Heat Up the Fall: New Adult Boxed Set (6 Book Bundle)

by Gennifer Albin

  The room she was in now was easily five times the size of her whole apartment, and every visible surface gleamed. A giant crystal chandelier hung from a high ceiling inlaid with gold marble and colored glass. The architectural décor alone probably cost more than all four years of her tuition and graduate school.

  Servers weaved through the crowd with platters of the same hors d’oeuvres Elijah was having for his dinner. Women in colorful gowns and men in suits stood around, trying to look important as they sipped their wine. The pair of women to Leah’s left had been gossiping about who was wearing what, whose jobs were the most important, and who was sleeping with whom ever since Elijah and Leah first scoped out the hors d’oeuvres table. It was like being forced to watch an episode of The Real Housewives. She wished she had earplugs.

  On the other side of the hors d’oeuvres table, near a broad entryway framed with heavy gold drapes, a group of guys stood in a circle. They kept giving her conspicuous looks. A dark-haired one with a green necktie tugged down his suit jacket, gave his friends a final look for courage, and began making his way toward Leah.

  She met his gaze, her eyes narrowed. His feet faltered, and he began nervously tugging at his suit jacket again. Since he was still coming over, she crossed her arms and glared so hard that he finally looked away and turned on his polished heel. A couple of his waiting friends began laughing, but most of them just looked confused.

  Satisfied for having cut off the unwanted attention, Leah leaned back in her seat and gave Elijah an encouraging smile when he moved onto a platter filled with what looked like tempura-fried sushi rolls.

  She fiddled with the lace hem of her form-fitting black dress—it was her go-to outfit for formal occasions, and Helena had agreed she looked great in it—and went back to observing the party guests. How did some of these women walk on four-inch heels? They must have possessed the balance of tight-rope walkers. Leah loved heels as much as the next girl, but she also loved her calves. And being able to walk.

  Getting glamored up was always fun, but not so much when it was this awkward. She’d almost dressed in jeans and a T-shirt just so she could be comfortable, but she didn’t want to stand out too much. She must have done all right with herself though because her mom had taken one look at her and had nothing to criticize except her hair. She’d left it down instead of pulling it back.

  All evening, she’d been working up the courage to talk to her mom. She didn’t even know what she’d say, but Helena had been right. For Elijah’s sake, she had to at least try.

  Elijah finally wandered back to Leah’s side. She gave him her seat before returning to the lobby to drag another chair across the shiny floors into the main room.

  “Full?” she asked as she settled onto the upholstery.

  Elijah nodded. “This stuff is delicious. I wish we could take some home.”

  “Maybe we can smuggle some out later,” she said with a conspiratorial grin. He nodded and grinned back.

  Without food as a distraction, it didn’t take long for them to grow bored, so she nudged Elijah’s side and pointed at an old man dressed in a black suit.

  “See the bottom of his pants?” she asked.

  Elijah squinted at him. “What about it?”

  “I think that’s dog hair,” she said. “I bet he’s some kind of dog wrangler. Maybe he’s got a whole army of dogs in his giant house, and he throws pool parties for them.”

  Elijah laughed. “And maybe each of them has their own room.”

  “Of course! And see that lady?” She pointed to a woman who stood out in a staid gray suit, her hair slicked back into a tight bun. “She’s secretly an undercover spy posing as a school teacher. The boring clothes are to throw everyone off her trail.”

  Elijah bounced in his seat, warming up to the game. “Yeah, and she’s hiding secret weapons in that bun on her head.”

  She nodded at a guy with his suit jacket and the first couple buttons of his white shirt undone. “What about him?”

  Elijah squished his mouth to the side in consideration. “He’s an astronaut. He’s here taking a break before his big top secret mission to fly to Mars.”

  “Ooh, you’ve got competition,” she said, and he laughed again.

  “Who’s next?” he asked eagerly.

  She scanned the crowd. “Okay, how about—”

  Her voice died in her throat. She froze, lips parted, as she watched Blue Eyes shake hands with some old guy in a checkered suit.

  Blue Eyes’ hair was combed neatly back, and his suit looked a bit tight around the shoulders, which meant he was one of the few men here whose clothes weren’t tailored. Still, he cut a great figure in it. Even as her thoughts raced with questions, she couldn’t help taking a moment to admire his silhouette and the way his pants hugged his butt. He cleaned up well, but he still stood out in the crowd. Aside from the gorgeous smile on his face, there was something about the way he carried himself and the way he engaged those around him that drew people in like a beacon.

  “Leah.”

  A sharp elbow jabbed her side. She startled and looked away from Blue Eyes to find her brother frowning at her.

  “What is it?” he asked, scanning the faces of the guests where she’d been staring. “Do you know someone?”

  She quickly shook her head and then glanced back at Blue Eyes and—shit! He’d spotted her. His eyes widened just enough to convey surprise.

  And now he was heading her away. She swiveled to the right in her seat, avoiding eye contact, as if that might deter him. Glaring him into submission probably wouldn’t work like it had with the other guy.

  Elijah watched him approach, expression innocently curious. She tugged self-consciously at her dress and then stopped when she realized what she was doing.

  “Hey,” said Blue Eyes’ familiar voice.

  Bracing herself, she took a slow, fortifying breath and looked up to find that gorgeous smile directed at her. God, the guy should never stop smiling. He should join the UN or something because he could inspire world peace on that smile alone.

  “Wasn’t expecting to see you here,” he said in that lilting accent.

  She mentally sighed. Maybe he’d agree to let her record him reading a book or something.

  Except was that kind of creepy?

  “Same,” she said and congratulated herself for sounding calm and vaguely bored.

  He transferred his smile to Elijah and accompanied it with a polite nod. “Are you going to introduce us?” he asked Leah.

  “I’m Elijah,” he said, before she could remember what few manners she chose to practice, and stuck out his hand.

  Blue Eyes shook it. “Hello, Elijah.” Then he looked her in the eyes and, voice soft with an alarming tenderness in the curve of his mouth, he said, “I’m Will.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  She swallowed. Will. Not Farquar. She quickly squashed the smile that tugged at her mouth. It suited him.

  She knew, like his story in their last meeting, his introduction had been meant just for her. In return, she allowed herself a small, indiscriminate smile and said, “I’m Leah.”

  Surprisingly, his smile turned bashful. He tucked his hands into his pockets and said, “Leah. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Her name sounded exotic in his accent. She wanted to hear him say it again. “You too, Will.”

  He reached up to run his fingers through his hair, mussing it. It made him look adorably boyish. “So …” With a small gesture to indicate the room at large, he asked, “Why are you here? This doesn’t seem like your type of party.”

  She raised her brows at him. “What is my type of party?”

  He gave an elegant shrug. “Quiet. Simple. A handful of close friends.”

  “Hm. Sounds about right. Except I don’t have many friends, remember?”

  “Just me and you then,” he said, blue eyes mesmerizing. Her stomach did a flip.

  She cleared her throat and glanced at Elijah, who was watching them with his head ti
lted and a shrewd look on his face. “I’m here to look after my brother. My parents like to pretend they still belong in these social circles.”

  “I see.”

  “And they like to occasionally parade me around like a show horse, just in case I catch the interest of some wealthy heir.”

  Will’s smile grew strained, and his brows drew together a bit. “That’s … swell of them.”

  She reached out to brush her brother’s hair off his forehead and refrained from saying, Sure, if by ‘swell,’ you mean ‘shitty.’

  “Mind if I join you?” he asked, making a vague gesture at the lobby where more chairs waited to be appropriated. “I’ve had my fill of stuffy, old people for the night.”

  “Knock yourself out,” she said and then slid her hands beneath her thighs to keep from fidgeting. That was a sign of nervousness, and Leah Carter did not fidget.

  He gave her a grateful smile that was altogether too sexy, and strolled away to retrieve a chair. Unlike how she’d manhandled the heavy chairs across the lobby, he picked one up with ease. He made his way back, happily ignoring the irritated looks of the servers who’d been keeping track of Leah’s furniture rearrangement. He set the chair down against the wall next to hers, close enough so that when he sat, their thighs touched.

  Her face felt hot. She slouched a bit and focused her gaze on a painting across the room in order to compose herself.

  Will leaned forward, angling his head so he could address her brother. “So Elijah. How old are you?”

  Elijah pulled his feet up onto his chair. The hem of his pants rose to reveal black socks with yellow Batman symbols. She had bought those for him a few months ago.

  “I’ll be ten in two months,” he said.

  “Double digits. Nice. Are you the man of the house then?”

  Elijah looked at Leah. When she only gave him a half smile and a shrug, he said, looking thoughtful, “I guess. Hey, what’s your accent? Is that England?”

  Will looked impressed. “Close. Scotland actually. Wee bit farther north.”

  “Like the North Pole.”

  “Wee bit farther south,” Will said, grinning.

  “Is it cold?”

  “It can be.”

  Elijah made a face. “Me and Leah hate the cold. Mom says we’re sickly because we get sick whenever the weather changes.”

  “The trick is in being prepared.” He leaned forward as if about to impart a secret. It put his face in close proximity with Leah’s.

  She held her breath. She imagined she could feel his body heat burning her skin even through their clothes. At her other side, Elijah leaned forward as well in anticipation.

  “Layers,” he said simply. Elijah’s brows crashed together in confusion. “Lots of layers. All your socks. Shirts, jumpers, jackets, just throw on your entire wardrobe.”

  Elijah started snickering and shaking his head.

  “Why, just look at your sister,” Will said with a nod at Leah. His shoulder nudged hers.

  “What about me?” She looked down at herself, and then felt her face grow warm again when Will followed suit. He gave her body an appreciative and thorough look.

  “Well,” he said, returning that blue gaze to her face. He winked before addressing Elijah. “Her dress is entirely inadequate for warmth. It’s no wonder she’s always getting sick going around letting in every cold draft.”

  “It’s not cold enough yet for me to need a jacket,” she said, playing along.

  “You fail at being prepared.”

  Elijah beamed and held out his suit jacket-covered arms. “I’m covered.”

  “That you are,” Will said. “You’d do just fine in Scotland, I think.”

  Her brother looked pleased by this. “Leah and I were playing a game. Want to play?”

  “Absolutely.”

  As Elijah and Will made up back stories for the nearby party guests, Leah was content to watch and listen. She enjoyed seeing the way her brother’s face lit up, the way his eyes grew wide when he talked, the enthusiasm in his voice. A part of her was a little jealous by how quickly he’d taken to Will. Elijah had always been eager to meet new people, but he also tended to hold himself back until he got to know them better. That wariness was something he’d no doubt picked up by watching her. But he seemed to quite like Will, and pettiness aside, the majority of her was happy for it. Elijah had never had any decent guys to talk to, and it was good of Will to engage her brother.

  “That one’s a faerie prince,” she said, jumping in on the game. She nodded at a tall guy with white-blond hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. His perfectly tailored suit was black, but his shirt and tie were gray with a light sheen to them. They matched his gray eyes. All in all, an attractive guy with an ethereal quality. “Here to tempt human children to go back with him to his world.”

  His gray eyes shifted and met hers. She wasn’t embarrassed to be caught looking, but then the corners of his mouth quirked up into a flirtatious smile. If her mind and body hadn’t been fighting the pull of a gorgeous Scotsman for the last month, she might have smiled back. Hell, she might even have allowed him to take her to a hotel.

  But she was acutely aware of the guy sitting to her right, of his body heat, of the way his hand rested inches away from her own. Of how she wanted very much to reach over and run her fingers along his knuckles, his wrist, trace the muscles along his forearm …

  She looked at Will to find him watching her, those blue eyes piercing.

  If you blush again, I will shank you, she told herself.

  “Do you like faerie princes?” he asked.

  She smirked. Was he jealous? “Depends.”

  “On?” He inched closer. Their breaths warmed the narrowing space between them.

  “How well he can enchant me.”

  His eyes lowered to her mouth. “Is that a challenge?”

  “Uh,” Elijah said.

  Leah immediately looked away at the same time Will leaned back.

  “Okay, well,” she said, feeling irritably flustered. “Good game, guys.”

  Elijah was giving them that ‘I know what’s going on, I’m not stupid’ look. He pretended to gag, and then curled over and laughed when she began poking his ribs.

  “Stop, stop!” he cried between laughter.

  Leah ruffled his hair and drew back to let him breathe. He slumped into his seat in relief, grinning.

  “How long do we have to stay here?” he asked, rubbing his side. His suit pants were wrinkled from all his squirming.

  “Not much longer. I think Mom and Dad should have forgotten about us by now.”

  “I have to use the bathroom.”

  She gave the huge room and the two entrances, one at either side, a searching glance. “Then let’s go hunting.”

  “I know where it is,” Will said, standing. “I can show him.”

  “I should come too,” she said, reluctant to let Elijah out of her sight, even if it was with Will. She wanted and liked him more than anyone she’d ever met, but that didn’t mean she trusted him with her brother.

  Elijah made a face. “Ew.”

  She gave his shoulder a playful shake. “Not into the bathroom. Trust me, it’d be worse for me than you.”

  The three of them filed across the room toward the broad entryway where the dark-haired boy with the green necktie was still standing with his friends. As they approached, the boy turned his head, pointedly ignoring them. Most of his friends did the same, but one of them openly glared as she passed.

  Those sorts of guys were so predictable. Damage their egos, and they devolved into six-year-olds. Or even further back into outright Neanderthals. Twice, a guy she’d turned down at a party had taken the rejection personally and followed her to her car. She had introduced each of them to the sharp end of her heel.

  What was it with guys believing they had the right to a girl’s attention just because of the parts dangling between their legs?

  A rough hand grabbed her butt. She spun on her p
atent leather pumps, already swinging the black clutch in her hand. Before the metal edges of her clutch could meet with her offender’s face, Will had the guy by his lapels and body slammed him against the wall.

  Leah drew back in surprise. Her hand came down to pull Elijah behind her as the guys surrounding Will sprang back, jostling nearby guests.

  “That was extremely rude. Touch her again, and I’ll break your hand,” Will said in a perfectly reasonable voice that made the guy look panicky. It did something entirely different, and likely inappropriate, to Leah’s stomach though.

  “I was just messing around, man. Get off me!” The guy struggled, looking to his friends for help, but they only stared, wide-eyed and embarrassed. One of them was even laughing.

  Will hauled the guy around and gave him a none-too-gentle shove at Leah. “Apologize to her.”

  Enjoying the show, she crossed her arms and hitched an expectant eyebrow.

  The guy scowled at her and then at the audience they’d attracted. He muttered a barely intelligible “Sorry.” Then he tugged down his rumpled suit jacket and shoved his way out of view.

  “Is there a problem here?”

  The question came from one of the servers. He had finally broken through the crowd of gawkers now that the scene was over and everyone was wandering back into their own conversations.

  Leah shook her head. “Everything’s fine, thanks.” She looked at Will, who nodded in agreement. “Back to our quest for the bathroom?”

  “Right,” he said, and they left the confused server looking around and wondering what had just happened.

  Elijah bounced past Leah to match Will’s longer strides. “Wow! That was so cool. Can you show me how to do that?”

  Will glanced back at Leah. “If your sister’s all right with it.”

  She gave a noncommittal shrug. It wouldn’t hurt for him to learn a little self-defense from another guy. The most she could show him was where to aim with a sharp heel.