Uhmmm . . . yes, please. He could play Mr. Darcy to my Lizzie any day.
His face was still in shadow in the arches of the portico. Would it match the allure of the rest of him?
“Enjoying the view, Miss D’Angelo?” His voice was deep, schoolroom Italian with a rounded English accent. Mischief lingering in his tone.
Hell, yes, I was enjoying this view. And double-score because my Mr. Darcy fantasy was a flirt.
I high-fived my subconscious. Myidtotally knocked it out of the park with this one.
He stepped closer, his head finally moving into the light. I eagerly raised my overly-hormonal eyes upward, taking in his face.
Every last cell in my body came to instant attention. Shock jolted my spine with jarring force.
My world shifted. A dizzying sense of disorientation . . . like those first steps on solid ground after days at sea.
Everything snapped together.
The face.
The voice.
The fact that the man’s gaze was not fixed on me but, instead, riveted on my doppelganger.
The woman—who was me, but not me—turned to him. A smile plastered itself to her lips but didn’t reach her eyes.
“Lord Knight.” She curtsied, elegantly drifting down and up. “The view is quite lovely this time of year.” She motioned back toward the rolling hills outside the window.
I really looked at him now. Yup. Just as I thought.
Jack.
He quirked a lopsided smile, his eyes warm on this . . . lady. Miss D’Angelo. Sofia D’Angelo, if I were to make an educated guess.
Of course. Cause apparently my last dream about him hadn’t messed with my head enough. My stupid subconscious was confused as to whether Jack should be in the box labeledTeasing Friendor the one labeledLove Interest.
Again, I wasn’t sure I wanted to examine that too deeply. I stuffed the idea back down my emotional black hole.
I scowled at my brain. Why couldn’t a girl just have a normal, hot-guy dream? Why was I fantasizing about Jack chatting up my D’Angelo great-whatever aunt who ultimately ran off with another man on their wedding day? Why did my mind have to make it all weird?
“Yes.” Jack’s gaze never left her face. “The view is extraordinary.”
I rolled my eyes. I didn’t need to witness Jack hitting on another woman. I refused to analyzewhyI didn’t want to watch it happen. Black hole, remember?
Sofia blushed, lowering her head and turning back to the window.
“You are a skilled flirt, my lord.”
To his credit, Jack didn’t preen over the compliment. Instead he moved to stand beside her, ostensibly enjoying the vista as well.
“I am not precisely a skilled flirt, madam. I would prefer to think of myself as an inspired lover.”
Hmmm. Not bad. As far as lines went, I’d give that one about a seven.
Sofia seemed unimpressed.
Good for her. Make him work for it.
They chatted about the weather, a shared love of horseback riding and their mutual invitation to a garden party later in the week.
