Chapter Twenty
ON THE DRIVE BACK TO THE TOWNHOUSE, I debated telling the others about the day’s outcome. I hated to lie to everyone, especially Aldwin, but I had a feeling that if they knew what had happened, they would pull the plug on the entire operation, and I couldn’t allow that. I wouldn’t be lying, exactly—more like an omission of the truth, and that was different… right? I couldn’t afford to let anyone else call the shots when it came to my only hope at getting back home, and this would benefit Cerberus as well. I nodded my head at the brilliance of my logic. I was doing the right thing.
When I got back home, it was nearing dinnertime, and I felt exhausted. A stack of invitations and calling cards were on a small table when I entered the foyer. I flipped through the fancy cards, wondering how they would feel after tomorrow night when I showed up on the arm of one of the most eligible bachelors in town, who also happened to be known to keep mistresses. I smiled. At least it would be interesting.
Marie hurried to take my gloves and hat. “Mrs. Howell, Mr. Connely, and Dr. Blake are waiting to have dinner with you, Ms. Hannigan.” She sounded a bit breathless.
Wow, that was quick. I guess they were anxious to hear how it had gone. This should be fun, I thought, and swallowed nervously. I really did hate to lie, even if it was for their own good.
I entered the small sitting room, and chatter stopped abruptly as all eyes anxiously turned to me. I let a huge grin split my face, and in return Elaine let out a very unladylike “Whoop!” Travis stood there a bit stunned, while Aldwin came over to give my arm a squeeze and say, “Good job, Sage. We knew you could do it.”
I blushed and looked away from his approving gaze; my heart felt a pain for being so deceitful. Travis came over, shook my hand, and offered his congratulations as I led everyone into my little dining room to talk and celebrate over dinner.
Dinner flew by quickly with everyone in high spirits at my supposed success, and we all laughed and toasted our good fortune. We were enjoying a dessert of fruit cobbler and ice cream when I asked the question that had been on my mind since earlier that day.
“Why didn’t any of you tell me Soren would expect me to pretend to be his mistress as part of my employment with him? It would have been nice to have known ahead of time, so I wouldn’t have been thrown off guard,” I said with a little chuckle.
You could have heard a pin drop.
I looked around at my dinner companions, my fork poised halfway to my mouth. I lowered it and asked quietly, “What did I say?”
Elaine cleared her throat. “It’s just that he never has before. His female companions just took care of things behind the scenes, so to speak, and went with him to secret meetings and such, so it was never necessary to have that kind of understanding or cover.” She looked a bit bewildered at this turn of events and looked over at Aldwin. “Dr. Blake?” she asked.
I looked over at him and couldn’t help but shiver when I saw his thunderous expression.
He laid down his fork and took a long drink of the wine he had served in celebration before speaking. “He either knows something is up and wants to keep an eye on you—”
If it were at all possible, his expression darkened even further.
“—or he is interested in you and wants to keep an eye on you. Either way, it’s a complication.”
He had no idea what the real complications were. I nearly laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of the whole situation. I looked over at Travis, who was scowling down into his plate, and since he hardly ever scowled, I figured I’d better try and salvage the situation.
“I don’t think he was onto anything, Aldwin.” Unless you counted him pinning me to the top of his desk, I thought absently. I must have had a bit too much wine—I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a good time to giggle.
“And I very seriously doubt he has a crush on me. He is a very powerful vampire who could have any woman he wants. He wouldn’t look twice at someone like me when he has so many choices,” I said honestly.
Aldwin threw his hands in the air. “You have no idea of your aura, do you, Sage?” This came from Elaine, who had an incredulous look on her face that I couldn’t fathom. “You draw people to yourself; you are beautiful and so very sure of who you are,” she said.
It was my turn to look incredulously at her. Me? Beautiful and sure of myself? I had never felt that way.
Elaine shook her head at the doubtful look on my face.
“Either way,” I said, clearing my throat, “I don’t think we are compromised, and we should continue on as planned.” I took a long drink of my wine while everyone started loudly discussing the situation.
Suddenly, Travis stood up from the table, and we all stopped to stare at his abruptness.
“She’s right. We should carry on as planned. Our dealings with the vampire have been above reproach.” He cleared his throat and continued on, looking tired and irritated. “The mission is too important to back out of now.”
I stood up as well, looking around the table at the people who had become my friends in the past few weeks. It suddenly hit me how much I was going to miss everyone if I got my wish to go back home. “I don’t plan on backing out, and nothing short of locking me up would stop me from carrying on with the mission. And I dare anyone to try that,” I said as I met each of their stares.
No one spoke for a moment.
“Good. Well, that settles that. I don’t know about all of you, but I have had a long day, and I have to meet with Soren tomorrow, so I’d love to try and get some rest.” I purposely ignored the daggers Aldwin was glaring at me and went around the table to embrace Elaine. “It’s going to be fine,” I whispered in her ear. I pulled back and gave her a small, encouraging smile.
She clucked like a worried hen. “I see you have your mind made up, so I won’t argue. You do look tired, so try and get some sleep. Aldwin will stay here to secure the townhouse before heading back to Howell Home.” She walked out of the dining room with Travis in tow, leaving me alone to face the wrath of one very pissed-off doctor.
“Aldwin, please don’t. I just can’t handle any more today.” I walked over to him, but he wouldn’t look at me, and his jaw was clenched so hard I thought it might shatter. I sighed, walked out of the dining room, and headed upstairs to my bedroom. I almost made it, too, but as I opened my bedroom door, I realized Aldwin was right on my heels. I didn’t even bother to try and shut him out, I just left the door open and commenced with operation ignore the large, sexy, brooding doctor.
The door closed, but I knew he was in the room; I could feel him staring holes into the back of my head. Whatever. I so did not need any drama. I plucked the pins out of my hair, feeling a little stress seep away when it all came free. Pulling my shirt out of the waistband of my skirt, I turned to raise an eyebrow at my Peeping Tom, giving him a chance to leave.
He scowled even harder at me. “We need to discuss this, Sage,” he growled, his fury barely contained.
“You may think we need to discuss this, but I don’t need to do anything except go to bed,” I snapped, my own irritation starting to stir. Pompous, arrogant, overbearing, caveman!
He crossed his arms defiantly.
Ah, well, two could play at that game. I unbuttoned the top button of my shirt, then the second, and then the third.
He stood, unmoved and unaffected.
Hardball, is it? I grinned; I did love a good challenge.
My blouse was hanging open when I turned my back to Aldwin. I slipped it slowly off my shoulders. Then, I reached behind me to unbutton my skirt, pausing long enough to give him another chance to leave. When I heard nothing, I continued. As the last button came free, I held my skirt up and wondered if I had enough guts to go on with my little challenge. Maybe I should just let him win and get it over with.
Nah, I wasn’t a quitter, even if it meant embarrassing myself a little. I was bone tired, and I tended to do stupid things when I was exhausted. And obviously, I hadn’t learned anything f
rom my actions earlier in the day.
Mind made up, I dropped my skirt and stepped out of the bundle of fabric on the floor. I was now clad only in my cream corset, panties, thigh-high stockings held up by my garters, brown leather high-heeled boots, and two dirks. I turned around slowly, my cheeks flaming at my own brazenness.
When I saw the look in his eye, though, I knew it had been worth it. All his rage had melted away, and I found myself standing before a man who was starving… and I was the main course. He walked over to me, his movements graceful and predatory as he circled around me. I couldn’t quite pull off a smirk or a snarky comment, not when he looked at me like that. I let a soft sigh escape my lips.
“Aldwin…”
He reached over and tucked a lock of hair over my shoulder, grazing the bare skin there. I nearly stopped breathing, and my corset felt way too tight as I sucked in a breath. He stepped even closer to me and lifted my chin gently with his hand, causing me to meet his eyes as he leaned in to kiss me. Just the promise of his kiss was enough to cause my knees to tremble in anticipation.
He had barely grazed my lips when I heard his breath hiss in through his teeth. I felt light-headed and confused. Why wasn’t he kissing me senseless? Why was he sniffing my neck?
Before my mind could catch up with what was going on, he grabbed both my arms in a bruising grip and shook me once so hard my head snapped back.
His glacier-colored eyes filled with blue fire. “You kissed him?”
My eyes widened at the anger rolling off him. How in the hell is he able to tell that?
“What do you mean?” I asked, my mind scrambling to make sense at the turn of events.
“Don’t play games with me, Sage,” he said, his body starting to shake with barely restrained violence. “I can smell him all over you,” he growled.
“What do you mean ‘you can smell him on me’?” I asked, my anger rising. “Yes, he kissed me, all right? I was undercover and winging it all on my own out there. I’m just trying to survive in a world I don’t understand yet, Aldwin,” I ground out.
My arms were starting to hurt where he was still grabbing me; I’d probably have bruises by morning.
“Now, get your fucking hands off me,” I said, so low and menacingly that I didn’t even recognize the sound of my own voice.
That seemed to snap him out of his rage—he dropped his hands and stepped away from me, then he raked a hand through his hair and yanked on it in frustration.
“Get out,” I said quietly, not looking at him.
“Sage…” he whispered.
I heard the regret in his voice, but at that moment it didn’t matter. “I said get out, Aldwin.”
Long after I heard the door close behind him, and long after I’d stripped down to dress in my soft cotton nightgown, I could still smell the heavy aroma of honey and spices lingering in my room. I banished it all from my mind; I was too tired to deal with so many weird things at once. The next day, I would have to deal with a brooding vampire and whatever other shit would be thrown in my path.
I slept straight through the night as if I hadn’t a worry in the world.
Time Warper: Fated, A Sage Hannigan Novel Page 21
