She had been surprised to hear Michael call his parents and inform them that they would be hosting said dinner party, yes even with such short notice, and that he would be bringing a very important guest with him. He had made it clear that this was to be a family affair only, and so his mother was not to go inviting this person or that. The more he talked the more intense his accent grew and Brie had understood her sister’s love of all things British.
Turning her head, she looked at him and smiled as she told him her thoughts. “You sound nothing like Colin Firth…”
He smiled down at her, “You mean the man from that production of “Pride and Prejudice right?” As she nodded he took a drink of whiskey. “Fire Queen, no man in the world could do the Mr. Darcy that Miss Austen wrote complete justice. And while there are many homes in England that come close to the description of his home, I think only the royal’s compounds can compare to what most have come to expect.” He drew her up to a sitting position and had her lay against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. “Would you like to go to England with me luv? We could go the family estate and spend a weekend just hiding out in my room making love.”
She giggled and took his glass from his hand. “How many of these have you had?”
“Not enough to make me as drunk as I feel just holding you close and looking into those beautiful blue eyes of yours. American men are damn fools, to pass up someone as lovely as you. I know my brothers are totally in love with your sister, why not us be that same way about each other?”
“As a researcher, do you honestly believe in love at first sight?”
He smiled, “I didn’t, but now I have to go back and reconsider my thoughts on the matter. I know I’ve never had a physical, mental or emotional reaction to anyone like I have to you before, one, maybe two but never all three at once.” His hand moved along the line of her hip and down past the hem of the black leather skirt to caress the bare skin of her legs before reaching the boots. “Do you know I’ve never talked less like a bloody nerd and more like a red blooded man before I met you?”
“Michael, you sound nothing like a nerd right now.” She ran her fingers over the open front of his shirt and liked how the hair there felt against her hand. “Your brothers don’t have any chest hair like you do.”
“That’s because they shave and wax. They think it’s sexier. I don’t agree, but if you would prefer it, I’d do it for you.”
She shook her head. “Don’t you dare, I like it. But for my own reference, do you prefer shaved or not?” As she asked, she wondered if she wasn’t feeling a little drunk.
His deep, full throated laughter stopped everyone in the room. The silence stretched as it continued for several minutes and when he began to wind down he had actual tears running down his face. “Oh Fire Queen, you do know how to stoke the flames. Shall I ask which you are, or just discover for myself?”
She blushed deeply and buried her face in his throat. “Which ever you prefer…”