CHAPTER NINE
SHEHADFALLENin love with the castle the first time she’d laid eyes on it, but the second time was even better. Now, there was the anticipation of seeing Thirio again, a week after his trip to London. Secondly, there was the mode of her arrival. When Lucinda had come here before, she’d been anxious after navigating the goat track of a road that led to the secluded castle. Today, Thirio had sent a private jet to bring her from London to the nearest city, and then a stunning helicopter with caramel leather seats and walnut detailing. And she had a bag with her.
A suitcase.
Evidence that this was not going to be a daytrip, or even a single night, but two nights, so that she could lockdown as many details as possible.
The prospect of forty-eight hours with Thirio—and now as an invited guest—sparkled on the horizon like diamond water.
It didn’t matter how many times she told herself not to want things that were clearly not going to happen. Shedidwant. Her body, in fact, craved him. Far from missing him, since that night in London, she had been overwhelmed by him. Every moment of sleep was tormented by memories of the few times they’d kissed, and the passion that had sizzled between them. She tossed and turned, even touched herself in the hope she would wake and find his hands on her body. But always, she was disappointed. Always, she was alone.
She pressed her forehead to the window of the helicopter as it began to circle lower, to the clearing just west of the castle. From this angle, she caught many details she’d not been privy to earlier. Smaller turrets, with ivy scrambling up one side and jasmine another, the flowers in full bloom as spring took hold of the mountains.
The helicopter touched down, rotor blades spinning slowly, and a moment later the pilot had come around to her door, opening it with a friendly smile and holding out a hand to help her down. She placed hers in it, but her eyes were on the castle.
Where was he?
It was the wrong time of day to see through the windows. The afternoon sun was creating a golden reflection that meant she could see the forest mirrored back to her, but no hint of Thirio. Could he see her? Was he watching? The thought made her pulse thunder. She took a step towards the castle, and another, all the while aware of the loud clicking of the chopper’s blades as they slowed down. The pilot removed her suitcase, carrying it easily a few paces behind Lucinda, leading her to a door at the back and opening it, before turning to leave with a polite nod.
Thirio was in there, somewhere. Would he continue to ignore the chemistry they shared? Or would he indulge it? And what did she want?
That was a question that didn’t even need answering. She’d known what she wanted almost since the first moment she’d met Thirio, and she’d only grown more certain of her desire as they’d spent more time together.
Lucinda had only ever been with one man, and she’d been madly in love with him, or so she’d thought. Now, she wondered if she’d ever really known Beckett? Since him, there’d been no one. She’d been devastated after their relationship ended. Not because she’d lost him, but because of the manner of his betrayal. She told herself that had scared her off relationships, that it had been safer to throw herself into her work. But now, Lucinda was having second thoughts. Maybe she just hadn’t met someone who was sufficiently tempting?
Thirio Skartos brought every single cell in Lucinda’s body to life.
But she had other dreams. Other needs. What she wanted, more than anything, was to take back her father’s company. Nothing could be allowed to come between her and that goal. No matter how consuming this crush was, it couldn’t be allowed to steal her focus. This had to be the wedding of the decade. Everything needed to be perfect, and for that she’d have to concentrate on more than Thirio and his never-ending appeal.
She stepped into a room that was tiled in black and white, with pale blue cabinets against the wall. She rolled her suitcase along the tiles, stepping out of the mud room and into a larger hallway, looking left, then right, frowning, because she felt as though she’d been dropped in the middle of a forest without a map.
Just as she was wishing she’d brought a smoke beacon to signal for help, she heard footsteps on tile. Just thesoundof his imminent approach was enough to send her pulse skittering wildly. She swallowed a groan and closed her eyes, sending out a silent prayer for strength, then opened her eyes to find Thirio filled them.
‘Are you okay?’ His concern was unexpected, and it did funny things to her equilibrium.
‘Fine.’ She forced a bright smile to her face to prove it.
‘You looked like you were about to pass out.’
Was he standing really close? He occupied every single one of her senses. Even the air around them had changed, and was filled with Thirio. She breathed in and tasted him on the tip of her tongue. Her stomach dropped to her toes. ‘I’m fine,’ she repeated, a little less convincingly.
‘Okay.’ But he didn’t move. Nor did she. It was as though a silent, invisible force were holding them right there. Every breath she took was mirrored back to her, his chest’s gentle rise and fall drawing her gaze. She wasn’t sure how long they stood like that, but eventually Thirio did what she could not, and broke the spell.
‘Are you hungry?’ He reached for her bag, their fingers brushing, so fireworks detonated just beneath her skin.
‘Not really.’
‘Then let me show you to your room.’
She fell into step beside him, her eyes scanning this new, unfamiliar part of the castle, while her body stayed resolutely focused on the man at her side. She was conscious of everything about him, and that was a form of torment.
‘Where in the castle are we?’ she asked, shaking her head a little, as he led them down corridors lined with ancient paintings, dimly lit and dusty smelling, that would have, at one time, or with a little care, been exquisite.
‘The western towers.’ He tilted her a glance. ‘When the castle was first built, this outer wall was used for defence.’
‘Really?’
‘It was not like this then.’ The smallest hint of a smile warmed his expression and her stomach lurched. She wanted him to smile more; she wanted to be thereasonhe smiled. ‘Some time in the nineteenth century, the castle was overhauled. This large, open, relatively plain space was converted into a series of guest bedrooms, with some dining rooms. In the twentieth century, bathrooms were even added,’ he said, his tone droll.