On the way back to the hotel, he slumped in his seat and closed his eyes. He’d forgotten how fucking exhausting it was to interact with a lot of people. And since, sometimes, he went for days—even weeks—without being in the same room as even one other person, this weekend was going to be overwhelming at best. And his shadow, the prickly Ms. Burrows, would be witness to it all.
Eliza briefly laid her hand on his forearm, and he had a second to wish that he hadn’t worn long sleeves before she withdrew her touch. “Are you okay?”
“Aye,” he mumbled. He opened his eyes to find her watching him, brow furrowed and teeth worrying her lower lip.
“For what it’s worth, you did great in there.”
It wasn’t that he hated people. He didn’t. There was even a part of him that enjoyed cons and book signings. But they still drained him. Normally, at these things, he’d find himself a willing sub to blow off steam and refocus. Interestingly enough, there was a fair amount of overlap between the geek and kink communities, but he couldn’t imagine doing that while he had a minder. And somehow, he couldn’t imagine his assistant would be remotely interested in fulfilling that role for him. No, as much as he tried, he couldn’t imagine the downright adorable Ms. Burrows bent over a spanking bench.
“Thanks.”
He studied her. She really wasn’t as plain as he remembered her being last night. She’d left her hair loose around her shoulders, and in the bright morning light, it looked less like cinnamon and chocolate, and more like autumn leaves on a sunny day. This close to her, he could tell her eyes were a mix of green with coppery brown and gold flecks—hazel, he supposed.
“I get it, though,” she was saying. “When you’re an introvert, people-ing is hard.”
He snorted. “Spoken like a true introvert.”
She nodded. “I can interact—even with large groups when I have to—but afterward, I want to turn off my phone and sleep for a week.”
They turned onto the street the hotel was on and the vehicle slowed for the steady stream of costumed attendees.
“Oh, that reminds me,” she said. “We need to exchange contact info so you can send me your lunch order and I can text you with any last-minute info you might need.”
He rattled off his number to her and then added, “Will you text me Sarah and her mom’s information? I want to put a care package or something together for her.”
Eliza smiled, though again, it looked a bit sad. “That’s really sweet of you.”
A few seconds later, his phone vibrated with her text. As they waited to turn into the half-circle drive, his phone vibrated again. She’d also texted him the rest of the day’s agenda along with the various rooms he was scheduled to be in. He held up the phone to show her he’d gotten the message. “Thanks. Again.”
She nodded and quickly jotted something in her planner, then shoved that and her phone into her bag before grabbing the box she’d brought to the breakfast. He moved to take it from her, but she shook her head.
“You need to get to your panel, and I need to get these back to the room so we’ve got them for the signing later.” He stared at her for a moment, and she laughed. “Look, I appreciate the thought. And I’m sure you’re used to giving the orders, but as far as your con schedule goes, I’m in charge.”
Oh, he was definitely used to giving the orders, but as intriguing—and suddenly appealing—as the thought was, he wasn’t going to be giving them to her. Not in the way he’d like to.
He studied her face, and her smile faded.
“What?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. I’ll see you later, yeah?”
She nodded, and he tipped the driver before grabbing his bag and dodging people as he raced toward his next scheduled appearance. Now, he just needed to get the image of ordering Eliza to her knees out of his head and focus on what he was supposed to be doing. Reviving interest in his dying career.
Chapter Five
Clutching her planner and double checking the venue map, Eliza made her way through the throng of people, forcing herself to make eye contact as she walked. Crowds never used to bother her; well, they had—just not the way they did now. The sick feeling she’d gotten in the pit of her stomach at the thought of navigating them when Barbara had first mentioned the assignment had almost been enough for Eliza to turn it down. But the chance to meet Angus had pushed her into accepting. Last night, she would have said that had been a mistake. Now, she wasn’t so sure. As mercurial as the man seemed to be, this whole thing could go either way.
A contingent of white-armored stormtroopers, marching in perfect unison, four abreast, headed toward her, down the corridor. Stepping to the side to avoid getting run down by the Empire’s best, she bumped into someone. She glanced up to apologize, and her heart leapt into her throat, nearly suffocating her, as panic rose like a wave in her chest.
Tall and broad and blond, the guy caught her by the elbow. “Whoa. You okay?”
As suddenly as the anxiety had surfaced, it began to recede. He had an accent, but it sounded like he was from Alabama or maybe Louisiana—not England.
“I’m sorry,” she managed to choke out.
He grinned at her. “You gotta watch out for the 501st. They’ll mow down anything in their path.”
She laughed weakly, willing away the residual fright that left her feeling raw and exposed. “Well, you know...Vader’s Fist thinks it’s all that.”
“A rebel, I see.” He grinned and offered his hand. “I’m John.”
“Eliza,” she said, taking it. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to a con. I forgot the number one rule—avoid the Empire at all costs.”
He chuckled, and she slowly felt her heart rate returning to normal as they continued to move through the crowd. “I’m guessing you’re not going to the 501st’s regiment drills demo?”
“I’m headed to the Near Future Sci-Fi panel.”
“Me, too.” He grimaced.
“Something else you’d rather go to?” she asked as she fell into step beside him.
“My girlfriend is desperate to get her Dark Nebula Rising books signed, and the author is on that panel. But she’s doing her first ever panel at the same time on gender bending cosplay. So, yeah. I’d definitely rather be there.” He smiled. “But she really wants those books signed.”
Eliza frowned. “Domhnull’ll be here for the whole con. Why not just get him to sign them later, and go see her now?”
He shook his head, a faint smile lifting his lips. “She’d kill me.”
She paused outside the auditorium and pulled out her planner. “What’s your girlfriend’s name?”
His brow furrowed slightly. “Colette.”
“C-o-l-e-t-t-e?”
When he nodded, she wrote it down.
“If you leave the books with me, I’ll get him to sign them for her, then you can see her panel. You two can come back here after, and I’ll make sure she gets a chance to meet him.”
He frowned, his confusion even more evident.
“I’m his assistant.” She lifted her con badge that hung from a lanyard around her neck and watched as the words “Assistant to Angus Domhnull” registered.
“Seriously? Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all.” She smiled. She got it. It was a big deal to meet a favorite author. She fished a business card from an inner pocket in her planner and wrote her cell number on the back then handed it to him. “Just in case you can’t get back here right away, you’ll be able to reach me later.”
He took the card. “I’ll text you so you’ll have my number, too.”
Holding out her hands, she gestured for him to hand her the books.
He pulled battered copies out from his backpack and handed them over to her, but before he released them, he added, “Are you sure he won’t mind?”
If she hadn’t just seen him with the readers at the breakfast, she might have felt like she was lying when she said, “I’m sure. He’ll be delighted.”
John’s smile split his face. “This is amazing. Thank you so much.”
“No prob. I’ll see you guys back here in a bit.”
“You’re pretty much the best superhero here,” he said before darting off through the crowd.
She waved then bypassed the line filing into the auditorium by showing her pass to the guys manning the door. As an assistant to a panelist, she could avoid the lines if she wanted, and she definitely wanted that. Her phone vibrated, and she glanced at it. Angus.
Do you have anything for a headache?
She dodged several knots of people standing in the aisle then texted, I’ll be right there.
She made her way to the front of the room and showed another staffer her badge. “I need to speak to Angus Domhnull.”
The woman glanced at her watch then back at Eliza. “You’ve got maybe six minutes.” She turned slightly and pointed behind her. “Down the corridor, last door on the left before the double doors leading to the main hallway.”
Eliza thanked her and darted toward the door. Opening it, she found him in discussion with another man, but Angus looked over at her and excused himself from the conversation as soon as she stepped into the room.
When he reached her side, he said, “Please tell me your arrival is a yes to painkillers?”
“I’ve got Motrin, and they’re yours if you want them.” She reached into her bag and felt around for the bottle. “You okay?”
“Just a screaming headache.” He squinted a little as if the overhead lighting was too bright, and it hurt to have his eyes open. “I never got a chance to drink my coffee at the restaurant, this morning.”
She glanced at sketchy-looking liquid in the foam cup he held as she shook four pills into her palm before handing them to him.
“Thank you.” He tossed the pills back, grimacing as he swallowed from his cup. “Tastes like utter shite.”
“I’ll make you a deal.”
He raised an eyebrow at her, and she squashed the flutter of awareness that trembled through her middle.
“Three minutes,” a guy with a clipboard yelled.
“You were saying,” Angus prodded, drawing her attention back to him.
“Right.” She shifted and glanced down at the books in her arms. “I’ll go hunt up a decent cup of coffee for you, if you sign these books after the panel.”
“Are those yours?” She thought his eyes widened slightly, but she couldn’t be sure.
She shook her head. “I’ve only got ebook copies. These belong to a reader who was desperate to be here, but had to attend her own panel. She and her boyfriend are supposed to meet me back here when she’s done.”
His lips twitched. “I don’t think you’re doing bribery right.”
“No?”
“Most people are looking to get something for themselves.”
She shrugged. “I’m not most people.”
“Trust me, I’m becoming quite aware, Ms. Burrows.”
“One minute, people!”
Angus started to move toward the door, but she laid her hand on his arm, aware of his muscles moving beneath her fingers as he turned to look at her, his dark eyes bright with curiosity. “What?”
“How do you take your coffee? Black like your soul?”
A huge grin split his face, and she tried to tamp down the sudden and inconvenient surge of lust. She needed to get ahold of herself and focus on the job. Not the fact that, when he wasn’t being surly, he was the most attractive man she’d ever seen.
“Perfect,” he murmured.
By the time she’d found the closest coffee shop, stood in line, and made her way across the convention center, the session was nearly over. She showed her badge to the guy at the door again.
“No food or drink allowed in the auditorium.”
“It’s for one of the panelists.”
He frowned but opened the door anyway. “Just be careful.”
She nodded and slipped through the doorway and whispered, “Thank you.”
“Okay, we have time for a few more questions,” the moderator announced. She pointed at a young man standing in front of a microphone in the center aisle.
He cleared his throat. “This is a question for Angus.”
Eliza watched as he directed his attention toward the questioner who continued.
“I was surprised to see you on a panel for near-future sci-fi. Do you have something new in the works beyond the last book of DNR?”
Angus chuckled and smiled, just as charming as he was this morning. “I definitely have something new in the works, but I must admit, it’s not near-future.” He gestured loosely at his surroundings. “This is what happens when you don’t respond to your editor’s emails in a timely fashion.”
The other authors and most of the crowd laughed.
He glanced up and down the table at the other panelists. “But, thanks to my inclusion on this panel, my to-be-read pile just got a lot bigger.”
That got another laugh, and the next question was directed to a different author. As the last few queries were answered, she watched Angus. He seemed entirely at ease up on the stage, and if his head was still throbbing, he showed no sign of it. He could certainly pull out the charisma when he needed it.
When the session was concluded and the majority of the attendees began filing out of the room, Eliza made her way toward the stage and Angus. She found him sitting on the edge, talking to a small group of readers who’d gathered around. A few passed books toward him to sign as she inched closer and leaned between two readers to hand him his coffee.
His smile hit her in the stomach and slid downward to settle in her pussy.
“You’re an angel, lass.”
And what had been a tremor of arousal, a moment earlier, turned into a sudden full-fledged ache.
Chapter Six
Angus’ fingers brushed Eliza’s as she handed over the cup of coffee. The last thing he needed to be thinking about was his assistant and how soft her skin felt beneath his or how her eyes seemed more green than hazel this afternoon. She’d been hired to mind him—nothing more, nothing less. Just because she also happened to become more attractive every time he saw her was irrelevant.
He took a swallow of the coffee she’d bought for him and stifled a groan. If nothing else, he’d have to get her to show him where the coffee shop was. She’d found a perfect blend. He looked up to thank her, but she’d stepped back and was flipping through her ever-present planner.
Turning back to the kid who’d asked him the last question, he accepted the stack of books to sign. “Who should I make it out to?”
“Tyler.”
He nodded, flipped open the book, and began writing.
“I just finished my first novel,” Tyler said.
From the corner of his eye, Angus saw Eliza’s head snap up.
“That’s great,” Angus said, fairly certain he knew where this was going.
“Yeah,” the kid said. “I was wondering if you might have time to take a look at it and tell me what you think.”
Angus forced himself to look up and meet Tyler’s gaze. “I’m afraid I can’t. My contract with the agency that represents me prevents me from looking at any uncontracted work.”
He briefly made eye contact with Eliza, and the relief there was unmistakable.
“That sucks.”
He returned his attention to Tyler. “I know. But it’s meant to protect both of our work. Have you considered joining a critique group or finding a critique partner? Someone who writes or at least reads a similar genre?”
The kid shook his head.
“Writing conferences, universities, book stores, online groups...they’re all great places to find someone to work with.”
“Thanks, man.”
“No problem.” Angus finished signing the last of Tyler’s books and handed them back to him, then moved on to the other readers. Eventually, the last people waiting on him were Eliza, a tall blond guy who looked vaguely familiar, an
d a gorgeous black woman dressed as Star Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy. She kept glancing at the pile of well-worn books at his side. This had to be the reader Eliza had mentioned. He picked up the first book on the pile.
She stepped forward. “Angus, I’d like you to meet John and Colette.” She turned to the other two. “This is Angus Domhnull.” She grinned. “He’d love to sign your books.”
Angus smiled and offered his hand. “It’s lovely to meet you both. And Colette, your cosplay is absolutely fantastic. The detail is incredible.”
John smiled, pride evident in his expression. “She made it all. Everything from the leather coat to the mask.”
“It’s brilliant,” Angus said.
“I’m so happy to finally meet you,” Colette said. “I can’t tell you how much I love your books. They’re my all-time favorites. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve re-read them.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me,” he said, signing the first book. “I’m sorry I’ve kept you waiting so long on the last one.”
She laughed. “I know it’ll be worth the wait.”
Angus’ smile froze. He fucking hoped her faith in him wasn’t completely misplaced. The thought of being a disappointment to one more person was almost too much. He swallowed thickly at the spike of anxiety her words caused, but he forced himself to keep writing the inscription in her book. To keep smiling.
When he glanced up, Eliza’s eyes were on him, her expression impossible to read, but somehow, he knew she’d picked up on his tension. How that was even possible, he had no idea. They hadn’t even known each other for twenty-four hours. This was ridiculous. Pushing the thought from his agitated mind, he continued chatting with John and Colette as he finished signing her books. When he was done, he posed for a few pictures with them.
Before they’d finished, Colette insisted Eliza join them in one of the shots, and he slipped an arm around her, tugged her closer into the frame. It was hard to ignore the spiced sweetness of her perfume. Harder still to ignore the soft warmth of her body pressed against his side. Letting her go felt like more of a loss than he would have expected when she straightened and stepped away from him.
Rewritten (The Bound Series Book 7) Page 3