Page 70 of Rough Around the Hedges

“Are yousureyou don’t have a twin sister hidden somewhere? Perhaps a local doppelganger?”

“I’ve already told you that I only have a brother. I suppose the doppelganger is a possibility, but I can’t imagine they’d be anywhere near as charming as me.”

“That’s exactly why I’m wondering such a thing. The more time I spend with you, the more I can’t believe you’re the same Rose I met that night.”

I paused. “People act differently depending on circumstances. I was obviously nice to you when we first met. Back then, you weren’t trying to ruin my life.”

“That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

“It would be if you weren’t ruining my life.” I waved my hand. “Either way, thanks to you, I know better now. Always ask for someone’s name before you do the dance with no pants.”

He slowly removed his glasses and let them dangle from between his finger and thumb. “Are you intending to jump into bed with the next handsome man you come across, princess?”

“Only after confirming they’re neither an aristocrat nor a foreign prince willing to pay me one million pounds if I send them my bank account details.”

“This is no good. You’ll have to stay here.”

“What? Here? Why?”

“I can’t possibility inflict your particular brand of chaos upon any other man.”

“That’s a funny way of saying, ‘Rose, you’re so wonderful that I can’t let anyone else have you.’”

He rested his chin on his hand as a grin slowly spread across his face, making his blue eyes sparkle. “Sure. We can put it that way.”

I flinched. “I was joking.”

“I wasn’t. Although I might not have used the word wonderful. Perhaps… effervescent.”

“Effervescent?What does that even mean?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“I would, yes, hence why I asked.”

Oliver laughed, finally putting down his glasses. “Don’t you have bigger problems right now?”

“An endless number of them.”

“I mean an immediate one. You know very well that I’m attracted to you, yet you’re in my office in nothing but a terry bathrobe without a care in the world.”

My cheeks flushed, and I turned away as nonchalantly as I could. “I’m not only wearing this, actually. I’m wearing the shirt you left because it’s all that fits me.”

“Are you telling me that under that measly dressing gown you’re wearingmyshirt? And nothing else?”

“Well, I’m wearing my knickers, but otherwise, yes. It’s not like I have any other clothes.”

“And you don’t feel any sense of danger at all by sharing such knowledge with me?”

I peered over at him. “No. I reckon I could take you in a fight.”

I wouldn’t pass up a chance to make him choke on a knuckle sandwich.

Just once.

“Knowing that you’re wearing nothing but your underwear and my shirt under that doesn’t make me want to fight you, princess. It makes me want to fuck you.”

Oh.

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