“Really?” Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Because if I’m not mistaken, you were wearing those clothes at yesterday’s meeting.”
“I showered after the last time I got up,” I said defensively.
“Your lack of organization is appalling,” Sebastian said as Alfie ran outside to grab more boxes of decorations.
“Save it, mister. I don’t need the commentary. I’ve been up all night, making flower necklaces for the army of peacocks the bride wants at her wedding.” I pulled out my half-eaten breakfast biscuit and took a noisy bite. I was sleepy yet jittery from the caffeine I had been chugging the past twenty-four hours. I needed a drink and a nap, not another wedding event.
I love my job. I love my job.
“Peacocks?” Sebastian frowned as a couple of crumbs dropped on his pristine marble floors. Baxter, in a fancy hat festooned with ribbons, greedily snuffed up the pieces of flaky biscuit.
“Count yourself lucky,” I shot back. “We have another bride who wants an elephant.”
Sebastian seemed to freeze for a moment.
What a weirdo.
“Are you here to help, or are you here to pout?” I asked him, handing him a bolt of white satin fabric. “Now where are we having the couples shower?”
“Take your pick,” he said, leading me through the house while Alfie stayed to pet Baxter.
“You probably don’t want everyone in your space,” I said, looking around in awe at the ornate decoration in Sebastian’s house. Unlike some other rich people’s houses I’d been in, this one had a soothing palette of whites and creams and wood tones. There wasn’t any garish gold leaf or bright colors. There also, weirdly, weren’t any carpets. It was like walking through theBeauty and the Beastmansion. My footsteps echoed on the bare marble floors as I followed Sebastian out to the expansive limestone terrace that overlooked the rolling backyard.
“Horses!” I squealed loudly, causing many of the large animals to raise their heads. A few of them trotted over gracefully.
“If we’re concerned about the food being out in the sun,” Sebastian said, pulling on a shirt that had been thrown over the side of the stone railing, “we can set up in one of the outbuildings.”
His horses nickered and nuzzled me.
“Guess I must be a horse girl,” I joked as I petted them, “since I think they made me way happier than a surprise shirtless view of you.”
“Then maybe I should just keep it off,” he grumbled.
Yesss.
“Not if you want any coherent sentences from me,” I warned him as he started to lift the shirt back up while my brain cranked things up to Hot and Sexy in Here!
“I thought you said it didn’t make you that happy.”
“That’s right,” I said, “but it did make me super horny.”
He froze again then shook himself slightly and tucked the jersey neatly into his pants.
“We can set up the buffet in the old barn. It was original to the property. Quite ornate,” he suggested, leading me down the steps.
The horses followed us across the lawn. Sebastian’s property was huge. On the way to the historic barn, we passed three newer barns arrayed in a ring. A few yards away was a regulation polo field, dirt freshly raked. Past that was a jumping ring with polished red-and-white gates surrounded by gleaming white fencing.
I drooled. My grandfather had a haphazardly built horse infrastructure for me at his farm, but it was nothing like this.
“You could host the Olympics out here,” I breathed.
Sebastian gave me a slight smile. “I also have a cross-country trail through the property.”
“Lucky. I bet it’s gorgeous too.”
“If your pony weren’t a foot and a half tall, I’d offer to let you come out for a ride.”
“That’s okay!” I chirped. “If I’m over here for a ride, I’ll just take you! Er—I meant…”
