Right Number, Wrong Girl

***

The next morning came with the lush sound of birdsong to accompany my alarm.

The guest list had been waiting for me when I’d arrived home from The Gnome’s Arms last night, and that meant my day would be spent with Hugo doing the seating plan.

I couldn’t wait.

I hoped that if I kept telling myself that, I’d end up believing it.

The whole thing was really quite ridiculous. I’d barely known the man longer than a day and yet I’d never been so attracted to someone. And I didn’t even like him—I thought he was far too full of self-confidence, smarmy, and more than a little bit arrogant.

I hated the way he smirked at me. I hated how he took genuine pleasure in my inability to get into his stupidly large pickup truck, and I hated even more how a tingle danced over my skin when he’d touched me.

It was all hormonal. I knew that. It was all purely from the most basic of attractions, and I couldn’t help but hope that it was something that would disappear.

Either because I had to go back to London or… I just had to deal with it.

There was enough going on right now without me making the stupid mistake of sleeping with someone I really, really shouldn’t be sleeping with.

Not that I was thinking about sleeping with Hugo.

No, sir.

Not me.

Ahem.

I was not responsible for what my subconscious delivered to me in a dream, all right?

In all seriousness, I wanted to get in and out of Moorhaven as quickly and easily as I could. The less friendships or entanglements I found myself in here the better.

I quickly showered and got ready for the day. I didn’t have Hugo’s number—for good reason, and that was that I didn’t bloody want it—so I would have to go to Cavendish House to go over the guest list.

At least I wouldn’t have to see Lady Devon.

She was… overwhelming. I had not been prepared in any way to enter the home of an upper-class family who held prestige like the Devon dukedom.

Maybe that was why I’d clicked with Evelyn.

She didn’t act like she was.

I just hoped today would be easy.

Avoiding Nancy wouldn’t go amiss, either.

I didn’t know why invitations were being sent out this close to the party. I could only assume that Lady Devon had sent the equivalent of a birthday party save-the-date before now, but I knew the invitations were in the post on the way to the guests.

She had people for that.

I didn’t have a clue who they were, but as long as I didn’t have to do it, I was all right with it.

I left Nora’s bike behind and decided to drive. I had no desire to have Hugo haul me up into his truck again—I didn’t need him to touch me at all, lest my attraction get the better of me.

I wasn’t exactly known for my good decision making.

That was why I was here, after all.

I should have said no.