Page 30 of The Prize

Ignoring the temptation, I cleaned up our breakfast plates and carried a fresh mug of tea back to my room.

I was grateful to find a parka among the new clothes that would hold off this East Coast chill and I carried it with me when I went in search of Tobias. I found him in his bedroom in the staff quarters.

He greeted me brightly. “Find everything okay?”

This was progress; he genuinely seemed to be trying to take his intimidation down a notch and from that curl at his lips he liked this new side to him.

“I’ll pay you back for all this,” I offered, gesturing to my coat.

“No need.” He winked. “I’ll take it out of your commission.”

“I don’t think you could afford me now. My rate went up.” I winked back.

“I’ll just have to sell all my worldly possessions so I can afford you.” His stare held mine. “It would be my best investment by far.”

“Then how would you ever fund all your escapades?”

“I’m inventive.”

“So you’d never give them up?” I held his stare until he broke mine.

“If anything’s an escapade it’s you, Leighton.” He nodded approvingly at a garment bag lying on the bed or maybe he just didn’t want to look at me. “Spies buy new clothes when they arrive at their destination. Did you know that?” He unzipped the bag and withdrew a jacket. “Brands give away their country of origin. They even buy shoes.”

I pretended not to be fazed by Wilder’s James Bond fetish and watched him shrug into that Black Watch plaid jacket to which he added a Burberry scarf—I was being teased by this Abercrombie and Fitch take on a Scottish-styled hotness.

“How do I look?” He peered down at himself. “I think Coops was high when he bought this.”

“You look hip.” Actually he looked frickin’ gorgeous like one of those sultry runway models. “You’ll do.”

He lowered his gaze on me. “You look like a hot librarian. Ready to burst out of—What is your style, exactly?”

“Warm.” I zipped up my coat. “I’m going with you.”

“I’m glad you’ve come around.”

“Actually, I haven’t.”

“Don’t slow me down.”

“Oh, I intend to do more than that, Mr. Wilder.”

“Looks like the entertainment for the day is set.” He smirked and turned away.

When the allure of this dreamy-looking man slipped away and reality screeched back into focus, I was again reminded this illusion of us romantically hanging out together wasn’t real. Still, Tobias was letting me in and I sensed his sweet nature just beneath the surface. It brought more comfort than he’d ever know.

We left the house after 11:00 a.m. in Tobias’s Aston Martin and although we arrived in Greenwich together, he left me sitting in the car for a few minutes as he went on ahead. This was how he wanted us to visit his old professor Theodore Partridge.

The professor’s office was tucked away on the third floor of the Silver Center, one of the many academic buildings of New York University. The home of the department of Arts and Sciences sat snugly in the heart of Greenwich Village. On the way here, Tobias had told me about its reputation as a well-loved hub of student life with its endless lectures, small classes and thriving social scene.

As I headed in to join him, I edged my way through exuberant students. It wasn’t that long ago I’d been a student myself and I envied their easy access to some of the best minds in the world. There was no doubt the latest findings would be celebrated here.

Fully aware I’d have to brave the security surveillance from the street, I’d worn my blond wig again and added some round-rimmed sunglasses. It wasn’t only this covert activity that felt foreign to me; it was the surrounding accents and chilly climate.

I knocked on the door of his old mentor’s office and hoped Tobias had felt comfortable enough to open up to Theo and find some solace from the time spent with his old professor.

But, as I opened the door, I was stunned to see Theo lying on the floor with Tobias standing over him. I stared in horror at Wilder.

“It’s his back,” Tobias reassured me.