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nodded and opened the door all the way for him to enter with the large box. She watched as he eyed her wet, clingy robe, then flushed when he realized he’d been caught.
    “I’ll just, uh, go change. There’s coffee on the counter if you want some.”
    “No thanks.” He wrinkled his nose. “I don’t drink sludge. I’d love a nice cuppa though. Do you mind if I put the kettle on?”
    She paused for a moment. Cuppa? She thought on the word momentarily and it dawned on her. Tea, right. “No, no problem. The water’s probably still hot. The tea tin is on the counter by the sink.”
    She skirted past him as quickly as she could. Flames of embarrassment crept up her face as she realized she was in her robe with someone she barely knew in the room. Looking exactly like John made it hard for her to remember she didn’t know him at all. Her mind was a jumbled mess of emotions as she quickly pulled on a pair of dark jeans and a deep-green fitted sweater. Her hair was loose and fragrant from the shampoo Valerie had given her to use. She took a deep breath and padded softly into the hall toward the kitchen.
    His tea steeped in a mug emblazoned with Likes Time Lords in big, bold black letters. Grace leaned against the wall and watched him move about her kitchen, unloading the groceries and adding milk and sugar to his tea, just like he owned the place.
    “ Likes Time Lords , huh? I would’ve pegged you more for a Harry Potter fan,” she said from behind him, startling him in mid-sip.
    “Do you even know what a Time Lord is, you Yankee?” he teased.
    She feigned astonishment. “We have BBC America, you know. I’ve seen Doctor Who .”
    He grinned and was obviously glad to see her smiling back. She was relieved to be interacting without anyone getting knocked over or anything being broken.
    “So what’s all this then?” he asked, gesturing at the stack of blueprints, official documents, forms, and more forms cluttering her dining nook and most of the kitchen counters.
    “Oh, just work. You must think I’m a complete slob. I don’t have a real office right now and I have so much paperwork to deal with. My job is two-thirds paperwork.”
    “What is your job, exactly?”
    She raised her eyebrows. “I’m an architect. I specialize in historical restoration of buildings. Your town is one of the few remaining villages from the Tudor monarchy. I’m here to help restore the town properly, and make it a stop on the historical tourism track. Us Yankees really love to spend money in quaint British towns like this one.”
    He looked at her for a moment and nodded. “Good, good. We need you. Have you seen the church? It’s falling into ruin.”
    “I haven’t gotten to the church yet. I’ve only been hired to help with the row of homes on Kensington.”
    “How long are you here for?”
    “At least a year. More, if I’m needed and still wanted.”
    “I’m sure you’ll be wanted,” he said, his voice catching slightly.
    She blushed fiercely at his statement and abruptly turned away, pouring herself another cup of coffee. Her arm brushed against his as she put the French press back on the counter. He took a deep breath and she turned to look at him, coffee in hand.
    “You smell wonderful.” Drew’s voice was soft as he reached up to touch her damp hair.
    “It’s my roommate’s. I need to buy some new stuff.”
    She licked her lips as she brought the mug to her mouth, then noticed his eyes locked on hers when she ran her tongue along her bottom lip. Drew’s hands moved smoothly toward her and before she could stop him, he took her cup and set it on the counter.
    “What are you doing?” she asked.
    He took her face in his large hands and crushed his lips against hers. The kiss was strong at first, mellowing into something more tender, exploratory.
    She made no move to stop him, in fact she was so wrapped up in the feeling of his mouth on hers, she almost forgot the real reason she was attracted to him. Her mind