Page 27 of Reckless Kiss

“That doesn’t sound good if Aunt Cynthia is using cheap labour. I’m sure Mr McKenzie would’ve done a better job.”

“Probably. Anyway. So you think I should go and see her?”

“Yes. If nothing else, if she says no, you can search for someone else or put an advert in the newspaper.”

“I’d get all the weirdos coming out of the woodwork if that happened.”

“Then your mission is to charm this girl and sort out a job for me.”

“All right, sis, I’ll see what I can do.”

Archer ended the call and stood up from the bed. Even sitting on the mattress gave him back ache. He went to Maggie in the kitchen and asked if she had any bottles of beer in the fridge. He was taken aback at the choice when she showed him the entire stock. His aunt wasn’t a fan of any alcohol, but there were at least a dozen different kinds. He took a six-pack of light beer and hoped Erica liked beer.

He walked across the grounds as the sun was setting behind the trees. It was eight o’clock, and he assumed she’d already eaten. Since Archer had moved into the main house, dinner was promptly served at six o’clock. His aunt had insisted they eat together every night. She made it clear that they would all eat together when he found a wife until they were married and afterwards. He wondered why his aunt assumed he would find a wife on the island and that she wouldn’t have a job that conflicted with eating at six o’clock. He imagined she didn’t care and would probably find she would add it to the deal if he didn’t.

Chapter 16

Archer

Archer approached Erica’s cottage by the hidden gap in the hedgerow. He was taking a chance entering her space uninvited. When Archer walked through, the clink of the beer bottles startled a bird out of the bushes. When he looked over at the patio furniture, Erica stared back at him. She flipped the pages of what she was reading so the white pages sat neatly on her lap and tucked a hand under her chin. Archer’s steps faltered when she smiled, sending a jolt to his heart.

His feet kept going, but his heart gave off warning signals like there was a significant engine failure on a helicopter. The sirens blared in his head, screaming that his soul might never be the same again if he went through with this.

Stepping up to the patio area wall, he put the six-pack of beer down on the wall. “Hello, Erica, sorry for coming by unannounced.”

“That’s okay. I wasn’t doing much. What’s that you’ve brought?” Erica asked.

“Beer,” he answered, holding them up by the handle. “I wanted to explain something.”

Erica nodded to the sofa opposite hers, and he sat down. Then, twisting off the caps of two bottles, he handed her one. She raised her bottle, and they clinked necks.

“Cheers,” she said and took a long sip. Her exposed throat moved slowly as she swallowed the liquid. His mind instantly turned filthy at her movements. Taking a long gaze at her body, he was happy to see she was wearing a baggy green dress.

“Cheers,” Archer muttered and closed his eyes as he drank half the bottle.

“Have you eaten?” she asked, looking to the open window through the kitchen. “I have cheeses and bread if you’re peckish.”

He needed to find the words to tell her about his situation, so he grabbed the time delay with two hands. “That would be great, thanks.”

“Be right back,” she said and placed the stack of papers attached at the corner with a gold clip face down on the table between them.

Her long flowing bottle-green kaftan moved as she gracefully walked into her kitchen. Archer looked into the darkened garden, searching for support from the nocturnal animals. He practised how he would start the explanation but the words stuck in his head.

When Erica returned to view with a tray laden with food, Archer jumped up to take the tray from her. He placed it on the table between the two sofas and sat back, admiring the graceful way Erica walked and sat. It seemedrehearsed, practised a thousand times until it became natural.

Archer reached over the cheeses and bread and took a selection on a cloth napkin. He placed it on the seat next to him—no more stalling.

“What did you want to explain?” Erica asked, then broke off a chunk of cheddar and dropped it into her mouth.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief like she knew what he was about to say. A smile played on her lips as she chewed her food. Never in all his life had he thought a human being as sexy when they ate.

“I wanted to explain why I couldn’t kiss you,” Archer said, then stuffed his mouth with too much bread.

“Couldn’t or wouldn’t?” she asked.

“Shouldn’t more like.”

Archer let out a long sigh and sat back on the sofa, brushing the crumbs off his lap. He stared at Erica, getting the measure of her, seeking answers in her expression to let him know if he could trust her.

---