The Klaus Brothers Boxed Set

by penny watson

  “Both of you are right. Oskar does not deserve this, and I’m the one who has to figure out how to fix it, not Master Eugen.” Ingo took a deep breath and peered outside the window. His stomach was churning and it wasn’t due to his hangover. He felt sick about causing Oskar heartache. “I think skating with Lys is going to have to wait. I need to get to the Bibliothek Magik and look about for a reversal spell.”

  Hie smiled. “Don’t worry, Ingo. Loki and I will help get you out of this mess before Oskar or Lys or the council finds out what a monumental ass you’ve been.”

  Loki laughed and slapped Ingo on the back. “Hie’s right. And I don’t blame you for getting pissed at Per. He is such a smug bastard sometimes.”

  “Per’s irritating, but Wiebe… I don’t know… something about him seems off to me.” Hie’s forehead wrinkled. “He’s got a mean streak I don’t trust.”

  Ingo nodded thoughtfully. “I agree. I’ll be staying far away from him from now on.”

  “Yah, no more following any half-assed scheme Wiebe Reiner’s come up with. He’s the last elf in Glasdorf you should be listenin’ to, Ingo.”

  “All right then. Let’s head to the library. I’ll have to search through the books with reversal spells until I find the one I need. Hope I can find it.”

  Ingo hustled to change and get ready. He prayed silently he would be able to find a spell to undo the mess he had made. Otherwise, the New Year would be bringing nothing but trouble.

  Kiana Grant could not believe what she was seeing. Oskar Klaus, decked out in a ridiculous outfit, was surrounded by a large group of children at a worktable in Brockman’s Books. He glued construction paper, sprinkled glitter, wiped up messes and barked orders at the kids like a drill sergeant. And they were eating it up!

  “Kiana, what are you looking at?” Janie Murphy asked as she craned her neck to view the crowd across the room.

  “Oh, nothing. You did a great job with these books, sweet pea. It’s almost time for story hour. I’d better get ready.”

  Janie ignored her statement and pointed to Oskar. “Look! He’s got a hat on like the Cat in the Hat! I bet he would like my costume, huh?”

  Kiana frowned. “I think he might be a little too old to be wearing that hat.” She turned to Janie and patted her on the head. “Your Thing One costume is wonderful. Let’s see if we can find Thing Two and get everyone together for our afternoon reading.”

  Janie bounded off to search for her twin, and Kiana quickly cleaned their workspace. She tried to ignore the sexy snowboarder across the room, but it was impossible.

  Damn him, what is he doing here?

  Her plans to studiously avoid Oskar Klaus were shot to Hades. He’d invaded her sanctuary and now she had to grin and bear it.

  I wonder how irked he is that I took off after our kiss? Maybe he doesn’t remember.

  Kiana braved a quick look across the room and Oskar caught her eye, even as two small boys were hanging on his back. He rewarded her with a slow, ridiculously sexy smile. She rolled her eyes and turned away, but not before she felt her heart speed at the attention. She needed to revise her strategy for self-preservation before succumbing to Oskar’s charm.

  On to Plan B. Focus on finishing up here and then hustle back to the apartment.

  “Okay, girls and boys! Time for story hour! Mr. Brockman has chosen a wonderful book for us…” Kiana’s voice trailed off as the children giggled and raced around the refreshment table. She sighed and took a deep breath, ready to bellow a bit louder.

  A long, shrill whistle interrupted the melee and all of the kids stopped suddenly. Oskar cleared his voice. “Settle down, buzzing little bumblebees. Miss Grant has something to say…” He turned to her and quirked a brow.

  How annoying! Kiana was torn between the urge to laugh and hurl a stack of books at his head.

  “Everyone gather around the sofa for story time, please.” She gathered the selected books in her arms and headed toward the reading area with as much dignity as she could muster.

  “Oskar! Oskar! Could you please read to us? Come on!” Andy dragged Oskar by the arm to the front of the room. “Mr. Brockman, is it okay if he reads today?”

  A chorus of children pleaded with the bookseller.

  Mr. Brockman pursed his lips and nodded. “Seems like a fine idea to me. Mr. Klaus, are you interested in regaling these ragamuffins with a story this afternoon?”

  Oskar laughed as the kids pushed him onto the sofa and scrambled to get seats on the carpet in front of his feet. “Sure. Sounds like fun. You don’t mind, Kiana?”

  She forced a smile. “Of course not, Mr. Klaus. We’re always happy to have a guest reader at Brockman’s.” She leaned over to pass Oskar the books, and before she knew it, he’d grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the couch.

  “I’m a little nervous. You don’t mind keeping me company, do you, Miss Grant?” He flashed a dimple and his eyes glittered with laughter. And something else. He was looking like a spider who just caught a nice fat fly in his web and had no intention of letting it go.

  She struggled to suppress a shudder as Oskar’s muscular thigh pressed up tightly against her. His scent reminded her of fresh mountain air, with a touch of evergreen—earthy and masculine. Her eyes slid to his lips, remembering…

  This was a seriously bad idea.

  “Ahhh… Is that really necessary? I still have a lot of books to shelve today.”

  “Don’t worry about the books, Kiana. You and Mr. Klaus can run story time together. What are you reading, young man?” Brockman nodded his approval.

  Oskar stroked his chin and looked at his audience. “How about I make up a story today? I have a lot of good ones. Magical ones…” The kids hooted and hollered for magical stories.

  Mr. Brockman smiled. “Sounds good to me. Let’s get to it, then.”

  Kiana tried to jerk away from Oskar, but he slid an arm around her shoulders, anchoring her in place.

  He leaned over and whispered in her ear “Oh no, you don’t. You’re not escaping me so easily today, Miss Grant.”

  She made the mistake of glancing at him and realized their faces were practically touching. His emerald gaze looked entirely too serious and determined.

  “Just relax and enjoy.”

  Pumped up on sugary treats and gingerbread, the children fidgeted in their seats and fought over the last of the cookies. A couple of kids scuffled over who would sit closest to Oskar. But as soon as Oskar started to talk, a hush fell over the room. He wove an enchanting tale about elves and magic and adventure that had everyone, her included, spellbound. He knew exactly how to play the crowd, when to hush his voice, when to gesture for effect.

  As much as Kiana wanted to maintain her distance from the youngest Klaus brother, she soon found herself completely engrossed by his delightful story. He was a natural entertainer. She was starting to realize there was no false charm to Oskar Klaus. His enthusiasm was real, his warmth with the children was genuine. Not a lot of partying bachelors would take the time to help sticky little kids make their own bookmarks or entertain them on a holiday.

  Her initial assessment of Oskar may be have been slightly off base. He didn’t really fit the mold of a self-absorbed, spoiled, immature boarder. And that bothered her. A lot. It was going to be more difficult than she thought to keep him at arm’s length.

  The story ended with a loud round of applause. The children jumped up and ran to the goody table, leaving Kiana and Oskar alone on the sofa. She was shocked to find herself leaning against his broad shoulder. How did I get here? She tried to ease away from the sofa when she felt a muscular arm wrap around her waist and tug her back.

  “Nice try. Not gonna happen. I’m not sure how you escaped last night without me noticing, but today I’m on top of my game, Moon Goddess,” Oskar said.

  She muffled a nervous laugh and tried to ignore the delicious heat of his body as he tightened his hold.

  “Forget something?” His free hand waved her tortoise shell
glasses in front of her nose. “I was worried you were bumping into walls last night on your way home. But then I realized… these are fake.” He raised a brow accusingly.

  Kiana gasped. “Give those back!” She snatched the glasses out of his hand and glared at him. “You stole these from me!”

  He had the audacity to laugh at her. “I did not. You took them off when we were kissing. Remember?” His gaze fell to her lips.

  “No. I do not remember.” She cleared her throat. “I… ah… really should get back to work. Do you mind?” She gestured to his thick forearm, covered in a myriad of strange tattoos. “Could you please let me go?”

  “Nope.”

  She sighed in exasperation. “You can’t keep me prisoner here on the sofa all day. What do you think you’re doing?”

  He leaned back on the couch and pulled her with him. “What I wanted to do last night before you disappeared. Ask you out on a date.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “Are you crazy? We just met each other. I don’t make it a habit to go out with strangers. And I don’t make it a habit to kiss strangers either.” She felt her cheeks flame. “Last night was not a typical evening for me. Sorry about that.”

  Oskar’s hand cupped the back of her neck and his eyes raked over her face. “There is no way you are going to convince me you are sorry about that kiss. I was there. You liked it as much as I did.” His voice was husky and soft, and Kiana shivered. He leaned closer to her, their noses almost touching. “And I had a great time talking with you, too. There is absolutely no reason why you and I can’t go out for a cup of coffee and get to know each other better.”

  I wish his eyes weren’t so mesmerizing. And he didn’t smell so good. She had the ridiculous urge to bury her nose in his neck and inhale. “Look. I’m sure you’re busy with your family over the holidays, so let’s just skip the date.” She was embarrassed by her shaky voice. His fingers were tunneling into her hair, massaging her scalp.

  “So, what’s up with the fake glasses and this hairdo? And the librarian outfit?” He ignored her comment and starting tugging at her hairpins.

  “Oskar! What are you doing? Did you hear a word I said?”

  “Yeah, I heard. And no, we’re not skipping the date.” He managed to free a long strand of hair and rubbed it between his fingers. “Damn, that’s soft. I want to see it down.”

  That’s it!

  “Enough!” She wrenched herself out of his grip and tucked her hair back into her barrette. She held up a restraining hand and pushed his chest. Well, she tried to push his chest, but he was built like a rock. A solid wall of muscle and he didn’t move an inch.

  “Honestly, it’s none of your business why I wear these glasses, how I choose to style my hair, and what clothing I wear.” She took a deep breath and continued. “Okay, I admit I enjoyed our talk last night… and the kiss, too. But you’re only visiting for a couple of days, right? So, why bother with a date?” She struggled to stand up, and Oskar released her. Before she could escape, she felt his fingers lace through hers and squeeze. She turned to him and was astonished by the grave expression on his face.

  “Come on, Kiana. I’m not sure how long I’m staying in Manhattan, but I want to spend some more time with you.” He hesitated and glanced down at his own clothes. “I realize my appearance might suggest that everything’s a joke to me, but that’s not true. Just because I like to board doesn’t mean I don’t have a serious side, too. I felt something between us last night. Some sort of… well, chemistry, I guess.”

  She felt some of the fight drain out of her. He looked so sincere. “I don’t know what to say. I haven’t gone out in a very long time,” she admitted, embarrassed. “I’m out of practice.”

  He took a step closer to her and she peered up into his face, all too aware of his dominating physical presence. “Just one cup of coffee. That’s all I ask. If you can’t stand hanging out with me, then I won’t bother you again.” When she hesitated, he tipped her chin up with one finger. “You might as well say yes, or I’ll hound you relentlessly until you give in.”

  Oskar sure wasn’t lying about the chemistry between them. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck the way she did last night and kiss the scruff on his chin. She wanted to feel his lips brushing hers, his hands stroking her skin.

  Kiana sighed. She recognized the determination in his eyes. He wasn’t going to let this go. She would make it a short date, and then head home. Hopefully before getting in over her head with Mr. Charming, Well-Read Snowboarder.

  “Okay, one cup of coffee.”

  His triumphant smile made her laugh out loud.

  “Awesome. Let’s go before you change your mind.”

  He pulled her to the front of the store, as children bombarded him with questions, comments and greetings. Kiana couldn’t believe how quickly he’d turned into the rock star of Brockman’s Books. The kids had taken an instant shining to him, and they were certainly a good judge of character. So maybe it wouldn’t turn into a complete disaster if they shared one cup of coffee.

  As she slid on her coat and hat, Oskar leaned forward to slide the pencils from her bun. “Good thing you have these. You never know when you’re going to have a pencil emergency.” He shot her a teasing smile.

  Kiana reached up and tugged the brim of his Seuss hat. “Good thing you have this. Never know when you’re going to have a Cat in the Hat emergency.”

  He barked out a laugh. “Anytime you need it, just let me know.”

  Mr. Brockman cleared his throat. “I take it your mission was successful, Mr. Klaus.”

  Oskar didn’t even try to hide his smug grin. “Yep. I convinced her to have a cup of coffee with me.”

  Kiana rolled her eyes at his cocky attitude. “Mr. Brockman, I hope you don’t mind if I take off for the day.”

  The old man patted her on the back and smiled. His gaze jumped from Oskar to Kiana, and then back again. “I don’t mind at all.” He winked at Oskar. “Remember what I said about her being a treasure, Oskar Johann Klaus. Your auras are as bright as the Aurora Borealis. Have a nice time.”

  Oskar pushed open the door and the bell jangled their exit. Then he stopped suddenly and glanced back inside the shop. “How does Old Man Brockman know my middle name?”

  Kiana shook her head. “Mr. Brockman knows a lot of weird things. It’s best not to ask. His explanations don’t make a lot of sense.”

  Oskar frowned, then reached for her hand. He squeezed her mitten-covered fingers gently and led her outside. She glanced back to find Mr. Brockman watching them through the windows of the bookstore. He nodded once, then turned back to the children.

  Ingo cleaned up in a hurry and gathered some old school notes into his satchel. He was thankful his friends were accompanying him on this trip to the Bibliothek. Even though he was a skilled Bändiger, he still found the Bibliothek Magik intimidating. The power there was ancient, sometimes frightening in its intensity. He would need to have his wits about him when he searched for the reversal spell. The Bibliothek would sense his guilt and discomfort and play on those emotions.

  Once he pulled on his coat, the three elves piled into Ingo’s scuffed up sleigh.

  “Go the back way, past the Glasdorf Recreational Plaza. It’s closed today. It will be quiet for sure,” Loki suggested.

  “Good idea.” Ingo steered the vehicle onto a snowy road and was surprised to see a figure coming out of the Theater in the plaza.

  Loki’s ears twitched. “That’s odd. No one should be here today.”

  Ingo maneuvered the sleigh to the side of the road and stopped.

  Wiebe Reiner trudged through the snow to a black sleigh parked in the corner lot. He towed a small girl behind him, dragging her relentlessly over the icy ground.

  Something didn’t look quite right. Ingo hopped out of the sleigh and his friends followed suit. “Hey! Wiebe! Watcha doin’?”

  Wiebe froze and turned to face the trio of elves. The young girl looked exhausted. Her tiny pointed ear
s were red with cold and she was sniffling. “I could ask you the same, Mr. Hertz. Strange for you three to be travelin’ the back roads today.”

  Ingo shrugged. “We’re just going for a ride.” He knelt down next to the girl. “Aren’t you pretty? Did you have a nice Christmas, Honigbienchen?” He looked up at Wiebe. “Who’s this? Your little one?”

  Wiebe peered down at her with disgust. “Step-kid. She’s Marta’s babe by her first man. Not too smart, this one.” When the little girl sniffled, Wiebe pinched her arm. “Since Marta died, she’s been nothing but trouble.”

  Ingo reached out and squeezed the little girl’s hand. “What’s your name, Honeybee?”

  “Gabi.” Her voice cracked as she responded. The girl’s eyes flickered up toward Wiebe, and Ingo noticed she was trembling all over.

  Wiebe grabbed her other hand and tugged her roughly to the sleigh. “Gotta get home. Let’s go, Brat.” He revved the engine of the sleigh and plumes of smoke shot out of the bottom. Black dust flickered around the vehicle. The sleigh shuddered several times and emitted a dry, hacking cough. Wiebe never looked back, but little Gabi did. Her enormous blue eyes peered over the back seat at him.

  Hie pointed at the retreating sleigh and shook his finger. “He’s up to no good. I can feel it.”

  “Yah, he never answered your question, Ingo. What was he doing here on New Year’s Day? There aren’t any events scheduled at the Theater for the holiday. He’s got no business here.” Loki’s forehead creased.

  Ingo nodded. “The little one didn’t look too happy. I didn’t like how he was treating Gabi. Damn shame Marta died last year. I don’t think Wiebe’s got a paternal bone in his body.”

  The three elves stood stroking their beards thoughtfully as the sound of Wiebe’s sleigh faded.

  “Well, let’s get going. This day started off so damned good. But it’s going to hell in a handbasket for sure. First I have to find a reversal book, try to undo the spell I kast on Oskar Klaus, then figure out what Wiebe is up to, and make sure the little Honigbienchen is okay.” Ingo let out a weary sigh and turned to his friends. “All aboard?”