“Happy birthday,” he murmured and then offered her a slight smile. “You told me quite a bit.”
Her cheeks flared with color as she realized she wasn’t sure exactly what she’d said. “Oh, dear.”
He grinned a large wide grin that lit his eyes, causing them to sparkle with humor. “I’ll leave you guessing as to what you told me.”
“A gentleman wouldn’t do that,” Annie said nervously though her eyes drifted half closed. This car was wonderfully comfortable, she thought.
His grin actually widened a bit more. “Now who said I was a gentleman?” And then he laughed. It was a baritone, a deep-throated chuckle.
Not the least bit sexy, but it had the devastating affect of pulling her into the joke and making her want to hear it again.
They passed out of the city and turned east. She rolled her head toward the window to look out. “The countryside is beautiful. These homes remind me of Heidi.”
“Except we don’t have mountains. We’re below sea level here.”
“I remember the story of the boy with his finger in the dike,” she said, a languid amusement slipping into her voice.
Small houses sat on parcels of land, and sheep wandered the lush green landscape. “This is beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it. So, do you still want to go home?”
She hesitated. Pulling her gaze from the window, she allowed her vision to travel over to him. “I shouldn’t have come in the first place, but the thought of leaving right now…”
He reached out and took her hand in a gentle squeeze. His larger hand engulfed her smaller one. “You’re tired and sore. I imagine in the next hour or two the pain medication will be wearing off. This hasn’t been the best welcome to our land, but I hope you’ll take a day or two and rest before you decide. Then, if you’d like to leave, I’ll see you get to the airport.”
They turned onto a long drive and Victor glanced out the window. “Here we are,” he said.
Annie followed his gaze. She noted the gate that protected his property. Large with solid round black bars, it kept intruders out. It was more like a fortress, she thought.
The gate opened and they started up the driveway. And then she saw it.
In the distance sat a beautiful two-story chateau surrounded by lush green gardens and green, green grass. Nearby were stables and several horses running free.
It looked like a very old house. The gardens and lawns were well-tended and hadn’t been put in recently.
“How old is the house?”
“I only bought it about five years ago. It’s an escape for me. However, I was told by the Realtor that it’s over a hundred and forty years old.”
“Relatively new for something in the Old World, isn’t it?”
“I’m impressed. Yes, actually it is. I liked the way the land was laid out, the reclusive situation and my mother was from Holland. So I bought it.”
He wasn’t from here then. No. He was American, wasn’t he? She didn’t remember if he’d told her that or if she’d just decided it. Yet he spoke the local language well. His mom had probably taught him.
They pulled to a stop in front of the house and the driver got out. He walked around and opened the door.
“So what are we going to do about getting you inside?” Victor asked as he climbed past her and stepped out of the car.
She glanced down at herself and winced, realizing just how dirty she was. “Maybe you should consider housing me with your horses,” she quipped, though half seriously.
“Won’t do. It’s been a while since I’ve had company, and I think I’m going to like you, Annie—”
“Hooper.”
“Yes. You told me. Annie Hooper. Therefore, housing you in the stables is out of the question. And you certainly can’t walk up those stairs. The doctor said to keep off your leg for at least a day.” He paused and scratched the bottom of his chin as he studied her.
Slightly embarrassed, she managed to turn and get her legs out of the car. She would simply force herself to walk, she decided. Surely she could, though it was likely her leg was awfully sore.
The driver offered Victor the pair of crutches, but Victor waved them off. “It looks like I’ll just have to carry you,” he pronounced.
“But—but I’m a size twelve!” Okay, she wore fourteens too, but she wasn’t telling him that. “You can’t possibly do that.”
“You can’t walk up those stairs. The medication—”
“Well, you can’t carry me,” she insisted.
He shrugged. “You don’t think I can do it?”
She gasped as he leaned toward her, and with a strong sure grip, hauled her up into his arms.
Grabbing his neck, she held on.
“Not so tight,” he said. “Move them to my shoulders, please.”
“I’ve never been carried before!” She decided to hug him. Leaning forward she moved her arms around his shoulders and buried her head in his neck.
“You were married before,” he commented.
“Harry never did this,” she said shaking her head.
“Well, then, haven’t you ever watched a romantic movie?” he complained.
She groaned.
He chuckled and started toward the stairs. “It looks like I have my work cut out for me.”
With that cryptic remark he started up the stairs and into the house where she would be staying for the next few days.
Chapter Three
Picking up a towel, Victor wiped the sweat from his face. He dropped it back over the side of the treadmill and continued walking. “The rest of this week isn’t good for me, Sean. How about we put it off until next week—or later?”
Victor reached up and adjusted the earpiece on his ear and then began to swing his arms in tandem with his steps.
“Sure, Jake,” Sean said, calling Victor by the name he was better known by: Jake Rivers. “But what is it that has you fobbing me off for later?”
Sean was British and a good friend. They’d both recently worked on their fourth project together. About four months ago actually. They’d been so busy they hadn’t seen each other since then. They were going to a movie premiere in two weeks, and they had decided Sean would come up early and spend some time relaxing before they were off to the premiere.
“I have company.”
“Oh?”
Victor sighed. “Yes.”
He knew a one-word answer wouldn’t cut it for his friend.
“Female company?” Sean asked, his accent very pronounced.
Victor changed his accent to match his friend’s. “It’s not what you think, dear boy,” he said dryly.
Sean laughed. “Then what is it? You have a female at your house and you don’t want company. Sounds like something is going on to me.”
Victor sobered. “I hit her in a head-on collision yesterday.”
“Were you injured?”
He heard the concern and knew his friend was worried. So was he, but about his