Tempted By A Caffarelli: Never Say No to a Caffarelli

POPPY DIDN’T EXPECT to sleep a wink with the wind still howling outside, but somehow the sound of rain drumming on the roof combined with the warm, cosy comfort of the bed in the Blue Room at the manor and the hot chocolate she had consumed was a somniferous cocktail that had her asleep as soon as her head touched down on the fluffy pillow. She woke to sparkling bright sunshine and that fresh, clean, washed smell of the earth that comes after a storm. She stretched her limbs and lazily glanced at the little carriage clock that was sitting on the bedside table.

Ten o’clock!

She threw off the covers and quickly threw her clothes back on. There wasn’t time for a shower; she didn’t have any toiletries with her in any case. She raced downstairs with her hair still awry when she encountered Rafe coming in from outside. The three dogs were at his heels, their tongues hanging out of the sides of their mouths as if they’d just run a marathon.

Rafe looked disgustingly healthy and fit, dressed in stone-coloured chinos and a white shirt, his hair brushed back, his jaw freshly shaven and his eyes clear. It was impossible not to feel a little dishevelled in comparison. Poppy knew her eyes weren’t clear—she’d caught a glimpse of them in the mirror on the way down—and as for her hair... Well, the less said about that the better. She’d tried finger-combing it but it had been like trying to comb a fishing net.

‘Good morning,’ he said with irritating cheerfulness. ‘Did you sleep well?’

‘Why didn’t you wake me?’ Poppy asked, glowering at him. ‘I should’ve been at work two hours ago.’

‘I drove down and spoke to Chloe about what happened,’ he said. ‘She said to take your time. She’s got things sorted at the shop.’

‘I need to get home to shower and change.’ Poppy pushed back her matted hair with an agitated hand. ‘And I need to call someone about getting the roof fixed.’

‘Already sorted.’

Her hand dropped back to her side. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I’ve called a local roofing expert,’ he said. ‘He’s starting on it early next week.’

‘Next week?’ Poppy said. ‘Why not this week? Why not today?’

He gave a loose shrug. ‘Your roof was not the only one damaged by the storm. You’ll have to be patient. Look on the bright side—at least you have somewhere to stay.’

‘I can’t stay here. What will people think?’

His dark eyes glinted. ‘They’ll think I’m being a very charitable neighbour in offering you a bed for as long as you need it.’

Poppy’s eyes narrowed to the size of coin slots. ‘You know darn well what everyone will think. They’ll think it’s your bed you’re offering.’

He gave a disarming smile. ‘You worry too much about what other people think.’

‘I’ll find a hotel.’

He hooked a brow upwards. ‘With three dogs in tow?’

Poppy chewed her lip. ‘Maybe you could mind them for a few days until—’

‘No.’

‘Why not?’ she asked. ‘They’re following you around like disciples anyway.’

‘I don’t want the responsibility of looking after them,’ he said. ‘I sometimes have to travel at a moment’s notice. I don’t mind you being here with them, but I’m not running a boarding kennel. What if the roof takes longer than expected?’

Poppy could see his point. But if she were to find proper boarding kennels that would be another expense she could do without right now. How long before the village got talking about her sharing the manor with Rafe Caffarelli?

How long before the world got to hear of it?

‘How long does the roofing guy say it will take?’ she asked.

‘A week or thereabouts.’

That meant two weeks staying with Rafe at Dalrymple Manor unless she could come up with an alternative. But what alternative accommodation could offer a kitchen the size of the manor? ‘If I can’t find anywhere else, is it OK if I use your kitchen while I’m here?’ she asked. ‘I do a lot of the baking for the tearoom at home.’

‘Of course,’ he said. ‘It’s not as if I’ll be using it.’

Poppy worried her lower lip again. ‘I know you said you’d make your own arrangements about food...’

‘You don’t have to cook for me,’ he said. ‘I won’t be here for much longer in any case. I have other projects to see to.’

Poppy wondered if his other projects were female. She pushed her feelings of disappointment aside. It wasn’t as if he was the man of her dreams or anything. She didn’t even like him. Well, she hadn’t up until last night, when he’d been so gallant at rescuing her, putting his own safety at risk to get her out. The way he’d held her in his arms and comforted her had made her feel so safe and protected...

She gave herself a good, hard mental slap. She had no right to harbour such whimsical thoughts. He was a player, not a stayer. Even if he did agree to a fling with her it wouldn’t last more than a week or two. He had made it abundantly clear she wasn’t his type. If he did happen to sleep with her, it would be for the sheer novelty of it. He’d probably joke about it with his brothers or friends in the future. How he’d found a home-spun village girl who’d never had sex before.

But then, why wasn’t she his type?

It rankled that he had dismissed her so easily. She was female, wasn’t she? Sure, a top modelling agency wouldn’t be calling her any time soon for a photo shoot, but as far as she was aware she hadn’t broken any mirrors just lately. What was his problem?

‘What about rent or payment for board and expenses? How much do you—?’

‘I don’t want your money, Poppy.’

What do you want? The question was left unspoken in the silence.

Rafe undid a spare key from his keyring and handed it to her. ‘I have a meeting in London this afternoon. I might not make it back until tomorrow or the next day. Make yourself at home.’

Poppy took the key and closed her fingers around it as he moved past her. ‘Hey, guys,’ she called out to the dogs who were slavishly following Rafe. ‘Remember me? The owner who loves and feeds you?’

Their toenails clicked on the polished floor as they came back to her with sheepish looks and wagging tails.

‘Traitors,’ she muttered as she bent down to tickle their ears.

* * *

‘I’d love to have you and the dogs stay, but Mum’s allergic to dogs,’ Chloe said at work an hour later. ‘Anyway, why are you so against staying at the manor? You lived there with your gran for years and years.’

‘I know, but it’s different now.’

‘Yes, because you’ve got the world’s hottest, most eligible bachelor sharing it with you,’ Chloe said with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

Poppy frowned as she put on her apron. ‘It’s not what you think. Anyway, he’s not going to be there much longer. He’s off to London this afternoon. He has other fish to fry.’

‘Are you sure about that?’ Chloe asked. ‘Anyone can see you two have a little thing going on.’

‘We do not have a little thing going on,’ Poppy said. ‘I don’t even like the man. He’s too arrogant for my liking.’

‘That’s confidence, not arrogance,’ Chloe said. ‘He knows what he wants and goes out and gets it. And I reckon it’s not just the dower house on his acquisition list. You’re right up there at the top of his must-have items.’