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“Two is, if I leave, Lou will want to know why. And I don’t want her to know about last night. It’ll upset her.”
I could tell that was a good one with his tone when he said, “That’s two.”
“Three is, Portia and I had a moment last night. If she’s staying, I feel I should stay with her. She’s justifiably angry at Daniel. She’s upset about Lou. Yes, it’s in her way and it’s not a good way, but she is. And I think, if we had a breakthrough last night, I should push my advantage. Maybe now I can talk some sense into her, give a little, tell her I’ll convince the trustees to give her enough money to cover her expenses, say for a month, until she finds a job. And maybe attempt to counsel her on finding her true calling in life. Something she enjoys. Something she’ll stick with so we don’t have to go through this again.”
“All right. I don’t quite agree that you should give in when it comes to teaching Portia a lesson, but you know her better than me. And she was openly upset about what happened to you last night and stepped in like any sister should. So that’s three,” he said when I stopped speaking.
“Four is, I’m curious about this village everyone keeps on about. I want to see it.”
“It’s weak, but yes, that’s four.”
I felt my lips curl up but carried on. “Five, call me crazy, but I like Duncroft. One can say things sure aren’t boring here.”
I could see the flare in his eyes, sharing how much he liked that I liked his ancestral home, regardless of all that had been happening.
I wasn’t going there with us right then, but the bigger truth in that was I liked getting to know Ian while we were there.
He’d become Duncroft for me. A beautiful, strong, endlessly interesting fortress where I felt safe.
He was right. All the shit was just shit, but it was happening to me.
That said, I didn’t feel unsafe here.
Not exactly true, there were times, obviously, when I’d been petrified.
But then, he was right there, and I had the exact opposite feeling.
I hadn’t had time to think on this either, but it was even more.
I was beginning to get the sensation that something else was happening. It was like the house was communicating to me, with my tours, meanderings, my dreams, and most especially Ian’s stories and the time I spent with him while he was telling them (and besides).
And what the house had to say, it was necessary for me to hear, and I couldn’t hear it if I wasn’t there.
It was weird (it was all weird), but I felt, deep down, I was supposed to be here. That it wasn’t yet time to leave.
It wasn’t time for Ian and for me.
“Then the girls are unpacking you,” he gave in. “Because you know the deal.”
“Ian,” I said softly. “It isn’t like I’m not that girl. I’m that girl. Proudly that girl. I go after what I want. But we haven’t even had a date.”
“This will be rectified when I take you to the village this afternoon, and then we’ll have dinner at the Italian place. They have four restaurants. That one, an Indian place, Chinese takeaway, and a chippie. And I’m not standing on a street corner eating a battered sausage for our first date.”
I loved battered sausages, but no. That wouldn’t do for a first date with Ian Alcott.
Still, I said, “I think you know what I mean.”
“You’ve been here with me the last two nights.”
“With extenuating circumstances.”
“Right, love, I don’t get this. Because I’m a man. But I understand the way of it is that women have been trained to consider these things as a matter of course and be cautious about them. But let me educate you about where I’m at. You hold the power, all of it, when it comes to intimacy. If you’re not ready, I won’t push you. When you’re ready, I’ll be waiting. I want you here because I want you safe. I want you here because I like being with you. I want you here because you feel good beside me in my bed. I’ve also made it clear I want to be inside you. But I’ll be inside you here when you decide it’s time. Only when you decide it’s time. Now, will you please move into my suite?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
His relief was so great, I wondered why I protested it.
I wondered that more when he kissed my nose as a reward for giving him what he wanted.
