He came up behind me again but didn’t put his hands on me this time. “Not a fan of picnics?” he asked quietly.
“I said I didn’t like it, but only because I really LOVE it.” He grabbed me and tickled my ribs, his big body pressing into mine with familiarity. “Like and love—not the same!” I screeched, trying to get away from his tickling fingers. I got in a few good digs of my own before he hauled me over his shoulder, trapping me and laughing in that deep sexy way of his. I dug my fingers into his own ribs as he manhandled me, hoping I was getting to him. I think so because he started to move faster toward our picnic, probably to get me off him sooner. I was laughing too when he dropped me down into my chair, happy to see I’d affected him, even if only a little. It was all so fun with him. Being here with Ivan was fun, and I knew I couldn't say no to having more time like this with him. He wanted more? Hell, I needed more.
Chapter 4
IVAN
Like and love—not the same.
Her words struck me hard. What was I even doing with this woman? I don’t think I had a goddamn clue. Operating on pure instinct, I just knew I wanted her. I knew being with Gabrielle like this, with her happy and playful, made me feel really fucking good. I didn't want to overanalyze, but it had been so long since I’d felt this good with someone, it wasn't easy recognizing the sensation. For now, I’d just have to hold onto the good feelings and hope I wasn’t being a bloody fool over a woman—for what would not be the first time in my life.
Once I was finally seated across from her, and could think for more than five seconds without the distracting desire to fold her over our lunch table and fuck her into next week, I managed to serve the food and pour the drinks without incident.
“You do feed your dates well, Lord Everley, I’ll give you that,” she said over a bite of roast beef sandwich, “this is delicious.” It was very charming to me she didn’t understand how names and titles worked. Being American, she had no reason to know, so I couldn’t fault her reasonable mistake.
“I wouldn’t call you a date.” She was so much more. The two of us were miles beyond dates, even if she didn’t know it yet.
“Well, what would you call me then?” she asked saucily.
“A challenge.” And she was that. I'd barely accepted the fact she was the same woman Ethan wanted to introduce me to months ago. Fate at work. “You are the loveliest challenge to ever put me through my paces, Miss Hargreave.” She looked down shyly and my cock stirred in appreciation. Just one small submissive gesture from her and my inner Dom was running rampant with what I wanted to do with her. I already knew she was a person who dealt in truths, but I wondered if she too believed in fate. Did she have any idea how attracted I was? I doubted it, and I wasn’t planning on sharing that bit of information with her just yet either, because I had her now. Gabrielle Hargreave was all mine whether she knew it or not.
“Touché, Lord Everley, good answer. I like being a challenge.” She smiled beautifully before licking her lips in a way that should be illegal.
I groaned and remembered how good her lips felt on my skin earlier—wrapped around me, kissing up the length of my—
“Did I distract you just now, Lord Everley?” she asked coyly, knowing full well what she was doing to me. Such a tarty tease. Later on, I’d show her just how distracted I was. Turnabout was fair play after all.
“I should let you know that Everley is my surname, not my title. No Lord Everley in Parliament.”
Her face lit up in surprise. “Is that what you do, Ivan? For a job? You're a member of Parliament. In the House of Lords?”
She really had no idea was clearly apparent. “Why yes, I do sit in the House of Lords. I try my best to serve the nation in those areas I can be of some small help.”
“Jesus…” She looked shocked. “And you’re descended from the last czar of Russia, too.”
I suppose my creds did sound hideously pompous to someone like her, but nobody could change the circumstances of their birth. I’d lived with it for thirty-four years and it wasn’t going away until I was dead. “What did you think I did for work?”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe ruling over the villagers in between all those state dinners that barons and dukes must have to attend. And maybe there should be some time in there for counting your piles of money, giving speeches to the historical society, and passing out the trophies at the local dog show?” She tilted her head at me and bit one side of her luscious bottom lip. I resisted the urge to stroke my finger across it and imagined replacing my finger with the tip of my cock instead. An even nicer image…
“Quite the job description you’ve given me. Sorry to disappoint, but I’ve never ruled over any villages, nor am I a member of any historical societies I know of. I do give the occasional speech but it’s always work related. I only attend a state dinner when I can find no excuse to get out of it, and I have to invest my money wisely so I can continue to live here instead of some dreadful hovel beneath my station," I said absurdly. "Oh, and banks are the best place for the piles of money needing counting.” I grinned at her. “As a bonus the bank will count it for you too.”
She laughed at my sarcasm. “This is unreal. You're a politician.”
“It wasn’t a thing I aspired to, but rather an obligation of sorts handed down to me. But ironically, serving as a member of Parliament suited me far better than I ever thought it would,” I told her honestly.
“Oh, how so?” she asked with genuine interest. It was refreshing to be with a person who didn’t know anything about me, and who didn’t judge me based on my status or my past achievements. Another point in her favor from where I sat. I wasn’t going to let her out of my sight until I was certain she was hooked.
“Archery.”
“As in bow and arrow?”
“The very same, Miss Hargreave.”
“Ahh, I remember now.” She nodded enthusiastically. “Brynne mentioned you were involved with the Olympics in London and that you did a sport. So, archery, that’s cool. I've always admired the skill it takes to shoot so accurately, but I know next to nothing about it beyond Katniss in Hunger Games.”
“I’d be happy to give you some lessons if you want to give it a go to see if you do like it. I can’t promise you’ll be as good as Katniss, but you will know proper stance and set-up when I’m done with you.” Which might be never. The idea of teaching her thrilled me.
“I would love a lesson, but how does your archery help you be suited to work in parliamentary politics?”
“Astute question.” I gave her another wink. “When I was younger, I competed nationally for Britain. The Olympics are something I am passionate about. Sport and fitness are big business in the UK, and there are legal standards to be adhered to, school athletics guidelines, professional sports teams’ regulatory standards, health and fitness schemes for educational advancement, and a great deal more. Most of my work in Parliament is devoted to legislation in those areas as Minister of Culture, Digital, Media, and Sport. It’s where I can contribute my expertise, so it makes the most sense. You wouldn’t want to put me in charge of European Union policy, or stem cell research, I’d be useless.”