Alec’s eyes darkened as he stepped closer, filling the air with a familiar woodsy scent that made something soft and tender curl around her heart. His formerly white shirt was unbuttoned at the throat. The sun had turned his olive skin even darker and threaded his deep brown hair with the barest hints of copper and gold. Her fingers twitched with the old urge to touch those messy waves until she folded her hands tightly against her middle.

Who knew where he had been before this: Turkey, Sardinia, Greece. Perhaps even Egypt. She had never once asked her uncle. All that mattered was that Alec had left. Living in such ignorance all these years made it slightly easier to pretend he didn’t exist outside of her memories. But now he stood before her in the flesh, radiating vitality and undeniably real. Lottie caught herself staring at the tanned hollow of his throat and quickly met his eyes, but of course Alec noticed. Yet another smirk briefly hovered on those well-formed lips then vanished. Time to get on with it.

“You know exactly why I’m here, Lottie. And on behalf of whom.” Then he raised a dark brow to further emphasize that she had been very bad indeed.

She rolled her eyes. “I did leave him a note.”

“Oh yes,” he scoffed with surprisingly grating sarcasm. “The one your chaperone was too terrified to send him: ‘I know what I’m doing. Please don’t be too cross’? Did you really think that was going to convince Sir Alfred?”

Lottie shrugged, unrepentant. The note had been a hastily dashed afterthought. Uncle Alfred should have been happy with two lines from her. But it was vexing to hear that Mrs. Wetherby hadn’t passed the message along. “As you very well know, trying to convince that man of anything is useless. I thought my time was better spent begging for forgiveness. And I know why you’re here in the general sense. What I’m wondering is what you’re hoping to accomplish today.”

For once Alec looked puzzled. “You’re to come home. With me.”

Lottie couldn’t stop the laugh from bursting forth. “My goodness, does Uncle Alfred always send you on his errands? I’d have thought you would be doing something far more important these days.”

Apparently, agents of the Crown did not appreciate sarcasm. His jaw tightened as all traces of mirth vanished; in its place was an unfamiliar, world-weary expression that bordered on hostile. “He asked for my help. I’m here as a favor.”

Lottie managed not to flinch at the trivial description. She expected to be considered as little more than an annoyance, but they both knew Uncle Alfred never asked. He demanded.

“And is that really all you thought it would take? You show up here unannounced and I would simply go off with you?” She laughed again. “That’s even less convincing than my note.”

Alec moved closer. “This isn’t a game, Lottie,” he began in a low, harsh voice that sent goose bumps racing up her spine. He then brushed his fingers against her elbow, and the light touch was so immediately recognizable, and so shockingly familiar, that Lottie nearly gasped. As the warmth from his fingertips sunk deeper into her skin, a heady, comforting feeling settled over her until she very nearly swayed against him. “You aren’t playing house up here,” he continued, unaware of her reaction. “And I don’t need to provide a list of reasons because you know you cannot stay.”