The Burlington Manor Affair

“Is Bertha ready to go?” Rex asked.

Bertha, their demo machine—a stripped-down racing car with which they could show clients their parts in action—was Ayo’s responsibility. “Too right. I need to hire the trailer, but otherwise she’s ready for her big show.”

“Good stuff.” Rex looked at his three teammates. “I’ll be here as much as I can during the lead in, but I have to be back at my dad’s place in between times.”

Rex quickly calculated. If the meeting with Rashid was two weeks from Friday, that might impinge on his plans, but he’d have to fly with it. They’d been working toward this potential contract for a long while, and he would somehow make it fit together with his time with Carmen.

He couldn’t afford to lose a second of that.

CHAPTER EIGHT

ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON, Carmen darted along the platform at Paddington station, her heart racing. Once she’d boarded the train for Beldover and located her seat she got comfy and tried to relax. It was impossible.

The train pulled out of the station. She crossed her legs high on the thigh and closed her eyes, hoping that the rhythmic swaying of the carriage would help her relax. All it did was make her aware of the anticipation that had been building inside her all week long.

She let her thoughts wander. She’d been doing that a lot.

Scarcely five minutes had gone by that week without her thinking about Rex, and what they’d done—and what they would do when they were alone again. At night she couldn’t sleep for thinking about him, her body wired and restless as she remembered every detail.

As the train passed out of greater London and into the Oxfordshire countryside, she kept glancing at her watch. By the time it finally pulled up in Beldover she was already at the carriage door, bags in hand.

Andy Redmond was there to meet her.

She climbed into the taxi eagerly. There was no point in denying it; she could hardly wait for her time with Rex to roll around.

It was with dismay, then, that she found the situation different.

As the taxi approached the house she saw that the front door stood open and several cars were parked outside.

“Mr. Carruthers didn’t want me to say anything before we got here, but I took a carload up from the station earlier on,” Andy informed her, adjusting his flat cap so that he could address her in the rearview mirror. “He wanted it to be a surprise for you, the party.”

A surprise party. Carmen’s heart sank. “How lovely,” she lied.

She didn’t like not knowing. What the hell was Rex up to?

“Mr. Carruthers has made a block booking at the bed-and-breakfast in the village for your out-of-town guests,” Andy continued. “Just like the old times, it is.”

Why did that annoy her so? Because she both did and didn’t want it to be like old times. She wanted the house and the happy memories, but she was surprised that Rex wanted it to be like old times. Maybe it was part of him saying goodbye to the place. Whatever it was, it unnerved her.

Besides which she was massively disappointed that they weren’t going to be alone that evening. Anticipation had been building all week, and she’d given up ignoring it. There was simply no denying that she was horny as hell and dying for him to take her in hand again as soon as she got to the manor. On the train journey, she’d unleashed her imagination, which now meant she had to walk into the

house and face a crowd of people while keyed up and ready for something entirely different.

Damn you, Rex.

The car drew to a halt. When she went to get her purse out to pay Andy, he put up his hand again. “Mr. Carruthers has booked me for the whole evening and paid in advance. I’ll be ferrying some people back to Beldover later on.”

Rex had thought of everything. She climbed out of the car and stared at the house. The front door was wedged open and she could see figures milling about inside. Music spilled from an open window in the front sitting room. She tried to brace herself, to be prepared and not look too devastated, but with every step she took toward the door her unease grew.

How could Rex do this without consulting her? It was fifty percent ownership each at the moment, and he’d effectively organized a party in her home. And what did it mean? That he was bored with things already? Did he want to stir things up by showing he owned the place, too—or, worse still, had he changed his mind and this was a signal that he was here to stay?

She climbed up the steps to the house, pressed her lips together tightly and adopted an amenable smile, in order to stop herself going in there and ordering them all out—whoever they were. Most likely Rex’s racing set, people she wouldn’t feel comfortable with at all, taking over the manor. This was typical of him, though. Unpredictable Rex had pulled the rug out from under her feet again. She’d actually been looking forward to this weekend, anticipating being with him, and he’d gone and ruined it.

Andy tucked in behind her and deposited her weekend case inside the door. Carmen turned to thank him and as she did he waved beyond her. She glanced back, and saw Rex. There was a group of people chatting to him, but he must have been watching out for Andy to arrive with her in tow.

As Andy headed out, she saw Rex give his excuses in order to make his way over to her. He embraced her with his hands around her shoulders and kissed her on both cheeks.

“Surprise.” He smiled at her expectantly.