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“That’s it, O’Connell. Come on my fingers, just like that.” He had me there in minutes. I tensed and rode it out, bucking against his fingers until it was over. I slumped against his chest.I was never going to get tired of doing that, and from the look on his face, neither was he.
An hour later we arrived at my house. My dress had been riding up the whole way, much to Alfie’s amusement. Mini dresses and leather seats just didn’t mix, apparently. I
gave it another sharp tug down, conscious of my commando state.
“I’ll be five minutes.” I climbed out the car and tugged my dress down for the hundredth time. “What’re you doing?” I said when Alfie got out too.
“I’m coming in with you.”
“What? No, no, no you can’t,” I hissed, starting to panic. If Natalie saw him I would have a lot of explaining to do.
Alfie gave me a sardonic look. “Don’t tell me what I can’t do, O’Connell.”
“Alfie, please just wait in the car, okay?” He cocked his head slightly, appraising me. I was spared from further questions when the front door flew open behind me and a toy arrow whizzed past our heads.
“Enemies! Enemies at the gate!” I turned to see my nephew with a colander ‘helmet’ on his head and wearing a suit of armour made from tin foil. His plastic bow and arrow was raised and pointed straight at Alfie.Well, this is one way for him to meet the family.
“Hands above your heads!” Ryan shouted, his cherub face set in a serious scowl. Sighing, I did as I was told. I looked over my shoulder at Alfie who was just standing there, nonplussed. I gestured at him to do the same.
“Seriously?” Incredulous, he raised his hands over his head too. “Shouldn’t your sister put him out of the way?”Put him out of the way?
“She’ll putyouout of the way if you say that to her face.” I turned back to my nephew. “Sir Ryan is it?”
“King!” he shouted, an indignant look on his face.
“Of course. Your highness, I’m here to see your mother. I’m her sister. I’ve traveled from afar and I come here seeking a change of clothes before I continue on my journey. My manservant and I,” I gestured at Alfie, “throw ourselves at your mercy.”
Ryan considered us for a tense moment.
“Is that your noble steed?” He pointed his arrow at the Aston Martin.Oh God, this isn’t going to be good.
“Er yes, but?—”
“King Ryan wants to try it!” He sped past me and was on the bonnet of the car before I could stop him. I dove after him, wincing as his bow met the paintwork.
“Ryan?” We all froze. Natalie was standing in the doorway, drying her hands on a dish towel. She gave her son a look,thatlook, and he climbed down immediately. She turned an apologetic smile on Alfie.
“I’m sorry, my son’s a little wild.”
“It must be in the blood,” he said shortly, eyeing me. I would have argued, but I was sprawled across the bonnet of his Aston Martin on a Sunday afternoon in a mini-dress, sans underwear. Natalie looked from him to me. I guess there was no getting out of this now. I slid off his car and pasted a smile on my face.
“Natalie and Ryan, this is Alfie. Alfie, this is my sister and my nephew.” Alfie stepped forward to shake her hand but halted when Ryan raised his bow and arrow.
“It’s nice to meet you,” he said from a safe distance.
“You too.” Natalie gave me a questioning look and I gave her another that said I would explain later.
“We’re just on our way to Harrington. I needed to get changed…” I trailed off. Why was this so awkward?
“You’d best come in then.”
Inside, Natalie excused herself to have a word with her son about shooting arrows at people and Alfie and I stole away upstairs.
Nerves jangled in my stomach. My world wasn’t nearly as shiny as his, and I dreaded what he was going to make of it.He can like it or lump it.That’s what my grandma would’ve said.
“You don’t have a bedroom door?”Damn. Why did he have to notice that?
“Nope and be careful.” I pointed at a spot on the floor at the top of my attic stairs and hopped over it. “Loose floorboard under the carpet.” He frowned and pressed tentatively on the offending floorboard, scowling as it bent under his foot.