Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 126850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
“I’m not arguing with you over whether or not I giggled.” He stood back up and returned to the oven.
Obviously, watching frozen pizzas cook was going to be a more successful venture for him than arguing with me.
I could hardly blame him for that. I was always right.
Unless you counted my decision to come to Scotland with him. Coming here was most definitely a terrible choice, so I wasn’t going to include it in my tally.
And no, I wasn’t taking questions about that, thank you very much.
“Right.” William opened the oven door, wearing a very fetching pair of kitten-printed oven gloves, and pulled out the two trays. “Hey, I didn’t burn them.”
I tilted my head to the side. “Did you think you had?”
He peered back to look at me. “I won’t answer that.”
No.
It was probably best he didn’t, all things considered.
I leant across the island and slid the bottle of wine closer to me. “Yep. I’ll be needing the rest of that.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN – GRACE
Rich Kid Life
“I just don’t know how that happened,” William grumbled, pulling the keys from his pocket. “How was it possible for the pizza to be cold in the middle?”
I pulled the neck of my jumper up over to cover my mouth in the hope it would muffle my laughter. “You cooked it on too high a temperature,” I said into the wool of my turtleneck. “So it cooked the outside but not the very middle.”
“Yeah, but it’s a pizza. It’s flat.”
“Which is why it was relatively easy to correct. That and they needed a few minutes extra anyway.”
“I feel like you’re judging me,” he said slowly, pushing the door to our mini flat open.
“Oh, good.” I paused in the doorway and met his gaze. “That was coming across. I wasn’t sure.”
“I’m starting to regret ever asking you to come with me,” he muttered.
“I’ve been regretting the fact you did since I found out your grandparents were aristocrats.” I kicked my shoes off by the door and put the wine bottle down on the coffee table.
Seriously, that thing was my new limb. I needed to get out of here before it became an emotional support animal.
If I didn’t, there was going to be reports of a drunken Englishwoman wandering about the Scottish Highlands in her knickers.
Not that I had any intention of going outside in my knickers, of course.
Or anywhere.
It was inappropriate. And illegal.
And cold out there.
“I still can’t believe you didn’t freak out. Most people… well, women, lose their shit when they realise I’m going to inherit a castle one day.” William locked the door behind him and eased his feet out of his shoes, leaving them haphazardly strewn across the floor.
“Not to be that person, but perhaps it’s something you should lead with,” I replied dryly. “It’ll lessen the shock when someone finds out.”
“Yes, but then it looks like I’m bragging.”
“I’m not sure there’s a way to tell anyone you’re going to inherit an ancient castle without sounding like you’re bragging.”
He nodded slowly and crouched in front of the fire, reaching for a fresh log. “You make an excellent point.”
“All my points are. Thank you for noticing.”
“You’re quite welcome.” He looked at me, and his lips twitched into a smile. He threw the log onto the warm fire with a thud, and the embers that had been happily burning away spat and crackled to life with the dry bark of the new log. The fiery crackles filled the air, and it reminded me of the Rice Crispies advert.
Snap.
Crackle.
And a pop.
“What are you smiling at?” he asked, sitting on the sofa. “And have you drunk all that wine?”
“No, but I was about to,” I replied.
“Good thing I bought a few bottles.”
“I would question how bad your sister is, but… yes. I understand now.”
He laughed and reached onto the coffee table for the other bottles he’d bought. “They’re a bit warm now, though.”
“I thought you might at least invest in a mini fridge for this place.”
“Nah, I thought the castle was enough of a bragging point. I’d be utterly unstoppable if I also owned a mini fridge.”
“Ah, yes, of course. The secret to success—the mini fridge.” I nodded sagely. “Careful, or you’ll have billionaires after you for spilling their secrets.”
“They can try.” He chuckled as he poured a glass of wine for himself and sat back, leaving the top off the bottle.
“I suppose they’d have to get past the cockatiel first,” I mused, finishing what was left in my glass.
With a nod, William swapped our glasses, giving me the full one and filling the empty one for himself.
“You have a castle, an impending dukedom, and you refill wine without being asked,” I said, staring at the side of his face. “How is it possible that you’re single, sir?”
He grinned cheekily. “I don’t own a mini fridge, obviously.”