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His voice was deep and rich, far more now that she could hear him without his armor or the rain muffling his words.

He turned toward Winnie more fully. “So you’re the puddle I followed all the way here,” he stated, his blue eyes shining.

Her eyes dropped to the study floor. What was he talking about? There wasn’t a puddle in sight. Anyway, she’d wiped her feet in the entryway. She was sure of it.

Mr. Wintour looked between the two of them in confusion. “I’m sorry, you’ve met before?”

“Just a few moments ago,” Matthew answered for the both of them because apparently, Winnie had lost her ability to speak. “On the drive. Apparently, she wishes to leave her mark wherever she goes.”

Again, Winnie said nothing.

Mr. Wintour took a step forward to face her more directly. “Is this true? Have you met Matthew already?”

Winnie blinked, then cleared her throat. “Yeah, but I had no clue he was your son,” she said, forcing a light tone.

“Clearly,” Matthew responded.

His eyes were on her again, this time slightly more pointed. He was referring to the conversation they’d shared after he’d helped her out of the mud. The conversation where she’d criticized the estate.

His family’s estate.

That was obviously when things had shifted between them. He’d been playful, kind, helpful. Charming, even. Then she’d run her big mouth and offended him.

She fought the urge to look around for a hole to crawl into and die quietly within. Everything she’d said to Matthew earlier had been true. And they were all things she was fully planning on mentioning to Mr. Wintour himself. Granted, she’d be a touch more delicate…

Anyway, it was Matthew’s fault for concealing who he was to her. He was basically asking for trouble.

Mr. Wintour looked between them again. “I’m still slightly confused, I have to admit,” he stated.

Finally finding her voice, Winnie answered first, refusing to allow Matthew a chance at embarrassing her further. “Your son helped me out of the mud when my car got stuck on the side of the road.”

There. Simple. Straightforward. To the punch. No need to bore him with all those other details.

Matthew’s eyes didn’t stray from hers, his brow slightly raised. Did he know something? Namely, did he know about her speeding?

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Mr. Wintour said with a frown.

“Oh, it’s totally fine,” she said with a wave of her hand.

“I take it the rain was the culprit?”

She clamped her mouth shut and nodded. It wasn’t not the truth.

Still, Matthew watched her. He absolutely knew something.

“I’m sure I know of the exact place you were caught,” Mr. Wintour continued. “I’ve been meaning to hire someone to grass over that section for so long, but it just keeps getting pushed back on my ever-growing list of things to improve.”

“I’m sure Miss Knox wouldn’t have any problem adding to that list,” Matthew said. “Why don’t you ask her to share with you some of the items she mentioned to me earlier?”

Winnie stared up at him. She hadn’t realized he was so tall before. Nor had she been aware of how bright a blue his eyes were. They were like his dad’s, except they held a more sinister glint to them. A glint that said, “I’m not afraid to betray thee by thrusting thee under thy emerald steed, my lady.”

Still, she wouldn’t be intimidated. Not any longer.

She gave a small laugh and faced Mr. Wintour. “Oh, I always have a list of things to improve. The to-dos for my own apartment is so eternal, I hardly have any room to store it on my phone anymore—and I live in a one-bedroom apartment.”

Mr. Wintour chuckled. “I know the feeling all too well.”

Matthew’s smile lessened. Ha. She’d beaten him on that one.