"This is Jess," he says. "Dani's flatmate and a dear friend."
A dear friend? I like the sound of that.
"I'm Helen," the strawberry blonde says with a smile. "Parker's cousin."
The other woman waves at me. "And I'm Tara."
"Nice to meet both of you."
When we step inside the house, I take a moment to admire its beauty. The furniture is so exquisite it could be in a museum. The walls are covered with wallpaper depicting various nature-inspired images, and the wood-paneled ceiling gives the room a warm glow.
"Let's have something to eat," Helen says. "The three of you must be famished."
"I actually need to change first," I say. "I stepped in a puddle."
"Of course, dear," Helen says sympathetically. "I'll show you where your room is."
"I'll do it," Parker says. "Which room is hers?"
"It's the one next to yours."
Parker nods.
"I think I'll go change, too," Parker says.
I follow him silently through the house, and when we stop in front of the door to my room, Parker opens it. I step inside quickly, throwing my bag on the gigantic four-poster bed.
Behind me, I can still feel Parker lingering in the doorway. "You have a fireplace.”
“God, I love this room. I feel like I’m on a historical TV show. In a royal court or something. Can we go into town tomorrow? It looked great when we passed through it.”
Parker chuckles, walking to me until he’s only inches away. His hand holds up my chin so that I have no choice but to look him in the eyes. My skin starts to tingle dangerously.
"You’re so beautiful, Jess. Inside and out.”
“How would you know that?”
“Because that enthusiasm comes from inside.”
“Parker... I... I have to ask. What’s going on... I mean what is this between us?” I feel vulnerable asking him, but I want to know where we stand. He leans into me, bringing his lips close to my ear.
“I want us to get to know each other. Spend time together. Do you want the same things I do?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
“Then I think we might be onto something beautiful." He kisses my forehead, murmuring, “I’ll leave you to change.”
Chapter Nine
Jessica
Ten minutes later, I go downstairs. I follow Dani's voice and soft laughter—possibly Helen's—along the corridor until I find the living room. Everyone is seated on the couches in front of the fireplace, and I breathe in relief when I realize they are all wearing casual clothing. I feared there would be some dress code required, something to match the flair of the elegant castle. Helen and Tara were wearing long cloaks when they met us, so I couldn't tell what kind of clothing they were wearing.
But everyone—Parker included—is wearing jeans. He's also wearing a navy sweater, his favorite color it seems. When his eyes meet mine, I blush.
"Jess, we were just waiting for you to get started on some drinks before dinner," Helen says.
"What do you want to drink?" Parker asks, rising from the couch.