Theo cringes. “Renley?—”
“Thank you, Renley,” Rupert calls out from the kitchen. Does the guy have insane hearing or something? I didn’t even say that loudly. “I’d love a day with my man.”
“See?” I kiss Theo one more time on the lips. “Hang out with Rupert today.”
“At least let me bring you dinner tonight. You can show me the progress you made.”
“That sounds perfect.”
One more kiss and then I give him a wave and take off. Of course, because I’m infatuated with the man, I glance over my shoulder to see if he’s still watching, and of course he is, one armpropped up against the doorframe in his shirtless glory, looking so freaking good that for a moment, I think about throwing caution to the wind and letting myself spend the day in his bed.
But my priorities win out, because it’s time to get to work.
Chapter Forty-Three
THEO
“What do you want to do today?” I ask Rupert as he sits next to me on the couch. My mind’s still thinking about last night and how Renley absolutely demolished me, ruining any other woman to ever come near me. Not that I’d want that. No fucking way.
I want her and her alone.
“I want to call your father.”
That snaps me right out of my reverie.
“What?” I ask, turning toward him. “Why the fuck would you want to call my father?”
“To tell him that you’ve fallen in love and that Neil’s daughter can stop picking out wedding dresses.”
“I have not fallen in love,” I say with a scoff. “It’s more like…lust.”
I know I have strong feelings for Renley, and it could possibly be love, but that’s not something I think I can admit right now, not when I haven’t thought it through.
Rupert shakes his head. “Mate, you might be lusting after her, but underneath the lust, you genuinely care about her. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be ditching me as much as you have and spending all your time with her. Or caring about her shop and lending a hand. Like…fuck, when have you ever picked up a tool?”
“I picked you up the other day.”
His face falls flat as I chuckle to myself, because that was a good one.
“I’m being serious. You love her, and you might not see it right now, but I see it, which means you need to call Lord Dickhead and tell him that he can find someone else to do the lording.”
I haven’t replied to his texts because what the hell would I say?I’m not interested in your job and might just stay in the U.S.? Thanks, but no thanks?But until I have a solid answer for him, what could I possibly say that would pacify the snarly wanker?
“I don’t think ‘lording’ is a word in that sense.”
I have no frame of reference forhowto deny my family’s role for me, but I am determined to do so.
“You know what I mean. You owe him a call.”
“I don’t owe him anything. And you know if I call him and tell him I’m not going to be a lord, he’s going to try to fuck with me somehow.” I shake my head. “Uninterested.”
“So what are you going to do? Never return home? Because you know we’re only allowed in the States for so long. We can’t just stay here. Which means you have to decide on what the hell you’re going to do.”
“I still have until the end of summer.”
“You do, but the longer you wait, the more your father is going to prep Neil’s daughter. Just cut the cord now.”
“There’s no reason to do it now.”
