Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 130255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Oh.
“I’m quite flattered that you’d think to immortalise me in your novels and even more offended at the suggestion you’d change things about the hero.”
“I like to fix a few flaws,” I teased him, fighting a smile.
“Certainly not the penis size, from what I read.”
“Perhaps that was the unrealistic part.”
“Let’s not act in haste.” His eyes flashed with something captivating. “I think I might have a proposal we can both benefit from.”
I tilted my head to the side. “Is that so?”
“Indeed.” Max paused. “You’re in need of inspiration for your books, and I’m willing to provide you with it.”
My eyebrows shot up. “You’re what?”
“I can show you the inside of Greygarth House. You can take all the time you need in both public and private areas for research purposes.”
Hmm.
“I know Windermere like the back of my hand, and I have knowledge of the aristocratic class that you’ll not find anywhere else this easily.”
That was true.
“So what’s in it for you?” I asked. “You’ll be my research assistant for all intents and purposes, and you’ll allow me to write my book knowing you and your estate are the muse. What do you get from this?”
He dropped his gaze to the floor. “You have a running narrative in your novel regarding the duke’s marital status.”
“As is standard for romance novels. I prefer my characters to be unattached.”
“This one is prevalent given the fact the duke is based on me.” His blue gaze held mine with a ferocity I’d never felt. “I’m single. This is by choice. I do not intend to change that at any point in my life, and I’m aware of the implications of that.”
I bit the inside of my cheek.
“Do not delve deeper into that,” Max warned. “My personal life will remain private.”
“So you get nothing from it,” I said after a second.
“Oh no, I very much do.” He took a step closer to me. “You see, in the process of showing you Windermere and the estate, my grandmother and her friends will talk and draw conclusions.”
“Absolutely not.” I shook my head. “No way. I’m not being a part of some conspiracy that we’re in a relationship.”
“You are free to deny it as much as you wish.”
“I said no. I know how those fake relationships end. I’m a romance writer.”
He fought back a smile. “It wouldn’t be a fake relationship. It would be an assumption by some crazy old ladies.”
I crossed my arms. “So I have to do the relationship version of Schrodinger’s cat to gain access to your house when I can just go into the public half, see it anyway, and go about my merry business?”
Max shrugged. “There’s also the matter of our mutual attraction.”
I eyed him. “What about it?”
“You’re the one who wrote that library scene. Surely you can figure it out.”
Was he—
Was he proposing that we sleep together?
“Are you proposing that we sleep together?” I asked, bringing my thoughts to my outside voice. “You just said that you’re single by choice and don’t intend to change that.”
“Ellie, I’m talking about casual sex. I’m not falling hopelessly in love with you.”
“You say that now, but I’ll have you know that I’m very easy to love.”
“I’m sure you are,” he said dryly. “But that’s not part of the offer.”
“I don’t have casual sex.”
Or any sex.
At all.
Wait, why was I arguing?
Ah, yes, because I was a romance writer. I knew how this story ended.
Spoiler alert: it wasn’t with two people parting ways after having nice, casual, no-strings attached sex.
“I think you’re crazy.” I crossed my arms, shifting my weight back and forth between my feet again. “You could barely stand to be around me a couple of days ago, and now you’re suggesting we have a physical relationship? You’ve lost your mind.”
Or I’d lost mine.
I was literally turning down sex.
With a hot guy.
Who was a duke.
It was literal writing material, and here I was.
Insulting him.
Maybe I was a bit more like my heroines than I cared to admit.
Max’s lips twitched. “I’ll see you soon, Ellie.” He turned away and walked towards the front door, and I scurried after him.
“Hey! You can’t just walk out. It’s not like I said yes.”
He stepped outside and peered over his shoulder, and silent laughter glimmered in his bright blue eyes. “You didn’t say no either, did you?”
I opened my mouth to tell him that I most certainly did, but I couldn’t. He was right. I hadn’t said no.
And given that my cat apparently had my tongue, I wasn’t about to, either.
Ah, shit.
He was gone.
Now what was I supposed to do?
• • •
“You shag him, obviously.”
I blinked at Megan on my laptop screen. “I am not going to shag the duke.”
“Didn’t your heroine say that in your last book?”
I grimaced. “No. She said it in this one. Right before he nailed her in the window seat.”