He wanted that, and he wanted it with Lillie. The sooner he dealt with this escalating situation, the better.
It would be dealt with, though. This wasn’t going to ruin him, or his future. He had to reach out and take what he wanted, with both hands, and that he could damn well do.
They approached the front entrance to his home, and curiosity finally won. Updates had arrived on a regular basis from his general contractor, along with the occasional swatch of granite or paint sample to make decisions about. But mostly, after his parents had died, he’d allowed others to deal with the day-to-day issues.
Now he looked up at the home he’d designed, with its grand front entrance, and felt a touch of pride. The wide stairs rose toward massive twin front doors, enormous pillars strategically placed along the entire house frontage that turned the three-story building into a castle in the wilderness.
It was gorgeous, and he let himself out, staring up at his home.
He’d told Damon the truth. A week ago if he’d gotten word his bride was waiting for him, this meeting would have had an entirely different feel to it. Now the excitement of looking around his home was muted by the irritation of having to send away someone who didn’t expect his rejection.
This wasn’t going to be fun for either of them. He might know what he wanted, but he didn’t have to be an asshole about it. He had a fine line to walk, and he really hoped the woman would be reasonable in return.
He brought the heavy brass knocker on the front door down sharply against the doorplate. The ringing sound echoed off the tall walls, and the front door swung open.
The well-dressed young man’s smile faded rapidly as he snapped to attention, his gaze skipping over Jim’s face. In the process, the huge door in his hands got away from him, and he had to chase after it to stop the heavy weight from slamming into the wall. He brought his flustered self back to attention, body stiff and chin held high as he refused to meet Jim’s eyes. “Mr. Halcyon. Please, come in, we’ve been expecting you.”
Jim pressed past him into the foyer, torn between examining every detail of his new home and just getting to the bottom of why he was there. “Where is she?” he demanded.
To his surprise, the doorman stepped back, hands dropping in front of him as he tangled his fingers nervously. “About that, sir. About the lady who arrived earlier today…”
“Yes. My betrothed. Where is she?” Jim asked again, frowning at the delay. Why had the woman not gotten to Whitehorse until today? He’d gotten the message a few days ago.
“It’s just that… I mean, I want to prepare you, sir. She seems a trifle more nervous than most brides-to-be. She’s been acting strangely ever since she got here, and I thought…” The youth swallowed hard. “You’re rather intimidating to meet for the first time, sir.”
Good grief. As aware as Jim was of needing to be gentle with the woman, he did not want to waste time coddling his staff. Not when he had things to do.
Still, these were the people who had been hired to help take care of him, even though this boy looked as if he should still be in the nursery. They needed to know he could be trusted.
The fact he could hear Lillie taunting him to be nice kicked his butt, hard. He was itching to take off, but for her sake, he slowed and took the extra time. “What’s your name?”
“Peter. Sir.” The boy blinked hard, his dark gaze darting away as he fidgeted with the sleeves of his suit coat, but refused to run like he obviously wanted. Bobcat shifter, if Jim scented correctly.
Jim hid his smile. Nothing wrong with the kid’s spunk. “Thank you for being honest, and for the warning, and I promise I will tread softly, but you need to tell me where she is.”
Peter swung his arm and pointed up the curved staircase. “I tried taking her to the master suite, but she insisted on being shown to a guest room.”
Curious.
“Really.” Jim glanced around. He should have known this answer, but he’d been too busy ignoring his northern holdings until ten hours ago. “How many staff on the premises? Just you and a cook? Or more?”
“Full staff, sir, ever since the building was completed a month ago. There are six of us.” He flushed. “My mom is your chef. Dad’s in charge of cleaning and maintenance.”
Ahh, now his baby butler’s presence made more sense.
Another thought hit. Great—his staff had been hanging out for a month, everything running nice and quiet, and today would be their first glimpse of their new master in action.
He hoped the girl didn’t cry. That would just cement his reputation as a heartless monster. “You gave her the room at the top of the stairs to the right, correct?”
“Yes. Second suite. I can show you.”
“I think I’ll be fine, Peter. I designed the house.”
Jim took the stairs two at a time, grabbing the heavy walnut post at the top and swinging himself onto the landing.
“Be calm and go slow. Be calm, and go slow,” he muttered.