by Amanda Uhl
He smiled.
There was a certain thrill with Grace. He enjoyed bending her to his will. The fact she always fought, even when she knew he was in charge, was exciting. He liked a little spirit in a mate. Liked the feeling it gave him to assert his superiority.
He smoothed has hands over the fine crease in his pants and looked at himself critically in the mirror. Yes, Grace would be lucky to have him. Best of all, their children would inherit the talent from both sides without the government having a clue.
God, the sister was a beauty, too. Disappointing the talent had not manifested in her. No matter. He could have her, too, if he wanted. That would come later. For now, he could not afford to be distracted. Once Jenkins was out of the way, he could have anyone he wanted. There would be no one strong enough to challenge him. No single person would ever dare to cross him again.
His phone rang and he answered absently. “You have everything set for Monday? Well done, my friend. You’ll be rewarded as promised.”
*****
Grace was dreaming. It must be a dream because she was back in her childhood home in Parma. The house seemed bigger and bolder than she remembered with many rooms and hidden treasures if only she could find them. She kept opening doors to look inside each room, but they were all deserted. Where was her beach glass? Why was her family not at home? Frightened, Grace opened her mouth to call out to her mother and stopped. An intruder had entered the house, no, a man—someone familiar. Had she invited him? Grace didn’t remember doing so. She walked toward him, but the closer she walked, the farther away the man got.
*****
David had been so sure the rogue hacker would return tonight. But he had not. Apparently, the enemy had known what David planned and had moved on. That could be the only explanation. He suppressed his frustration. At least Grace was now safe.
He ducked, narrowly missing the detecting energy beam that whizzed past his face. David quickly threw up a shield. Short waves. Grace was awakening. Her subconscious mind no longer had her previous memories to associate with his energy and was struggling to determine if he posed a threat. Thank God the portal was still intact. David was not at all certain he could protect her without it. He needed to get out before she detected his presence.
He stayed with Grace until dawn when her conscious mind assumed control, and he knew she would be safe. The minute he slipped back into his body, his phone vibrated. It took him a little while to shake off his lethargy and answer. But the caller was persistent.
“Jenkins.”
“Well?” Peter asked.
“He wasn’t there. I thought for sure he would be. He obviously expected me.”
“Well, I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear?”
“I’ll take the bad news first.”
“Percy wiped out on his first mission.”
“He survived, I take it?”
“Correct.”
“I’d say that’s good news. But I’ll humor you, what’s the good news?”
“Alex wants you back on the force as soon as possible.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Wedding Shower
“Tom sounds like a lovely man. Does he have any brothers?” Aunt Peggy winked at Grace.
“Not that I know of.” Grace shook her head.
“Such a shame.”
Aunt Peggy was looking at Grace with concern. Grace prepared herself for the usual inquisition.
The shower was winding down. She had collected Claire, who was staying with her through Sunday, at the airport yesterday. Tom couldn’t get the time off to come to the shower, since they were taking so much time for the honeymoon. But her sister, in true Claire fashion, had arrived with a male companion, which she introduced as James. Claire and James were in a production together, and so she had bribed him to come along to keep her company. Tom, she was told, knew James well and had not minded.
“Are you seeing anyone new, Grace dear?” Aunt Peggy was not her mother’s sister for nothing.
“No, I’m not. I’ve been way too busy with work lately.”
“Your mother told me you were meeting men on the Internet. You know that’s dangerous, don’t you? They say sexual predators use the Internet to lure their victims. It makes me nervous to think of you finding men that way.”
Yep, definitely related. “Well, really there’s no need to worry. I decided not to meet him. He never showed for any of our in-person meetings anyway.”
“I’m relieved to hear you say that. Your cousin Lena has a boyfriend now, did your mom tell you?”
Grace looked across the room at Lena, talking to Claire and James. “No, she didn’t mention it. How’d she meet him?”
“He’s an attorney at her law firm. They took one look at each other, and it was love at first sight.”
Lena was a lawyer and good at it. She had helped Grace out when she divorced Greg. It was one of the reasons Grace had money to purchase her condo. She could feel nothing but gratitude to Lena as she had been in no state to negotiate on her own. It did not surprise her to hear Lena was dating a coworker. From what Grace saw of Lena’s life, there wasn’t much free time to meet someone any other way.
“I’m glad she’s found someone. I’m sure they have a lot in common.”
“Grace!” Claire shouted from across the room. All eyes turned to stare at her. “Come talk to me and James.”
In a rare instance, Grace found herself grateful for Claire’s loud mouth. “Excuse me Aunt Peggy.”
Grace strode toward her sister and James, greeting them warmly. “Nice to meet you.” She shook James’s hand.
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for some time, Grace. Claire talks about you a lot.”
“Oh, yeah?” Grace eyed her sister, who was smiling at her, a satisfied expression on her face. So, her little sis was playing matchmaker. “What does she say?”
“You’re a phenomenal artist.”
“Phenomenal is a bit of a stretch, but thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, thank your sister. She has nothing but great things to say about you.”
Claire laughed, and James eyed her appreciatively. So that was the way the wind blew. Claire had herself another admirer. Grace should have expected it. She wondered if Tom had an inkling. “What do you say we make a threesome tonight…go out to eat, maybe some bowling.” Claire suggested.
“Sure.” Grace shrugged.
“Sounds good to me,” James agreed.
That was how she found herself sitting next to James in a seafood bar with him trying to feed her oysters. The bar featured a local band, who happened to play Claire’s favorite song, which led to her springing up and heading to the dance floor. All the males in the bar, including James, turned to stare. Eventually, he turned back, pushing the oysters. Grace had never tried oysters. They looked slimy. But James was persistent, so to shut him up, she tried one.
“So, do you have a boyfriend?”
Grace choked on the oyster. James reached over a big hand and slapped her on the back, and she finally felt the oyster slip down her throat. She guessed that was one way to swallow an oyster. “No, I don’t,” she said, when she was able to speak again. “Do you? Have a girlfriend I mean?”
“I did up until two months ago.”
She quirked an eyebrow at him in question.
“Shelley decided she liked women. One in particular—Claire.”
Grace nearly choked all over again, this time on her water. It was some thirty seconds before she could speak again. “Does she realize that Claire is heterosexual and getting married in a few weeks?”
“She does, but I think she was tired of hiding her affection.”
“Does Claire know?”
“She does now. I walked in on Shelley making the moves on Claire. I’m pretty certain your sister was as blown away as I was.”
“James, I’m so sorry. That must have been devastating.”
“Honestly, I understand why she’s at
tracted to Claire. Your sister is something special.”
Grace couldn’t help but laugh. “You didn’t have to grow up with her.”
James smiled back.
*****
David did not like where the conversation was headed. It was pure torture for him to have to watch the action and not be able to intervene. He was supposed to be resting for their next mission. Instead he had chosen to spy on his love. He had checked on Grace to make sure she was safe. He figured with her sister’s shower, Grace would be exhausted and getting ready for bed. The last thing he expected was to catch her on a date with a man who looked like a pro wrestler. Not that he could see her date—he saw the image in her mind. She hadn’t wasted any time finding another boyfriend.
Only years of training helped David control the jealousy racing through his system like a lit fuse. He could not stay with her. But damned if he would let her date a pro-wrestler. He withdrew temporarily. Ten minutes later, he had talked Sophia into helping him. The pro-wrestler had been busy. He was holding Grace’s hand and doing his best to plead his case.
“I thought there was something special about you from the moment I saw you.”
This time David caught the echo of his unvoiced thoughts: Your sister is mighty special, too. It’s a shame she’s getting hitched.
*****
“I’d like to see you again before the wedding. What do you say we do this again?”
Grace was nodding her head, when James added, “Baby, you have mighty big tits.”
She froze and all that came out of her mouth was “gaah.” James looked like he was as surprised as Grace.
“I don’t know why I said that. I didn’t mean it. Of course, I don’t mean you don’t have nice…ahh…you know what I mean. But I wasn’t thinking about that. It kind of came from nowhere.”
His face was as bright as a red balloon. Grace didn’t wait around for explanations. She was already headed across the dance floor to find Claire. “I’m going home.” She called back over her shoulder.
“Grace wait, please. I…I don’t know why I said that. I mean you look great but…”
Grace ignored his plea and kept walking until she reached Claire. “Time to go. I’ll be outside.”
Claire took one look at her face and didn’t ask any questions. She collected her things and was soon outside, where she found Grace patiently waiting by their car. “What happened?”
“James paid homage to my boobs.”
“Really? Are you sure? That doesn’t sound like James.”
Grace looked at her. “Yes, I’m sure. He told me he liked my tits. Not to mention he called me baby. I hate men that do that.”
“Okay. Well, calm down. Maybe he had too much to drink. Listen, you drive, I’ll ride shotgun and James, the bad boy, can ride in back.”
Grace nodded and dug out the keys as James rushed out of the bar, continuing to apologize. Thankfully, Claire was good at filling the awkward silence, and the ride home wasn’t as uncomfortable as Grace had dreaded. She was also grateful James was staying at a hotel. They dropped him off and were at her condo within twenty minutes. She was relieved when she could close her front door on the disastrous evening and sag against it.
*****
David laughed. He had not lost his touch. Grace was uncomfortable, and he was tired, but that was a small price to pay for peace of mind. He could now rest easy knowing she was back in her condo, no harm done. Hopefully, the pro-wrestler was too embarrassed to spend any more time chasing after Grace. If not, David had plenty more ammunition up his sleeve.
Chapter Twenty-Two
New Client
Monday morning, Grace fought a rising tide of new job nerves, as she carefully considered what to wear to her meeting with Gallant’s star client. She chose a navy blue pant suit and pink blouse with a pair of short heels.
Grace arrived about ten minutes early and was asked to wait in the lobby. Eventually, Brice’s assistant appeared to take her to the twentieth floor, where he had his office. When she got there, he was talking to another gentleman who turned to greet her when she entered the room. Grace barely managed to keep her gasp of surprise in check when she saw who it was. He looked even more handsome in person than he did in the newspaper and on television, dressed in a charcoal suit and light blue shirt, his blond hair slicked back. Something about his stance was familiar for other reasons, too. Brice made the introductions.
“Grace Woznisky, this is Kyle Willard. Kyle, Grace has been hired to assist you with your pet project.”
She was still in shock but managed to reach her hand out in response to his outstretched hand.
“Hello, Grace. It’s nice to meet you. Again.”
So they had met before. Where? When? His voice was deep and melodic and sent shivers up her spine. Where had she heard it before? His eyes were an odd shade of blue—an angel’s eyes. Except Grace was pretty certain he wasn’t an angel. He pulled a padded chair out from a round, wood table and gestured his hand out for her to take a seat. She did so. He walked around and took the seat opposite her. Again, something about his gait and manner was familiar.
Surprisingly, Brice did not sit. Instead he walked to the door. “I’ll leave you two to get acquainted.”
“I believe the last time we met we neglected to exchange names.”
That’s when it hit her. “Brains? You’re Kyle Willard, techno genius?ˮ Wait until she told Claire. She would never believe her. Her online man was Kyle Willard! This was as good if not better than John Mayer. Silly. Still, the fact she had nearly dated a billionaire wasn’t lost on her. Claire would be impressed. Grace imagined herself pulling out her cell phone to take his picture. As usual, her thoughts were running away with her. She wrenched them back to the present. Kyle was watching her, a small smile on his face. Her stomach churned.
“I’m sorry if I’ve taken you by surprise. I like to go incognito at times. It makes it easier to meet new people—know who I can trust and such. Do you forgive me?” He smiled again, his blue eyes seeming to peer inside her mind.
“Yes, of course. I mean, we only chatted online a bit, and you looked so different on the beach. I had no idea you were him. I mean Kyle Willard.”
“No need to be nervous. This is strictly professional. At least at the moment.” Another blinding smile came Grace’s way.
“Are you curious to learn about my pet project?”
“Yes, I am.”
“My company is on the verge of a technological breakthrough in the field of bionics. We have spent many years researching and designing artificial body parts. Our newest prototype is unique in that it most perfectly emulates the movement of the human body. When fitted with this bionic limb, those who were formerly disabled can do all the activities those without artificial limbs can do—only better.”
Willard paused to give her time to take in the magnitude of the advancement. Grace was suitably awed.
“This year, I’m opening a museum to showcase the company’s innovations. I would like to intersperse some of the displays with artwork. Gallant tells me you have talent. What do you think?”
Grace found herself blushing. It was the way Willard looked at her, like he undressed her and liked what he saw.
“I think I have good ideas. But what exactly would you be wanting?”
“I’m not ready to reveal the details. First, I need a bit more information.”
He leaned back in his chair and crossed his long legs. His blond hair made a sort of halo around his head with the sunlight streaming in through the window behind him. She pictured the Archangel Michael she used to have over her bed as a child. Did he have any idea of the impact he was having on her? From the way he was looking at her, he might. Breathe.
“What are your hobbies?”
Grace shrugged. “I’ve already shared most of them with Brains…I mean you. I’m crafty. I like to read. I like to travel. What about yourself?”
Kyle shook his head but smiled charmingly, taking the sting o
ut of his next words and revealing a cute dimple on his right side. “Not so fast. That’s not how this works. I’m not satisfied with your answers. And I need to be before you get to ask me questions. Describe a typical day in your life?”
He settled back in his chair, steepling his fingers and placing them under his chin, listening. Grace giggled nervously. Brains was more unusual than she had ever realized when they had been online pen pals. Most clients didn’t want to know about her. They only cared about what she could do for them.
“Okay, let me see. I get up in the morning. I feed Harvey—my bird. Well, you know about Harvey. I don’t function well until I have my coffee, so I usually make coffee next. If it’s a weekend, I read the paper. Sometimes I make breakfast. I might call my family—you remember my sister lives out of town. If it’s nice, I might spend time at the lake, of course.”
“And?”
He continued to stare at her, fingers steepled, listening closely. Grace fidgeted in her chair. What more did he want from her? After all, she had shared the pertinent details with Brains. There wasn’t much more to tell. But he was her new client. She needed to find a way to humor him.
“And…I might look for beach glass—I must have told you about my collection. I use the glass in my art. Or if it’s raining, I might go shopping or catch a movie.”
“Alone?”
“Usually.” Why was that important? “Sometimes my next door neighbor, Barbara, comes along.” She paused. “Anything else you’d like to know?”
He strode over to the windows, which looked out over a lovely waterfall. “Of course.” He responded almost absently, staring at the scene below. “Everything.”
“Excuse me?”
He turned suddenly again to face her, walking back to his seat briskly. “Tell me everything. You’ll find, Grace, I don’t do anything in half measures.”
Grace was clearly out of her element. If she had had some warning Brains was also Kyle Willard and soon to be her client, she would have been more prepared. She could have done her homework and researched him. She would have known he was eccentric and been ready for the inquisition. As it was, she felt bowled over by his interest, unsure of what she could possibly say that would pique his curiosity. She didn’t think he wanted to date her anymore—not after she had rejected him. There was a reason the papers called him a genius. He obviously liked to know about those he hired to work for them. Grace hoped she passed the test.
