“I think we’re off to a great start,” Megan said.

They’d gathered in Ruby’s tower bedroom for a picnic dinner—complete with wine—on Wednesday night to celebrate a successful launch. Their first two couples had both checked out, and they had a night off before their next guests checked in tomorrow night. Things would really start to pick up over the weekend, when they had seven rooms booked.

“We’re ahead of my estimates for our first week,” Ruby said, sipping from her wine while she held her laptop, tabbing through spreadsheets.

“I still can’t believe the Pearsons didn’t take Remington,” Elle said, biting into a turkey and cheese slider. “I’m worried about the Fairy Tails program, you guys.”

Ruby shook her head. “You shouldn’t be. We’ve only had two couples so far, and we only have five adoptable animals available. Statistically, those numbers are way too low to expect a match yet.”

“I agree with Ruby,” Megan said. “I think it’s wonderful that the Pearsons were so interested in him. People are excited about our program. That’s all we can ask for at this point.”

“You’re right. I know you are.” She nudged Ruby’s cat Simon away as he tried to walk across her plate. “I just feel like we’re on such a tight deadline that I want to see results right away.”

“I think there’s a decent chance we’ll adopt out one of the animals by Monday. We’ve got a lot of people coming in this weekend.” Megan laid a slice of turkey on a cracker and popped it in her mouth.

“I agree,” Ruby said around a mouthful of cheese.

They chatted as they ate, discussing strategies for their upcoming guests and ways to streamline themselves after dipping their toes into the water with their first guests.

“Beatrice packs a mean picnic,” Megan said as they finished up with homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. “These might be the best cookies I’ve ever tasted.”

“They are pretty damn good.” Elle washed hers down with a sip of wine. She stood and walked to the window, gazing down at the darkening landscape below. “Do you feel like Rapunzel up here in your tower, Ruby?”

Her friend scrunched her nose. “What? No.”

“I don’t think I’ve been up here after dark before,” Megan said, following Elle to the window. “What a view.”

“The cats love it,” Ruby said. “I find them up here sunning themselves and looking out the windows all day long.”

“You’ve got the best view in the castle by far,” Elle told her.

“Especially when it includes that view.” Megan smiled, tilting her head toward something to the left side of the castle.

Elle followed her gaze and spotted Theo in the gardens below. He stood in front of the fountain, which illuminated him in the growing darkness. Even from a distance, Elle could see the frustration etched into the lines of his handsome face. As they watched, he bent down, and the water in the fountain stopped. He removed his shoes and socks, rolled up his pants, and stepped into the pool surrounding the fountain.

“What in the world is he doing?” Megan asked.

“Good question,” Elle said, riveted as Theo waded over to the statue in the center of the fountain and began to examine it.

“What are you guys looking at?” Ruby asked as she joined them. “Oh!”

“Don’t you think he would just have someone from the staff fix whatever it is he’s trying to fix?” Megan asked.

“And why would he wait until dark to fix something wrong with the fountain anyway?” Ruby added.

“I have no idea.” Elle couldn’t take her eyes off him.

“You guys, if he looks up, our faces are illuminated like beacons up here,” Ruby said as she hustled toward the door and shut off the light in the tower.

“Good call, Ruby,” Megan said.

There in the darkness, they watched as Theo—still illuminated by the lights on the statue—felt his way around its stone surface. At one point, he even removed part of the spout and appeared to examine the inner workings of the structure. Elle was as intrigued by the flex of his exposed forearms as she was by his work. What on earth was he doing?

Finally, after about thirty minutes, he stepped out of the fountain, turned the water back on, and walked off into the night.

Things got so busy after that night that Elle barely had time to think about or wonder what Theo had been doing in the fountain. She had the unexplained feeling he’d been trying not to be seen, although she couldn’t for the life of her imagine why. If he wanted to take apart his own fountain, surely he was welcome to do so.

Elle worked nonstop from Thursday through Monday as guests filled the castle. It was good—great, actually—to be so busy, but by Monday afternoon, she knew they’d have to hire additional staff to help oversee the inn if their business got a chance to stay in operation because she and her friends were running themselves ragged, and they hadn’t even reached full capacity yet.

Nor had they adopted out a single pet.

Only three of the seven groups who’d booked rooms over the weekend were even interested in the Fairy Tails program, and none of them had chosen to adopt, even after spending time with their available dogs and cats. Consequently, by the time Elle wrapped everything up on Monday night, she was exhausted and somewhat disillusioned.

She went to bed early and slept deep and dreamless—with Remington tucked in at her side. She took turns letting him and Darcy join her in bed at night instead of sleeping in their crates. They loved it, and since it had been ages and would probably be another age before she had a man in her bed, she enjoyed the company.

Tuesday morning, she was up and showered and had just finished breakfast when she saw the date on her phone. June thirtieth. Her mom’s birthday. It slammed into her, hard. Her mother would have been fifty today. Unbidden, tears welled in her eyes.

Dammit.

She said a quick goodbye to Megan and Ruby, stood from the table, and hurried for the door, slamming headlong into Theo as he rounded the corner.

“Hey,” he said, his hands gripping her arms to steady her. His blue eyes bored into hers, and his brows wrinkled. “You okay?”

“Fine. Sorry.” She pushed past him and darted down the hall toward the side door that led into the gardens. Outside, the cool morning breeze stung the tears welling in her eyes. She blinked against the bright sunshine and struck out, walking briskly, without any real thought as to where she was going until she found herself walking down the wooden bridge to the gazebo in the middle of the pond.

Her chest felt too tight, and her eyes ached for a good, hard cry. It didn’t usually hit her like this, but every once in a while, it just slammed into her out of nowhere, like today. Elle was twenty-five, the same age her mom had been when she’d given birth to her. This year had been especially tumultuous with the move to Virginia, the rollercoaster ride of her experience here at Rosemont Castle, her overwhelming attraction to Theo.

Sometimes, she felt like she could hardly remember her mom, the little mannerisms that made her more than just a photo in a frame on Elle’s bedside table. And other times—like right now—she remembered it all so clearly. The lilt in her mother’s voice when she laughed. The way she’d say “Oh, honestly!” when Elle tried her patience. The sweet vanilla fragrance of her favorite lotion.

She’d never gotten to talk to her mom about boys. What would she have thought about Elle kissing Theo? Why had she gotten involved with a married man? Elle leaned against the railing and closed her eyes.

“You okay?” Theo’s deep voice spoke behind her.

She sucked in a breath as her heart lurched and the hair on her arms rose to attention like he was a live wire and she was standing too close. “I’m okay,” she said, her voice hoarse.

“You sure about that?” He sounded closer now, so close she could feel the warmth of his body behind hers.

She opened her eyes, staring into the pond in front of her. “Yes.”

Theo came to stand beside her, resting his arms on the railing. “I used to come out here sometimes when I was a kid and wanted everyone to leave me alone. I’d bring a book or a toy and pretend I was stranded on an island in the middle of the ocean.”

She smiled, turning her head to look at him. “I guess I came out here for the same reason.”

He nodded. “Would you like me to leave?”

“No.”

They stood there for a long minute in silence, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Theo’s presence comforted her, quieted the turmoil raging inside her.

“Today would have been my mom’s fiftieth birthday,” she said finally.

“I’m sorry. Sometimes it feels like we’re the only ones who remember once they’re gone, doesn’t it?”

She swallowed over the lump in her throat because yes, that was exactly how it felt, and somehow, she’d forgotten that she and Theo had this unfortunate experience in common. “Yes.”

“I’m an only child. You?”

She shook her head. “I’m my mom’s only child, but my father has other children.”

“Ah. So it still falls on you to keep her memory alive.” He turned to meet her gaze. “Would you like to tell me about her?”

She wiped away a tear that had splashed onto her cheek. “She was a nurse. It meant she worked long shifts, but she also got extra days off at home with me. It always made me feel so safe as a kid, knowing that she could patch me up if I hurt myself.”

“It was just the two of you, then?” He moved his hand to cover hers where it rested on the railing in front of her. His was warm and strong, and it made her heart beat extra fast.

“Yes. My dad was married to someone else. I didn’t realize it until after she was gone, but he had been married since before he met my mom.” She blew out a breath.

“That must have put you in a terribly awkward position after she passed away.”

“It did.” She stepped sideways so that her shoulder pressed against his. His presence was so solid, so comforting. “How old were you when you lost your mom?”

“Seven,” he answered, his voice dropping in timbre.

“What did she die of?”

He cleared his throat, and because she was leaning against him, she felt the tension snake through his body. “She passed away in her sleep.”

“Oh.” She seemed to have accidentally touched a nerve, so she didn’t pry. “It was cancer for my mom.”

“That must have been tough for you,” he said.

“I always thought she was superhuman, you know? She fixed people up, saved them. But she couldn’t save herself.”

“Sometimes nothing can.” His expression had gone distant.

“Thanks for listening,” she whispered.

“Any time.” His hand, still resting on hers, squeezed slightly.

They turned toward each other, but they were standing way too close, and her chest bumped against his. Her stomach tightened, and her heart jumped like the sparrow she’d startled on her way to the gazebo. She opened her mouth to apologize for bumping into him, but instead of speaking, her lips crashed into his.

A needy gasp escaped her throat as their bodies met. Her arms slid around his neck as his tongue slipped into her mouth, and then they were kissing. It was thrilling, and beautiful, and so, so hot. The electrical current she’d felt when Theo first stepped up behind her swept through her again now, lighting her up, filling her with its powerful charge.

His hands slid beneath her blouse, flattening against the bare skin of her back as he pressed her closer against him. “Can’t stop thinking about this,” he murmured, pressing hot kisses against her neck before dragging his mouth back to hers.

His words sent a fiery thrill racing through her. “Me either.”

He pressed his forehead against hers, breathing deeply. “Beautiful. Absolutely everything about you.”

“Theo, I don’t—” She didn’t know what to think, what to say, but she knew how she felt, what she wanted. It might be wrong, but she couldn’t deny it. She wanted Theo, and to hell with the consequences.

“Shh.” He pressed a gentle kiss against her lips. “Not now. Not while you’re hurting.”

His arms slid around her waist, drawing her in against him. They clung to each other, gasping for breath. Her whole body throbbed with desire, aching for his touch and the release she had no doubt he could deliver. She could feel the hard outline of his erection through his pants and the rapid beat of his heart against her breast.

This was absolute insanity.

“I’ve never felt like this before,” she whispered, her cheek pressed into the soft cotton of his shirt.

“Like what?” he asked, his voice rumbling through her.

“I know I can’t—shouldn’t—kiss you, but I just can’t stop doing it.”

“That’s called chemistry, love.” His voice was low, intimate, so friggin’ sexy.

“Our chemistry is…”

“It’s fucking hot.” And that word, from his lips, sent a burst of heat through her belly straight to her core.

“It is,” she whispered.

He drew back and cupped her face in his hands to stare into her eyes. “I want you so badly I can’t think about anything—or anyone—but you. I want to kiss you again, Elle. I want to do a hell of a lot more than kiss you. I won’t, not today anyway, but we will definitely revisit this topic again soon.”

“Okay.” She swallowed, hard.

He dipped his head, brushing his mouth gently against hers, and then he walked away without a backward glance.

Theo woke with a groan, his fists clenched into the empty sheets beside him where Elle had lain, just moments ago, in his dream. His cock was hard and aching, and he fisted himself, desperate for relief after yet another night of restless dreams. He wanted her, needed her, with an urgency that grew with each passing day. He gave himself one long, slow stroke before he registered the noise that had woken him in the first place. His phone rang on his bedside table with a London exchange, and his poor cock withered in defeat.

“Hello.” He sounded as grouchy and frustrated as he felt.

“’Ello,” his uncle boomed. “Just wondering where we are with the Milcos fund before I head into the board meeting.”

Theo’s eyes cut to the clock. Four fucking thirty in the morning. No wonder his body felt weighted to the bed. “I spoke with them yesterday. Everything’s ready to go, and please mind the time difference when you call, Uncle George.”

“What?” his uncle barked. “Oh. Sorry about that, my boy.”

“Right,” Theo grumbled.

“I’ll let you go then. Thanks for the update.”

The line clicked, and Theo tossed his phone onto the bed. He leaned back and flung an arm over his eyes, too wired—and pissed—to fall back asleep. Reluctantly, he climbed out of bed and took a quick shower. Since it was too early to start work, he decided he might as well spend a few more hours searching for his grandfather’s hiding place.

Alistair had hidden a five-carat emerald ring, the diamond and pearl tiara that Theo’s future wife might someday wear to walk down the aisle, and several other family heirlooms that had belonged most recently to his grandmother, and the timing couldn’t be worse. Not only could he not sell the castle until the pieces had been found, but he didn’t want any of Elle’s guests stumbling upon his family heirlooms either. It was best for everyone involved if he found them quickly.

He’d already been over every inch of Alistair’s private quarters and had now moved on to other places in the castle that had been his grandfather’s favorites—his study, the game room, even the fountain in the gardens where he and Rose had renewed their vows the summer before she died.

But so far, nothing.

And Theo wasn’t sure where to look next. He might end up having to inspect every room in the castle one-by-one, but first he would go back over his grandfather’s rooms. Surely, he’d missed something. It didn’t make sense for Alistair to hide his valuables out in the main part of the castle. Theo let himself quietly inside, fixed himself a cup of hot tea in the kitchen—it was so early that even Beatrice wasn’t here yet—and headed to his grandfather’s quarters. There, he spent the next three hours combing through every nook and cranny, every drawer, every closet, until he was ready to roar with frustration.

And still, he came up empty-handed. Felt like the story of his life these days.