He sighed, letting loose of his anger. It wasn’t Aislinn he was upset with, it was the damn sorcerer, and he refused to take his temper out on his mate. The man was starting to get under his skin, always popping up when Aislinn was alone, and then disappearing before Connor could enter the room. It was hard to fight against something, or someone, you couldn’t see.
“Yeah. It was brought to my attention today that I don’t do well with paperwork. I was hoping you would work for my company as my secretary.”
She bit her lip, some of her excitement fading. “Connor, you don’t have to invent a job just to make me feel more useful.”
He lightly caressed her arms. “I’m not. I really do need your help.”
She tipped her head to the side. “Really? You really need me?”
He smiled and tugged on a strand of her hair. “Yes, I really need you.” For a moment he wondered if they were talking about his office, or something else. “My office is a mess and my filing system… Well, it mostly consists of stacks of paper here, there, and everywhere. You’ll have to order some supplies to get me organized.”
She smiled and threw her arms around him, hugging him tight.
“I thought you could start Monday. I have no idea how much a secretary costs these days, but I’ll do some research on it today and let you know your salary by dinner tonight. There’s even a health insurance plan.”
“Thank you,” she said softly.
If he didn’t know better, he would swear it was love he saw in her eyes. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part. Regardless, he was obviously moving in the right direction.
“I better get back to work. I just came home to check on you.”
The smile slipped from her face. “I’m sorry you were worried. I wanted to call, but…”
“But he wouldn’t let you,” he finished. If he ever got his hands on the sorcerer, he was going to choke the life out of him. Assuming you could kill someone who’d lived for a thousand years. For all he knew, the sorcerer couldn’t die.
She nodded.
Caressing her cheek, he pressed a soft kiss against her lips. “It’s okay, Aislinn. I know it wasn’t your fault.”
She leaned into him and rested her cheek against his chest. Being in his arms always comforted her. His strength made her feel protected, his embrace made her feel cherished. It felt so right to be with him.
“You look beautiful,” he said quietly, his hand caressing her back. The green suited her and he loved seeing her in something so feminine. He only wished that he had bought it for her.
Not wanting to part from her, he asked, “Would you like to come to work with me? See what kind of mess you’ll be getting into if you take the job?”
She leaned back and smiled up at him. “I’d love to. Just let me grab my purse.”
Connor waited patiently while Aislinn got her purse and brushed out her hair. When she was ready, he gently clasped her hand and walked with her out to the truck. He always felt calm and content when she was near.
He glanced down at the ring on her finger and smiled. Knowing that she was his gave him more satisfaction than anything else. He only wished that she would trust him a little more. It was going to be a constant battle, one he was ready to win, but he wanted to erase the pain of her past and show her that a man could take care of her. He wanted to be the one to prove to her that not all men were like her ex-husband.
His throat constricted. Truth be told, he knew that Hugh wasn’t her ex. In order for there to be an ex, there would have been a divorce. Even knowing that her husband was in another reality, it still ate at Connor. He wanted Aislinn to be solely his, and he felt that as long as Hugh was out there that would never happen.
If he could ever nail the sorcerer down, he’d ask if it would be possible to take a trip to Aislinn’s time. Every time he thought of the man’s hands on her, he saw red. He knew violence wasn’t the answer, but he wanted Aislinn to be well and truly free from her past life. He just didn’t know how to accomplish it.
Chapter Twelve
Aislinn followed Connor into his work trailer at the construction site. During her previous visit, she’d only had eyes for Connor and his argumentative employee, Cameron. Now, she viewed the place through the eyes of his future secretary, and she realized at once that it was going to be a lot of work. She was thrilled that he had such confidence in her and anxious to get started.
“Could I look through things and give you a list of supplies I’ll need? That way I can start right away on Monday.”
He nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. I know you need file folders and those green things that hang in the cabinet to keep them organized.”
She stifled a grin. “You mean hanging files?”
He shrugged and looked sheepish. “I honestly don’t know. Maybe if I knew more about them, I would have used them and this place wouldn’t be such a mess.”
She lost the battle and smiled at him. “Yes, but then you wouldn’t need me.”
His face grew serious and he pulled her closer. “I’ll always need you, Aislinn.”
She blushed and looked up at him through her lashes. Shaking her head, she took a step back. “No, sir, Mr. Tierney. If I’m going to work for you, we’re going to have to lay some ground rules.”
He grinned. “Really? And what might those be?”
“No fondling the help.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Well, I’ll endeavor to keep the fondling to a minimal, except for after hours.”
Aislinn placed a hand on her hip. It wasn’t that she minded his touch, but the man was distracting enough already. If he kept touching her at every turn, she was going to lose it.
“I mean it, Connor. How am I supposed to get you organized if you’re going to grab me at every turn?”
He held his hands up in surrender and did his best to keep a straight face. Fondling indeed! “Okay, I promise to keep my hands to myself.” As much as possible, he added silently.
She glanced around the space. “Um, Connor… Where am I supposed to work in here?”
He looked around and realized the only flat surface was his desk, which was currently covered in papers.
“I’ll bring a small desk and work table in first thing Monday.”
She nodded and began looking through the various piles of paper work. She frowned as she tried to figure out the different forms he had strewn about the place. It looked mostly like invoices, job bids, and contracts. Those would be easy to sort. With a shrug, she figured anything else she could set aside and ask Connor about at a later time.
“Do you have a pen and paper I could use to make my list?” she asked without looking up from her task.
He grabbed a notepad and pen from his desk and handed them to her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he kissed the top of her head.
“Thanks for coming in to help me.”
She smiled, accepting the items. “You’re paying me for my help. And remember, hands to yourself.”
He chuckled and retreated behind his desk, figuring that was the only way he wouldn’t touch her every second of the day. Anytime he was near her, he wanted to hold her. Having her on the job site with him was going to be a unique form of torture, but at least he wouldn’t have to worry about the sorcerer disappearing with her again.
Sitting down, he tried to focus on his budget reports again, but his eyes kept drifting to Aislinn. After fifteen minutes of being unable to work, he grabbed his hard hat and headed for the door.
“I’m just going to be outside checking on the guys. I’ll be back shortly.”
She smiled and nodded before returning to her piles of papers.
Connor let his gaze drift down her body one last time before disappearing through the door. As he stepped out into the sunshine, he took a deep breath. Work was about to get a lot more interesting with Aislinn around.
An hour later, Aislinn had a list of the supplies she would need in order to not only organize Connor, but
keep him that way. She’d also notated the items that were running low, like pencils and staples. In the end, instead of separating out the different types of documents, she’d decided to use a file folder for each company Connor dealt with and have folders with multiple tabs for the different items. It seemed the most efficient way of getting things in order, even if the folders did cost a small fortune.
Connor still hadn’t returned and she wasn’t sure what to do with her time. She spotted a hard hat hanging on the wall and thought about putting it on and looking for him. Glancing at the clock, she decided to give him another fifteen minutes before she searched for him.
She hesitantly walked behind his desk and sat in his chair, feeling a little out of place, like she was trespassing. Pulling up his computer, she didn’t look at the document that came up, but went straight to the games folder. A game of solitaire was just the thing to pass the time. She opened the game and soon became lost in the aggravation of trying to best the computer, so focused, in fact, that she didn’t hear the door open.
“Well, what do we have here?” a male voice said, sending chills down her spine.
She looked up and her eyes widened. The man was tall, but not as tall as Connor. Where her mate was lean and muscled, this man was thick and fat, apparently enjoying an excess of food and drink. She shrunk into the chair and hoped he would go away. Instead, he came closer, an oily smile on his face and a gleam in his eyes that she didn’t trust.
“So who are you, sweet thing?”
“Aislinn,” she answered softly.
“And just what are you doing in the boss’s chair?”
“Playing a game.”
His smile widened and his eyes darkened, frightening her even more.
“I bet I know a better game we could play.”
Aislinn was about to try out her new-found powers when Connor stepped into the trailer. He took one look at her terrified face and narrowed his eyes on the construction worker.
“Something I can help you with, Charlie?”
He flicked a glance over his shoulder at Connor. “Just introducing myself to the little lady here.”
Connor walked past him to stand behind Aislinn and laid a proprietary hand on her shoulder. “She looked a little scared for an introduction.”
The man eyed him with interest, but backed up a step, realizing there was something going on between the woman and his boss. He held up a hand.
“No harm intended. Just thought we could have some fun, but I see she’s already taken.”
Connor fought back a growl. “Yes, she is.” With a tight smile, he said, “Charlie, this is my fiancé Asilinn. Sweetheart, this is Charlie, one of the men on the construction crew.”
Charlie’s eyebrows lifted at the word fiancé and he backed up even further. “Well, it seems congratulations are in order. I hadn’t heard that you were getting married.”
“Make sure everyone else knows.”
Charlie nodded, understanding the underlined meaning. Aislinn was Connor’s and anyone who didn’t know or remember that would pay the price. The boss man was fair and no one wanted to jeopardize their job over a woman.
“I’ll do that. I was just coming in to let you know that the men on the east side are going to take a break.”
“Thanks. Be sure to get something cool to drink before getting back to work.”
Charlie nodded again and backed out of the door, his eyes flicking over to Aislinn once more. This time the darkness was held at bay and he seemed like an ordinary guy.
After the man left, Aislinn let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. The tension in her shoulders eased and she leaned her head back, closing her eyes.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“I’m sorry I left you alone. I should have taken you around and introduced you to everyone before disappearing on you.”
She shook her head. “It’s okay, Connor. I’m fine.”
He growled. “No, you’re not. You were terrified when I came in.”
“He’s just a big guy,” she hedged, not wanting to get the man in trouble for something that may very well have been her overactive imagination. And yet, she’d seen darkness in him. Another ability perhaps, to see the good or evil within someone?
“I think it was something more than that, but I’ll let the matter lie for now.”
She nodded and wiggled the computer mouse, pulling her game back up. “I hope you don’t mind, but I borrowed your computer while you were gone.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “No, I don’t mind. I have nothing to hide from you, Aislinn.”
She smiled up at him. “I know, but I didn’t want to mess with your computer when you had work stuff pulled up. I was just too bored waiting for you and temptation won out.”
“Speaking of temptation,” he murmured before lowering his head and kissing her softly.
Aislinn curled her hand around the back of his neck, his kisses always left her humming and wanting more.
When he pulled back, he smiled. “Ready to go?”
She nodded and stood, ready to follow him anywhere. She wasn’t sure how to convince Connor she was ready for the next step in their relationship, but she was determined it would happen that night.
She slipped her hand into his, picked up her purse, and followed him out of the office. With a smile on her face, she wondered if her magick could do the same things as Eric’s. Maybe, just maybe, she could create something like he had done that morning with her green dress. She’d seen the appreciative look in Connor’s eyes and she wanted to see it again.
Chapter Thirteen
Later that night, Aislinn paced the bedroom. Connor had kissed her on the cheek after dinner and said he needed to take care of a few things, and then he’d run out of the house like his tail was on fire.
Shaking her head, she blew out a frustrated breath. Why was he playing hard to get? She knew he wanted her, it was evident in the way he watched her, touched her… and yet he didn’t claim her.
She kicked a pile of laundry in frustration and heard a chuckle behind her. Spinning around, she saw it was the sorcerer and narrowed her eyes.
“Now what? Is there a puppy being kicked somewhere you need to show me?”
He smirked, knowing her anger wasn’t directed at him but at her mate. Crossing his arms, he strolled over to her.
“It seems you have a bit of a temper.”
She froze and looked at him, stunned. “You’re right. I always did, but then…”
“Then your husband beat it out of you?”
She nodded, surprised to discover she had been acting more and more like her old self. It was thrilling!
“You know, I suspect your husband is the reason the werewolf hasn’t claimed you.” He glanced at her ring. “Well, in a more werewolf type of way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Technically, you’re still married, as far as he’s concerned. You’d be dead if you were in the other world, but that doesn’t matter to Connor. To him, you and Hugh are still connected, and it’s stopping him from acting on his urges.”
She frowned and her heart sank. “I can’t do anything about Hugh, so how am I supposed to convince Connor I belong to him?”
With a wicked grin, the sorcerer raked his eyes over her body. Aislinn felt her skin humming and looked down. Surprised, she now found herself draped in a gauzy nightgown with a halter style top and long skirt that touched the tops of her feet, a slit in each side running up to her hips. In the light, it left little to the imagination. Noticing the look in the sorcerer’s eyes, she blushed and crossed her arms over her chest.
“So this nightgown will change his mind?”
“It would certainly change mine,” he murmured, his eyes burning with desire. It was obviously time for him to find a woman.
Her blush deepened and she took a step back. “Thanks.”
He nodded and looked around the room. Grinning, he waved his hand and dimmed the lights. Candles appeared
on the dresser and the air was scented with jasmine and honeysuckle.
Aislinn looked around in amazement. “I know what you can do, but I’m always stunned when I see the proof of your magick.”
“Our magick.”
“So, I can do things like this too?”
“With some practice.”
She nodded; at least one of her questions had been answered.
Eric looked toward the door with narrowed eyes. “I think it’s time for me to leave. Your mate isn’t too happy with me right now and he’ll be here any second.”
“Will you be back soon?”
“Yes. There’s still much for you to learn about your abilities. Try not to get into trouble.”
She looked affronted. “And just why would you think I’d get into trouble?”
“I saw you earlier, in Connor’s office. If that guy hadn’t backed down, you would have blasted him just like the child molester from earlier in the day. Except this time you would have known what you were doing and the blast would have been far more powerful.”
She bit her lip. “I’m guessing that wouldn’t have been a good thing.”
“I noticed you didn’t tell your mate about what happened during our morning trip. If you’re trying to keep your magick a secret, it’s best not to use it around him or his work place.”
“I understand. It’s not that I want to keep anything from him, but… I just don’t understand my powers yet. How can I explain to him something I don’t even get?”
Eric stepped closer and hugged her briefly. “It will get better. I promise.”
She gave him a hesitant smile and returned the hug. “Thank you, for everything you’ve done. I wouldn’t have made it without you.”
With a smile, Eric vanished, leaving her alone in the room. A moment later, she heard the front door open and close. She heard Connor’s footsteps in the living room and then the kitchen. Listening intently, she heard the refrigerator open, clinking, and then heard it close.
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