It Was Only a Kiss

Jess shrugged. ‘I’ll grab my computer from the room and do some work myself.’

Luke shoved his hands into his pockets, desperately wishing he could just drag her upstairs to bed. ‘Well, call me if you need anything.’

Jess nodded. ‘I’ll be fine, Luke. I always am.’

* * *

It was the first time in the history of the world that a film crew had been on time for anything, Jess thought as she roared up Luke’s driveway to see the vehicles of the film company outside Luke’s front door. Behind them she could see the portly figure of her favourite director, Sbu, the willow-thin stylist, Becca, and she recognised one of the two cameramen.

She hadn’t planned to shoot the first ad only two nights after she’d arrived at St Sylve, but, as Owen had said, the pruning was nearly done and if she wanted to capture Luke working on vines that had some foliage on them she’d have to get moving. It was fortuitous that Sbu and his team were free today—well, they had planned on some editing, but she’d persuaded, bribed, threatened them into coming to St Sylve instead.

Jess sat in her car for a moment, knowing that the next couple of hours were going to be madness. She needed five minutes to gather her wits...

She was now officially installed in the manor house, in a beautiful bedroom with an attached study and large bathroom.

After the storm had abated Luke had helped her move her mountains of luggage up to her room and then disappeared back into his office. Later she’d heard him leave on the dirt bike. She’d heard him come back around seven, and when he hadn’t wandered over, she’d decided that she was too tired to deal with him anyway and tumbled into the enormous bed.

She hadn’t seen him since, and thought the chances of her having to go yank him out of the lands were quite high.

Or not, Jess thought as she jumped out of her car. There he was, talking to Sbu, and—what was he wearing? A white button-down shirt and khaki pants...for pruning vines? Uh—no. Not going to work.

Jess grabbed her shopping bags—if she wasn’t going to be sharing meals with Luke then a girl still had to eat—and strode over to Luke and Sbu. Luke greeted her and automatically reached out to take her bags, which she handed over gratefully. Ready meals, when bought in quantity, were quite heavy, and she was happy to sacrifice her feminine principles to get the feeling back in her hands.

‘Hi, Luke.’ Jess hugged Sbu, greeted the rest of the crew and then spoke. ‘Good to see you, Sbu. Did you get my rough storyboard?’

‘Mmm.’ Sbu shoved his hands into trendy cargo pants. ‘Not that it means anything, Jess. You always change stuff halfway through.’

‘For the better,’ Jess reminded him.

‘Can’t argue with that,’ Sbu replied. ‘Are you ready to get this show on the road?’

‘Nearly. I need to put some stuff away, and Luke needs to change.’

Becca’s exquisitely plucked eyebrows pulled together. ‘What’s wrong with his outfit?’

‘Everything,’ Jess replied. ‘He looks like someone playing at farming, and that’s not what I want. He’s got to look the part and he doesn’t in that outfit.’

‘Thank God,’ she heard Luke mutter.

‘That’s the most casual outfit I brought!’ Becca protested.

Jess shrugged. ‘Sorry, but it doesn’t work. I’ll be more specific in the future.’ Jess looked at Luke. ‘Let’s dump these groceries and get you out of those clothes.’

Jess lifted her hand as Luke’s mouth twitched in amusement.

‘Don’t even go there...’ she muttered in a voice only he could hear.

* * *

‘This wouldn’t be happening if you’d used a model,’ Luke grumbled as he followed her upstairs to his bedroom.

‘I’m afraid it would. I’m obsessively detail-oriented. I’m an absolute pain in the ass to work for and a relentless perfectionist.’

‘Control freak, are you?’

‘Absolutely.’

‘It would be fun to watch you lose control, Blondie.’

At his comment, Jess swung round and caught his eyes on her butt. He didn’t make any effort to look contrite or apologetic and, damn it, she appreciated his...appreciation. Instead of feeling insulted she felt warm and feminine, and a little coy.

‘Are you going to watch my butt the whole way up the stairs?’ she asked.

‘Absolutely...as it’s in front of me it would be a crime not to,’ Luke answered as they resumed climbing. ‘So, are you just going to film me pruning the vines today?’

Jess explained that they were going to film him riding his dirt bike over the lands, pruning the vines and walking.