Page 50 of Joker in the Pack

“No, I’m doing all the work tonight. You need to relax after the last few days.”

So, relax I did. Tate opened a good bottle of red, and seeing as he had to drive me back, I drank most of it.

“I feel guilty drinking three glasses full,” I told him as we curled up on the sofa later. “Especially when you haven’t touched a drop.”

“We’ve got plenty more in the wine cellar.” He paused for a long moment, reaching over to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear. “Or you could just stay the night,” he added softly.

Even through my alcohol-induced haze, I could tell from his heated eyes that he didn’t mean in the spare room. And I was tempted. The rush of heat between my legs as the words left his mouth told me that.

But it was too soon. After Edward, I was determined not to fall for the wrong man again.

“I’d rather take things slowly.”

“Anything you want, darling.”

He nuzzled my neck, his lips fluttering along my jawline until they met mine. His sweet kiss left me craving more. I pulled him towards me, and he gently parted the seam of my lips with his tongue, exploring. The sizzle in my veins tempted me to reverse my earlier decision, but the part of my heart that still ached after Edward’s betrayal stopped me.

Tate held my hand the whole way back to Lilac Cottage, and at every junction, I bit back the words on the tip of my tongue:turn around and take me back.Good Olivia battled with my inner harlot over how desperately I needed an orgasm.

In the driveway, Tate left me breathless with another kiss before hopping out to open my door.

“I’ll walk you inside.”

Such a gentleman. If I’d had a decent bed, I might well have invited him into it, except as he dipped his head to press his lips against mine once more, something registered in my peripheral vision.

“What the…”

I pushed away from Tate, my mouth dropping open in horror as I took in the jagged hole where my front window had been.

Tate followed my gaze. “Good heavens. How did that happen?”

“I don’t know. But it sure as hell wasn’t like that when I left earlier.”

No, ladies shouldn’t swear, but under the circumstances, I forgave myself for being a potty mouth. My hands were shaking too much to fit the key in the lock, so Tate opened the door for me. It didn’t take long to spot the muddy brick sitting in the middle of my living room carpet.

Tate drew me close and wrapped me up in his arms. “Shh, it’s okay.”

“Why me? What have I done?” I mumbled into his chest.

“It’s probably just kids.”

“People keep saying that, but where are they? I haven’t seen any teenagers hanging around since I got here.”

“They could have come over from one of the other villages. Stonystead had a problem with somebody keying cars a few months back.”

I knew he was trying to make me feel better, but as we cleared up yet more mess, I couldn’t shake the feeling of paranoia. First the burglary and now this.

What if it wasn’t kids? After the way Betty and Jean treated me today, I imagined the worst—a vendetta to make me leave the village.

“Are you sure you don’t want to spend the night at the manor?” Tate asked. “Even in one of the guest rooms?”

Tempting. So tempting. But you know that old saying about an Englishman’s home being his castle? Turned out it applied to Englishwomen as well. Lilac Cottage was my home now, and I needed to keep it safe.

Even if it meant I was drunk with exhaustion the next day.

After lying awake for most of the night, jumping at every creak and groan from the house, I didn’t even have the energy to make lunch. I stared at the kitchen counter for five minutes before giving up and traipsing out to the café instead. Putting one foot in front of the other seemed a safer option than operating a saucepan or a can opener.

Except when I sat down at my usual table, I knew straight away that something was wrong. Daisy’s normally easy smile seemed forced, and it didn’t reach her eyes.

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