“You’re right to be cautious.”
I blinked. I hadn’t expected him to admit that.
“But you know that, don’t you?”
I nodded again.
“My family can be dangerous in lots of different ways, Clara. We’ve been that way for hundreds of years. But we willneverbe dangerous for you. I know it will take time for you to believe it, but we will never hurt you. We protect our own. Understand me? You and Zach are under our protection. You’re a Sterling now. And nobody fucks with a Sterling.”
“Lord of the Manor!” Lily’s excited voice drew ourattention as she hip-bumped the earl. Actually hip-bumped the man! I may have been wary around this man, but Lily had no such reservations. To her, he was just the posh grandpa of one of her kids who lived in a big house and who provided great Sunday roasts – well, at least his staff did. But the earl was good at thatgood old boyfront. I was an exception in being able to see past that persona, but I’d had years of practice when it came to sensing dangerous people. The Sterlings might be at the other end of the class spectrum, but in many ways they weremuchscarier than my family.
“Lily,” the earl said warmly. “Frightfully good to see you, young lady. Any more plays for us on the horizon?” The earl had bloody lovedSweeney Todd.
“Oh, I’m working on Mrs C to let me do eitherAnimal Farmor1984but she’s being a bit stubborn. I guess the complaints we had after last year might have something to do with it.”
“I loved your play. Watching the Harding child slit my grandson’s throat was highly entertaining.”
“Thanks, Lordie S! I told Mrs C that not everyone thought it was ‘completely inappropriate’. Honestly, some parents are so sensitive. What’s a bit of cannibalism between friends? Bore off, poshos.”
He laughed. “Bore off indeed.”
Everyone started laughing around us then and I got the giggles as well. I was still laughing when I looked up at the stage and my eyes locked with Rafe’s. There was a small smile on his mouth as he watched me. Clare Harding was talking to him, but he clearly wasn’t listening. All his attention was on me. And his expression was fierce.
Rafe
The urge to drag Clara home had been stronger than usual since I saw her in that goddamn pink dress. I’d had to arrive at the venue early, which I realised on seeing her may have been a mistake. We definitely shouldn’t have been in public when I saw Clara in that dress for the first time. My reaction was not for public consumption, especially among the “poshos,” as Lily so aptly called my friends and family. English aristocratic restraint was legendary and did not generally include taking your girlfriend in your arms in the middle of a packed ballroom and looking like you wanted to eat her alive.
But now, finally, I could leave this stupid event.
I was trying my best not to be selfish with Clara. For a long time, she would barely leave the house, so it was bloody brilliant that she felt comfortable enough to come out to one of these things. But I had to admit that I didn’t like sharing her. Of course, I’d hated the anxiety that had kept Clara housebound, but in the not-for-public-consumption, deep dark possessive part of my monkey brain, I had enjoyed having agoraphobic Clara all to myself. However, now she was very much out. And beautiful. So, so unbelievably beautiful. Of course, my Clara was always beautiful, but in that dress and with that lipstick, it was almost otherworldly. Hence the need to take her home at the first available opportunity.
“What on earth is the hurry, Rafe?” Clara said breathlessly as I led her down the corridor towards the exit. “And where is Ozzie?”
“Ozzie is going for a sleepover with Margot Harding, God help him. We are going home before I kill any of my stupid fucking ex-friends for bloody well hugging you andkissing you and doing all manner of inappropriate things right in front of my face.”
Clara laughed and gave my hand a tug. “Slow down, you big idiot. I can barely walk in these heels, let alone run.”
“I’m not running,” I grumbled, reluctantly slowing my pace.
“Maybe not by your standards, daddy long legs. But us normals can’t cover ten feet in one stride.”
“Did you just call medaddy long legs?” I smirked down at her but did slow my strides somewhat. I wished it was socially acceptable to simply pick her up and then walk as fast as I damn well wanted, but I doubted English high society was ready for that and I’d already embarrassed her enough for one night.
I would have just left our coats, but Clara’s dress was strapless, and it was freezing outside, so that wasn’t an option. Plus, there was another very good reason for me to put my coat on, which was evident when I shook out the long, black wool overcoat and threw it on in one smooth movement, and Clara’s eyes flared as she watched me.
“You love doing that to me,” she complained, but that didn’t stop her from spinning around after I’d helped her into her own coat and slipping her hands through the folds of my suit to my chest, her head tipped up to stare into my eyes and a small smile formed on her lips.
“Doing what?” I asked innocently as I scanned her beautiful face.
“Putting your coat on all sexy like that.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I was merely attiring myself appropriately for this time of year, young lady. If that gets you going, then it’s down to your dirty mind.”
She laughed at that. The kind of laugh I fucking loved tohear from her, and I was fucking thrilled to be close enough to hear it. All evening, Clara had been too bloody far away, and I’d had to endure seeing her laugh without actually hearing it clearly. Her eyes were twinkling behind her glasses, her cheeks were pink and her fringe messy from me marching her across the ballroom. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. She was just that beautiful. All my romantic plans went out of my head and I simply blurted out what I’d wanted to say for months.
“Marry me.”
Her laughter cut off abruptly. “W-what?”
