Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 117740 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117740 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
OLIVER: I have to stay. Who else will protect the estate from silly string and water balloons?
ME: Hey, I haven’t thrown water balloons at your McMansion.
OLIVER: Yet.
ME: Well, if you insist…
OLIVER: I am not insisting.
ME: Then why are you giving me ideas?
OLIVER: Maybe I should come home.
Home.
He’d just referred to Hanbury as home.
Did he really feel that way?
I wasn’t sure I could handle it if he did.
ME: Maybe you should just stay in London forever.
OLIVER: No. How could I leave you alone?
My lips twitched. My heart ached. My nose itched.
This.
This was what I couldn’t handle.
These… Feely feelings.
ME: I’d really rather prefer if you did.
OLIVER: Someone needs to supervise you. Isadora isn’t very good at it.
True, that.
ME: I don’t need supervision. I’m not a child.
OLIVER: All right. Maybe I’d just miss you if I never saw you again, princess.
ME: I’m sure you can find a therapist in London to snap you out of that alternate universe.
OLIVER: It’s a shame it’s a weekend and they’re not in the office, or I’d see if anyone could squeeze me in to knock some sense into me right now since I appear to be missing you.
ME: You miss me?
OLIVER: I keep expecting you to burst through my front door and complain about something. It’s very strange.
ME: I don’t burst through your front door. I knock and enter nicely, then complain.
OLIVER: You could just say that you miss me too, you know.
ME: Why would I do that? I’m having the best day ever. There’s no grouchy, mean duke to interrupt our party.
OLIVER: You’re breaking my heart, princess.
ME: Ah, we’re finally in an even relationship.
OLIVER: So, you won’t admit that you miss me, but you’ll admit that we’re in a relationship?
Shit.
Why did I say that?
ME: Of course we have a relationship. Just like I have one with George and Susan and Shauna and Paula and everyone else.
OLIVER: You’re impossible.
ME: Can’t be. I exist.
OLIVER: And thank goodness you do.
My heart skipped a beat.
Oh.
That was playing dirty.
OLIVER: I have to go. Enjoy your sunshine and fresh air while I’m stuck in an office meeting with eight old codgers in suits, won’t you?
ME: I’ll send you pics all afternoon.
OLIVER: I’m only interested if you’re in them.
ME: Aren’t you afraid you’ll miss me more?
OLIVER: Half-tempted to cancel my business and come back to see you, to be honest.
ME: You should be more responsible than that. If you’re not a big fancy CEO, how can I call you Mr Fancypants?
OLIVER: Been a while since I’ve heard that.
ME: Didn’t you have to go?
OLIVER: Yeah. Luke is about to break down my door.
ME: If I lie and tell you I miss you, will you go?
My phone rang as soon as the marked turned green to show the message had been read, and I almost dropped it in shock. “What are you doing?”
Oliver’s deep chuckle resonated down the line. “If you’re going to say that, I had to hear it for myself.”
I snorted, sitting back on the bench and crumpling up my empty sandwich packet. “Keep dreaming, Mr Fancypants. I wasn’t going to say those three words.”
“What were you doing to say, then? C’mon, princess, don’t keep me waiting. I’m a busy man.”
“Not too busy to torment me,” I shot back, looking up at the rare cloudless sky above. “All right, I’ll admit it. I wish you were here.”
“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“If you were here, you’d get to see how much fun we’re all having as we band against you. You’d realise we’re all going to hate you forever and ever and ever, and I’d absolutely make you a part of that game where the kids are currently throwing water balloons at their teacher’s faces.”
“Hmm,” he mused, his hum sounding lower than usual through the phone. “You mean like those boards where they stick their heads through? Like guillotines?”
“That’s it. I’d have everyone from Hanbury line up and absolutely pelt you with water balloons. Kind of a shame you’re not a part of it.”
“You really do miss me, don’t you?”
I smiled, my gaze following a bird as it swooped across the sky. “It’s such a great opportunity to make your life hell for a few hours.”
“I’m sorry I’m missing it,” he replied, amusement tinging his tone, and I just knew he was smiling.
One of those great big smiles that made his eyes twinkle and my heart flutter.
“Yeah,” I said softly. “Me, too.” I paused. “I would have loved seeing you try to get the goats under control.”
“I’m sure you’d love to video it and use it against me for the rest of my life.”
“Just your life? I’ll take it to the afterlife.”
“Where you’ll finally flirt with me?”
“Boy, you really need to find you a therapist, Your Grace.”
He laughed, a deep belly laugh that I felt in the butterflies in my stomach. “Maybe I can borrow Waffles when I’m back.”