Chapter 29

29

T heo is on his best behavior for the next hour. I play the dutiful wife, quiet and demure, even while taking copious mental notes. The estate is gorgeous. Matthew told us about how the previous owners renovated their home, keeping true to the castle’s time period while also adding their own touches. The result is a beautiful and eclectic masterpiece that has me itching to get back home and get to work. Matthew leaves us after a while, encouraging us to explore while he gives the tour to another client.

"You're a genius!" I whisper, giving Theo a loud kiss on the cheek once Matthew is out of sight. "I have so many ideas." He doesn't say anything, only stares at me, the corner of his mouth pulling up. "What?" I ask, a blush creeping over my cheeks.

"I'm memorizing the way you look right now. Brimming with inspiration. Excited about the future." He grabs my hand, threading his fingers through mine. "Do you want to go outside and look at the grounds?"

"I'd love to. We have so much untapped potential just sitting there. Jack and I talk about what we could do every spring, but then life happens. "

"Maybe now that we're here, we can help," he says. I bump into him when he stops suddenly. He turns in a slow circle, studying the maze of hallways fanning away from us. "Any idea how we get outside?"

"Nope, but it'll be fun figuring it out." I hold onto his shoulder as I take off my heels, snatching them up and skipping down one of the hallways. I turn to look back at Theo, and my heart skips a beat, awareness crackling between us. He walks closer, reaching out and grabbing my wrist, pulling me in for a kiss. I twist away from him, my cardigan sliding off in his grip. I walk backward, watching as he lifts my sweater to his nose, his eyes never leaving mine.

Goosebumps race over my body as he starts toward me. I turn and run, blindly darting down hallways and through doors. I see a sliver of sunlight and run toward it, praying it's a door. I pull floor-length curtains aside, revealing a floor-to-ceiling window. I crank the handle, glancing over my shoulder to make sure Theo hasn't found me yet. I'm leaning through the casement when I hear him behind me. I step out onto a rooftop terrace, gravel digging into my feet, the sky spitting a mist so fine it's sticking to my skin in tiny droplets. I hobble as fast as I can around the corner, stopping dead in my tracks as a sprawling two-story greenhouse comes into view. I run to the door, humid, fragrant air enveloping me as I step inside. I turn in a slow circle, taking in the tropical paradise, awestruck. Butterflies flit around me as I pad over a bridge, brightly colored koi following my every movement. If I were in the market for a new place to live, I would buy this castle just for the greenhouse. I've never seen anything so beautiful.

"Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?" Theo asks, leaning casually against the doorframe, watching me.

"Isn't this magical?" I ask, closing my eyes and breathing deeply.

"Yes, yes it is," he rasps, walking closer, that rich mahogany gaze tracking me. He picks me up by the waist, holding me high as he spins me in a circle. He lowers me, my stomach sliding over the hard planes of his chest, my breasts tantalizingly close to his face. He drags his tongue over the fabric of my dress, finding my nipple, then closes his teeth over it. It’s the most exquisite form of torture.

"Theo," I breathe, trying to wrestle my body under control. I should pull away from him. Put some distance between us. Douse the flames burning me from the inside out. But I don't. I groan as he palms the back of my thighs, pulling my legs around his waist. I meet the crush of his mouth with a throaty groan, giving in to the desire coursing between us. He rucks up my dress, squeezing my ass, brushing his fingers over the fabric between my legs.

"Someone will see us," I pant, taking deep gulps of air.

"This wasn't part of the tour, Sunflower. Nobody knows we’re out here. Let me have one taste." He holds me tightly as he walks through the foliage, hiding us from view. He sits me on a potting bench littered with pots and trowels, pressing my knees open as he slides his hands up my thighs. I drop my head back with a low moan, my lust-addled brain incapable of making responsible decisions. He buries his face between my legs, licking me through the fabric, sucking my clit into his mouth. I moan, straining toward him. He pulls my underwear to the side with one hand, reaching up and covering my mouth with the other. I suck in a breath through my nose, whimpering as he drags his tongue along my slit, dipping inside before focusing on my clit, feathering his tongue over me in a maddening rhythm. I grab a handful of his hair, keeping his head still, riding his face as instinct takes over. He pushes two fingers into me, fucking me, pushing me over the edge. His hand muffling the cries his mouth draws out of me.

"Fuck, Theo," I pant, pulling him up, winding my arms around his neck, kissing him, reveling in my taste on his tongue. Something in him calls to that a part of me I've always kept hidden. The part of me that wants to buck the system, tear up the rules, do whatever the hell I want. Like dropping to my knees and sucking him off until he's moaning my name, begging for release. My knees hit the dirt before he can protest, my fingers nimbly pulling at his belt, rushing to unbutton and unzip before he comes to his senses and tells me to stop. I pull him out and stuff him in my mouth, my eyes rolling back as he permeates my senses. I palm his ass, squeezing, pulling him closer, not stopping until he's touching the back of my throat.

"God, Isla," he chokes out, his hips jerking.

I pull away from him with a pop, looking up at him innocently. "Your turn to use me ."

Resistance melts from his features, and he cups the back of my head, his thumbs sweeping over my cheeks tenderly. "You're sure?"

"Fuck my mouth, Theo." I drag my tongue on the underside of his cock, teasing that spot where the head meets the shaft. His grip on my hair tightens as he fights with himself. He looks down at me, dragging the head of his cock over my lips. I can see it in his eyes when he finally gives in, control slowly replaced by something wild and feral. I take a deep breath, welcoming his thrust with an eager mouth. He flexes his hips, pushing deep. I groan around him, my body thrumming, the feel of him sliding over my tongue turning me on just as much as when his fingers were inside me. I cup his balls, rolling them in my palm, reaching behind them to press two fingers to his taint, massaging until he can't help but slam into my mouth, taking what he needs. I let him use me, tugging and teasing as he falls apart, greedily swallowing as he empties himself into my throat. I pull back slowly, licking him clean as he sags back against the bench, his legs trembling as he comes down from the high.

"Your mouth–God, Isla. I've never felt anything like it," he says, his voice hoarse. I look down, hiding my smile behind a curtain of hair as I fasten his pants and buckle his belt.

"Thank you for letting me make you feel good, Theo." I turn my face up to his, tracing his lips with the tip of my finger. I would let this man do very, very bad things to me. Those eyes. Those lips. A lifetime wouldn't be enough.

"I'd say thank you back, but that doesn't adequately express what I'm feeling right now." He cradles my face between his hands, holding me like I'm the most precious thing in the world. Three words are on the tip of my tongue, but I hold them in, waiting for the perfect moment. "Should we continue the tour?" he asks, sweeping my hair behind my shoulder .

"Yes." I pull out my phone and open up my notes app. "I'm going to write down our ideas so they don’t get lost in a haze of lust.”

"Good idea," he chuckles, drawing me in for one last kiss before grabbing my hand and leading me back inside.

What's next?" I ask as Theo helps me into the car. "Please don't say another surprise." I laugh at his stricken expression, realizing that's exactly what he was going to say.

"You're no fun," he grumbles, closing my door and walking around the front of the car.

"That's not what you thought earlier," I tease as he gets in, sliding my hand up his thigh and squeezing.

He blesses me with a wide smile, and I swear it's like the sun shining down on me, like everything is finally right with the world. "I'm going to have to tell you anyway, or you're liable to choke someone out." He starts the car, the roar of the engine making it impossible to talk until we're on a straight stretch of road.

"What do you mean 'choke someone out'?" I ask, gathering my hair into one hand to keep the wind from whipping it around our faces.

"I booked us on a murder mystery cruise, Sunflower."

My heart jumps. "Really?"

"Really, really."

I bounce up and down in my seat, excitement making it impossible to keep still. "How long is it? Just dinner?"

"If I had known you'd be so excited about murder, I maybe would have reconsidered," he chuckles, eyes sparkling. "It's overnight,” he says, answering my question.

"But I didn't pack a bag!"

"Look behind you."

I look in the back, noticing a small duffel bag for the first time. "You're the best, Theo. Even if you’re grumpy most of the time."

"Thanks, Isla," he deadpans, surprising me with a wink.

I turn away from him, blushing. I've had his head between my legs, but lord, when he winks at me, I fucking melt. I cover my face with my hands, peeking at him through my fingers, hoping he didn't see my reaction. His goofy grin tells me all I need to know. I bite my lip and look out the window, focusing on the scenery before I find myself sitting in a puddle of my own making.