“This is the first time I’ve ever left the country.”

Theo glanced at Elle where she sat beside him on the Langdon jet. “Is that so?”

She nodded, darting a quick smile at him before returning her gaze to the window. “I’ve only flown a handful of times in my life, and never over an ocean.”

“I guess that means I need to show you around London while we’re here, doesn’t it?” He took her hand in his, giving it a squeeze.

“Oh, that’s a definite yes.”

Bringing her to the family estate might not have been the best idea, but it had felt right at the time, and it still did. He wanted her there, and not only because she’d given him the courage to take a stand for the cause he believed in. He also wanted the excuse to spend the entire weekend with her, to show her around and even introduce her to his family.

He didn’t want to let her go in a few weeks, and he wasn’t sure what the hell that meant. Sometimes, he felt completely clueless. He’d been unprepared to become the earl at twenty-eight. He sure as hell hadn’t expected Elle and her friends to come in and turn his world upside down, or to have a relationship with her.

Was it so crazy to try to keep seeing her after Rosemont Castle was gone? Maybe. Probably. He’d always thought of relationships from a logical standpoint. Was she good for his image? Did they get along well enough to share a home and raise a family? Would they each get an equal benefit from the relationship?

Everything with Elle was different. Being with her was like getting swept away by a tidal wave of emotion as deep as it was powerful.

“I brought something I wanted to go over with you,” she said, turning in her seat to face him.

“Yeah?”

She reached into her bag and pulled out her laptop. “Numbers.”

He kept his expression neutral despite the urge to frown, because he had a sudden inkling he wasn’t going to like what she was about to show him. “Numbers?”

“Ruby put together a spreadsheet showing the numbers from our first two months in business.” She propped her laptop on the tray table in front of her seat, angling it toward him. “We exceeded our projections.”

“That’s great, Elle. You guys have done a phenomenal job.”

“I have another spreadsheet, showing our updated projections over the next six months if we were to stay in business. We would propose to rent the farmhouse and stables to bring in even more revenue. We’ve also considered hosting events, like weddings and parties. Honestly, Theo, by the end of the year, the castle will be earning you money instead of draining it.”

He stared long and hard at the numbers on the screen. She was right. If he allowed them to move forward with the plan outlined here, the castle could become a profitable asset. But if he didn’t sell, it meant Elle would be tied to her job in Virginia after he returned to London next month. Then again, it’s not like he’d ever asked—or even considered asking—her to move to London with him. Where had that thought even come from? He scraped a hand across his brow.

“This is what you really want?” he asked.

She nodded. “It is. More than anything.”

“The decision isn’t mine alone to make, you know,” he told her.

“Technically, it is.”

“True, but I have obligations to the family that I have to uphold. Their opinions matter to me, Elle. I want to get off on the right foot with my new duties.”

“I know you do.” She squeezed his hand. “I just wanted you to see our numbers and have this information before you go into the board meeting tomorrow. That’s all.”

“I appreciate it.” He took her hand in his, staring past her at the fluffy white clouds dotting the sky outside the window. Below them, the Atlantic Ocean stretched in an endless expanse of navy blue. “Selling has been more difficult than I anticipated, so I’ll give this fair consideration. I didn’t see any point to keeping the castle once none of the Langdons were living in it, but you’ve given me a valid reason to reconsider.”

“I’m glad.” Her eyes gleamed as bright as the ocean below them.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you.” Her lips crashed into his for a blistering kiss.

Six hours later, they touched down on his home soil. The London skyline glowed in the distance against the darkening sky.

“Wow,” Elle breathed beside him.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“I’ve always wanted to come here. Thanks so much for bringing me with you.”

“I should have time to show you around tomorrow before we head out to the family estate.”

“I don’t mind playing tourist by myself if you’re busy.”

“But it’s more fun with company,” he said, leaning over to kiss her. “Besides, I’m not sure I’ve ever officially ‘played tourist’ here before. It could be fun.”

She grinned, resting her head on his shoulder. “We’ll have so much fun.”

Elle walked through the doorway of Theo’s flat, pulling her compact rolling suitcase behind her. When he’d talked about his place here in London, he’d always emphasized how much he preferred the size of it to Rosemont Castle, so she’d imagined it to be small, maybe not as tiny as her apartment in Orlando, but this…was not small.

Of course, she should have expected it, given his status, but still.

“This is an amazing space, Theo.” It had a classic feel with lots of ornate fixtures and intricately carved wooden furniture—Langdon pieces, no doubt—but there was also a modern vibe to the place, evident in the sleek, black-paneled bar along the far wall, that said this was a younger man’s bachelor pad.

“You like it?”

“I love it.” She walked to the window, staring out at the balcony and narrow street below, gleaming under the yellowish light of the streetlamps on each corner. “Are we going out together later?”

“If you like. Or we can stay in. I had the fridge fully stocked. There’s food in there we just need to warm up.”

“Staying in does have its advantages.” She wrapped her arms around him as he came to stand beside her at the window. “It’s going to be nice to have you all to myself tonight, without having to run back to the castle before the guests wake in the morning.”

“You were due for a break. You’ve been working hard.”

“I have, but you won’t hear me complain about it. I love that place as much as you love to hate it.”

“I don’t hate it. I don’t feel anything at all for it, really.”

“What do you feel passionate about, Theo?” She tipped her face up to search his eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you seem to keep an emotional distance from everything in your life. You look at things from a business perspective, even things in your personal life. Why is that?”

“I don’t know.”

“You grew up in the castle with just your father and grandfather, after your mother passed away?”

He nodded, a faraway look in his eyes.

“Your grandfather sounds like a romantic man, the way he gave up his life here in England to marry Rose, but what was your father like?”

“He was everything my grandfather wasn’t. Strict, business-minded, ready to uphold his legacy as the Earl of Highcastle.”

Elle thought she was starting to get a clearer picture of his upbringing now. She imagined little Theo growing up in that big castle, how lonely it must have been with just the three of them, plus the staff. He’d grown up without a mother’s love, a mother’s touch. Any woman’s touch or influence, for that matter. What effect would that have on a man? Well, it might lead him to keep the level of emotional detachment she’d sometimes witnessed in Theo, his lack of sentimentality about things, his tendency to view personal relationships like business transactions.

But what did that mean for his future? Could she possibly hope to show him how to let his heart guide him at the appropriate times, instead of always using his head?

“Let’s stay in,” she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder. “It’s late already, and you can show me around tomorrow.”

“I have meetings until around noon, but after that, I’m all yours. We don’t have to drive out to the family estate until Saturday morning.”

“Perfect.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Starved—” She nipped at his neck. “—to have sex in London.”

“Well, in that case…” His hands slid down to cup her ass, yanking her up against him.

“Seduced by the Earl,” she quipped as her hands roamed beneath his shirt. “Sounds like a romance novel.”

“A dirty one,” he agreed, his voice gone low and throaty the way it did when he was aroused.

“Let’s make it as dirty as possible, shall we?” She worked her way down the row of buttons on his shirt.

“Too slow.” He ripped the shirt open, sending buttons pinging off the marble floor beneath their feet.

“That was hot.” She moved her attention to his belt, opening it and whipping it out of his pants in a single move. “Definitely romance-novel-worthy.”

“Do you read a lot of those?” he asked as he lowered the zipper on her dress.

“As many as possible. I’m a sucker for a happy ending, in case you hadn’t noticed.” Her dress hit the floor with a soft whoosh of fabric.

“I noticed.” He stepped her backward toward an expensive-looking black-and-white checked rug in the center of the room. “Is this scandalous enough for you?”

“Yes.” Her panties were soaked, and he hadn’t even touched her yet.

“How about we change ‘Seduced by the Earl’ to ‘Fucking the Earl’? What do you say?”

“‘Fucking the Earl on his Very Expensive Rug…in London.’”

“I like the sound of it.” He pulled a condom from one of his pockets, then stepped out of his pants in a move equal parts elegant and naughty, because now he was standing in the middle of his living room, buck naked and fully aroused.

“This is my favorite romance novel of all time.” She scrambled out of her bra and panties, and then they were pressed together, touching and kissing frantically. His hand slid between her legs, stroking her, and she moaned, arching her hips toward him. “Hurry.”

“As you wish.”

“That’s ‘The Princess Bride,’ not ‘Fucking the Earl.’” She laughed, gasping as he pushed inside her in one long, hard thrust. “Oh.”

He lowered them to the rug, where they lived out her romance novel fantasies…twice. And after they ate dinner, they had more fun in his bed. She wasn’t sure what time they finally fell asleep, but when his alarm started buzzing the next morning, it felt like she’d only just dozed off. That, and she was sore in some very interesting places.

“I think I have rug burn on my ass,” she mumbled through a smile, rolling to wrap an arm around his waist.

“And I most definitely have it on my knees.” His voice was deep and gravelly with sleep. “The good news is that none of it should show when we’re dressed.”

“Mmm.” She let her eyes slide shut. “I’m so glad I don’t have to rush off to work this morning.”

“Unfortunately, it’s my turn to rush off. I’ve got to shower and head into the office.”

“Oh yeah.” It was his alarm that had woken her, after all, but with the time change, it felt like the middle of the night. “How are you going to function? I’m so sleepy.”

“Caffeine and nerves ought to keep me awake.” There was an edge to his voice when he said it that had her sitting straight up in bed.

“The board meeting. You’re going to announce your charity this morning?”

“Yes.”

“Theo…”

“I’m ready. Thank you for getting me here.”

She swallowed over the lump in her throat. “You’re welcome.”

“Go back to sleep. I’ll be home before you know it.” He pressed a kiss to her lips, gently pushing her back down onto the sheets.

“Mmm.” She lay there, watching as he disappeared into the bathroom. She had half a mind to join him in the shower, had thought about doing a little exploring around London on her own this morning while he was at work, but she’d failed to take the time change into consideration, and the next thing she knew, Theo was leaning over the bed, dressed in a light gray suit, a wide smile on his face. “Showered already?” she mumbled.

“I’ve already been to the office and back. It’s half past twelve. Ready to get up and see the city with me?”

“I think your accent’s gotten more pronounced since we’ve been here.” Elle eyed him over her glass of lemonade, a smile quirking one corner of her mouth.

“Perhaps it has.” Theo leaned back in his chair, taking in the sight of Piccadilly Circus behind her. He didn’t frequent the more touristy areas of London, but today he was more than willing to suffer crowds—and even being recognized by the occasional Brit—to experience the city through her eyes.

She leaned forward, her green eyes sparkling as bright and vibrant as the grass in the park next to the café where they’d stopped for lunch. “It’s sexy.”

“I’ll bear that in mind.”

“Please do. I’m a sucker for an accent, especially yours.”

“What do you think of London so far?”

“I love it,” she answered without hesitation. “I knew I would, and I’ve hardly seen any of it yet, but already it’s somehow more than I’d imagined. These buildings…the history…”

“Nothing in America compares to it.” Not when they were sitting in front of buildings that had been around for five hundred years or maybe even longer.

“It doesn’t. I was completely wowed by New York City the first time I visited, but this is just…breathtaking.”

He thought Elle was a hundred times more breathtaking than London, but her excitement was contagious. London was already his favorite place in the world, but even more so now that he was experiencing it with her.

“I hope you don’t mind taking me to see Big Ben and Buckingham Palace and all the famous touristy stuff. Oh, and I want to ride on one of those red double-decker buses.”

“I’ll take you to all the touristy places and even a few hidden gems you might not have heard about, but trust me when I tell you that you don’t want to ride on one of those buses. I’m a much better tour guide.”

She pretended to pout for a moment before that all-too-familiar smile lit her face. “Of course, I trust you. And I’m sure your driver can take us around a lot more quickly than the bus.”

They finished their lunch and spent the next five hours on a whirlwind tour of the city. Elle’s energy and enthusiasm never dimmed. If anything, it grew with each location they visited. They took in the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, walked the London Bridge, and rode on the London Eye.

“There’s one more place I want to show you, and then we have reservations for dinner,” he told her as the car rolled to a stop in front of Kew Gardens. “My mother brought me here when I was a little boy. It’s one of the few truly happy memories I have of her.”

“Oh, Theo.” Elle squeezed his hand, her eyes glossy.

He marveled at her ability to empathize like that, to feel so much emotion for a little boy and his mother that she hadn’t even known. “I come here sometimes to remember her. The gardens close at seven, but we’ve got special access.”

“We do?” She gazed up at him with a tentative smile.

“My title does come with certain perks. Actually, my family is a longtime supporter of Kew Gardens, so we’re allowed to break the rules a bit.” Since it closed in a few minutes, the place was already near deserted. He was looking forward to giving Elle a private tour.

After bringing her to several of his favorite spots, he led her to a bench underneath a huge willow tree from which he felt like he could see the gardens from end to end. He’d sat here with his mom while she’d pointed out all the different flowers and plants to him, smiling the whole time.

Elle leaned against his shoulder, her hand in his. “I can imagine little Theo sitting here with his mom. What a beautiful place. I see why she loved it so much, and why you do too.”

He didn’t say anything, just squeezed her hand and gazed at the multi-colored flowers barely visible in the growing darkness around them. He couldn’t remember their names now, the names his mother had so cheerfully pointed out.

“How did it go this morning?” Elle asked softly.

“It went…well. Better than I had hoped.”

“Oh, I’m so glad.” She turned her head to press a kiss against his cheek.

He cleared his throat. “The board was unanimously enthusiastic about me pushing mental health awareness as my platform and speaking about my mother’s depression. They’d rather I not publicize the way she died, but they’re not going to prevent it either.”

“That’s wonderful.” She slipped an arm around his waist, leaning against him as sunset streaked the sky with orange and pink.

“It is.” He’d been surprised at the way he felt as he walked out of that meeting this morning, like he was ready to take on the world, and more specifically…like he was ready to face anything and everything with Elle at his side. “Thank you for pushing me.”

“I only helped you follow what was already in your heart. Your mother was a wonderful person, Theo. She suffered a devastating illness that cost her her life, but now you’re going to have the opportunity to see that she didn’t die in vain. I think you’re going to do so much to modernize your family’s views on things.”

“Alistair would have approved,” he said. “He was ahead of his time for an old man.”

“I’m sorry I never got to meet him,” she murmured.

“I am too.”

“And your father?”

“He was very traditional. I think, in retrospect, that he’s the one who hushed up my mother’s death in the first place.”

Elle’s arm tightened around him. “Whatever he was and wasn’t, he raised a fine son.”

“I think that the qualities you find admirable about me are probably more attributable to Alistair than my father.”

“Maybe. You two were close.”

“Very.”

They sat in silence, arms around each other as the sky faded into the inky purple of night in the city. In the distance, the London skyline glowed.

“It’s so beautiful,” Elle whispered.

“You see why I prefer it to Virginia.”

“I guess,” she said thoughtfully. “Maybe it’s because London is still so foreign to me, but I feel more like a guest here. Virginia feels like home, which is odd since I’ve only lived there a few months. I’m sentimental about Orlando since I grew up there, but I don’t love it. I wouldn’t be sad if I never moved back.”

“Then don’t.”

“It depends on how things pan out,” she said. “If Ruby’s able to find a property that we can invest in together, and if it happens to be in Florida, then I’ll go back. If not, well…we’ll see what happens.”

“I also discussed the possibility of keeping Rosemont Castle in the family and continuing your Fairy Tails program with the board this morning.”

She tipped her face up to stare at him in the muted light of the garden. “You did?”

He nodded. “I told you I would. They think it’s foolish but have no strong objection to it, so the final decision comes to me.”

“I’m sorry,” she said softly, her expression turned wistful, maybe even sad.

“For what?”

“For putting you in this position. I feel like I’ve twisted your arm, and our relationship has only complicated things. Maybe it’s best for all of us if you just sell as planned.”

He straightened on the bench. “I don’t understand. I thought staying at the castle meant everything to you.”

“It does.” She looked down at her lap. “But if it’s not what you want, Theo, then you’ll always be resentful about it, and ultimately it’ll poison everything. So if you decide to keep the castle, make sure you’re doing it for yourself and not for me.”

“I’ll be sure,” he promised, wondering even as he did so how he could ever truly be sure, because right now, he wanted to give Elle the world, and if that meant letting her stay on at Rosemont Castle, how could he say no?