anyway. Wearing it saved having to carry it. Thick clouds started to build overhead slowly blocking out the stars. Wisps of cloud reached long trailing fingers for the moon.
Gabe walked with her. “I think we may have had the best of the evening.”
“I think you’re right.” Dawn kept his pace trying to work him out. How much of this was the real him, and how much was him still in character so to speak?
“What are you thinking?” His chocolate rich voice broke the silence.
“Direct as always,” she whispered. She glanced up and then wished she hadn’t as his gaze pulled her in and swallowed her whole.
“Of course. Like I said, there is no point beating around the bush and ignoring the elephant standing right next to you.”
She forced a deep breath into her lungs. “OK, uh, I was wondering what we were doing.”
A smile crossed his lips making him even more handsome than before. “We’re going for a walk. I thought that was obvious.” He turned onto a path that led away from the main trail and into the hills along one of the marked trails. Torchlight guided their feet, but there was still a tiny shred of moonlight to help.
“Well, yes, but I meant aside from that. You’re a Hollywood star, a household name, not to mention a Lord, and I’m a…well, a no one really.”
“That’s not true. You’re the first person in a long time to—” He took her hand helping her up a steep incline. “No, let me rephrase that. Aside from my brother, Blake, you’re the only person in like forever to treat me like a normal human being.”
Rivers of warmth shot up her hand and into her arm as Dawn gazed at him. “Now you’re making fun of me.”
Gabe stopped and turned to face her. “No, I’m not. I would never do anything like that.” He looked nervous, his eyes flickering. “People always expect so much of me for one reason or another, and I can’t be myself around them. But you…”
Dawn tilted her head. “For an actor, you’re not very good at this.”
Gabe laughed. “Maybe because I have to make up my own words this time and not rely on a script.”
“Maybe.”
He gripped her hand tighter. “What I’m trying to say, very badly as it turns out, is that since I met you, you have monopolized my thoughts like no other woman ever has.”
Surprise filled her. That was the last thing she was expecting to hear. “I have?” she managed. As he nodded, she stood there unsure how to respond. In the end, she plumped for directness as he seemed to like that. “You keep invading my thoughts as well.”
“I do?” His eyes widened.
“Yeah.” She paused. “Are you really a lord? When I rang that first time, some bloke answered the phone and told me, in a very refined and clipped tone of voice, that ‘Lord Tyler wasn’t available right now.’”
“That would be Hardy, the butler. For my sins, I’m Lord Gabriel Frederick Kinlan Tyler, Eighth Earl of Elton. I’ve been the Earl since Dad died six months ago.”
“Wow.”
“That’s one way of putting it.”
They started walking again as Dawn tried to put her thoughts into words. “Why for your sins?”
“Huh?”
“You said for your sins, your full name is… Don’t you like it?”
“My mother’s favorite expression and no, I didn’t want the title. At least not yet. Dad was only fifty-five. I wasn’t expecting this for, oh I don’t know, another thirty years or so. Actually I kind of hoped it’d miss me completely and pass either to these hypothetical children my mother keeps harping on about or to my younger brother, Blake.”
“And he probably loves you for that.”
“Probably. The thing is my mother wants me to give up acting and stay home all day long bossing the servants and running the estate.”
“And you don’t want to?”
“Not really.” Gabe pushed his hand through his hair. “Yes, it needs doing, but I can do both. I have a really good estate manager who copes with the mundane day to day stuff. If he
Gabe walked with her. “I think we may have had the best of the evening.”
“I think you’re right.” Dawn kept his pace trying to work him out. How much of this was the real him, and how much was him still in character so to speak?
“What are you thinking?” His chocolate rich voice broke the silence.
“Direct as always,” she whispered. She glanced up and then wished she hadn’t as his gaze pulled her in and swallowed her whole.
“Of course. Like I said, there is no point beating around the bush and ignoring the elephant standing right next to you.”
She forced a deep breath into her lungs. “OK, uh, I was wondering what we were doing.”
A smile crossed his lips making him even more handsome than before. “We’re going for a walk. I thought that was obvious.” He turned onto a path that led away from the main trail and into the hills along one of the marked trails. Torchlight guided their feet, but there was still a tiny shred of moonlight to help.
“Well, yes, but I meant aside from that. You’re a Hollywood star, a household name, not to mention a Lord, and I’m a…well, a no one really.”
“That’s not true. You’re the first person in a long time to—” He took her hand helping her up a steep incline. “No, let me rephrase that. Aside from my brother, Blake, you’re the only person in like forever to treat me like a normal human being.”
Rivers of warmth shot up her hand and into her arm as Dawn gazed at him. “Now you’re making fun of me.”
Gabe stopped and turned to face her. “No, I’m not. I would never do anything like that.” He looked nervous, his eyes flickering. “People always expect so much of me for one reason or another, and I can’t be myself around them. But you…”
Dawn tilted her head. “For an actor, you’re not very good at this.”
Gabe laughed. “Maybe because I have to make up my own words this time and not rely on a script.”
“Maybe.”
He gripped her hand tighter. “What I’m trying to say, very badly as it turns out, is that since I met you, you have monopolized my thoughts like no other woman ever has.”
Surprise filled her. That was the last thing she was expecting to hear. “I have?” she managed. As he nodded, she stood there unsure how to respond. In the end, she plumped for directness as he seemed to like that. “You keep invading my thoughts as well.”
“I do?” His eyes widened.
“Yeah.” She paused. “Are you really a lord? When I rang that first time, some bloke answered the phone and told me, in a very refined and clipped tone of voice, that ‘Lord Tyler wasn’t available right now.’”
“That would be Hardy, the butler. For my sins, I’m Lord Gabriel Frederick Kinlan Tyler, Eighth Earl of Elton. I’ve been the Earl since Dad died six months ago.”
“Wow.”
“That’s one way of putting it.”
They started walking again as Dawn tried to put her thoughts into words. “Why for your sins?”
“Huh?”
“You said for your sins, your full name is… Don’t you like it?”
“My mother’s favorite expression and no, I didn’t want the title. At least not yet. Dad was only fifty-five. I wasn’t expecting this for, oh I don’t know, another thirty years or so. Actually I kind of hoped it’d miss me completely and pass either to these hypothetical children my mother keeps harping on about or to my younger brother, Blake.”
“And he probably loves you for that.”
“Probably. The thing is my mother wants me to give up acting and stay home all day long bossing the servants and running the estate.”
“And you don’t want to?”
“Not really.” Gabe pushed his hand through his hair. “Yes, it needs doing, but I can do both. I have a really good estate manager who copes with the mundane day to day stuff. If he
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