“I’d hate for you to know all the things I think.”

“Like what exactly?”

“How I do secretly enjoy weeding after you described it as ripping their heads off.”

I pressed my fingers against my lips to stop a barking laugh escaping. Sure, I’d watched dukes and countesses and very minor royalty do the birdie dance and shake their bums tonight, but laughing out loud? That was a line one did not cross.

At least not as loudly as he made me want to laugh.

“I knew it,” I replied, sipping my drink. “You’re a closet weeder, Mr. Kingsley, and I won’t hear anything less about it from you.”

A woman I didn’t recognise stilled and looked at us both with pursed lips before she turned sharply on her heel, leaving her stern disapproval hanging in the air.

“Oh. That came out a little wrong.”

Miles laughed, dipping his head so it was muffled. His arm brushed against mine, and I desperately tried to control my exhale as he was pushed closer to me. His cheek was almost touching my hair, and I turned my face away from him so I didn’t have to smell him.

He smelt so good.

This was all so unfair.

“I need some air,” I said softly, clutching my glass and sliding off my seat. Addy caught my eye as I moved but I shook my head to let her know I was fine.

I was not fine.

I wanted to kiss my family’s gardener.

I wanted to do a whole lot more than kiss him.

I couldn’t stand there next to him, laughing with him, with him being so close to me.

I needed to breathe.

I wanted to kiss him so badly. It was crazy.

Were his fingertips as rough as they truly looked? If I kissed him, would he run them across my cheek? What about his short beard? Would the stubble rub against my cheeks? What about his lips? Were they as soft as they appeared?

And what about him?

How would he kiss me, if he would? Would it be soft and gentle with nothing but tenderness, like a fairy tale? Or would it be firm and raw and full of desire?

I so desperately wanted to find out, but…

I drew in a deep breath as the cold air hit my skin. It was both invigorating and startling, and I walked down the same steps I had earlier to reach the stone wall.

Deja bloody vu.

I leaned against it and closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing.

Why?

Why was his annoyance so beguiling and his friendship so fucking intoxicating to me? Why had I never been able to stay away from Miles bloody Kingsley?

Why was I so drawn to him?

And why the heck did I care so damn much?

Why, out of all the men I knew, was it him?

Why did it have to be bloody him?

“Are you all right?”

I drew in a sharp breath and steeled myself, looking over the garden. “When you said you smiled at me, but I’ve never seen you, what did you mean?”