Page 23 of Enchanted Hero (The Secret Enchanters #1)
He halted. “You’d bet anything?”
Heat singed her neck. “Well, not anything .”
He looked at his watch. “It’s almost the end of the workday, but we still have things to discuss. We can talk in the privacy of my home.”
“The mighty Alexander Stone possesses secrets so sensitive my home isn’t safe?” She’d meant it as a joke, but his gaze remained sober. Her grin faded. Was he hiding something more than business confidences? “We can talk about it at the office.”
“I don’t want to wait. We will discuss matters over dinner.”
“That’s not a good idea.”
“Why not?”
How could she explain how he affected her? How he elicited desire, made her wish for things that were impossible? Even when their interactions were professional, something lurked beneath the surface, like a hungry lion stalking a succulent lamb.
“How about that wager you mentioned? If everything fits in the limo, you have dinner with me. If not, I’ll have your car brought here.”
She exhaled relief, tempered by a strange amount of dissatisfaction. Of course, the boxes wouldn’t fit. “It’s a deal.”
Alexander left with the two boxes. He returned swiftly to retrieve another two, then another two.
They were too heavy for her to carry, so after a few minutes she went to her bedroom to attend to some much-needed laundry.
He never seemed strained, no matter how much he carried.
Less than an hour later, he appeared at her bedroom door.
“That’s it.” He rubbed his hands together. “Ready to go?”
Everleigh tucked a folded shirt into her drawer. “You’re leaving?”
“ We’re leaving.” He gestured her forward. “I won the wager.”
“That’s impossible!” She raced ahead of him, glancing back to ensure the storage room was empty.
He stayed right behind her as she exited the apartment, not halting until she reached the limo sitting at the curb.
The driver was waiting outside, and the car was filled to the brink with boxes and other items, with only two adjacent seats clear.
She spun to him. “Where did you put the boxes that didn’t fit into the limo?”
He smiled. “Miss Lacey, I never make a wager I can’t win. Check if you don’t believe me.”
She hesitated, before ducking her head in. “You have to enter to see.” Before she could protest, he’d ushered her in and closed the door behind them. He folded his large body next to hers.
The limo jerked to a start.
“Hey!” she shouted. “Stop the car!”
“I won the bet. Look around. The boxes are all here.”
Impossible. She counted the boxes, then counted again. They added up, and yet still something seemed strange. Somehow the boxes seemed smaller, the limo larger than before. “It’s not possible!” She counted again. “You must have left some behind.”
“You saw the empty room.” He lowered his chin. “Is the thought of going to my home that horrible?”
“Of course not.” In truth, it wouldn’t be horrible at all, but all-too-tempting. “It is simply unnecessary. We can talk now.”
“It’ll take more than a few minutes. Don’t worry, I’ll return you.”
She exhaled.
“For now.”
The breath caught in her throat, and she tried to scoot away.
Caught between a box and pure hard male, escape was impossible.
Struggling only brought her closer to the powerful man, yet somehow she repeated it several times as the minutes, and miles, melted away.
Neither spoke, and soon the huge mansion appeared, its rising columns and grand arches reminiscent of a castle.
They glided past a security gate armed by multiple guards, through manicured gardens with marble statues.
She turned the car’s handle the instant the limo drifted to a smooth stop.
It didn’t open.
“Do you have the safety locks on?” she demanded.
“Of course not.” He reached across her and pulled the handle. The door opened easily.
She narrowed her eyes, but didn’t comment as she disembarked, with him close behind.
Suddenly, he stopped short, his features hardening into an expressionless mask as a sleek black car approached.
For a moment, he remained still, then he gave a quick nod.
The security guards waved through the car, which stopped directly in front of them.
Alexander moved into a protective stance in front of her. “Don’t say a word,” he commanded.
She swallowed a taut response as two men exited the car. One was large, dark-haired and beefy, some sort of detective as evidenced by the badge around his neck. The Federal Department of National Security. Clearly, he was no traffic cop.
The other man was shorter and leaner, with fair hair and glasses. He looked slightly familiar. She peered closer and read his badge: Dr. Edmund Garrison. Of course. He worked for the Scientific Institute of Research and Investigation.
What did a high-level government official and an accomplished scientist want with Alexander?
“Mr. Stone, we need to talk.”
“It’s not a good time.” Steel backed Alexander’s tone. For a man comfortable in every situation, he was tense now.
The detective opened a notebook. “Make time.”
“We need your cooperation.” The scientist stepped forward, his features inscrutable, as he observed Alexander with the scrutiny only a man of science commanded. “Tell us everything you know about the supernatural creature.”