Page 22 of The Baron’s Perfect Match (Twist of Fate #1)

J acob was relieved that they’d found a suitable candidate for the housekeeper position.

Mrs. Trotter was the ideal person to join the household.

Her sweet personality would add some much-needed levity to the home.

He wanted to take as many burdens off Miss Parker as he could.

He surmised that she’d been the de facto housekeeper while they lived at Gracechurch Street, among other roles.

When he realized that they were alone in the house and could enjoy a private walk in the garden, he jumped at the chance.

“Thank you. That would be lovely,” she said.

Jacob led the way out to the garden through the drawing room’s French doors.

He wanted nothing more than to pull Miss Parker into his embrace and kiss her senseless, but he didn’t want to scare her.

He would bide his time and wait for the perfect moment, hoping it wouldn’t be interrupted again by her sisters, especially since he had no idea how long they would be gone .

As they walked along the path, he was pleasantly surprised to see a bench against the far fence that he hadn’t noticed before, and he led her over to it. “The garden isn’t too run-down.”

“Grace always loves being out in nature and will relish the opportunity to shape the garden to her liking,” she said, taking a seat on the bench.

Jacob joined her. “And what of you, Miss Parker. Is everything to your liking thus far?”

“It is, my lord, and I cannot thank you enough for all you’ve done for us. I had no idea what to expect from the next Lord Fletcher.”

“I do hope you’re not too disappointed I’m not English.”

“It matters not to me where you hail from. It only matters that my sisters are taken care of.”

“You matter as well, my dear,” he said, stroking her cheek.

When she inhaled softly, he leaned forward, giving her a chance to pull away if she didn’t wish to be kissed.

When she didn’t move, he closed the last few inches between them and finally kissed her sweet lips.

They were soft, so very soft, and he felt a sudden rightness being with her.

When his tongue swept across her bottom lip, she gasped, and he took the opportunity to taste her fully.

He’d kissed other women, but he’d never felt so alive, as if a bolt of lightning had traveled through his entire being, igniting every cell in his body.

He deepened the kiss with a stark need he’d never felt before, and soon their tongues tangled in a lively dance.

He pulled her closer, and she melted into his embrace.

Her sweet sounds and little moans were intoxicating, and he couldn’t get enough of her.

His blood was on fire, and if he didn’t stop now, he didn’t know if he could control himself.

That realization scared him more than he wanted to admit.

He released her and stood up so suddenly that she nearly toppled off the bench. He reached out to steady her. “Forgive me, Miss Parker. My actions were inexcusable,” he said, striding off back toward the house. If she said anything in reply, he didn’t hear her.

He was ashamed of his actions, for he’d only wanted to give her a sweet kiss, not devour her whole. What had he been thinking? She was an innocent and should be treated with the utmost respect, not taken advantage of. His face flamed with mortification at his loss of control.

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Audrey was floating on clouds. She was kissing the man she adored, and it was more wonderful than she could have ever thought possible.

Something had awakened in her. Every fiber in her body felt electrified.

When Jacob tasted her, she finally knew what that look she’d witnessed married ladies sending at their husbands with loving eyes meant.

This is what she’d always wanted. Someone to love and adore her, and she hoped Jacob was that man. By the way he was kissing her, she thought he was .

Until he wasn’t.

He’d stepped away from her so suddenly that she lost her balance, and a small cry of protest at being separated from him escaped her lips. Anxiety wound tighter in her chest. Then Jacob said something that shattered every illusion she’d had.

My actions were inexcusable.

What did that even mean? She had no experience with kissing and was baffled by his statement.

One moment, she was in his loving embrace, her body humming with anticipation, and the next, he was pushing her away.

Had she done something wrong? She had no idea.

All she knew was that the man she loved had walked away from her after the most incredible kiss of her life.

Not only had he walked away, but he couldn’t get away fast enough. What had she done?

Tears pricked her eyes.

What a fool she was. Jacob was clearly not her knight in shining armor—far from it. Fierce disappointment licked through her. She wouldn’t put herself in that embarrassing position ever again. She would keep her distance from him as much as possible, though her heart was breaking.

After composing herself in the garden for several minutes, she made her way back into the house.

How was she going to face him? She was out of her depth and didn’t know how to handle her conflicting emotions.

She entered the drawing room expecting to see Jacob there, but he was gone.

Perhaps he was in his study. She was so torn—either keep her distance from him or tell him how incredible their shared kiss was.

Before she could decide what to do, Grace, Mia, and Beckwith came walking in the front door.

“Thank you for accompanying us,” Grace said.

“My pleasure, Miss Grace.”

“I’m starving,” Mia said. “Do you think Mrs. Culbert has luncheon ready?”

“I don’t know,” Grace said. “Why don’t you go find out while I find Audrey? I want to tell her about the lovely park we explored.”

Mia happily bounded off while Grace walked into the drawing room. “Audrey, you’re here. Good. I wanted to—”

As hard as Audrey tried to put on a brave face, tears spilled down her cheeks, and her sister rushed to her.

“What’s the matter? Did the housekeeper not suit? That’s no reason to cry. We’ll find someone else.”

Grace’s sweet attempt to comfort her only made her cry harder. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s come over me,” she squeaked out between sobs.

“Come sit with me,” Grace said, leading her to the sofa.

“You’ve taken on so much since Mama died.

I don’t know how you’ve managed everything all these years, but you may take a step back now.

Lord Fletcher is intent on hiring more staff, so you needn’t worry all the time.

And if there’s anything I can do to help, you only need to ask. ”

Audrey felt too embarrassed to reveal that it wasn’t the burden of taking care of them that had her upset. She was mortified that her first kiss had ended so badly. She wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Thank you, Grace. Your kind words are exactly what I needed to hear today.”

Grace patted her hands. “By the way, I saw Lord Fletcher hurrying down the street when we were walking back. Will he be joining us for luncheon?”

“I don’t know. I’m sure he’s quite busy these days. We can’t expect him to dine with us all the time.”

“That’s true. You should see the lovely park we visited today. Perhaps next time you’ll come with us?”

“Of course. I’d be delighted. By the way, the new housekeeper will be here later today. Her name is Mrs. Trotter, and I liked her right away. I think she’s the perfect candidate to join our household.”

“That’s wonderful. Now you really can stop worrying,” Grace said, patting her hand.

Audrey’s emotions were in turmoil, but she had to put on a brave face for her sister. She only hoped that her kiss with Jacob would not be the catalyst that sent him back to New York.

Had she done the one thing that would finally chase him away?