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“The last thing I need isanotherresponsibility,” I say.

“Okay, what’s going on with you?” he asks. “You’re grumpier than usual lately, and that’s saying a lot.”

I take a deep breath, but it doesn’t do much to calm my frazzled nerves. There’s too much adrenaline coursing through my system. There’s too much energy that needs to be released.

“Not to worry. I know just what will fix you,” he says.

“Alaric, I swear to God, if you tell me that you brought magic mushrooms into my house?—”

“No, silly goose. I was talking about the ice cream,” he says. “I got your favorite flavor and everything, too.”

He takes the ice cream tubs out of the picnic basket.

“I’ll go put them in the freezer and say hi to Helena,” he says,walking toward the kitchen where my head housekeeper is cooking up a storm.

I stay and watch the kids play with the puppy.

I can’t help but wonder why I’m so bad at this. People like Alaric seem to have an intuition that I don’t. They know exactly what to say and do. They know how to make a child happy.

As for me, I’m completely clueless.

We still have a few minutes to spare before dinner, so I head to my room to pack my bag.

I smell her before I see her.

She bumps right into my chest. The scent of her coconut-infused shampoo clouds my head as I wrap my hands around her waist.

“Sorry, I didn’t see you,” she says, looking up at me with those big eyes.

She licks her lips, drawing my attention there. The fantasies in my mind take a dark turn. My eyes trail down her neck. I can see the racing of her pulse. It’s erratic, out of control.

“Mr. Sinclair?” she whispers, making my cock even harder than it already is.

Damp hair clings to her neck, telling me she just took a bath.

I have a vision of interrupting her while she’s in the clawfoot tub—my hand fisting her hair as I make her wrap those poutylips around my cock. I’d push myself into her warm mouth as soap suds traveled down the slopes of her breasts.

“You look unwell,” she says. “Is there something I can do to help?”

“You’ve done enough,” I snap, letting go of her.

She blushes, seeming to realize we’re standing way too close again. It keeps happening. I keep letting it happen.

I could have easily stepped out of her way before she bumped into me, but I didn’t. I let her fall into my arms just so I’d have an excuse to hold her again.

She lowers her gaze.

I swallow. I’m being unnecessarily harsh with her.

“We have a guest tonight. He’s an old friend, Alaric. He brought ice cream,” I say. Grudgingly, I add, “And a puppy.”

“A puppy?” She clasps her hands together and rocks back on her heels.

The sight of her smile catches me off guard.

Feeling desire for a woman is one thing. Whatever the fuck is happening inside me right now, that’s not normal. I must put an end to it.

Before I can end this interaction, she races down the stairs, leaving me in a scented cloud of coconut and sugar.