Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 66387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
I don’t want to point it out. I’m afraid she’ll stop.
I enjoy her.
“I have a surprise for you tomorrow.”
Her head comes up with that announcement. “Really? What?”
“If I tell you, it’s not a surprise.”
“I hate surprises.” She kisses my chin. “Please, tell me.”
“We’re going away for a couple of days. You need a change of scenery, and I need to catch my breath. I’ve been buried in work this past week.”
“Is everything okay?” She cups my face, and I turn my head to kiss her palm.
“It is. Let’s just get away together for a little while.”
“That sounds nice.”
***
“This is your idea of a cottage?”
We’re standing beside the car, looking at our country home. It’s a tall, stone building that’s stood through many wars.
It’s my favorite place.
“This is actually Craigowan Lodge,” I reply with a smile. “It’s much smaller than a castle.”
“Yes. It’s tiny.” Her voice is as dry as the Sahara Desert, which only makes me laugh.
“Trust me, compared to the castle about a mile away, this is small. It only has seven bedrooms.”
“How ever shall we survive?” she asks, batting her eyelashes.
We spend the morning getting settled. The building may be five hundred years old, but it’s been updated to be modern, with all of the comforts a royal family could want.
“Let’s go ride the horses,” I suggest, leaning my shoulder on the doorjamb as I watch her brush her hair. She whisks it up into a ponytail and turns to me with pleading eyes.
“Please tell me I can wear pants for this. I will not get on a horse in a skirt.”
“Of course, you can.” I kiss her nose and then pat her bottom. “Hurry and change. I’m anxious to get outside.”
“Right behind you,” she assures me as I leave the room and head down to the kitchen, where the cook is putting together a basket that smells delicious.
“I’ve made you plenty to keep your bellies full,” he assures me. “It’s good to see you, sir.”
“And you.” I shake his hand and thank him for the food. “We’ll be back in time for dinner.”
“Excellent. I’m making lamb.”
“I can’t wait.”
Nina hurries down to join me, and we walk out to the stable where Charles and Nick are already preparing the horses.
“You’re ready,” Charles says. “Nick and I will be behind you, should anything happen.”
“Nothing’s going to happen,” I reply. “We’re in the country, and no one knows we’re here.”
“We’ll be with you all the same, sir,” Charles replies. He’s still angry about Montana and won’t let me out of his sight.
It’s bloody annoying.
I help Nina up into her saddle, and then I mount my own horse. We set off, trotting through the trees and pastures.
“This area is beautiful,” Nina says. “How old is Craigowan Lodge?”
“Are you sure you want this history lesson?”
“Absolutely. Show me how smart you are.” She winks at me, and I make a mental note to spank her perky arse later.
“That particular building has been in existence since approximately sixteen-fifty.”
Her eyes round as she looks over to me. “Wow.”
“Darling, we have castles more than nine hundred years old.”
“Wow again.”
“We’ll ride past some ruins today that go back to the thirteen-hundreds. Monarchs such as King Robert II of Scotland used this area as a hunting lodge.”
“That’s incredible. We don’t have anything this old in the States. Not really. Our history just doesn’t go back that far.”
“I could bore you for weeks with the history I know about this area. It always fascinated me. I loved coming here in the summer with my family. We ran around these woods like wild children, getting dirty and truly playing. We had to be much more civilized at the palace in London.”
“At least you got to play,” she says. “And what a beautiful area to spend time in.”
“It’s still used as a vacation house, and guests stay here, as well. Some of the Russian monarchy spend time here.”
“Why?”
“They’re all related,” I say with a shrug.
“Even the Russians?”
“A hundred years ago, the Russian czar married a German princess. And he was a cousin of King George.”
“I had no idea,” she breathes. “You can give me history lessons anytime you want. It’s fascinating.”
“Be careful what you wish for.” I lead us to a clearing with a massive and ancient tree that offers some shade. “Let’s stop here, let the horses rest, and eat a bite, shall we?”
“We shall.” She grins and slides off her horse.
“You know how to ride.”
“I do,” she agrees. “My mom set Christian and me up with lessons outside of L.A. when we were kids. I think it was her way of getting rid of us for a week in the summer.”
“Do you like to ride?”
“I could take it or leave it. Tomorrow, when my ass and thighs are sore, I’ll want to leave it. But I do like seeing places like these that I wouldn’t be able to get to otherwise, so I’m happy to be doing this with you today. The fresh air is nice.”