“Of course, of course,” Casper said, nodding. “You never know what you’ll find on the grounds of estates as old as yours.”
“That’s what Graeme said.” Ryan smiled for what felt like no reason.
“Graeme?” Casper asked the way someone would dig for gossip.
“He’s the gardener Dad hired to design and execute the new gardens,” Ryan said, and since he still wasn’t comfortable with his feelings for a straight man, he rushed on with, “Do you think you can help us?”
“I could,” Casper said hesitatingly. “But I know someone who could help you better than I could.” He twisted in his chair, glanced back to the buffet table, where a pair of men were chatting, and called out, “Art! We need you!”
Ryan was in no way prepared for the burst of heat that hit him when the man who he assumed was Art turned away from his conversation at the buffet table to answer Casper’s call. He was stunning, with dark hair, fine features, and an instant smile that had the blood pumping faster through Ryan’s body.Allof Ryan’s body.
Art said goodbye to the man he’d been chatting with and strode over to Ryan and Casper’s table. He had the long stride and easy gait of someone who was deeply confident. More than that, before he was halfway across the space, he met Ryan’s eyes, his smile widened, and his steps slowed into an entirely different stride, like a predator stalking his prey.
“Well, hello,” he said once he reached the table. “How is everyone doing today?”
The man was sex in khaki trousers, and Ryan reacted to him instantly.
Which caused a serious clash of morals and interests, considering Graeme was still very much at the front of his thoughts. Straight Graeme.
There was no rule saying he couldn’t be attracted to more than one man at a time, though. Attraction just happened, especially when someone who was one hundred percent his type walked up to him.
“Ryan Hawthorne, I’d like you to meet Arthur Johnson,” Casper introduced them. “Art is a fellow professor at the Royal College of London. He teaches Archeology, but he’s also an experienced archeologist who has assisted on plenty of digs in the UK and around the world.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Art said in a honeyed voice, offering his hand to Ryan, and much more, if the vibe he exuded was anything to go by.
“Ryan is one of the famous Hawthorne family and an up-and-coming fashion designer,” Casper continued his introductions. “And he and his family have just discovered some sort of ruins on their property as they were installing a new garden.”
“Really?” Art asked, his manner changing to genuine interest just as Ryan took his hand to shake it.
“We think we found the foundation of the old gamekeeper’s lodge that burned down in the eighteen-thirties, but we want someone to come take a look at it before we do anything more,” Ryan said, feeling unusually flustered.
“Darling, I will take a look at anything you want me to see,” Art said, sinking gracefully into the chair next to Ryan’s once he let go of his hand, his gaze dropping below the level of Ryan’s waist for a moment.
Under any other circumstances, Ryan would have jumped gleefully into flirting with the man. He was getting clear fun vibes from the gorgeous archeologist. He wanted to lean closer to the man, breathe in whatever amazing cologne he was wearing, and make some sort of quip about letting Art explore his cave all he wanted.
But the sweet, innocent picture of Graeme was still lodged firmly in his mind, keeping him on his best behavior.
“I don’t know how much you know about Hawthorne House,” he said, clearing his throat and fiddling with one of theunused spoons on the table in front of him to stop himself from coming up with a way to touch Art.
“It’s one of the preeminent early-Georgian estates in Kent, isn’t it?” Art asked, suddenly entirely professional.
The switch to business left Ryan feeling like he was the one trying to flirt. Arthur Johnson messed with his mind.
“Yes,” he said, forcing himself to concentrate. “Although parts of the original structure were built in the Jacobean era, and several of the outbuildings have existed back into the Middle Ages, when the previous, smaller house stood on the property.”
“Your family has turned it into an arts center and you have a Medieval festival on the grounds every year, right?” Art asked.
“I’m surprised you know about that,” Ryan said, scooting closer to him.
Art’s answering smile turned up the heat all over again. “I’m the gay, British Indiana Jones,” he said with a self-effacing shrug. “It’s my job to know about all the old estates and historical sites on these sceptered isles.”
Ryan couldn’t help but grin broadly in return. Fuck, Art was charming.
“I only know about Hawthorne House,” he said. “And apparently, there are things I don’t even know about the house I grew up in.”
“And you want me to uncover everything for you?” Art asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Yes. Yes, Ryan wanted the man to uncovereverything. He could tell from the way Art’s clothes fit him that his body was exceptional.
