Page 36 of Seduced By You

“Nope.” He barely glanced at her, his eyes locked on me.

Fenella didn’t notice, too busy checking out Kadon. “And who is this?”

“Kadon. My boyfriend.” It sounded more natural the second time around. By the time we left, I might have perfected it. Right before we went back to being just good friends.

I rubbed my chest. Why did that thought cause an unsettling feeling to weigh on me?

“Oh, this is marvelous.” Fenella clapped her hands. “Look at you, Leesa. You’ve bagged yourself quite the hottie.”

Benedict bristled, but either Fenella was oblivious to the undercurrent, or she didn’t care. He grabbed her hand and almost yanked her off her feet. “Come now, Fenella. We do have other guests to welcome.” He dipped his chin at me, ignoring Kadon completely. “Enjoy the festivities, Annaleesa. I’m sure we’ll see plenty of each other over the coming days.”

I nearly said, “More’s the pity,” but swallowed the retort at the last second and formed a sickly sweet smile instead. “Sounds wonderful.”

“Wait.” Fenella gestured impatiently to a middle-aged gentleman standing off to one side. “Andrews, please show Miss Alarie and Mister…” She arched a brow.

“Kingcaid,” Kadon supplied.

“And Mr. Kingcaid to their quarters.” She waggled her fingers at me. “We’re thrilled you’re staying here as our special guests. Toodles, Leesa.”

Benedict hauled her off with such force that she almost tripped over her feet. Kadon watched them go, then looked at me, an amused tilt to his lips.

“Quarters? Toodles?”

I grinned. “You’re in the world of the English aristocracy now, my boy.”

“If I shout, ‘Fuck!’ at the top of my lungs, will the women faint and the men challenge me to a duel?”

“I’m not sure. Why don’t you test the theory?”

I should have known better than to goad Kadon. He opened his mouth. I clamped my hand over it in the nick of time.

“Don’t you dare.”

The breath from his chuckle warmed my palm. I released him with a warning glare. Andrews motioned for us to follow him. He led us into the main house and up two flights of stairs, then along a dimly lit corridor decorated in a dark green, heavy brocade wallpaper to a mahogany door at the end. He opened it and motioned for us to enter.

“A member of staff will bring your luggage up shortly. Please let me know if you need anything.” He bowed, then backed out of the room.

I stared, open-mouthed.

“There’s only one bed.” I scanned around. A single door led to what I presumed was the bathroom. “There isn’t even a couch.” I opened the wardrobe door. “Or spare blankets.”

“Lee, quit panicking. I’ll sleep on the floor. I can use this.” He pointed to the woolen throw draped over the end of the bed.

“It didn’t occur to me that they’d give us only one room. I thought we’d end up with a suite, or at least a room with a couch. Do you think we should go stay in a hotel?”

“No, I don’t. That would look odd, considering we’re supposed to be a couple. Unless you want to tell them you’re saving yourself.” He winked. “It’s not a problem. Truly.”

I shook my head. “You can’t sleep on the floor. They’re so uneven in these old houses. You’ll ruin your back. It’s a big enough bed. I’m… I wasn’t expecting it. That’s all.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “But if you snore, I warn you, you’re relegated to sleeping in the bath.”

Kadon poked his head into the bathroom. “Hate to tell you this, but it’s only got a shower.”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake.” I sat on the edge of the bed. “Are we being punished for faking it?”

He sat beside me. “I don’t think Karma works like that.”

“Don’t bank on it,” I muttered.

Our luggage arrived, along with an itinerary for the next three days. I waited for the staff member to leave, then handed it to Kadon.

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