Page 2 of Liam

“Liam,” I interrupt, stepping closer to offer a handshake to my beautiful Rachel. “Liam Tipton. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rachel.”

MyRachel? Where did that thought even come from? I can’t dwell on it right now, though, because she’s looking at me with those big, brown eyes as a delicious pink color rises in her cheeks.

“We’re honored that you chose to spend the week here, Lord—er, Liam,” the blush in her cheeks deepens as she fumbles her words, but she ducks back inside the doorway before I can stare for too long. “If you’d like to come inside, I can show you to the parlor. We’ve set out a tea service with trays of finger sandwiches and fresh scones with cream and jam.”

I can’t hold back a surprised laugh. “Tea and finger sandwiches? Scones with cream and jam? Sounds like you’ve done your homework, Miss Dodd. I’m impressed.”

Her face lights up as she ushers us into the drawing room—the parlor, as I should get used to calling it while I’m in America. “I like for all of our guests to feel as comfortable here as they would be at home,” she pauses and nibbles at her lip. “Even if ‘home’ happens to be on the other side of the world.”

It’s been five minutes and I’m already addicted to her sweet smile and the rosy pink color of her cheeks. I’d gladly say to hell with the meetings we have scheduled for the rest of the day if it meant spending just a few more minutes with Rachel, but that would probably make Jeffrey’s, Brian’s, and Hannah’s respective heads explode right there on the spot.

“You’ve done a great job,” I say, reaching out to shake her hand again just to feel her soft touch again. “I’m certainly looking forward to spending some time getting to know you and your lovely home while we’re here.”

Her mouth opens and closes as if she’s trying to say something, but she only nods and then quickly hurries out of the room as the rest of my team piles in behind us.

Was I too forward?

Probably.

Am I sorry?

Not even a little.

2

RACHEL

Oh my goodness.

My heart is beating so loud and fast that I’m worried I might need to sit down for a second as I hurry out of the parlor. We’ve been planning and preparing for this visit for weeks—it isn’t every day that I get a request to rent the entire estate for a full seven days, after all—but it was only during my last conversation with Hannah that she told me who her mysterious VIP boss actually is.

An English lord.

Viscount Rochester.

LordRochester.

Goodness, it all sounds so regal. And even though I’ve spent all day checking, double-checking, spot-cleaning, and dusting everything that will hold still long enough, I still wasn’t prepared for the experience of meeting the viscount.

Liam, I mean.

I can’t even believe he wants me to call himLiam. Like he’s just a regular guy and not someone who lives a hop, skip, and a jump from literal, real-life royalty.

I also can’t believe how hot he is. When Hannah told me Lord Rochester would be staying here, I pictured an older man with gray hair and a fancy mustache, probably wearing a tweed suit. Instead, Liam is tall and muscular, ruggedly handsome, with just the right amount of stubble and a perfect, gleaming white smile. And his suit? Definitely not tweed. Everything about the man is expensive and sophisticated without being pretentious or stuffy at all.

He’s rich and dreamy and totally, completely out of my league.

Thankfully, I make it out of the parlor and past the dining room into the kitchen without having a stroke or a heart attack or whatever, but I barely have time to run around frantically checking with the cook and the housekeeper and the gardener to make sure everything is as close to perfect as it can be before I hear his smooth, fancy, upper-class British voice again—and that voice is not coming from the parlor where I left him.

“Oh my gosh,” I exhale, leaving the cook to finish prepping for lunch while I rush back out of the kitchen and nearly collide with the viscount, who happens to have his entire team trailing along behind him. “Pardon me, your um, l-l-lordship?” Oh God. “Is everything okay? Can I bring you anything?”

He shakes his head and offers me one of those easy, charming, perfect smiles that I already can’t stop thinking about. “Please do call me Liam. And I’m terribly sorry, Rachel, but it seems the people we’re meeting here are running a little behind schedule. Would it be possible for you to show us to our rooms so we can all unpack and relax a little now that we’ve had this slight change of plans?”

I’m so caught up in listening to his smooth, deep, sexy accent that it takes me a few seconds to realize he’s finished speaking, then another beat or two to figure out he’s asked me a question.

“I, um, yes,” I nod like an idiot while my brain finally catches up. “I have all the room keys ready for you, but there’s just one thing.” I look from Liam to Hannah and back again. “We’ve worked out where everyone should stay except for, um… except for one person.”

They both cock their heads to the side in opposite directions, which honestly would be pretty hilarious if my stomach wasn’t currently busy trying to tie itself into knots.

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