “And here I was worried you’d rather go out.”

  “Nope. This is perfect.” Elle sipped from her wine as the fire danced in her eyes. She had on a gray dress that clung to her figure in all the right places, her hair long and loose down her back.

  He hadn’t given tonight much thought. Mostly, he’d just wanted to have her all to himself and had even felt a bit selfish about it. “I’m glad you think so.”

  “You must be hard to impress,” she said, still with a teasing light in her eyes. “I mean, growing up in a castle, knowing someday you’ll be the earl. What could possibly impress you after that?”

  “You do, for one thing.”

  She said up straighter. “Me?”

  “You’re smart and driven and passionate about the things that are important to you. That’s a quality too few people possess, myself included. But when I’m with you, I want to find that kind of passion. I want to find something that makes me spit fire the way you do when you’re fighting for your causes.”

  She swallowed and pressed a hand to her mouth, her eyes gone suspiciously shiny.

  He took a sip of his wine, feeling suddenly that he’d said too much, wishing he could take the words back.

  “That’s…that’s maybe the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” she said finally, her voice thick, as if it had been dampened by the tears still shining in her eyes. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” And now he didn’t want to take the words back at all, because she was looking at him like he’d given her something rare and beautiful, and he wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world.

  “I think you know what one of your passions is, though.” She reached across the table to rest her hand on his.

  He cleared his throat. “I, ah…I wanted to talk to you about that actually.”

  “Oh?” She cocked her head slightly to one side, and his gaze dropped to the column of her neck, all that smooth, pale skin just begging to be kissed…

  “I have to fly to London next weekend for an event with the Langdon Family Foundation. I’ll be meeting with the other members of the board beforehand.”

  “And they’ll expect you to announce your charity.” Elle filled in his blanks effortlessly.

  “Yes. And I was wondering if you might like to come with me.”

  Her eyes widened, and she sat, speechless, staring at him for the second time in five minutes.

  “Since you’re so taken with Rosemont Castle, I thought you might enjoy the chance to see our estate in England and the work our family does there.”

  “I…I’d love to,” she said, still looking completely gob-smacked, “but wouldn’t that kind of shine a spotlight on our relationship? I mean—”

  “Well, you could attend as Rosemont Castle’s property manager, if you prefer, but I wouldn’t be sorry if a few rumors about us got out at this point either.”

  “You wouldn’t?” She sipped from her wine, staring at him intently. The sun had dipped behind the trees now, leaving them in the hazy glow of sunset.

  “I don’t intend to make a public statement about our relationship, but I don’t want you to feel like I’m hiding you either, Elle. I’d be honored to have you attend the fundraiser with me.”

  She sat up straighter in her seat, seeming to glow as brightly as the sunset behind her. “In that case, my lord, it would be my pleasure to attend the ball with you.”

  Theo owed Beatrice for tonight, big time. After they finished their entrée, she sent down another tray that contained two servings of blackberry cobbler, à la mode and still warm from the oven.

  “Oh my God,” Elle said softly when he carried the tray onto the patio.

  The sun was long gone now, but between the light that filtered through the door and the firepit, they had enough of a glow to eat by.

  “It’s going to taste as good as it looks,” he said as he set down the tray, then leaned in to nip at her neck. “The same could be said about you.” He almost wished for more light to be able to see the flush no doubt creeping over her skin, but he could see it in her eyes, the warmth of arousal combined with the tiniest bit of embarrassment at his dirty words.

  “Well, in that case…” She dipped her spoon into the cobbler and brought it to her lips with a look that knocked the knees right out from under him. And then she moaned.

  He dropped into his seat, keeping his eyes on Elle as he scooped out a bite of his own cobbler. “Keep eating like that, and we won’t even make it to the bedroom.”

  She swallowed, her gaze locked on his. “Keep feeding me like this, and I might end up falling for Beatrice.”

  He laughed, an unexpected sensation that paired nicely with the lust curling through his gut. “Beatrice is happily married, you know.”

  “A shame,” she said before spooning another bite of cobbler into her mouth. Vanilla ice cream dripped down her chin, and before he could stop himself, he’d leaned forward to lick it off.

  His tongue slid across her skin, tasting salt and then the cold sweetness of the ice cream. “Delicious,” he said as he leaned back.

  Elle shifted in her seat, her gaze dropping to his lips. “Okay, Beatrice is forgotten.”

  “Glad to hear it.” He took a bite of cobbler, enjoying the play of tart and sweet almost as much as he’d enjoyed the flavor of Elle’s skin mixed with the ice cream. “This isn’t my dessert.”

  “No?” she asked.

  He shook his head, allowing his gaze to drop to the swell of her breasts beneath her dress. “I intend to savor you last.”

  “Oh.”

  He saw her lips form the word, but no sound left them. She shifted again in her seat, looking like a goddess as the fire cast flickering shapes and shadows across her features. She took the last bite of her cobbler and pushed the dish away, h
er eyes catching his.

  He stood from the table. “I have to put out the fire. Why don’t you go inside and make yourself comfortable?”

  “Fair to say that’s the only flame you’ll be dousing tonight,” she said over her shoulder as she walked away.

  Indeed.

  He put the fire out in record time and brought their dinner tray inside with him, leaving it on the kitchen counter to be dealt with later. As he turned toward the hall leading to his bedroom, he saw Elle’s gray dress draped over the back of the couch.

  Fuck. His blood heated, pumping need through his veins.

  Her bra lay in the hallway. Her panties hung from the door knob.

  And he just might not survive this. He pushed the door open to reveal Elle in the middle of his bed, naked, and his cock hardened inside his trousers.

  She rose onto her knees, her cheeks flushed with desire. As he watched, she sucked a finger into her mouth, releasing it with a wet pop before trailing it down her stomach.

  “Hurry,” she whispered in a tone that was pure sex.

  He stripped out of his clothes so quickly he heard a button ping against the hardwood floor. As he sank inside her, his only rational thought was that nothing else in his life compared to the way he felt whenever he was with Elle.

  15

  Elle was up with the sun and back at the castle in time to help with breakfast the next morning. Between courses, she told Ruby and Megan how Theo had asked her to go to England with him for the event at his family’s estate.

  “That sounds serious, doesn’t it?” Ruby asked, brows drawn behind her glasses.

  “I thought so,” Elle agreed. “He says it doesn’t have anything to do with our relationship, but I mean, how can it not?”

  “Well, I think it’s a wonderful opportunity,” Megan said. “You can rub elbows with the rest of the Langdons, and you know, it couldn’t hurt if you talk up our program while you’re there. Maybe you can help them see the benefits of keeping Rosemont Castle in the family. Not to mention, you get a romantic getaway with your man.”

  Elle sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. “I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right. Maybe I’ll draw up some revised numbers to show Theo too, now that we have actual data to work with. I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”

  She’d give it her best shot, but she also needed to keep herself from getting carried away. In a month, Theo would return to London, and chances were, he would sell the castle too, no matter how much she tried to prevent it. Ruby had visited the foreclosure property in Florida and determined it to be a money pit, but she was scouring the internet looking for more options for them and had even enlisted a realtor to aid in the search.

  After breakfast, Elle greeted the first of their new guests checking in today. They were expecting three couples and a group of four friends here for a girls’ weekend. The women arrived first, laughing and chatting excitedly about their long weekend here at the castle.

  “Is it okay if we take this out on the grounds?” one of them asked Elle, showing her a wine tote packed full of bottles.

  “Absolutely,” Elle told her. “If you stop by the kitchen, our chef might even be able to give you some snacks to take with you and make it a picnic.”

  “Oh, wow. That would be perfect.”

  Elle led them to two rooms at the end of the East Wing. “I’ll be giving a tour of the castle and grounds today at three, if you’re interested. Just meet me in the lobby a few minutes before.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” the brunette told her. “And what about the rescue pets? Can we meet them then too?”

  “I’d be happy to introduce you to them after the tour.” Elle felt her heart give a hopeful squeeze, the way it always did when a guest was interested in the Fairy Tails program. She hadn’t expected to become so invested in the lives of her foster pets, but here she was.

  A few days ago, they’d brought in a new dog, a basset hound named Louie, to take Shiloh’s place. He was cute, but his bark was the loudest, oddest noise Elle had ever heard.

  After she’d finished with the guests, Elle got her purse and headed into town to see about getting a passport, which ended up taking the rest of her morning. It was past noon by the time she made it back to the castle.

  “Free for lunch?” Theo asked as she came out of the garage.

  “I can be.” Most days, she, Ruby, and Megan ate lunch in the kitchen with Beatrice. “Were you looking for company?”

  “I’m always eager for your company.” His hands slid around her waist, and she melted into his embrace.

  “What a coincidence. So am I.”

  “I think that’s what they call a happy coincidence.” He led the way down the hall toward the kitchen.

  Beatrice put together a basket for them while they waited, slipping in a bottle of wine with a sly wink behind Theo’s back. Of course, she knew what was going on. Elle had no doubt the whole staff knew at this point.

  “Have you decided to go with mental health as your platform?” she asked as they strolled hand in hand toward the gazebo in the pond, out of earshot from the castle.

  “As of this moment, I have, but ask me again later today, and I’ll probably have changed my mind.”

  “Theo.” She squeezed his hand. “Remember telling me how you wanted to find something you’re passionate about? You know this is it. The fact that it frightens you only shows how deeply it affects you.”

  “It’s not that it frightens me.” He paused, giving his head a slight shake. “I just don’t want to go against the wishes of the family.”

  “You don’t have to share the details of your mother’s death if that makes it easier to pursue, but I think it would strengthen your platform if you do.” She was pushing him harder on this than she had any right to, but it frustrated her to see him waffle on something that was obviously so important to him.

  “Some things just aren’t spoken about in our circles.”

  “Then maybe it’s time for that to change, and you can be the one to change it.”

  “It’s just…” He sat on the bench in the gazebo, turning to face her. “I’m already a bit of an outsider, having been raised in America. I’ve told you how they feel my grandfather neglected his duties. They’re expecting me to make things right. They don’t want me to rock the boat.”

  “But someone has to do it. Honestly, the only thing shameful about your mother’s mental illness is keeping it hidden like some dirty family secret. I know you know that. It’s why you told me about her in the first place. So take that passion and use it. Just think about all the people you can reach and help with your platform.”

  “I know you’re right.” He opened the basket Beatrice had packed for them and handed Elle a sandwich. “It’s part of the reason I asked you to come to England with me. I know you won’t let me chicken out at the last minute.”

  “I won’t.” She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “And what’s the rest of the reason?”

  “Aside from the fact that I can’t seem to get enough of you? Well, I’m also a selfish bastard who wants to show you this part of my life you haven’t seen yet, and maybe I wanted the chance to show you off in front of my family too.”

  She almost choked on the bite of chicken salad sandwich in her mouth. That was so incredibly sweet, even while it drove a dagger through her heart because she wasn’t sure she wanted to be able to picture him where he lived and worked in England. She did…but she didn’t.

  That was the entirely of the problem with her relationship with Theo.

  After lunch, she checked in another couple and spent some time with Darcy and Remington before it was time to lead the afternoon tour for the guests. They had ten currently staying at the castle, and she expected at least half of them to show up for the tour. The group of women she’d checked in earlier had certainly been enthusiastic about it.

  Sure enough, they were the first group down the stairs, followed by two of the three couples currently staying
here. She’d seen the remaining couple leave in their car a little while ago.

  “Thanks so much for joining us today for a tour of Rosemont Castle. It was built in nineteen sixty-five as a gesture of love by the Eighth Earl of Highcastle, Alistair Langdon, for his American wife, Rose.” Elle spent the next thirty minutes showing them around the public areas of the castle and grounds, ending back on the castle steps.

  “Thank you so much for the tour,” Miriam—one of the women from the girls’ weekend group—told her excitedly.

  “You’re so welcome. Are you guys still interested in meeting our adoptable animals?”

  “Absolutely,” Miriam said. “I’ve been wanting to adopt a dog, and Eboni, you were interested too, right?”

  The dark-skinned woman to Miriam’s left nodded. “I lost my poodle mix to cancer last year, and I think I’m finally ready to bring home a new dog.”

  “Aww.” Elle pressed a hand to her chest. “I hope we can help you make that happen.”

  “Hillary and Jenae aren’t looking, but they want to play with the dogs anyway,” Miriam told her.

  “That’s right,” the brunette piped up. “And we’ll help Miriam and Eboni find their new best friends.”

  “Well, we only have three dogs right now,” Elle told them as she led the way inside, “so I can’t promise you’ll both find exactly what you’re looking for, and please don’t feel any pressure to adopt one of ours if they’re not the right fit. We really want to make sure our dogs find the right home.”

  “Fair enough,” Eboni told her with a broad smile. “If we don’t find the right dog this afternoon, we’ll probably stop at the shelter over the weekend, but we couldn’t resist the idea of meeting a few dogs right here at the castle.”

  “I’m going to set you guys up here in the parlor and bring the dogs down to meet you,” Elle told them as she led them into the room. “Make yourselves comfortable, and I’ll be right back.”

  She hurried upstairs, popping her head into Megan’s room as she passed. “Hey. I have a group who wants to meet the dogs. Want to come with me and bring Louie?”