He looked around the storage room, impressed once more by Clem’s passion and expertise. “I may not be fascinated by old things, Clem, but I have to admit, I’m more than a little fascinated by you.”
She blushed and looked away, but he took her chin in his hands.
“And I don’t mean just because you are a picture of loveliness.” He heard the intake of her breath and liked that his words had surprised her. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and serious. “I mean that I admire the way you take such care of the things you appreciate.”
He tilted her face up toward his and leaned toward her. He could almost taste the sweetness he’d craved since that fateful night in the schoolyard. Heat swam between them, as he touched his lips to hers. At that same moment, someone called Clem’s name from the front of the shop, and Edward pulled back before their kiss could become anything more.
Dirk Wicke plodded through the door to the storage room and eyed the two of them. They were still standing too close.
“Clementine?” Dirk spoke his daughter’s name accusingly, or perhaps it only seemed that way because Edward felt guilty for crossing boundaries, especially in her father’s shop. He watched Clem swallow and smooth the hair to the side of her face. Her cheeks were cherry-red.
“I was just showing Edward the merchandise back here,” she said, and Edward nearly choked on the irony of her words.
As Clem’s father eyed them smartly, the taste of her lingered on his lips.
Clem cursed herself for allowing that kiss to happen—and in the shop, at that! She’d promised her father she would play nice, but she was sure he wouldn’t consider locking lips with the client as part of that bargain.
“Edward,” Clem said. “I just have to finish up here and I’ll be back to the castle. Shouldn’t be more than an hour or two.”
“Alright,” he answered, his eyes imploring hers. Was he looking for the meaning behind their kiss? If so, she didn’t have any answers for him. Clementine’s stomach was in knots. Between her attraction to Edward and the shock of her father almost catching them in the act, she didn’t know which way was up.
Edward turned to her father. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Wicke,” he said and held a hand out to shake.
“How are things working out with the renovation?” Dirk asked, and Edward smiled.
“With your daughter on the job, it’s been seamless. In fact, I’ve been quite lost without her today.” He grinned unashamedly at Clem, and a glow bloomed on her cheeks. She brushed away the blush, hoping her father wouldn’t notice.
“See you later, Edward.” She ushered him out of the store, careful not to stand to close to him while her father was lurking.
Edward locked eyes with her. “I’ll be waiting for you,” he said and left.
She caught her breath then turned around to see her father standing right behind her. His arms were crossed over his chest, an air of suspicion in his narrowed eyes.
“When I told you to play nice—” he began and Clem’s face sank into her hands.
“I know!” she said, admitting her guilt. She could never hide anything from her dad. Ever since her mother had left them when she was a young child, she and her father had shared an easy and open relationship. He knew her too well.
“It’s not good to mix business with romance, Clem,” he said and put his arm around her shoulders. “Especially when we really need this job to go well.”
“I’m sorry, Dad,” she said, leaning into him. “I’ll lay the boundaries down, I promise.”
“I’m surprised at your interest in him, Clem, given his plans to knock down every historical site in town.” The look on her father’s face slayed her. “He’s not really your style.”
“I don’t know what I was thinking,” she lied. She had been thinking about Edward’s hard body and soft lips, about the way his stare made her feel like she was the only person that mattered in the world. “It was nothing, anyway. We just got caught up in a moment.”
“Good,” her dad said and squeezed her hand. “Because he’ll always put his agenda before your needs, you know. He’s not the one for you.”
Her dad’s words touched a nerve. “He’s not the one for me, you’re right; but he’s not that bad, Dad. He’s actually showing some interest in history.” She flared her nostrils and held her head high. “I’m teaching him to appreciate the things that matter.”
“Just be careful with your heart, apricot,” her dad said and hugged her.
“I will be,” she promised him, but she knew it was a bit late for that.
6
Edward sat at his desk, poring over designs for the condo complex he had in mind for the riverfront—or at least, that was what he was attempting to do. And yet no matter the effort he put into focusing on the paperwork in front of him, his mind kept wandering to Clem and the moment they’d shared in the storage room the day before. It had happened so naturally, her body angling into his, her lips responding to his hunger. And then, as quickly as it had happened, it was over, and Clem had acted like they’d never been more than business partners. She was quiet on the car ride back to the castle, keeping her hands tucked away in her lap so that he couldn’t reach for them. Such mixed signals.
Maybe her coolness was for the best. It wasn’t as if he had time for a relationship right now with all the work on his plate. And Clem was far from a perfect match, with her idealistic romanticizing over the past and how to bring it back to life. Still, there was something about her. Just being in her presence ignited a spark in him. He needed to touch her, to kiss her, to be close to her.
Suddenly, a clamorous crash pulled him from his thoughts. He heard Clem scream and vaulted from his seat, his heart thundering in his chest at the thought that she could be injured. Damn this crumbling castle and its ancient structures. Nothing was up to code. It wasn’t safe. What if Clem was hurt?
He raced toward the commotion down a corridor and into the dining hall, where he found Clem, appearing unscathed but tearful, her hands clasped in frustration atop her head.
“You’re alright,” he said, breathless with relief. He fought the urge to run his hands over her cheeks and shoulders, just to ensure that every perfect part of her was indeed unhurt.
“I’m fine,” she muttered. “But the fireplace!”
She huffed and wiped a sheen of dust from her arm. “It’s destroyed, and the mantle’s broken as well.”
Edward took stock of the room. The collapse of the fireplace had certainly made a mess of the historic dining hall, which was a key component of the castle’s restoration. The tiles around the fireplace were cracked as were areas in the wall.
“This is a nightmare,” Clem said. “Fixing all of this will take time, and the schedule is already so tight.”
He placed a hand carefully on her shoulder and forced her to meet his eyes. “The important thing is that you’re not hurt, Clem,” he said. “We’ll figure the rest out. If we’re behind schedule, we’re behind schedule. Let’s just make sure we get it done right, okay?”