Satisfied that he had considered all eventualities, Lucian stroked his hand over the leather steering wheel and turned the ignition key. He didn’t fight the grin that lit up his face as the engine gave a throaty purr. While he would be anxiously anticipating seeing Katherine again, he was going to enjoy the next three and a half hours tearing up the road. With a quiet rumble, he eased the car out of his estate and over the chasm, as soon as he was on the forest road, he let the engine roar and sped off in a cloud of dust.
Chapter Thirteen
Katherine
Katherine woke early, her phone buzzing her alarm reminding her to get up and get moving, starting with an early morning run. Her presentation was today, not that she would be giving it in person, but she wanted to feel prepared. Every night she had considered asking Lucian if she could leave to give her presentation in person, but every time she had lost her nerve.
They had been getting on well. Really well, if she was honest. She was actually enjoying his company and found herself anticipating sundown so she could spend another night with him. She wasn’t sure it was worth the risk of wrecking the foundation of goodwill that she had been building with him. If she hung on a little longer maybe she could convince him to let her go for good before the two-month term was up. That’s what she told herself anyway.
It had been less than a week but already she had started to feel more comfortable in the huge and domineering estate. She wasn’t sure if it was her daily runs that allowed her to explore the vast and beautiful grounds that surrounded Tumbricane, the fact that she had her things with her now, or the fact that she was no longer intimidated by the Lord of the Manor, but she definitely felt more relaxed about her predicament.
Lucian was actually pretty hilarious. Admittedly, she didn’t think he intended to be most of the time but he didn’t seem to mind her laughing at his expense, and when he laughed with her, the rich sound caused all kinds of naughty tingles low in her belly. He was also generous, both with his wealth and with his time. He had seen to it that she had the most state-of-the-art office set up so that she could study in comfort, and willingly batted arguments back and forth with her each night, helping her hone her hypothesis.
He had bought her new running gear and even humoured her by running with her one night. She’d been a sweaty, out of breath mess by the end of it, while he remained utterly unaffected. Thankfully, he’d been too much of a gentleman to make any comment on her disgusting state. He’d cooked for her every morning and every night and he’d even sat with her to watch a kids' movie. They hadn’t exactly snuggled, but she’d definitely felt a closeness to him that had just been so completely right.
Last night she made her decision to abandon her plans to either ask for permission to leave or make a run for it. It was one presentation. It wasn’t worth the risk of sabotaging the strange, budding relationship that she had with Lucian. Before going to sleep that night, she’d fired an email off to her tutor explaining that she was unwell and would be presenting via video call instead. It was a standard way to participate in her course with many of her classmates undertaking internships overseas, so she knew it wouldn’t be an issue.
Katherine pulled on one of her new running outfits, smiling at the memory of Lucian’s barely concealed appreciation when he had seen how the leggings fitted to her body like a second skin. That was one thing she liked about him the most. He clearly noticed her and found her attractive, the couple of heated moments they had shared confirmed the fact, but he never made a lecherous comment or let his gaze linger for too long and he never tried to cop a feel. It was clear that if she wanted any more of what he had given her the night of her rescue, she would need to make the first move.
And boy, did she want to make a move, but acting too quickly would ruin her chances of getting him to see her as anything more than just a sex kitten. She would gain his respect, get herself on a level playing field with him, and then when she asked for her freedom, it would be all that much harder for him to say no.
She slipped her new headphones into her ears, tapped her watch to start the running program, and opened her door. She paused when she saw a note left on the floor outside her room. A note and a set of car keys.
Surely he wasn’t giving her a car?
She bent to pick up the items and caught the sound of Mr. Jones’ feet as he made his way along the balustrade.
“Good morning, Mr. Jones, do you know if Lucian leaves gifts for all his guests?” Katherine asked the butler cheerfully.
“Lord Nightingale does not often have guests but is a generous and kind master,” he replied in his usual monotone.
“Master? He’s your employer, surely?” Katherine frowned.
“He is my Lord and I serve him as best I am able,” he replied, “your breakfast, Miss. Daxton.”
She juggled the letter and keys in her hand and
