WB

by test

  Gavin lead the way down a maze of corridors. The carpet was shabby and worn in places and it smelled like coffee and stale popcorn. Phones were ringing everywhere in a cacophony of annoying bell tones and the sound of several conversations rose and fell as we walked quickly towards two large double doors at the corner of the building.

  After a quick knock, the doors opened and for a moment I couldn't see anything as sunlight from a bank of windows opposite shined into my eyes. When I got used to the light I found myself face to face with the Consulate General.

  No, I don't follow ambassadorial appointments, before coming to the Embassy I wouldn't have recognized the Consulate General if he stopped by my apartment to use the bathroom. But, I had just spent several, very long hours staring at a framed picture of him in the passport services lobby and I felt like I knew every freckle and crease in his handsome fifty-something face.

  He was friendly and solicitous and after I had explained my problem, he smiled and said, with a total lack of conceit, “I can help with that.”

  After that, there was a whirlwind of phone calls and people rushing in and out with faxes while I sipped coffee and enjoyed the view. Within three hours I had an emergency passport, a business class ticket to Portland via New York with a short stopover in Denver.

  Mr. Prewitt gave me a ride to Heathrow waving off my frequent and slightly incoherent thanks. By the time I was tucked into my airline seat with a squashy pillow, a scratchy airline blanket and a small bag of stale pretzels, the last couple of days seemed like a bizarre dream. I WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 57

  blinked blearily around at my fellow passengers feeling like a refugee returned to my homeland.

  I wondered what Gage would do when he found out I was gone and I smiled to think I had outwitted the man. He was entirely too arrogant and sure of himself for my taste. He probably thought I was sleeping in, taking advantage of the designer makeup he bought me to make myself look nice for him, ha! Boy was he in for a surprise!

  I bet he was already planning a small wedding for us and a prolonged honeymoon. I laughed out loud at the thought of his consternation, the shock he would experience that I had run out on him! I bet that didn't happen too often to Mr. Playboy of the Supernatural World! I noticed a couple of my fellow passengers staring at me with wary expressions and with an apologetic smile I snuggled into my scratchy blanket and by the time the flight attendant stopped by with a complimentary soda, I was nodding away in snoozeville.

  * * * *

  My plane landed in Portland shortly after midnight. The airport was still pretty busy, but I could appreciate the relative peace at night to what it must be like during the daytime. The Consulate General had given me a hundred dollars and I used the money to pay for a cab that let me off on the street behind my apartment.

  I breathed in deep of the foggy Oregon air and smiled when I heard the lowing horn of a barge being tugged down the Willamette River. It was good to be home.

  Gage wasn't stupid, he would guess that the first place I would go would be my

  apartment. But, I had a head start. At the earliest, he could be here by tomorrow. Which is when I would put my brilliant plan of attack into place; call the police. If he tried anything, and I do mean anything, I would call the cops pronto this time. He wouldn't dare try to snatch me from under their noses!

  I rooted around in the pot of begonias outside my apartment door looking for my spare key. I hadn't needed it in so long it had settled under a thick layer of potting soil, with a feeling of relief I felt the sharp edge of the key and pulled it out. I brushed the dirt off as I shuffled my bag to my left hand. I had a little trouble getting the key in the lock without any light, but after a couple of minutes of fumbling I felt the rasp as the key slid in. With a twist of my hand, I was inside. Victory! I made it.

  My apartment smelled musty after being shut up for the last three and a half days. The rooms seemed smaller as I walked through them, and the furnishings just a tad shabbier than I remembered. But it was all mine and I was glad to be here.

  I tossed my bag of clothes on the bed and quickly changed into my softest flannel pajamas enjoying the feeling of being free of zippers, buttons and laces after almost twenty four hours of being dressed. I splashed water on my face and pulled on a pair of soft, squashy socks, wiggling my toes in bliss.

  Luckily, I had gone grocery shopping just a couple of days before my magical mystery tour of England, so I was able to sit down with a glass of milk and a small stack of buttered toast.

  I was too tired to cook anything, but after a day of stale pretzels and too sweet cakes, anything would have tasted good. I licked the melted butter from my fingers without a stab of guilt at the number of calories I had blown for the day.

  I settled down on the couch, clicked the television on, but after flipping through the channels I decided to turn it off and have a quick rest before going to bed. I closed my eyes and smiled tiredly, everything would be better tomorrow.

  With a gasp I sat up, the clock on the mantel read just after six, so with a racing heart I WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 58

  rushed through my shower and dressed in my favorite navy suit for work. I took extra care with my makeup, shadowing my eyes with gold and amber and even taking the time to curl my eyelashes before applying a careful coat of waterproof mascara. I slicked on a quick coat of lipstick and was ready to go.

  I was expecting to be fired today. I wasn't sure that there was anything to be done to avoid that. But on the off chance Lillian and the firm would give me a second chance I wanted to look nice. I was going straight to human resources to talk with Patty before going to my desk.

  I wanted to avoid the embarrassment of being escorted from the building by a security guard. I cringed at the thought of it. Having a stranger pack up your personal effects from your desk and send it, along with your last check, seemed the final insult. I crossed my fingers hoping that it wouldn't come to that and I wracked my brain trying to come up with an excuse for the last few days absence.

  When I got to work, I stopped by Patty's office. She wasn't in yet, her computer was off and her phone was transferred to voicemail. I didn't want to go to my desk upstairs. If I was going to be fired, I would rather hear it from someone in Human Resources than to get an earful from Lillian or Guy. I was trying to decide between waiting in Patty's office or taking a seat in the break room when Gerald Franz gave me a friendly smile and offered to get me a cup of coffee. Gerald was the Director of Human Resources and wasn't known for his kindness to employees he was about to fire.

  In fact, he wasn't known for kindness at all. Most employees gave him a wide berth when they saw him coming. He had a narrow, pale face, lacquered dark hair and thin lips that seemed permanently fixed into a disapproving sneer. I gave him a quizzical look and he blushed and hurried back to his office, pulling the door halfway closed behind him.

  At that moment Patty swept into the office and gave a shriek when she saw me.

  “Where have you been? We were so worried! Leah and I went by your apartment every day. Your neighbors were making fliers with your picture on them! Leah and I were going to drive around and post them on telephone poles.”

  I felt a stab of guilt thinking about my neighbors. They were all elderly and in frail health. I looked in on most of them and some went with me to the grocery store, saving themselves long trips on the bus. Most of them didn't have any family and their only friends were the other seniors in the neighborhood.

  Of course, they were worried. If I had gotten up earlier this morning I could have stopped in for a coffee with Martha and Lenore, they were up at the crack of dawn. They could have passed on the news of my homecoming to the other neighbors. But I was in such a hurry this morning, I didn't think about them.

  I took a deep breath preparing to give her a condensed version of what I had been doing the last three days, when, like a volcano she erupted again, “Gerald said you took a leave of absence that had been approved by
Mr. Whitley. Lillian didn't believe it and she came in here madder than a tiger with a loose tooth screeching about how, 'she could replace you if she wanted.' Then she got called to Whitley's office and since then she has been terrorizing the word processing staff and shouting at everyone else. There were rumors that you had a mental breakdown and tried to jump from the roof, completely naked!”

  Patty gave me a hug, looked me over and then hugged me again. I was touched that she had been so worried for me. That she and Leah were going to start papering the city with fliers was too much to be believed. I gave her an amazed look and laughed at the way rumors could WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 59

  get so outrageous in such a short time. Although, to be fair, a mental breakdown and suicide attempt was pretty mundane compared to what really happened.

  I had been dreading trying to explain where I was but I was spared a tortured and likely incoherent confession when Gerald stuck his head out of his office and in a return to his usual martinet ways, said, “Time's wasting ladies. You aren't paid to socialize. Get on with it!”

  I gave Patty another quick hug and whispered in her ear, “Lunch, okay? My treat. I'll meet you at City Subs. Tell Leah to meet us too, alright? I can explain everything.”

  She nodded and gave me a look that promised a grueling and exhaustive explanation of where I had been and what I had been doing the last few days. I wasn't looking forward to it and I wasn't sure where I would start.

  I walked back to the bank of elevators and took the next one going up. I had been so worried I would be fired that by the time I got to my desk I felt a million pounds lighter and didn't notice that people stopped talking as I passed. Several junior associates stuck their heads out from their cramped little offices to watch me walk by. A storm of whispering broke out and I finally noticed the stir I was making, walking by, when two of the snootier interns gave me brief nods.

  I dropped my purse in my bottom drawer and sat down at my desk with a sigh; back to real life now. My inbox was surprisingly empty and I was just enjoying the banality of turning on my computer and logging in, when Lillian walked out of her office and with a look of burning contempt said, “Anna, order coffee service for two, pronto.”

  She snapped her fingers and gave me a once over that seemed to imply we would have words later. Uh oh, that's a conversation I would like to avoid. But knowing Lillian, she'd been storing it up.

  Well, I knew Lillian wouldn't be happy with me. It was a miracle that I hadn't been fired, so I wasn't too worried about what she had to say. Someone upstairs was looking out for me, literally. Mr. Whitley's office was a couple of floors up.

  That must really drive her nuts, someone above Lillian had decided I should stay. I couldn't believe it myself. I wasn't sure what I would tell her by way of explanation. I felt oddly protective of my family and Gage. I didn't want to tell her anything about them. I had barely gotten a chance to get used to it myself and I didn't want Lillian with her witch hunt ways trying to ferret out information about my family. She would love to know all my secrets and find a way to use them to her benefit, it was her modus operandi.

  Within fifteen minutes housekeeping had wheeled up to my cubicle with the coffee cart.

  I checked the sugar and cream dispensers, shined the spoons on the front of my shirt and made sure there were enough napkins and saucers before slowly wheeling the cart to Lillian's office.

  I knocked twice and after hearing her call out 'entre!' I opened the door and headed for the small couch and coffee table in the corner of her office. I was just setting out the cups and saucers when I saw, out of the corner of my eye, the back of a blond head sitting in the chair in front of Lillian's desk.

  The shape of the head, the strong tendons of the neck and the relaxed way the man sat, with his hands resting on the arms of the chair and his legs stretched out to the side was familiar.

  With a feeling of impending doom, I walked slowly toward the man seated in front of Lillian and with a gasp of shock, he turned his head and looked at me with that crooked grin I had come to love in all the years of seeing him in my dreams.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I semi shouted at him.

  WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 60

  This was maddening. Why was he at my work? In Lillian's office of all places! He was supposed to be in England scratching his head in admiration over my daring escape. I still felt bad that I hadn't left a message for my mother or Laurent, but, I could do that later I reasoned.

  After I explained my reasons for leaving they would understand.

  Arrrgh! How did he get here so soon?

  Lillian gasped in outrage and said, “Anna, apologize at once to Lord Hawthorne! How dare you speak to him in such a familiar manner. I don't know what Mr. Whitley was thinking to give you a second chance here! As far as I'm concerned you should have been fired when you didn't show up for work the first time.”

  She turned to Gage with a mortified expression, “I am so sorry. I don't know why she acts like this. I think she has mental problems. She comes from a bad family and isn't very smart, totally sub strata if you know what I mean. It’s so hard to find good employees.”

  I shook my head in exasperation at her rude explanation, but I was too mad at Gage to get worked up over Lillian's description of me. Besides, I'd heard it all before.

  With a narrow eyed look she turned to me, “but I assure you, she will be disciplined this time.”

  Gage laughed and moved towards me with an athletic stride, sweeping me up into his arms. I struggled to get away but it was like trying to move a mountain. His lips traveled across my cheek, nipping the lobe of my ear before settling on my mouth with a deep, soul stealing kiss.

  Involuntarily, I breathed in deep of his manly scent a combination of exotic spices and bracing lime soap. He was warm and hard and I could feel the leashed strength in his arms where they held me to him with casual ease.

  The world faded away as he kissed me and I felt a rushing in my head as my blood raced through my veins and a tingling started at my lips and traveled all the way to my groin. The pleasure pooled between my legs and I moaned under the onslaught. With a casual caress of my face, he set me on my feet again and with a firm hand round my back, he turned to face Lillian.

  Lillian's jaw was hanging open in shock and she looked like she wasn't sure whether to cry or scream as she took in the sight of Gage and me, embracing.

  “My fiancé, Anna, is very feisty, isn't she? She has led me a merry chase, but, I always find her in the end.” He gave me a squeeze and a meaningful look and I barely resisted the urge to kick him and run off again.

  “We are not engaged!” I said with a furious look in his direction. He chuckled and gave my shoulder a squeeze.

  “You two …. are a couple?” Lillian asked with an incredulous look. Her eyes were round as saucers as she looked us over. That kind of pissed me off. Was it that unreasonable that someone like Gage could be interested in me?

  Gage nodded and patted my butt in a proprietary way and I pulled away as far as his arm across my shoulder would allow.

  “I didn't know you were engaged,” Lillian said with an accusing look at me and a snake charmer's smile for Gage. Her eyes roamed from me to him and I could practically hear what she was thinking; 'How did my secretary land a man like that? Why can't I?'

  Gage laughed again and said, “Anna is so closed mouthed about her private life. She really is a mystery. That is just one of the many reasons I find her so adorable.”

  He pinched my ass and I gave a squeal of surprise and jumped. His grin was unrepentant and I pulled back a leg to kick him, but he saw my intent and blocked me by pulling me up and WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 61

  into another bone crushing hug, laughing loudly with delight. My legs hung limp and my arms were crushed between his chest and mine and I squirmed trying to get away.

  “You are a violent little thing, aren't you, my love?” He whispered hotly in my ear. I sh
ivered and turned my head away, absurdly enjoying being called a 'little thing' for the first time in my life.

  He turned back to face Lillian and set me on my feet, “I really am very jealous of you Lily, you get to work with her, all day, while I languish at home, alone, twiddling my thumbs, waiting to see her again.”

  Lily? No one called Lillian Lily unless they wanted a tongue lashing that would turn their hair white. But Lillian didn't even blink at his shortening of her name and seemed struck dumb by the idea of us as a couple. Actually, now that I thought about it, Lillian struck dumb was a pleasant change from her usual evil overlord act.

  “If you would excuse us, I would like to speak with Anna …” We all stood silent for a moment and I watched as comprehension crossed Lillian's face as she realized that he wanted to be alone with me. With a blush and an inaudible murmur she left her office, shutting the door carefully on the way out.

  I was alone with Gage again. I felt an insane urge to giggle at the thought of Lillian kicked out of her own office, but more important matters had to be discussed. I straightened my back and turned on him with a furious expression.

  “You arranged all of this, didn't you? The ride to London, the Consulate General's help, the sweet little old lady in the park, the plane ticket, even the money for a cab! Why? If you knew I was leaving you …” I sputtered into silence. His treachery, the sheer gall of the man left me speechless.

  “I don't know anything about a little old lady in the park. But, all the rest, of course I did it. I had to make sure you made it back here okay. I want you to be safe Anna. Everything turned out well in the end. So no harm done, right?”

  “Turned out well? For whom? Me or You? Because, I have been trying to get rid of you, in case you didn't know!”

  That came out harsher than I intended and I felt a momentary flash of shame at my rudeness. But he didn't bat an eyelash at my accusatory tone. His handsome face was polite and interested. I felt like ripping my hair out at his deliberate obtuseness.