man—a very desirable man.
Though there couldn’t be anything more than friendship between them, she enjoyed his company. And he was pleasing to the eyes with his wind-ruffled hair, squared jaw, and excellent form.
It took her a moment to realize he’d stopped talking and was looking at her with amusement.
“What is it?” she asked, puzzled.
“I’m boring you,” he said and lowered a vase back onto the cherry fireplace mantle.
“No. No, it isn’t that.” She flushed, caught admiring his manly perfection. “I was, I, drat.” The warmth in her cheeks deepened. “I wasn’t paying attention. I do apologize.”
He rubbed his chin. “We do not have to continue the tour.”
Laura sighed. “I do want to see the manor. I suppose being so close to home has tangled up my thoughts.” She squared her shoulders. “Please let us go on. I promise to admire each and every room with great enthusiasm.”
It took focus to keep her mind on his words as they continued up from floor to floor. By the time they got to the attic, the wind was howling outside, setting the shutters on the attic windows to rattling.
Laura was certain by the conclusion of the tour that she could name all the finer points of his male form, and nothing about the house.
“The attic at last,” Mister Harrington said, then teased, “I’m sure, if pressed, you wouldn’t know Hepplewhite from Sheraton, as you have spent the last two hours nodding politely and staring off, at what I can’t imagine.”
Cheeks warming, she wondered if he suspected where her thoughts had really been. “I—I have been thinking of my poor departed cousin. He would hate the dust.”
He crossed his arms and narrowed his lids. “Truly? Twohours of thinking about that. Then my tour was duller than I imagined.”
“It wasn’t dull at all,” she hurried to assure him. Goodness, how to get out of this without revealing her true distraction! “I was merely admiring the fine craftsmanship of the pieces. My cousin had a grand collection.”
“Then it wasn’t the dust?” His mouth twitched.
Flustered, she glared. “Why must you be privy to my thoughts? I am allowed to think whatever I wish without sharing them with you.”
His grin was wicked. “You seem a bit flustered.”
In an instant, she knew that he knew she’d been admiring him. How, she couldn’t know. Perhaps he’d seen her reflection studying him in a mirror? Gads, had he seen her admiring his bum?
“It’s shameful to not cling to your host’s every word. But to have it rudely pointed out is worse.”
Simon chuckled. He leaned to peer into her eyes. He was close enough for her to feel his breath…to touch her.
“I shouldn’t tease,” he said, his eyes dropping to her mouth. “Unfortunately, I find intense enjoyment watching your eyes flash when I do.”
Laura opened, closed, and opened her mouth again. She couldn’t speak with him so close.
What was wrong with her? Her breath quivered in her chest and she felt shivery from toe to head. He’d done nothing to warrant such a reaction, and yet, she was so intensely aware of him that she could do nothing but stare into his eyes.
The roof creaked, and with it, her voice returned.
“Ha, I long suspected that you liked to see me flustered and annoyed,” she said breathlessly. “Now you have confirmed it.”
His eyes stayed on her mouth. “You are not easily flustered.”
Would he kiss her? He shouldn’t!
To put distance between them, Laura walked to the end of the immense room and looked out. The sky was bleakand she could see rain moving across the landscape. She rubbed her arms. “A storm is coming.”
Simon joined her. She could feel his heat, and her body responded with a ripple of something primal. A half step back and she’d be against the warmth of his chest, in his arms, feeling comforted and secure.
It had been a long time since she’d been held, touched in a way that wasn’t forced and unpleasant. It took all her
Though there couldn’t be anything more than friendship between them, she enjoyed his company. And he was pleasing to the eyes with his wind-ruffled hair, squared jaw, and excellent form.
It took her a moment to realize he’d stopped talking and was looking at her with amusement.
“What is it?” she asked, puzzled.
“I’m boring you,” he said and lowered a vase back onto the cherry fireplace mantle.
“No. No, it isn’t that.” She flushed, caught admiring his manly perfection. “I was, I, drat.” The warmth in her cheeks deepened. “I wasn’t paying attention. I do apologize.”
He rubbed his chin. “We do not have to continue the tour.”
Laura sighed. “I do want to see the manor. I suppose being so close to home has tangled up my thoughts.” She squared her shoulders. “Please let us go on. I promise to admire each and every room with great enthusiasm.”
It took focus to keep her mind on his words as they continued up from floor to floor. By the time they got to the attic, the wind was howling outside, setting the shutters on the attic windows to rattling.
Laura was certain by the conclusion of the tour that she could name all the finer points of his male form, and nothing about the house.
“The attic at last,” Mister Harrington said, then teased, “I’m sure, if pressed, you wouldn’t know Hepplewhite from Sheraton, as you have spent the last two hours nodding politely and staring off, at what I can’t imagine.”
Cheeks warming, she wondered if he suspected where her thoughts had really been. “I—I have been thinking of my poor departed cousin. He would hate the dust.”
He crossed his arms and narrowed his lids. “Truly? Twohours of thinking about that. Then my tour was duller than I imagined.”
“It wasn’t dull at all,” she hurried to assure him. Goodness, how to get out of this without revealing her true distraction! “I was merely admiring the fine craftsmanship of the pieces. My cousin had a grand collection.”
“Then it wasn’t the dust?” His mouth twitched.
Flustered, she glared. “Why must you be privy to my thoughts? I am allowed to think whatever I wish without sharing them with you.”
His grin was wicked. “You seem a bit flustered.”
In an instant, she knew that he knew she’d been admiring him. How, she couldn’t know. Perhaps he’d seen her reflection studying him in a mirror? Gads, had he seen her admiring his bum?
“It’s shameful to not cling to your host’s every word. But to have it rudely pointed out is worse.”
Simon chuckled. He leaned to peer into her eyes. He was close enough for her to feel his breath…to touch her.
“I shouldn’t tease,” he said, his eyes dropping to her mouth. “Unfortunately, I find intense enjoyment watching your eyes flash when I do.”
Laura opened, closed, and opened her mouth again. She couldn’t speak with him so close.
What was wrong with her? Her breath quivered in her chest and she felt shivery from toe to head. He’d done nothing to warrant such a reaction, and yet, she was so intensely aware of him that she could do nothing but stare into his eyes.
The roof creaked, and with it, her voice returned.
“Ha, I long suspected that you liked to see me flustered and annoyed,” she said breathlessly. “Now you have confirmed it.”
His eyes stayed on her mouth. “You are not easily flustered.”
Would he kiss her? He shouldn’t!
To put distance between them, Laura walked to the end of the immense room and looked out. The sky was bleakand she could see rain moving across the landscape. She rubbed her arms. “A storm is coming.”
Simon joined her. She could feel his heat, and her body responded with a ripple of something primal. A half step back and she’d be against the warmth of his chest, in his arms, feeling comforted and secure.
It had been a long time since she’d been held, touched in a way that wasn’t forced and unpleasant. It took all her
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