Page 3 of Leaping Into Love

“Yes, well.” He clears his throat again and rocks back on his heels, then one hand comes out of a pocket to grip the back of his neck. “Perhaps I should have been clearer in our conversation, Miss Kyriakopoulos⁠—”

“Please call me Tiana. I’m happy to call you Mr. Whitmore, but you’re welcome to spare your tongue some syllables and just call me Tiana. My last name, and my full first name, are quite a mouthful.”

“Tiana,” he says, bowing his head again. “If you’re inclined to set formality aside and call me Henry, I would like that very much. As for meeting you here, it was truly no inconvenience, as this is my home. And yours now, too.” Color rises in his complexion, and he clears his throat again. “The grounds, I mean. You’ll have your own accommodations, of course. Very private. Totally separate from the main house. You need never set foot in there—though you’re always welcome to.”

His awkwardness and obvious concern about being inappropriate are charming and adorable. Finding him oddly yet compellingly attractive is bad news for me. I’m no stranger to one-night stands and quickie relationships that ultimately end in disappointment, but going to either of those places with my boss who lives across the yard is a big fat no. This job is too important to screw up for a hop in the sack.

Still, the tingly sensation hasn’t gone away. In fact, it’s gotten stronger since Henry entered my personal space. Warmer. Without even a hint of the brief worrying from earlier. I wouldn’t mind if this feeling stuck around, even if it is making me look at my brand-new, definitely off-limits employer in a way I shouldn’t.

“On the subject of my accommodations,” I say, giving myself a mental shake. “Would it be possible for me to settle in a bit before the orientation for my work duties? I’m excited to get started tomorrow, because taking care of a property like this is literally my dream, but it was a really long drive here, and right now, I’d love to freshen up, chow down, and unwind, if that’s okay?”

“Most certainly.” Again, he gives me a little bow of the head, this time while taking a step backward to allow me space to close the car door. “There’s no hurry for you to start working, Tiana. Everything on the estate is in good condition and could easily be left alone for a week. Take as many days as you need to rest and settle in. You’ll be paid commencing tomorrow regardless, so you needn’t worry about that. And I’ll just be quick call away if you need anything or have questions. About anything.”

“Great, thank you. Everything about this job is so generous and well thought-out. I can’t believe my luck in seeing the ad for the position when I did.”

Henry begins to clear his throat again, but before he can, a distinctly croaky sound leaves his lips. “Pardon me.” He lightly thumps a fist against his sternum. “I assure you I’m not ill.”

The smile I give him is genuine, unlike all the fakes I used to force in the life I left behind this morning. “Everyone gets a frog in the throat once in a while.”

Poor guy’s eyes nearly bug out of his face.

The man with the dark, beady eyes chuckles, which, from him, is more of a shrill crackling sound. Even so, his amusement decreases his intensity factor. Then he joins us on the driver’s side of the car, offering his hand and giving mine a proper shake when I accept. “Munin. Longtime friend of Henry’s.”

“Nice to meet you. Do you live here too?”

“No, but I visit often.” He gestures at the little trailer behind my car. “Anything bulky or heavy in there?”

“Nope. Just boxes. Clothes, some books and small personal items I couldn’t part with while purging my little apartment. Since I wouldn’t need furniture here, I sold all of mine. So, I really hope this job works out,” I say with a snorted laugh.

“It will,” Henry says. No throat clearing this time. No hesitation. He seems pretty confident considering my qualifications didn’t tick all the boxes in the ad.

I’m here and the job is mine. I don’t need to sell myself for the position. Tell that to my mouth, though. “I’ll always give you one hundred percent, and I’m excited to learn all the things I’m not familiar with, especially all the frog stuff.”

Another croak escapes from Henry, followed by a caw-like chuckle from Munin. They’re an odd pair. Not an odd couple, though, based on the vibe I’m getting now that we’re up close and interacting. Though that could still be wishful thinking on my part because Henry is such a charmer.

“Can I help you unload before I head home?”

“I’ll take care of it,” Henry says to Munin before I can answer.

“You sure you wouldn’t like a couple of extra hands?” Munin asks, waggling his fingers.

“I’ll be fine, old friend. You can go now.” It’s definitely a dismissal, despite the calmness and familiarity in Henry’s voice.

“As you wish.” Turning to me, Munin tips his head. “Welcome to your new home.”

“Thank you.”

Without another word, he turns and crosses the lawn.

“I didn’t see any cars parked on the side of the road,” I say when he reaches the end of the gravel driveway and turns onto the road, disappearing from sight.

“Munin doesn’t drive.”

“I could have given him a ride home.”

“He doesn’t need it.”

“Oh, does he live nearby?”