Elle wiped at the bead of sweat that had gathered on her forehead and sat back, surveying her work. Two shiny, metal dog crates stood along the back wall of her bedroom, complete with fluffy pillows inside for their future occupants to sleep on. Her closet was filled with supplies: bowls, toys, collars, leashes, and of course food. She, Ruby, and Megan would be picking up their first foster pets today—just as soon as they finished preparing for them—and she was so excited she could hardly stand it.

“Ms. Davenport?” The locksmith they’d hired stood in the doorway, clipboard in hand.

“All finished?” she asked as she rose to her feet.

“The guest rooms have all been outfitted with unique locks. I’ve numbered them and bagged the keys correspondingly, three sets for each room like you asked for,” he told her, holding out a plastic bag.

“Perfect. Thank you so much.” She took care of the invoice and walked him downstairs to the front door. Since she’d come to an agreement with Theo night before last, she’d finalized a comprehensive “to do” list to get their inn up and running, and she, Megan, and Ruby had worked non-stop to make it all happen.

They tentatively planned to open for guests a week from Monday, giving them a little over two months in operation to impress Theo. Ruby had been locked away in her tower for the last two days creating their website, and they hoped to begin taking reservations by the end of the week.

“You’ve been busy.”

She turned at the sound of Theo’s voice. He stood at the other end of the foyer, hands shoved into his pants pockets. Although she’d thought about him plenty, she’d barely seen him in the last two days. She felt it in the pit of her stomach as their eyes locked.

“Yes, I have,” she answered him. “We don’t have any time to waste, as you know.”

“What’s next?” he asked, walking closer.

“Animals, actually. We’re going to the shelter this afternoon to pick up our first foster pets for the Fairy Tails program.”

“Hmm.” He was still watching her, and she could feel a blush starting to warm her cheeks from the intensity of his stare.

“They need time to settle in, and we need time to get to know them before we introduce them to potential adopters,” she told him. “We’ll start with three or four dogs and a few cats and take it from there.”

“Colin’s been keeping me up-to-date on your progress,” he said, tucking his hands into his pockets. “I have to hand it to you. You’ve really thrown your heart and soul into this project.”

“Of course.” She pulled herself up straighter. “This job is really important to me.”

“I see that. Well, good luck.” And with that, he turned and walked away.

Elle pressed a hand to her chest. Her heart was racing, and she was slightly out of breath. She needed to get this attraction to Theo under control ASAP. It wasn’t like her to get all weak-kneed over a man like this, and certainly not for a man as totally off limits as Theo.

Huffing in frustration, she turned and started up the stairs to see if Ruby and Megan were ready. She found Megan sitting on her bed, cell phone pressed to her ear and a wide smile on her face. Elle pointed to her own bedroom to let her friend know where she’d be. Then she walked next door and flopped in the middle of her bed.

Maybe Theo hated dogs, or even cats. That would help cool her off where he was concerned. Or maybe he’d go out with one of the society ladies vying to date him. A man who was taken was a total turn-off for Elle.

“I just got off the phone with the shelter,” Megan said from the doorway. “They’ve pre-approved us to foster three dogs and two cats to start with. Once everyone’s all settled, we can see about bringing in more animals. They’ve narrowed down some dogs and cats they think would be a good fit for the program to show us today.”

Elle pushed Theo out of her mind. “That sounds perfect.”

“I’m going to get Ruby.” Megan headed for the stairs.

Thirty minutes later, they were in their rental car headed for the shelter. On the way there, they drove through Towering Pines’s downtown area, bustling with quaint shops and restaurants with outdoor patios.

“Okay, we’ve got to make time to come back here and explore before we open for business,” Elle said.

“Definitely,” Megan, who was driving, agreed. “We can do lunch and some shopping.”

“If there’s time. We’ll be really busy once we bring home our first foster pets,” Ruby said with a slight frown, glancing out the window.

“There’s always time for lunch and shopping,” Megan said, shaking her head with mock disapproval. “Be careful, Ruby, or your inner cat lady might show.” She yelped as Ruby flicked her ear.

“Who says I’m trying to hide my inner cat lady?” Ruby asked, deadpan, before a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Megan, don’t forget to photograph the guest rooms for me tomorrow so I can get them posted on the website.”

“Already on my morning to-do list,” Megan told her.

They left the downtown area behind and headed into the rolling hills beyond. Here the road twisted and curved, at times almost doubling back on itself as they wound their way downhill. Megan was uncharacteristically quiet, her hands clenched around the steering wheel, her expression tense.

“Toto, we’re not in Florida anymore,” Elle said as they finally reached a straightaway and Megan’s grip on the steering wheel loosened.

“No kidding. One of you guys gets to drive back.”

Elle looked over at Ruby, who was staring right back at her with a “not me” expression on her face. “Rock, paper, scissors?”

Ruby nodded, making a fist. They tapped their knuckles, and then Ruby held out two fingers at the same time Elle extended a flat hand.

Ruby whooped victoriously. “Scissors cut paper.”

“Fine. I’ll drive.” Elle had never driven on a windy mountain road like this before, but today was as good a day as any to learn. Florida was, well…flat. In Orlando, the only things tall enough to obstruct her view were manmade. Big, shiny hotels and theme parks filled the skyline. The air was hot and thick with humidity. Nothing like the fresh mountain breezes here in Towering Pines. Every day, Elle found that she liked the change of scenery even more.

After another fifteen minutes—and several swears from Megan—the animal shelter finally came into view. It was a plain, one-story building with off-white vinyl siding and a big sign out front advertising an upcoming adoption drive. Megan pulled into the gravel lot and parked. “Mountain driving is not for the faint of heart. I envisioned us plummeting to our deaths at least five times.”

“Have a little faith in your driving skills,” Elle said, elbowing her playfully. “I only feared for our lives two, maybe three times.”

“Ha-ha,” Megan said, but she was grinning. “Who’s ready to meet some adorable adoptable pets?”

They walked inside and were greeted by a woman with long black hair and a warm smile named Priya who had been working with them to coordinate the Fairy Tails program. The lobby was welcoming—if somewhat bare—with a row of plastic chairs along the far wall and a bulletin board tacked full of photos of happily adopted pets.

“Would you like a quick tour before I introduce you to some of our animals?” Priya asked.

“We’d love a tour,” Megan answered, and Elle and Ruby nodded in agreement.

Priya led them first past the cat room, stacked with rows and rows of metal cages, each containing adoptable cats and kittens. The sight affected Elle more than she had expected. It was one thing to know how many pets awaited adoption but seeing them here all lined up in their cages was another thing entirely.

“It’s going to be a little bit louder in here,” Priya said with an apologetic smile as she led them down a hall lined on either side with dog runs. Sure enough, the hall was filled with barking, whining, and the clang of metal as several dogs rushed to greet them, rattling the wire fencing at the front of their cages.

Elle and her friends walked down the hall, greeting the dogs who came to the front of their enclosures as they passed. Elle’s gaze caught on a stout little dog who was mostly white with a few brown patches. Her ears were ridiculously big and stood straight up on her head. She bounded toward Elle, tongue out and wail wagging. Elle read her nameplate as she knelt in front of her. “Hi, Azalea.”

Azalea bounced on her front paws and let out a booming bark right in Elle’s face. Laughing, she stood and turned to Priya. “Is she one of the dogs we’ll be meeting for the Fairy Tails program?”

Priya shook her head. “Azalea’s deaf, and a handful too. I wouldn’t recommend her for a first-time foster.”

Elle stroked the dog through the bars of her cage, and Azalea pressed her head against Elle’s hand. Of all the dogs on the hall, this was the one who had captured her heart. “One of my aunts is deaf. I know some sign language.”

“It’s not quite the same for dogs,” Priya said with an understanding smile. “Azalea needs to go to a more experienced home. If she’s still here, maybe we can consider her the next time you come in.”

“All right,” Elle agreed reluctantly.

After they’d finished their tour, Priya took them to a room in back, where they sat around a table to go over all the details of their arrangement and sign the necessary paperwork. Then Priya left to get the first dog she’d chosen for them to meet. They would be meeting six dogs today and could bring three of them back to the castle with them to foster.

“I already know I’m going to want to keep all six,” Megan said quietly.

Ruby tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “If the Fairy Tails program goes well, hopefully we’ll be back here soon to pick out more animals.”

“Definitely,” Elle agreed.

They were interrupted when Priya walked into the room leading an adorable little pug with big brown eyes and a curly tail. “This is Darcy.”

Megan took one look at the dog and broke into a wide smile. “I think we’ve found the first dog for our Fairy Tails program.”

“But we haven’t even met the other five,” Ruby protested.

“Our very own Mr. Darcy?” Megan said, raising her eyebrows significantly. “How could we possibly resist? And he’s adorable to boot.”

“Miss Darcy, actually,” Priya said with an amused smile.

“Oh.” Megan giggled. “Well, I suppose Miss Darcy is just as cute.”

Elle laughed along with them, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Azalea. As soon as one of their initial pets was adopted, she’d be back here to try and bring her into the program.

Theo left his office late again on Friday evening. He’d been burying his nose in work for a number of reasons. Officially, he wanted to get off on the right foot with his new duties as the Earl of Highcastle. And not-so-officially, he was avoiding Elle…or at least trying to minimize his time in her presence because he bloody well wasn’t sure he could control himself around her. He hadn’t felt anything as powerful as his attraction for her in a long damn time.

After shutting down his computer, he headed to the kitchen for a late-night snack. The guest house was well-stocked, and Beatrice sent trays of food down to him at mealtimes, but there were always extra goodies here in the main castle. He nipped a homemade peanut butter cookie from a bag in the pantry and grabbed a beer from the fridge. He’d been spending entirely too much time cooped up in his office. He needed to blow off some steam. A couple of his old friends had been in touch. Maybe he should see if they wanted to meet him downtown for a beer instead of drinking alone here at the castle.

As he bit into his cookie, a dog came bursting into the kitchen. It was about knee-height, its fur a mixture of brown and black with enormous, floppy ears. It sprinted around the island, toes skidding on the tile floor, and crashed headlong into Theo’s legs.

“Hi there,” he said, crouching down to greet the dog. This must be one of the pets for the Fairy Tails program. He knew the women had brought in some animals a few days ago, but he hadn’t met any of them yet. The dog in front of him rolled belly up on the floor, kicking out with its back feet to spin itself slowly around in a circle.

“Sorry,” Elle said as she rushed into the kitchen. “He got away from me.”

“No problem.” Theo stared at the dog, still writhing and kicking upside down on the floor.

“This is Remington. He loves belly rubs,” she said with a laugh.

“Ah.” Theo reached out and rubbed the dog’s belly. Remington grunted in appreciation, his tail swooshing frantically back and forth across the floor.

“He’s a Chihuahua heeler mix,” Elle told him. “Equal parts hyper and sweet.”

“I see that.” Theo kept rubbing the dog’s belly. “How are your new pets settling in?”

“Pretty well so far. Would you like to meet them?” She reached out to rub Remington, and her hand brushed against Theo’s.

Lust coiled in his gut as he rose to his feet. “Sure.”

“Remington is the most energetic of the lot.” Elle straightened beside him. She wore a black tank top and jean shorts, revealing a hell of a lot of skin.

Theo kept his eyes on the dog as he followed her out of the kitchen.

“I haven’t seen you around much this week,” she said, glancing over at him.

“Been busy with work.”

“What does an earl do, exactly?” she asked.

“I’m the new chair of the Langdon Family Foundation, among other things. The family is eager for me to take a more active role than my grandfather had done.”

“And that’s why you want to sell the castle,” she said with a frown.

“A big part of it, yes.”

“I’ve made things more difficult for you, haven’t I?” She met his gaze, her expression earnest.

“In a manner of speaking.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You had an agreement with my grandfather, and now you have a new one with me.” They’d reached the foyer, and he stood back to let her lead the way. Remington trotted along beside them.

“I still think…” She paused and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter now, does it? You’re going to sell this place in three months regardless.”

“I’ll present it to buyers with the option of keeping your business with the castle.”

“I appreciate that.” She paused at the top of the stairs. “Theo…”

“Yes?” He stopped beside her, intensely aware of the way his heart thumped inside his chest and the rush of blood through his veins. When he was near her, every cell in his body seemed attuned to hers. Remington jumped, planting his front feet against Theo’s pants, bringing him back to his senses.

“I really am sorry for making things harder for you during an already difficult time.” She reached out and touched his arm. “I know you’re missing your grandfather, and I know your family needs you back in London. I still think we could both get what we want if you just move back to London and let us manage the castle for you.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets. “You know, an apology generally works better when you offer it without expecting something in return.”

“You’re right. Sorry…again. My mouth runs away with me sometimes.”

He looked past her to the doors lining the hallway. They were numbered now and had fancy new locks. “Looks like a hotel up here.”

“We started accepting reservations today.”

He fell into step behind her. He’d never spent much time in the guest wing. They’d had visitors over the years, but he’d rarely come to see them in their rooms. Still, it would be strange having these rooms filled with paying guests.

Strange, but not necessarily bad.

Elle went through the doorway leading to the three smaller bedrooms on the back of the house, and he remembered Colin telling him that Elle and her friends were staying in these rooms. She was taking him to her bedroom.

Christ.

He stopped in the doorway of the yellow bedroom, not following her inside. The bed was neatly made, but he couldn’t help imagining her tangled up in the sheets, wearing the skimpy pajamas he’d seen her in earlier that week. Maybe wearing nothing at all.

With effort, he dragged his eyes from the bed. Several photos sat on the bedside table, and a book lay on the chair by the window. Two dog crates lined the far wall, and Elle was bent beside one of them, retrieving another dog.

“This is Darcy,” she said as a pug bounded out of the crate and joined Remington in begging for Theo’s attention. “I’m in charge of these two. Megan has Shiloh in her room. She’s a lab mix and just the sweetest thing.”

“So how does this work? The shelter is loaning them out to you for your program?”

“It’s called fostering,” Megan said from behind him, a brown dog at her side. “I heard Elle telling you about Shiloh, so I brought her over to say hi.”

The lab mix walked into the room, wagging her tail shyly. Theo bent to pet her.

“Right now, we’re approved to foster three dogs and two cats,” Elle told him. “But as we get our business up and running and everyone gets settled, we hope to bring in more. These guys still belong to the shelter, but hopefully we’ll be able to introduce them to their new families while they’re with us.”

“I’ve never heard of anything like that before,” Theo told her.

“Fostering is pretty common in animal rescue, but I do think our Fairy Tails program is unique,” she said with a smile, lifting Darcy the pug into her arms. “Guests will have the option to meet and spend time with these guys while they’re staying here. We’ve included a link on our website so that people can get pre-approved through the shelter to adopt, and then they could bring a dog or cat home with them if they fall in love.”

“Are you in the market for a dog, Theo?” Megan said with a smile. “Shiloh sure does seem to like you.”

Sure enough, the dog was plastered against his legs while he rubbed her neck. “I’ve never had one. I’m not opposed to the idea, but I’d probably get a dog in England if I was going to.”

“That makes sense,” Elle said. “Do you want to meet our cats too?”

“Ah, sure.”

Elle put Darcy and Remington into their crates, and Megan took Shiloh back to her bedroom. Then Elle led the way to the bedroom next door. “We weren’t using this one, so we’ve turned it into our makeshift cat room for now.”

She opened the door, and Theo followed her in so she could close it again behind them, keeping the cats contained. They’d removed all the furniture from the room and replaced it with comfortable seating, cat beds, and a big climbing structure in front of the window. A tabby cat lounged at the top of the cat tower.

“That’s Cameo,” Elle told him. “And the black cat is McLovin.”

McLovin jumped down from his perch and ran to hide behind one of the chairs in the room.

“He’s still getting acclimated,” Elle said. “Ruby’s been hanging out with these guys, and she’s hoping to introduce them to her cats when they’re settled. Between you and me, I think she wants to fill the tower with cats.”

Theo chuckled. “Interesting.”

“Was your grandfather an animal lover?” she asked.

“Not that I know of. Why do you ask?”

“Modern Home and Gardens narrowed down the entries to a handful of finalists, but he chose us as the winners, so I figured he must love animals.”

The tabby cat named Cameo hopped down and walked over to greet him, twining around his legs. Theo bent to rub her. “Well, he never had any of his own, other than horses, although even those technically belonged to Rose, my grandmother.”

“Maybe,” Elle said, watching him closely, “he was trying to expand his horizons.”

Elle was exhausted. Caring for her two new foster dogs while getting the castle ready to open for guests was a full-time job and a half, and it had consumed her entire weekend. She’d spent most of Monday on the phone taking care of various logistics: linens, laundry, cleaning, and other services for the guests. Then she’d taken Darcy for a walk around the grounds. Remington was by far the most energetic of their new additions, so she’d taken him for a jog. The exercise burned off extra energy and relieved stress—something both she and Remington needed.

After a quick shower, she decided she deserved a relaxing dip in the hot tub. She changed into her favorite bikini—green with a fringe around the top—added a sheer cover-up, and headed downstairs. It was past eight now, and the staff had all gone home for the night. Enjoying the solitude, she strolled through the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. Outside, a full moon peeked over the treetops. The evenings were so nice here in Virginia. In Orlando, it would still be ninety degrees and one hundred percent humidity this time of year, even at night.

But when she reached the back door, she stopped in her tracks. Theo was in the pool, swimming laps. As she watched, he paused and looked up at the sky, his bare chest heaving for breath, water running in rivulets over his skin.

And she was as flushed as if she’d already downed several glasses of wine, when in reality she’d only had a few sips. She ought to turn around and go back upstairs right now. Joining Theo in the pool was a bad idea. A terrible idea. The worst. She pushed open the door. “Mind if I join you?”

He turned, swiping water from his face. It glistened in his lashes and slicked his hair to his head. For a moment, they just stared at each other. Her nipples hardened, and a warm ache spread through her belly.

“Not at all,” he said finally.

Shaking herself out of the trance, she walked over to the hot tub, slipped out of her cover-up, and sank into the tub’s hot, bubbly depths. She sipped from her wine, somewhat disappointed she couldn’t see into the pool from her current vantage point although the rational part of her brain knew it was for the best.

By the time she’d finished her glass of wine, though, she was starting to overheat. And she wasn’t even sure Theo was still outside. It was hard to hear anything over the hum of the jets. There was no point hiding in the hot tub until she got heat stroke, especially if he’d gone inside. She climbed out and walked to the pool. And yep, Theo was still swimming laps.

Without giving herself a chance to change her mind, she closed her eyes, gulped a deep breath, and jumped. The water closed over her head, shockingly cold after the hot tub. She sank down, kicked off from the bottom, and surfaced near the center of the pool.

Theo paused to watch her, and she was close enough now to see the droplets of water glistening in his lashes. The pool lights illuminated him from below, sending ripples over the outline of his body and his navy blue swim trunks. She really, really wanted to get a look at him in those trunks out of the pool.

“Cold,” she gasped, shivering involuntarily.

“It usually is when you jump in straight from the hot tub.”

“Yeah, well, I was getting really…hot.” And being alone in the pool with Theo felt way too intimate.

His gaze drifted to her bikini, and her pulse jumped. Other than that one moment in the library the day they arrived—and maybe a hint of something the night she’d struck a deal with him in her pajamas—she hadn’t sensed anything in the way of attraction from him. Until now. Because right now, he was looking at her like he wanted to do all the naughty, forbidden things she’d been daydreaming about doing with him. The look in his eyes made her stomach clench and her breath catch.

And then he kicked off from the wall and swam straight toward her.