After that memorable plane ride, it was a wonder she could focus on anything but her tingling body. She couldn’t stop herself from a constant replay of every single arousing touch. Those hours only pulled her in deeper to his world, making her want more, making her wish things were different.
Nigel reached over to take her hand and gave a gentle squeeze. “Nothing to worry about. My family will love you. We just have to pretend like we’re in love.”
She didn’t even know how to unpack that whole statement, but she should at least attempt.
Nervous? She had far surpassed nervous when it came to meeting his family. His grandmother went by Dame for crying out loud.
And pretend? Yeah, she’d gotten that down pat and honestly deserved some Oscar for her performance.
Love? No, there was no love here. A good healthy dose of lust and sex, but not love. She couldn’t allow herself to think along those lines because she was already falling, and at some point, she’d have to guard her heart from tumbling completely out of her control. She just didn’t know where to draw the boundary lines.
“Do you want to talk about what happened on the plane?” she asked as she turned from the postcard-worthy view to face him.
He steered the car around another sharp turn before flashing her a grin. “What do you want to talk about? I had a great time. Best flight of my life.”
She wondered how many times he’d used that bedroom for other women he whisked off around the world. Jealousy had no place here, after all she was lying to him and they’d made no promises to each other. Still, she couldn’t help where her mind wandered.
“Maybe I should have brought you on my plane sooner,” he joked.
Sophie got a nasty pit in her belly. “Do you seduce many women on your private jet?”
“Don’t go there,” he growled. “I’m not a playboy like the tabloids want people to believe and I certainly don’t seduce women in my jet.”
“You had my clothes off before we reached cruising altitude,” she countered. “You seemed pretty experienced.”
“I haven’t been a monk, but I swear that I have not taken any other woman to bed on my plane.”
He sounded so sincere and Sophie really had no reason to disbelieve him. But the whens and wheres of his former affairs weren’t really the issue here. Of course, he’d had women and relationships before her. He was a sexy, powerful man. Good grief, they weren’t even in a relationship and she already had the unhealthy girlfriend mentality. They’d had sex and she was his pretend girlfriend for the rest of the week. Sounded simple enough, right?
But nothing was simple about her emotions or sex. If she’d thought she was falling for him before, the intimacy on the plane had only exacerbated the issue. Now she didn’t know if her feelings stemmed from the man she finally gave herself to or if they came from the fact he truly was a genuine guy and not the playboy the media played him out to be.
Any other thoughts or words died in her throat as Nigel turned into a long drive where the grounds were surrounded with tall evergreens covered with a blanket of crisp white snow.
As he turned the last curve of the drive, the trees opened up to reveal a vast two-story brick-and-stone home. There seemed to be windows everywhere and juts of bay windows on both floors. Sophie imagined many reading nooks in those bays.
The home looked old, but not unkempt. The estate went right along with her original impression of the town—everything about this place was like she’d stepped back in time. She couldn’t wait to explore the inside, get inspired for even more future designs, and learn of the history behind such a manor.
A large pond sat in front of the home and she could only imagine summertime here with the grounds blooming with colorful flowers. But even with the freshly fallen snow, the estate was breathtaking.
She’d uploaded some old material to her YouTube channel for the next month so she didn’t have to worry about keeping up while she was undercover. But she would certainly be taking mental notes from this place for ways to incorporate new and old into any living area.
“Welcome to Shrewsbury Hall,” Nigel told her as he circled the drive and pulled to the front entrance.
She’d heard him say that name before, but seeing the vast home made her realize it was certainly worthy of such an upstanding title. And she’d thought her family had money. This place could hold three of her own French provincial home. The mansion also made her father’s ranch estate seem small.
A man in a wool coat and hat immediately came out and opened her door. Sophie pulled her coat around her chest and thanked him.
Nigel came around the car and shook the man’s hand. “Thank you, William.”
“Glad to have you back home, Sir Nigel.”
Sir. Of course, he’d be addressed as such.
“It’s good to be here.” Nigel nodded toward the home. “Is everyone inside?”
“Dame Claire is waiting on you with bourbon and some snacks. She figured you’d be hungry after your flight and would need to relax with a drink.”
“You mean she’s ready to grill my girlfriend and me?” Nigel asked.