Read Online Against Her Rules by Victoria Barbour - Free Book Online Page B

from the danger he presented.
      “Well,
I like it. But then again, I’m not your target audience, so I suppose Asher is
also perfectly good,” she said, smiling at him.
      Cam
pushed his plate away. “I’m sure you’ll both excuse me, but I have to go.”
      “Not
going to eat the rest of that?” Asher’s plate was empty.
      “No.
I have to go take advantage of this sun. But I’m sure I’ll be ravenous come
lunch time.” Again, he was looking at her hard. “Do you think you could arrange
to have lunch brought down to the cottage around one?”
      “I’m
sure we can.”
      “Could
you bring it down? I’d like to see those posters you mentioned yesterday. I’m
guessing my talk to the locals is still on the agenda?”
      “There’s
a cottage here?” Asher said. “Since when?”
      “It’s
new.”
      “Very
new,” Cam added. “I’ll see you at one, yes?”
      “Sure,”
she said, dragging out the word as if to infuse it with every ounce of
displeasure she could.
      As
he strode out of the dining room she watched as her mother handed him a piece
of paper, which he promptly crumpled and tossed in the garbage. Now what was
that all about, she wondered?
    ––––––––
      M ost
of the morning was spent with Asher trailing along behind her as she tried to
work. After about an hour of nearly constant pawing, she made it clear that
there was not going to be anything physical between them.
      “Look,
Ash, if you’re only here for that, you might as well go. Things have changed.
I’ll be your friend, but that’s it,” she had said as he tried to pin her into a
corner.
      “You’ve
always been my friend,” he said. “My super-sexy,
make-me-forget-everything-for-the-moment friend.”
      “Well,
now I’m just your shoulder-you-can-cry-on-but-nothing-more friend.”
      “Since
when?” He looked hurt.
      “Since
I realized you’re in love with at least two women, one of whom you almost
married this week.”
      He
sighed. “I do love Nina. Do you think she’ll forgive me?”
      She’d
sent him off to call Nina, profess his love, and beg forgiveness. With any luck
she’d take him back and he’d be out of here. Elsie didn’t need the money he
brought to the inn that badly.
      She
hadn’t seen him since, although once she’d walked past his door and heard him
strumming his guitar.
      She
really was falling behind on work. The Queen was coming the year after next,
and already her people were making demands on the accommodations. There were
several varying requests from celebrities hoping to rent out the entire inn for
Christmas and it had turned into a bit of a bidding war. And she’d gotten wind
that a Frommer’s reviewer was in the province and could be headed her way any
day. That was just the big stuff. There were plumbing issues in two bathrooms,
thankfully vacant. A stray cat had gotten in and kept appearing in various
rooms. And Aunt Ida was driving her insane. She was taking her job very
seriously, and had a list of improvements that would help guests enjoy
themselves more.
      Still,
every few minutes she found herself thinking about Cam. Her mother wouldn’t
tell her what was on the paper she’d handed him, and it had been removed from
the trash before Elsie could get it. She wished she could remember her exact
words the day before. Had she said enough that he would know that Asher was the
man she was talking about? It seemed even worse now, knowing that they knew
each other. Calling them friends seemed a bit of a stretch. But really, what
were the odds? Someone in the universe was playing a cruel trick on her.
      She
trudged through her work until she realized it was time to bring Cam his lunch.
The temptation to send someone else down with it, and with the poster, was
great, but she wasn’t a coward. And part of her felt as if he’d issued her a
challenge. This time she’d keep her cool, regardless of what he said or did.
She was a grown woman,