I went to throw her out. When I found out one of the bookings hadn’t taken the cancellation with good grace and had the audacity to show up anyway, I was ready. I was going to march into the room and demand she leave, physically drag her out myself if needed.

Then I saw her.

She was at least ten years younger than me, short, long blonde hair falling over her shoulders, framing a round face. Cute button nose, reddened cheeks from the cold outside, soft lips that drew my eye before I looked up and then I was trapped in her gaze.

I tried to remember why I’d gone in there in the first place. She was looking at me, waiting for me to say something. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak. The animal inside me rose up to take over. I wanted her and I wanted her badly.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, stalling for time, trying to get my thoughts away from tearing her clothes off and throwing her onto that bed.

“I booked a stay, I’m here for a couple of nights. Sorry, is there something wrong? Is this your room?”

The anxiety in her voice, the softness of the words, that American accent. My cock twitched. She sounded so eager to please, so quick to apologise, already seeking my approval. It had been a very long time since I’d felt anything like this and it was almost overwhelming me. It had happened so quickly.

“I will see you at dinner.”

I had to get out of there. Any longer and I would have pounced on her. Where had my self control gone?

Once the door was shut and I was walking away, I felt more like myself, calmness beginning to descend once more. What had happened in there?

It was already feeling unreal. I had overreacted that was all. I hadn’t seen a woman like her in a long time and I wasn’t prepared for it. I’d be better when we met again at dinner, calmer, more capable of engaging in conversation, telling her that she had to go.

She had a decent body. She looked submissive, from what I’d seen of her so far. She also had a feisty side, turning up for her booking despite it being cancelled. That was naughty of her. I could spank her for something like that.

The thought had come from nowhere but it refused to go away. My hand yanking down her panties, smacking her bare ass, delving between her legs, tasting her, plunging my tongue inside.

I got to the study and closed the door behind me, needing to clear my head. My hard on throbbed painfully at the thought of her upstairs. I could go back up there, push her up against the wall, press my lips to hers, see what she tasted like.

Focus.

Concentrate.

Stop getting distracted.

I sat behind the desk, glancing at the clock on the wall. Half an hour until the estate agent was due to arrive. Just enough time to get a grip of myself.

Since arriving, there’d been a strange pang inside me, almost like guilt. There was a part of me that felt oddly at home here even after all this time. But that emotion was irrelevant to what needed to be done. The baseline figures didn’t lie. The place was in debt and the only way out was to sell up.

I’d found some of the papers relating to the place. They were badly organised and several important documents appeared to be missing. I would do some digging after the place had been valued. Then at least I’d know how much would be left over, if anything.

I concentrated on the paperwork until I heard the sound of Hedley’s boat approaching across the water, the sound of that engine one that I’d recognise anywhere.

I hadn’t even scratched the surface it seemed. There had been investments made and shares bought but the details of both were nowhere to be found. I would have to go to the bank, see if they could fill in some of the blanks for me.

The last thing I wanted was to sell the place and find out I was still liable for any of the debts. I didn’t want to think of court summonses being sent to me at the monastery, of the police being called out to drag me onto a plane, rob me of my last pennies and then lock me away because of the poor financial acumen of my mother.

I was at the door ready for his arrival. “Mr King,” he said as I opened it. “I believe you’re expecting me?”

“Yes, Mr Dacre isn’t it? Come on in.”

“Thank you. I believe you’re interested in a standard valuation.”

“Correct. What do you need to see?”

“All the rooms and proof the place is mortgage free.”

“We built it. It’s been in my family for four hundred years.”

“Ah, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t taken out a loan using the homestead as equity if you see what I mean. It’s happened before.”

“No mortgage but come through to the study and see for yourself.”

He sat at the desk and I hovered next to him, handing over each deed and contract he requested.

“How many bedrooms in total?”

“Between ten and fifteen. Some are currently being used as storage and a couple need some maintenance.”

“I need a figure.”

“Call it fifteen.”

“Kitchens?”

“Two, staff and main.”

“So you have staff quarters as well?”

“They have their own floor in the basement.”

“I’ll need to see that as well.”

“Of course. Shall we start upstairs and work down?”

“Whichever way you wish, Mr King.”

I took him up the main flight of stairs, passing by the room she was inside. I didn’t stop, I didn’t dare.

Up the next flight of stairs and the next until we reached turret level. “Four corner turrets, each with small rooms below. They all look much like this.”

It was surprising me how quickly I was able to answer. Some things I’d forgotten I even knew like the number of bedrooms.

We worked our way back down to the first floor. This time I knocked on her door but she didn’t answer. I tried it but the lock held firm. “We have one guest at the moment,” I explained. “But we can get the key if you need.”

“Is it the same as the other bedrooms?”

“Pretty much.”

“Then don’t worry. I wouldn’t want to disturb their privacy.”

Ten minutes later we were done. Hedley was still waiting by the jetty to take him back. “I’ll work through the figures and give you a formal quotation when I get to the office,” Dacre said, shaking my hand as he stood next to the boat. “But I’d say you should see a million for it, maybe one and a half if you’re selling the surrounding land as well.”

“And for a quick sale?”

“Drop it to five hundred. Good day, Mr King.”

I saw him off before returning to the castle. A million. That would be more than enough to clear the debts. The only remaining question was how quickly it could be sold. Could I leave it in Dacre’s hands and head back to Italy at once?

I shook my head as I closed the front door. Even if I could return, I wasn’t going to yet. According to the booking calendar, this Beal woman was here for two nights. I wanted to make the most of them.

There was no harm in fucking her before I got on with the job of selling the place. I wanted to know what that accent would sound like when she moaned my name.

That was all I was going to do. Last time I fell for a woman she chose money over me. That was what people were like. But this time things were going to be different. I wasn’t going to fall for her, I was just going to fuck her.

She was in the dining room when I entered that evening. She had changed into a formal dress and she looked incredible. I walked in to find her sitting at the only other place setting, a book in her hand.

“Where did you get that?” I asked, pointing down at the history of the castle.

“You know the book?”

“I’ve read it many times.”

“I found it on the bookcase in the entrance hall.”

“There is a library you should try.”

“Oh, is there, I didn’t realise?” She held a hand out towards me. “I’m Tilly by the way.”

“Rob.” I took her hand, feeling the softness of her skin, the way her fingers slipped between mine. At the same moment, I looked at her, seeing something in her eyes, something that made my cock twitch in response.

The door to my left opened before I could say anything else. Angela walked in, carrying a silver tray. She laid it in front of Tilly, lifting a plate of roast beef and vegetables.

I took my seat as another tray appeared. Once Angela had left, I turned back to Tilly, watching her cut her food into tiny pieces. “This is a long way from home, isn’t it?” I asked.

She almost dropped her fork at the question, jumping in her seat. She seemed intimidated by me. I liked it. It made me think about spanking her again.

“I have a proposition for the castle owner.”

“What kind of proposition?”

“I’m afraid it’s confidential.”

“I see.”

“Do you know him at all?”

“I know of him.”

“Are the rumours true?”

“What rumours?”

“Well, I heard that he’s not the nicest person in the world.”

“You heard right. He’s an asshole.”

“Oh.” She sounded deflated.

The rest of the meal was conducted in silence. I ate little. Years of a monastic diet made it hard to stomach rich food. I spent most of the meal watching her.

She kept taking little glances at me whenever she thought I wasn’t looking. Then she’d look away when she caught my eye, returning to the tiny morsels of food, chewing them slowly. How did she even make eating sexy? What was she doing to me?

“Care to join me in the smoking room?” I asked, getting to my feet.

It was time to seduce her.