Page 30 of Midnight Legacy

“I wouldn’t say no to Colin Firth in breeches,” I muttered.

“I heard that,” Xavier replied, sliding me a side-eyed look.

“Did you not see the lake scene?” I fake fanned myself with my hand.

“Yeah, and I managed to contain myself,” he deadpanned. “But I totally lost it and cried at his first proposal.”

I nudged him and received a grin. “It’s not what I expected.”

He finally put his phone down and gave me his full attention. “What did you expect?”

“I dunno…” I shrugged, feeling stupid. “People frolicking naked across the lawn to dive into the lake?”

Xavier bit his lip to try and stop his smile and failed. “That comes later when the women are chased by naked men wielding riding crops.”

“That sounds like fun,” Carly chirped in, thinking he was being serious.

Xavier and my gazes locked, and he could barely contain his amusement. He crossed his eyes at me and returned to his phone, shaking his head.

Attendants dressed in black suits with white shirts and black bowties opened the car doors. Males and females were all dressed the same, and anyone with long hair had it tied back in a bun.

“Mr. Bartholomew.” A man in his fifties nearly ran down the steps. “We have everything ready for you and your associates to inspect before the guests arrive.”

“Thanks, Charles. This is my wife, Cassandra. Please make sure she has everything she needs or wants tonight.” Xavier took my arm and ushered me up the steps with Jordan and Ash falling into step behind him.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Bartholomew. If you need anything, ask for me directly and I’ll organise it for you.” He gave me a slight bow.

How did one ask for the key to a sex room, where you wanted to tie your husband up and have your wicked way with him? Maybe I should have asked him for the inflatable duck suit? My lips tipped up into a smile at that thought, and Xavier gave me a strange look like he was trying to see inside my head.

“Thanks, Charles. I’m all good at the moment,” I replied instead.

I stopped abruptly at the top of the stone staircase, looking over the countryside around us. “Can we look around outside before it gets too dark?” I asked, excitement thrumming through me in waves. Old houses were a passion of mine. The more elaborate the original architecture, the more I wanted to study it and touch it.

“Sure,” Xavier said, his arm sliding along the bottom of my back. “I’ll show Cas around and meet you inside in a few minutes.”

Xavier knew how much I loved period properties like this one and had effectively dismissed everyone to give me time to enjoy it in peace.

The building had been beautifully restored back to its original glory. One of my clients had enquired about it a year or so ago and I remembered the file. It had been run down and needed extensive work done to it. At the time I remembered thinking that it would probably be turned into a hotel. It never occurred to me it would be an exclusive sex resort for people to live out their deepest fantasies.

At the back, overlooking a beautiful marble-paved patio with ornate chairs placed around intricately-carved wooden tables, was a gargoyle. “Oh.” My mouth fell open.

Xavier closed my mouth with his finger under my chin. “Have a thing for gargoyles, do you?” he chuckled.

“There’s something about them that speaks of customs of a bygone era. They are my favourite type of architecture.” Leaning back on the rail, I studied it. “Did you know some stories say they flew out of Hell in the darkness and perched on roofs to observe the humans? When the first ray of daylight hit them, they turned to stone. They now reside on the roofs, not alive, but not dead either.”

He propped himself up beside me. “Does that mean you want a gargoyle for our new home?”

My eyes widened and I spun to face him, my teeth biting into my lip in excitement. “Oh, my God, can we?”

“Technically, I own this one.” He nodded to the one overhead.

I lowered my voice and glanced behind me. “But who would mind Midnight Manor?”

He leaned down to whisper in my ear, playing along. “That’s why I hire security.”

I grabbed the front of his jet-black suit. “But gargoyles protect your soul.”

Xavier grinned, his hands lifting me under the arms, so I stood on tiptoes pressed against his chest. “You’re crazy, you know that?”

---