Page 15 of Introducing Mr. Winterbourne

“Not far from Town actually. Buckinghamshire. A very pretty little corner of the world. Not that I’ve spent much time there yet.”

“What made you buy it?”

Freeman smiled at him. “I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps—” He broke off, laughing a little to himself.

“What?”

“It will sound whimsical, but—it had been so neglected. I rode round the estate with the agent, and everything was so dilapidated. Every wall was crumbling, every gate broken. The roofs on the buildings were falling in, for God’s sake. I felt as though it ... needed me.” He laughed again, a little self-consciously. “Those structural things—the walls and buildings—are being put into order now, but I’m at a loss as to what to do with the land. I need to learn about farming.”

“I envy you,” Lysander said. “I can’t imagine anything more rewarding than putting an estate to rights.”

Freeman looked right at him then, his eyes searching Lysander’s face. He was so close that Lysander felt the warm gust of his breath, and somehow he knew that Freeman was seeing all his longing, all his secret pain. The things that no one else suspected when they looked at perfect, golden Lysander Winterbourne. A man who seemed to have everything.

The sudden sound of the small eight-piece orchestra launching loudly into a new, and quite fast, piece of music made them both jump, then laugh at their shared reaction. It broke the odd spell between them, though something warm and intimate remained. They were, perhaps, a step closer to one another in their own singular dance.

“That’s a waltz,” Lysander observed.

“How do you know?”

“Oh, it’s the easiest of all to recognise from the music,” Lysander replied. “Listen.One, two, three—one, two, three—one, two, three—one, two, three—” He tapped the rhythm out against stone balustrade.

He took a step back and opened his arms.

“Come on,” he said, adding daringly, “I’ll be the woman, if you like.”

He was accustomed enough to the darkness now that he saw Freeman’s lips twitch at that remark, and his own mouth curved a little in response.

“Now there’s an offer that’s too good to pass up,” Freeman replied. He stepped forward, halting just in front of Lysander. “What do I do?”

“Stand straight, that’s right, head up. Now, take my hand.” Lysander twitched his right hand imperiously, and Freeman stepped a little closer and obediently took hold of it, his warm fingers enclosing Lysander’s. “Good. Now I place my other hand on your shoulder—”

“And what do I do with my other hand?”

Lysander tutted impatiently. “Surely you’ve at leastseensomeone waltz?”

“I can’t say I’ve ever paid much attention before.”

“Well, you put your hand on my waist—”

Freeman’s hand landed on the small of Lysander’s back, firm and warm, scant inches above his arse.

“Too low,” Lysander managed, though his voice was somewhat strangled. He grabbed Freeman’s hand and moved it up till it rested in the middle of his back. “Here.”

“Now what?”

That deep, rich voice again, only this time, it gusted close to Lysander’s ear, making him shiver and hunch one pleasure-pricked shoulder.

“Now we dance,” he said. “The gentleman’s supposed to lead, of course, but you’ll have to follow me for now. You’ll be confused to start with, but then you’ll see it’s just the same few steps over and over. So—one, two, three—one, two, three—off-we-go—”

The first few minutes were an utter shambles. Freeman couldn’t seem to predict which way Lysander was going to step at all, and soon they were tripping over each other’s feet and laughing uncontrollably. After a short while, though, Freeman began to pick the simple pattern up.

“Yes!” Lysander exclaimed as they swept round in a neat circle, and Freeman unerringly set off in the right direction with the correct foot. “That’s it! You’ve got it! Keep going!”

He did, and they swirled round the terrace a few more times until, soon enough, Freeman wasn’t making any mistakes at all.

“Well done, you’ve got it,” Lysander said as the music came to a stop. He began to pull away, but Freeman resisted, drawing him even closer than before. So close that their thighs pressed together and Lysander’s mouth went dry.

He met Freeman’s gaze, and what he saw near stopped his heart. Freeman looked at him with desire and heat and honest admiration. He exposed himself fully with that look, making himself naked and vulnerable.