“She can have a career, just not one that involves using me to get ahead.”
“My mistake.”
“Carry on.” Josh grinned at his reflection in the window.
“Basically, you want a relationship from the fifties?”
“Yes!” He thought about it. “No! Wait a minute; you’re putting words into my mouth again.”
There was a long sigh in his ear. “Don’t worry. I get it, buddy. You want me to vet some women and find you a wife, and”—there was a grin in Mitch’s voice—“if she happens to be Doris Day, even better!”
CHAPTER ONE
Present Day—Invertary Castle, Scotland
Caroline Patterson pursed her lips at Invertary Castle’s main entrance. It made her sick to her stomach that a celebrity had bought the place. He would probably paint the interior gold and throw orgies in the grand room. She stepped back to look at the building and smiled. Not big by castle standards, it was more on the scale of a grand house. Caroline loved the pale grey stone; she was tempted to run her fingers over it while she waited for the lord of the manor to open the door. Instead she let her gaze follow the sleek lines of the building up over four floors to the twin turrets at the top. Gorgeous. Like a tall, lean sculpture, full of grace and life—and, unfortunately, Americans.
Her admiration of the building was interrupted when the heavy wooden door swung open. Standing before her was Josh McInnes, People magazine’s sexiest man alive. He was taller than he’d looked in the photos she’d seen. His shoulders were broad, his hips slim and his legs long. Black hair flopped towards one of his brilli
ant blue eyes. They were electric. And they were amused. Caroline blinked hard. He was smiling at her—a lazy, confident smile. Caroline pushed back her shoulders, took a step forward on wobbly legs and thrust out her hand.
“Caroline Patterson.” Her voice was a little huskier than usual. “I represent the Council. Your friend Mitch met me in my office at the community centre. I have the forms he asked me to drop off.”
She cleared her throat and resisted the urge to fidget. She never fidgeted.
“Josh.” He captured her hand in his.
He held it a moment longer than was polite, and Caroline could swear she felt the heat from his touch slide across her body like honey on warm toast.
“Come on in, Caroline Patterson.” He flashed his award-winning grin. “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
Caroline followed him into the castle and promptly forgot all about him. It was worse than she’d imagined. Not only had the previous owners covered the beautiful wood panelling in the hallway with smooth board, and the marble floor with grey carpet—they’d lowered the ceiling to hide the plaster moulding that wound around the top of the walls.
“This way.” Josh put his hand on the small of her back.
Caroline stepped away from his touch as her heart sank further. The grand room was no longer grand. The walls were cream, the old stone fireplace had been covered over, only to be replaced by the biggest TV screen she’d ever seen, and the chandelier was now a modern spotlight system.
“Please, sit down.” Josh pointed to one of the twin blue sofas.
Caroline perched on the edge of an overstuffed cushion, holding her briefcase in her lap. She wanted to weep. From the inside of the castle, you wouldn’t know it was a beautiful nineteenth-century building. The character of the place had been stripped away.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Josh said.
Caroline pulled her attention away from the utilitarian blinds on the bay window long enough to reply. “Tea, please.”
“Ah.” Josh scratched his head. “I’m not sure we have tea.”
Then why ask?
“Don’t worry.” Mitch entered the room carrying a tray. “I have tea.”
He put the tray on the monstrous modern coffee table.
“Nice to see you again, Caroline.” Mitch handed her tea in a large mug with “Party Hearty” written on it. “Sorry.” He winced. “Josh hasn’t gotten around to stocking the place yet.”
“It’s perfectly okay.”
She tried not to grimace as she sipped the tea. Basically, it was a delicious mug of hot, watered-down milk. She put it on the ugly glass table, before reaching into her briefcase.