“Thank you.” Elsa grabbed her handbag from the backseat floor, slipped her cell phone inside, then opened the door slowly while Shanna moved out of the way. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Elsa Bjornberg.”
“Oh, I know.” Shanna’s eyes widened as Elsa climbed out of the car. “Wow. You must be over six foot.”
Elsa gritted her teeth and shut the door. Yes, I’m freakishly large. I’m so tall I occasionally suffer from altitude sickness. “I’m six foot two.”
Shanna’s eyes lit up. “You’re perfect!”
Huh? That wasn’t the usual response. Elsa hitched her handbag onto her shoulder. “Thanks. By the way, Alastair is here, too. He’s taking a look around. He’s very excited about renovating your house. I am, too. We think it has enormous potential.”
“Oh.” Shanna’s smile looked strained. “That’s nice.”
Another odd reaction. Owners were usually bouncing with joy at this point. Elsa motioned toward the house. “Can we take a look inside?”
“Of course.” Shanna glanced at her watch, then down the driveway.
“Hello,” Alastair called out as he approached. “You must be Mrs. Draganesti?”
Shanna spun around to greet him. “Oh, my. It’s Big Al.” She shook his hand. “I’m a big fan of your show. Please call me Shanna.”
“Delighted to meet you, Shanna.” Alastair turned off his flashlight. “I just finished a quick exterior inspection, and I must say I absolutely adore this house. I can’t wait to start work on it!”
Shanna gave him a weak smile. “Well, you might change your mind once you see the inside.” She dug in her handbag and removed a set of old keys.
Alastair gave Elsa a questioning look, and she shrugged. The owner seemed to be having second thoughts about them working on her house.
Shanna climbed the steps to the front porch. “I’m afraid the inside is a disaster. The electricity and plumbing don’t work, and I think there are some birds living in the attic.”
“Those are fairly common problems with an old house,” Elsa assured her. “We’re accustomed to completely redoing the wiring and plumbing.”
“And Oskar loves trapping birds,” Alastair added with a smile.
“I see.” Shanna unlocked the door, and it creaked open. “I have some extra flashlights here.” She reached inside a basket by the door and handed one to Elsa, then took another for herself.
Alastair clicked his on and gasped. “Good Lord, Ellie, look at the staircase! It’s magnificent.”
“Wow.” She moved forward, running her flashlight beam up the elegant curve of the staircase.
“Look at that!” Alastair aimed his flashlight straight up at the cupola. “Stunning, absolutely stunning.”
“And this is a gatehouse?” Elsa turned to Shanna. “There must be a really spectacular main house somewhere near by.”
Shanna winced. “Well, yes. There’s a mansion about three miles down the road. But it’s a very private school, and under no circumstances can its existence be made public.”
That amount of secrecy seemed a bit odd. Elsa exchanged a look with Alastair. “There would be no need to ever mention the school on our show.”
“But it would be interesting to see the mansion,” Alastair murmured.
“No!” Shanna shook her head. “No one can be allowed anywhere near it. It has . . . troubled children. Juvenile delinquents. It wouldn’t be safe for you to go there.”
Very strange. Elsa exchanged another look with Alastair.
“We’ll be fine, Shanna,” he insisted. “We can post security guards here at night to watch over the supplies. We always do that when we work in metropolitan areas.”
Shanna glanced at her watch and bit her lip. “I hope you didn’t have any trouble finding the place. This is such a remote location. I’m afraid it could be terribly hard for you to get your supplies here.”
Was the owner just nervous, or was she trying to back out? Elsa took a deep breath and smiled. “Please don’t let that concern you. We don’t think the location will be a problem. It will be a nice change for our show.”
“I see.” Instead of looking relieved, the owner looked more agitated.
“I sense you’re having second thoughts,” Elsa said gently. “That’s a fairly common reaction once people realize that their house will actually be featured on our show. There are privacy and financial concerns.”
Shanna sighed. “There is a problem. I didn’t think about it when I first contacted you. I was just so excited about you coming here. But when I discussed it with my husband and his . . . colleagues, they pointed out some serious security and privacy issues I’d forgotten to consider.”
“We would do our best to comply with your needs,” Elsa assured her.
“I appreciate that,” Shanna said. “My husband and I work far away during the day, and we would never be able to do any interviews for your show. Our names would have to remain private, and we would have to use someone else to represent us.”
“We’ve done that before,” Alastair said. “To be perfectly honest, the focus of the show is the house, not the owner. As long as your representative can meet with us during the day and doesn’t mind doing an occasional interview, then we’re fine with that.”
“Well, I’m not sure if he’ll agree to it.” Shanna glanced at her watch once again. “He was supposed to be here by now.”
“If he agrees to represent you, will you let us do the house?” Alastair asked. “We can cover the cost of the renovation up to the amount of fifty thousand, and we won’t go over that without consulting you.”
“And we stand by all our work,” Elsa added. “We have to. Everything we do is thoroughly documented on the show.”
“And we’ll put it all in writing, of course,” Alastair said. “We’ll turn this house back into the masterpiece it deserves to be.”
Shanna heaved a sigh. “It’s so tempting. Believe me, I really want you to do it. I just haven’t convinced—” Her eyes widened. “I hear a car coming.”
She must have awfully good hearing, for Elsa didn’t hear anything.
Shanna smiled at her. “Howard’s coming. He doesn’t know you’re here, so he’s going to be totally taken by surprise. He’s a huge fan!” She dropped her flashlight in the basket by the door and hurried outside.
Alastair sidled up close to Elsa. “Are you getting strange vibes?”
She snorted. “Tell me about it.” She’d been getting them since they’d entered the forest.
“Something odd about the owner,” Alastair whispered. “But I really want to do this house. If the rep seems like a decent chap, I say we go for it.”
Elsa nodded. “I agree.” The house was very tempting, but the strange vibes were tempting, too. It was as if she’d caught a glimpse of a puzzle she was anxious to solve.
She finally heard the sound of a car engine. “Let’s go.” She returned her flashlight to the basket and peered outside.
Alastair turned his flashlight off and joined Elsa by the front door.
“Howard!” Shanna called out. “Thank you for coming.”
“Is there a problem?” a masculine voice responded. “Toni told me to come here right away.”
Elsa swallowed hard. Whoever this Howard was, he had a sexy voice. Deep and powerful enough to make her insides quiver. She inched out onto the dark porch.
Shanna ran forward to meet the newcomer, who had parked an SUV down the driveway in a dark area beneath the trees. “We’re thinking of renovating this house. You won’t believe who’s here!”
Howard emerged from the shadows, partially lit by a floodlight.
Elsa gasped.
“Blimey,” Alastair whispered. “He’s bloody huge.”
Elsa pressed a hand to her chest as her heart thundered. He was tall, taller than her. And big, bigger than her. Solid as a boulder, yet he moved with a stealthy, fluid grace. She eased forward, waiting for him to enter fully into the light. Any second now.
&n
bsp; There.
Her heart lurched up her throat. He was gorgeous. Strong, masculine face, beautiful blue eyes, and thick brown hair. His black T-shirt molded to a wide, muscular chest, and the sleeves stretched across biceps that made her mouth water.
Her skin tingled with goose bumps. Was this what she had anticipated ever since she’d entered the forest? Somehow, she had known something was waiting for her just around the bend. Something big.
He was definitely big. And having a big effect on her. She felt breathless, weak at the knees, and dazed, as if she were in a dream.
He halted suddenly at something Shanna had whispered to him. “What?”
“It’s true,” Shanna said. “She’s here.”
His eyes widened as he turned to stare at the house. His gaze found her on the dark porch, and his mouth fell open. Her heart leaped in response.
He closed his eyes, and his chest expanded as he took a deep breath. Was he trying to smell her? When his eyes opened, they gleamed a richer blue. He looked at her, and his gorgeous mouth curled slowly into a smile.
Alastair snorted. “I don’t think he’ll mind working with you.”
She’d certainly like to work with him. She ventured out of the shadow and into the light.
Howard sprinted toward her, then skidded to a halt in the gravel in front of the porch. He gazed at her, an amazed expression on his face.
“Elsa,” he whispered.
His voice went through her like a delicious shiver. “Hi,” she breathed.
He continued to stare at her. “Hi.”
“How do you do?” Alastair stepped forward, extending a hand. “I’m Alastair Whitfield.”
“Howard Barr.” He glanced at Alastair, then focused once again on Elsa, forgetting to shake hands. “It’s really you.”
“Yes.” She licked her lips, suddenly as nervous as a schoolgirl.
His gaze dropped to her mouth, then back to her eyes. “Do you know how beautiful you are?”
Her heart melted.
“Too bad we don’t have a camera rolling,” Alastair muttered.
“I knew it,” Shanna whispered, her eyes glistening with tears.
“So do we have a deal?” Alastair asked. “We can renovate this house?”
“Perhaps,” Shanna answered. “If I can convince my husband. And if Howard will agree to oversee the project—”
“I will,” he said, never taking his eyes off Elsa. He stretched a hand toward her. “I’m very happy to meet you.”
Her heart fluttered. “Howard.” She placed her hand in his.
An instant frisson of electricity shot up her arm. She gasped and stepped back, stumbling on the porch steps. Howard grabbed her by the upper arms to steady her.
She cried out as a flame of heat seared the birthmark on her right shoulder.
“Are you all right?” Howard leaned close to her, his eyes worried.
She scrambled out of his reach, grasping her shoulder. The heat from her birthmark scorched her left hand, forcing her to let go. “Agh.” Her palm was red. Burned.
Oh God, no. She curled her injured hand into a fist. It couldn’t be real. Her aunt had always warned her this could happen, but she’d never believed it.
She glanced at Howard, who was watching her with a confused look. Oh God, no! Not him.
He’d activated the curse.
Chapter Six
What the hell had happened? He could have sworn she liked him, but now she was recoiling in horror.
“Elsa?” Howard reached out to her, and she jumped back.
Her handbag slipped off her shoulder and she grabbed it, wincing as if in pain.
“Are you hurt?” He could still feel the heat stinging his left hand from when he’d touched her.
“I . . . excuse me.” She gave Shanna and Alastair an apologetic look. “I need to make a personal call.” She rushed down the steps, giving Howard a wide berth, then dashed to her car and climbed into the driver’s seat.
Alastair plastered a wide grin on his face. “The poor girl is exhausted. We started the day in London, don’t you know. It’s been a dreadfully long day.”
Shanna nodded with a sympathetic smile, then glanced toward the car. “I hope she’ll be all right.”
Howard eased a little closer to the car. With his superior senses, he might be able to hear her phone conversation. It was wrong to invade her privacy, but dammit, he had to know what had happened. He couldn’t strategize his next move without more information.
“Shanna, I do hope you’ll allow us to renovate this house,” Alastair said. “It would be perfect for our show.”
Howard turned his head toward Alastair and Shanna so it would look like he was focused on their conversation.
“Aunt Greta,” Elsa whispered urgently into her phone. “I—I think it happened. You told me to call you immediately if my birthmark ever—”
Howard strained but couldn’t catch what the aunt was saying. If only Elsa wasn’t closed up in a car.
“Yes, it’s burning,” Elsa said. “Something terrible.”
He flexed his left hand. It was still sore from touching her. Apparently, the mysteriously hot birthmark was on her right shoulder.
“I’ll discuss it with my husband,” Shanna distracted him as she continued her conversation with Alastair. “We’ll give you an answer tomorrow night.”
“Excellent,” Alastair replied.
“Our biggest concern is the school down the road,” Shanna added. “We can’t allow any mention of it, and none of your employees can go anywhere near it.”
Alastair nodded. “Understood.”
Howard knew Roman and Angus wouldn’t be pleased to have a production crew so close to the academy. It was a definite security risk, but the prospect of having Elsa so close was too tempting to resist. He refocused his attention on her.
“Yes,” she whispered in the car. “I did touch someone. We shook hands.”
He tensed, waiting for more.
“No, he was a perfect gentleman.” Elsa gasped. “Greta! I don’t believe it. There was nothing wild or crazy about him.”
He winced.
“I can’t go home,” Elsa insisted. “I’m working here.” A pause. “No. You don’t need to come here. Really, Greta, I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
“We’ll be staying at the inn in Cranville,” Alastair told Shanna. “I’ll have a contract ready tomorrow night and hope for the best.”
Shanna nodded and gave Howard a questioning look. “You’re all right with representing Roman and me?”
“Sure. No problem.” He caught the end of Elsa’s line.
“I told you I don’t believe in that nonsense!”
He gritted his teeth. What nonsense?
“Do we really have to make such a big deal out of this?” Elsa asked. “He seemed perfectly safe to me. And normal.”
Howard groaned inwardly. The truth was he wasn’t normal. And if he pursued Elsa, he’d eventually have to tell her he was a were-bear. Would she be able to handle it? Maybe, if she liked him enough. He could have sworn she had felt an attraction before his touch had caused her to burn. What the hell was that about?
Elsa sighed. “Okay. I’ll try to avoid him. Yes, I’ll be careful. I’ll call you later. Bye.” She lowered the phone to her lap, frowning.
“I don’t believe in it,” she muttered to herself, then shook her head. “Why should I avoid him?”
Howard agreed. There was no way he’d let her avoid him. He strode to the driver’s side window and tapped on it.
She jumped and gave him a wary look.
“Are you all right?”
She paused, then cracked the door open a few inches. “I’m fine, thank you. We should be going now. If you could tell Alastair—”
“How is your shoulder?”
A fleeting look of shock crossed her face. “I’m fine.”
“I have a first-aid kit in my truck.” He motioned toward his SUV.
“I don�
�t need anything.” She dropped her phone into her handbag, refusing to look at him. “We’ve put in a really long day, so Alastair and I should go.”
He glanced at Alastair, who was describing some of his plans to Shanna, in no apparent hurry to leave.
“I’ll be right back.” He jogged to his SUV to retrieve the burn ointment from the first-aid kit.
“Here.” He handed her the tube through the narrow crack in the door. “You need to treat the burn on your shoulder as soon as possible.”
“Thank you.” She accepted the ointment, carefully avoiding any contact with his hand. “How did you know?”
“I touched you.” He showed her his palm, still pink from heat. “I felt it.”
She winced. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I—I don’t know why it happened.”
Fate. That was why. From the moment he’d first spied her on television, he’d felt a bond to her, a strong and irrevocable attachment. He leaned close to the narrow opening. “Did you have dinner? I could meet you and Alastair at the diner in town.”
“Well, I—I am hungry, but . . .”
“Good. I’ll see you there.”
She turned to him with an alarmed expression. “I don’t really know you.”
Howard straightened, dragging a hand through his hair. Maybe he was pushing too fast. “I’m sorry. I’ve been watching your show every week for months, so I feel like I already know you.” But did he know the real Elsa? She might be different than the persona she portrayed on television.
“You . . . watch the show?”
He smiled. “You seem surprised.”
Her cheeks flushed a light pink. “You don’t seem like the type to be into home decorating.”
He was more into watching her, but that admission would probably scare her off. “I love the show. I think you guys do amazing work.”
Her blush deepened. “Thank you.”
“So how about a quick hamburger in town? It would give you and Alastair a chance to know me better, since we’ll be working together.”
She gave him a wry look. “You’re persistent, aren’t you?”
“I don’t give up easily.” Not when I want something as badly as I want you.
Wild About You las-13 Page 6
