Chapter Eighteen
Angus was writing faster than he’d ever written before. And he was enjoying the process more than he had in a long time. He knew he had Eliza to thank for that. And he supposed, by extension, Barbara, for forcing an assistant on him.
He and Eliza had been in London for six days. They’d done a few touristy things, and he’d finished up his panels at the London con. Tonight was the signing at Foyles. He wasn’t sure how Barbara had gotten him into the second biggest bookstore in the city when he didn’t even have a current release, but he was on the schedule, and the store had ordered a ton of stock.
Eliza walked through the door that connected their rooms. She looked incredibly stunning today. She’d pinned her hair up in another one of those complicated up-dos, and all he could think about was sliding his fingers into the mass of silk as he kissed her and utterly destroying the carefully arranged strands. He was so intent on imagining shoving her up against the wall and dragging her skirt up her thighs, he’d only just realized that she was speaking to him.
“—about tonight. Have you decided what passage you’ll be reading?”
Dread sank like cement blocks in his gut. “I’m sorry, what?”
Concern, and a little frustration, filled her eyes. “I thought you’d read all of Barbara’s messages.”
“I did. I mean, I thought I did. Except... Fuck me,” he muttered. He’d been so engrossed in the story, he couldn’t remember if he’d checked his mail the last few days.
He resaved his file three more times then quickly logged into the hotel’s wi-fi and then his email. There it was. A message from his editor with the subject heading: Foyles. With growing alarm, he opened it.
Angus,
I hope this finds you well. As I’m sure you recall, when I set up the tour, Foyles said that they’d be happy to have you there if you’d do an exclusive reading from Escape Velocity. I’d asked you to send me the excerpt when you were ready so I could go over it. Since we’re cutting it close to the deadline, I’d like you to give the section to Eliza to look over so you’re not reading completely raw material. When you get a chance, do send me the excerpt. I’d love to read it.
Best,
Barbara
He glanced up at Eliza. He must have looked as panicked as he felt, because she immediately walked over to him and pulled the extra chair in front of his desk. Sitting across from him, she reached out and laid her hand on his arm. “You okay?”
“Oh, aye. I’m dead fab.”
“Do you want some help picking an excerpt? I’ve got a few ideas.”
He shoved the laptop toward her and closed his eyes against the throbbing that was beginning behind his eyes. “I’d feel better if it was something from chapters one or two.”
“That’s exactly my thought,” she said, clicking away. “We’ve already discussed those, and any suggestions I had, I’ve made. And you’ve already taken care of.” She was quiet for a few moments.
He opened his eyes. She was leaning forward, reading, then the tapping on the keyboard began again. When she finished, she turned the computer to face him. There was a new document containing a five-page excerpt from chapter one.
“Go ahead and look this over, and if you’re happy with it, put it on a flash drive. I’ll take it down to the business center and print off a copy for tonight.”
He hated reading his own work aloud on a good day. It was the fucking worst. This was definitely not a good day.
Eliza reached across the desk and grabbed his hand. “You’ve got this. I promise, I wouldn’t let you get up and read something that wasn’t ready.”
“Thank you.” He looked at her hand wrapped around his. She had a surprising amount of strength for someone with hands so much smaller than his.
She smiled. “I’ve got your back.”
He wondered if it was possible to convince Terra that he needed Eliza until the book was finished—not just the tour. Maybe he could get her to spend the two weeks of vacation that Terra owed her with him, in Scotland. Hell, he’d pay her to do it. Her insight and suggestions had helped him find the path and the focus he needed to finish it. He’d ask her after the signing, tonight.
“If you’re good with that section, I should get down to the business center before they close.”
“Right.” He nodded. “Yeah. I think this one will work.”
She let go of his hand, and he reluctantly released her to feel around in his computer bag for a flash drive. What kind of writer didn’t have a flash drive?
A small smile played around her lips. “Hang on. I’ve got one.”
She disappeared into her room and came back less than a minute later and handed him a bright purple drive. He inserted it into his computer and transferred the file she’d created then passed it back to her, trying not to let his hand linger against hers. Other than cuddling up with him on the plane, she hadn’t given him any indication that she wanted anything more with him. And the plane didn’t count. She’d been asleep.
“I’ll be right back. Then we can head over to the store. They wanted you to sign a bunch of their reserve stock.”
The signing had been a huge success. Angus had lost track of how many books had passed in front of him. The bookstore staff was wrangling the stragglers and herding them over to the area where he’d give the reading and do a short Q&A session.
Eliza stood in front of his table, smiling brightly, and her hazel eyes sparkled, the bits of copper and gold mixing with the vibrant green as they captured his gaze. He couldn’t look away from her if he wanted to. How had he ever thought she was plain? He was obviously a fucking eejit.
She leaned back and glanced toward the reading area and took a couple quick pictures of the crowd with her mobile. “The turnout is amazing. When the book comes out, they’re not going to be able to keep it on the shelf.”
“Did you find out if Barbara is going to want you back in the office right away?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve put in a vacation request, but I haven’t heard back yet. Why?”
“Because I’ve got an idea I want to run by you.”
She grinned. “What’s that?”
“Have you ever been to Scotland?”
She shook her head.
“Any interest?”
Her eyes were bright with curiosity. “Yes, but again, why?”
“I was thinking that I could tell Barbara that we’re making great progress, but I’d really like to keep you around for a little longer. That way, you can still get paid and have a bit of a holiday, and I—”
“Will still have your assistant?”
“My assistant. My beta reader.” The woman he couldn’t stop thinking about and wasn’t ready to walk away from. “And I could be your personal tour guide.”
“So, basically, a working vacation?”
“Basically. Then I’ll bring you back to the airport in a couple weeks, and you’ll still have your two weeks’ holiday to use later.”
A slow smile curved her lips. “I like it.”
“Why don’t we...” His words died as soon as they hit the air.
She froze, her eyes fixed and unblinking as she stared over his shoulder. The blood drained from her face almost as fast as her smile faded. Her head dropped forward, and she reached behind her head and unpinned her hair, letting it fall and obscure her face. She appeared to be looking at the table in front of him, but as close as he was, he could tell that she was staring through the curtain of her hair.
Glancing behind him, he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, and he turned back to her and laid a hand on her arm. “Are you okay?”
She jerked away from him—hard—as if he’d touched her with a live wire. Her gaze clashed briefly with his. Her pupils had blown so wide they’d all but swallowed the irises, and her breath was suddenly far too rapid and shallow. Her fingers had turned white from clutching so tightly to her phone.
“I have to go. I’m sorry— I can’t be— I’ll text your dr
iver. I’m sorry I—”
Whatever she couldn’t do, he wasn’t going to find out anytime soon. She was race-walking toward the exit, and there wasn’t a goddamn thing he could do about it. He still needed to do the reading and the Q&A portion of the evening. As much as he wanted to chase her down, he couldn’t. Not yet. These people had been waiting here all night.
He texted her. There was no response. He was hoping for one, but he hadn’t expected it. He glanced down and realized her purse was still under the table. The fact that she hadn’t bothered to grab it worried him even more than he already was.
He let the manager know that an emergency had cropped up, and he was only going to be able to answer questions for ten minutes once the reading was over. As it was, those ten minutes felt like a year. As soon as his time was up, he grabbed his bag and Eliza’s purse and darted toward the front of the store, checking his messages as he walked. She hadn’t responded.
“Angus, is that you, mate?” Someone grabbed his upper arm, slowing him.
He turned to look at him, shaking off the guy’s hold. “Nigel?”
His old schoolmate grinned at him. “Yeah. Had to come down to see the big author. Thought I’d take you out for a pint, but you look in a rush. Everything all right?”
“I’m not sure. My assistant had an emergency; I’m trying to find her.”
“Pretty redhead, great tits?” he asked.
Angus nodded. He really wanted to thrash the guy, but if he’d seen where she’d gone...
“Think I saw her get in a cab.”
“Okay, thanks. I’d love to catch up, but I really need to find her. I’ll be back in town in two weeks to bring her to the airport, will you be around?”
He wouldn’t actually love to catch up, but if it worked to get him out of there and find Eliza quicker, he’d say it. Nigel had always been a prick when they’d been at uni—lording his wealth over the students there on bursaries or maintenance grants. Students like Angus who’d come from single parent households and still worked loads of hours to cover the tuition the bursaries hadn’t. Though, there had been other times when Nigel had been relatively decent. No one ever knew which version of him they’d get.
The man grinned. “Always around. Just call Kit. He knows how to reach me. Good luck finding your assistant.”
Angus nodded as he headed out the door. He was still bristling over the tits comment. It wasn’t that Angus hadn’t noticed her body, and yes, her breasts were fucking amazing, but she was more than her tits. He shouldn’t have been surprised, though. He and Nigel were both members of Sterling Manor, and on the occasions they’d both been playing in the club at the same time, Nigel had always demeaned the subs he was with. Angus had assumed that it had been part of those particular scenes. Now, he wondered if that was simply how Nigel treated all women—a sum of their parts.
Yeah, Angus wouldn’t be calling Kit for Nigel’s number. The last thing Angus wanted to do was spend time with him. Especially, if it was time he could be spending with Eliza. As soon as he cleared the building, he started calling her. As he expected, she didn’t answer. The calls went straight to voicemail.
Once he was in his room, he tossed his bag and her purse on his bed, went to the door between their rooms, and knocked. No answer.
“Eliza?”
Nothing. He dialed her number again. She didn’t answer, but he could hear the muffled sound of her mobile ringing. She’d at least been in her room since she’d left the bookstore.
Worry sat like a craggy boulder in his gut, sharp and uncomfortable. He knocked again. What if she needed help? He tried the door between their rooms. It was locked. Crossing the room, he grabbed her purse, rifling through it until he found her wallet. He wasn’t crazy about the idea of violating her privacy by going through her belongings—especially when he knew how much she valued that privacy—but it couldn’t be helped at the moment.
No room key. He tried to remember what her mobile case looked like. Was it the kind that opened and had little pockets? He didn’t think so, but now, he wasn’t sure. He dumped the rest of the contents of her purse on his bed. It held the usual things; lip balm, tampons, her tablet, business cards from various con vendors, her lanyard and badge from the London con. In the clear pocket on the back of the badge holder, he spotted what he was looking for.
Slipping the key card out of the plastic, he walked into the hallway and knocked on the outer door of her room. When there was no response, he called out, “Eliza, I’m coming in.”
He slid the key into the slot, sighing in relief when the light flashed green and the lock disengaged. He pushed open the door and felt around for the light switch in the darkened room. “Eliza?”
When the overhead light flickered to life, there was no sign of her. The blackout curtains had been drawn, the bed was neatly made, and the bathroom was empty. He looked around for her mobile, thinking there might be some clue as to where she’d gone. He didn’t see it. Had the ringing he’d heard just been a coincidence—coming from the room on the other side of his? Or across the hall? He rang her number again.
Angus startled slightly as her ringtone sounded right next to him then was silenced. Turning, he slowly opened the closet door. Eliza was huddled in the corner on the floor. She clutched her phone so tightly, her hands shook. Lifting her head, she glanced up at him, eyes wide and face tear-stained. Her breath too frantic and fast. A hotel keycard sat next to her on the floor. She must have gotten another at the front desk.
His heart ached at her expression. How many times had he seen that same haunted look on his brother’s face? Moving slowly, he stepped into the tiny closet and sank to the floor, wriggling so he could squeeze in next to her. He turned toward her so he could slide the door along the track and close them away from the light then wrapped his arms around her. She was stiff for an endless moment, but then, she sank into him, burrowing close, but she continued to tremble and gasp.
He pulled her over his lap to sit between his thighs, drawing his legs up so they bracketed her body. Her skin was chilled and clammy against his. Keeping his arms wrapped tightly around her, he pressed a kiss to the back of her head. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
She took a shuddering breath that nearly broke his heart. “I—I’m sorry.”
“Shh. You've nothing to feel sorry for. But you need to slow your breathing before you pass out.” He took a long, slow breath, letting her feel the rise and fall of his chest against her back. “I want you to match your breathing to mine. Can you do that for me?”
She nodded jerkily, hot tears splashing onto his forearms.
He took another deep, measured breath and held it for a few seconds, encouraged as she tried to do the same. “Just focus on my voice and the sound of my breathing. Those are the only things I want you to think about, right now.”
She nodded again, still shaking almost violently.
He continued with his drawn out, exaggerated inhalations, quietly coaxing her as she gradually relaxed into him.
“Do you want to talk?”
She tensed.
“It's okay. We don't have to.” He smoothed his hands up and down her arms. “Whatever you need. I'm here.”
“I’m s-so s-s-sorry I missed your reading.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
She shook her head. “It does.”
“Whatever’s going on with you is far more important.”
Her head drooped forward. Fresh tears flooded from her eyes, dripping in burning trails over his hands and arms. But he didn’t move. Just continued to hold her. He’d hold her for as long as she needed.
“I saw him.” Her words were barely a whisper.
He forced himself to keep his voice level. “Your ex?”
She nodded. “He was at your signing.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“N-not your f-fault.” She took a shuddering breath, and he tightened his arms around her. “Lulled my-myself into believing I w-wouldn’t s-see him again.”
“Did he speak to you?”
She shook her head.
“Did he see you?”
“I don’t think so.”
He continued to hold her, murmuring reassurances, all the while wondering what the fucking bastard had done to her. She was clearly traumatized.
They sat in the dark, not speaking, as her breathing finally began to slow, returning to something closer to normal. Staying silent, he tried to content himself with simply holding her, but he wanted to know more about her ex. Wanted to beat him for whatever he’d done to terrify Eliza.
“Thank you for pulling me off the ledge,” she finally said, tearing through the cocoon of silence that had enveloped them. “And I am sorry. This stupidity isn’t anything you should have to deal with.”
“A panic attack isn’t stupidity,” he said gently. “And that’s what friends do—help each other.”
A ragged laugh escaped her, and she turned in his arms until she was on her knees, facing him between his spread legs, his hands resting at the small of her back. “Giving me what I need?”
Something changed between them in that moment. It was as if the energy shifted or a veil was torn away or any other poetic explanation for the sudden need that burned in her eyes. A need that matched the one he’d been feeling for days.
He nodded, slowly.
She inched forward and pressed her mouth to his. His fingers convulsed on her back, pulling her closer, even though he tried to stop himself. She kissed him again, and he leaned into her, tasting the sweetness of her mouth and the salt of her tears. Her tears brought him up short, and he broke the kiss, but he couldn’t bring himself to move away from the contact.
“What are you doing, Eliza?” he whispered against her lips.
“Getting what I need.”
She pressed her mouth to his, again. Her painful sweetness and his need driving every thought but one from his head. More.
Chapter Nineteen
Adrenaline pounded through Eliza’s body. Her heart still raced, the metallic taste of panic on her tongue. Having Angus so close, feeling him wrapped around her morphed the residual terror into something else entirely. Something she wanted...no, needed—desperately—to act on before the fear returned and grew, taking her over again. Incapacitating her to the point where the only thing that would calm her was an IV drip full of hospital-grade tranquilizers. No, she was better off funneling her fear into Angus, letting him take her to a place where she didn’t have to think. Didn’t have to remember. All she had to do was feel. And accept.
Rewritten (The Bound Series Book 7) Page 11