Bitten by Cupid(63)
’Course, she’d never heard someone plotting her murder before.
Adrian’s blue eyes were filled with concern. “Are you all right?”
She took a sip of her coffee, taking a moment to compose. “I’m fine. I’d better get going, though, get to work.” She tapped the magazines Owen had given her. She’d read the current issue before the meeting.
She stood, scanning the café. The line of people down the middle blocked her view of the far side of the room.
Oh, yeah, she’s perfect. I could have fun with that pink scarf, too.
She grabbed at her scarf as she got to her feet, stumbling as she spun around too fast. Adrian’s hand clamped onto her shoulder to steady her.
She laughed in such a god-awful phony way, he couldn’t have missed it. “My heel caught on the chair leg.”
He turned to Owen. “I’m going to walk her out.”
“It’s okay. I promise, I’m not a klutz.”
His laugh was soft. “Walking a lady out is just something I do.”
Really? Is this guy for real? Or is he a murderer?
Damn. All she’d wanted was a freelance job.
“Thanks,” she managed, as he held her coat for her.
She slid into it, belting it at the waist and searching the crowd for the face that went with those horrible thoughts. It was her. The killer had definitely targeted her. There wasn’t another woman wearing a pink scarf in the whole place. The blood fled her face as she stepped out into the cold.
Maybe Adrian’s walking her out was a good thing. She could read his thoughts once they were out of the din of the café.
“I’m taking the subway,” she said, nodding toward the entrance from where she’d come.
“I’ll walk you. It’ll give us a chance to talk more.”
She took one last look inside the café. Owen was watching them, that flat look on his face.
“Your business partner is your childhood friend, right?” she asked.
Out in the sun, she could see faint freckles across Adrian’s nose and cheeks. It was somehow endearing on such a rugged guy.
“Since third grade.”
She wanted to know more about why he’d been so determined to bring her on board. Not to hear accolades about her writing. In the small magazine she’d been published in recently, they always ran her picture. She didn’t want to think Adrian had fixated on her, really didn’t want to consider that he might be Kiss and Kill Cupid.
“It’s hard to imagine. You and he are so different.”
She tried to tune in to his thoughts between their banter. Nothing.
“I guess that’s what makes our friendship and the magazine work. He’s the analytical, business type. I’m the adventurer.”
She gave him a lopsided grin. “Beauty and the Brain.”
He rolled his eyes. “The write-up I’ll never live down.”
She found herself laughing at his chagrined expression. “But great publicity, you have to admit.” Of course, it would help if she wasn’t wishing he’d gone ahead and done that nude layout.
She took a deep breath, inhaling the scents of the city: a hot dog vendor on the corner, spicy Indian food wafting from a restaurant, and cologne that smelled familiar. She picked up the random thoughts of passersby: to-do lists, the kind of mundane stuff she was surprised to find muddled most people’s minds a lot of the time.
Except…nothing from Adrian.
She paused as she reached the entrance and turned to him. “Thanks for accompanying me.” Thank goodness, not a trip or stumble.
“My pleasure. Call me when you’ve got the articles ready.” He held out his hand, and when she shook it, hers became lost in that gentle grip. She imagined herself enfolded in his strong arms, her body against his, feeling completely protected, safe, and…she pushed away her own intrusive thoughts and focused on his.
But no. Absolutely nothing coming from him. She realized she was still shaking his hand and let go. “Thank you. I’ll be in touch soon.”
“The sooner, the better.” At her surprised look, he added, “I’d like to start working together for the next issue.”
She nodded, still stunned she could hear nothing from him. Was it a fluke? Or was he the only person whose thoughts she couldn’t hear? She needed more time with him to be sure.
Chapter Two
Once Kristy got on the subway, her mind started racing. She’d put in her earbuds and cranked the tunes. She had enough to deal with, like her own whirlwind of thoughts. The man sitting across from her with a wide berth around him talking to himself…she did not want to hear what was going on in his head.
She’d spent one scary week with people like that. Just before the whole thought-hearing thing started, Kristy had been trying to prove to her younger brother that she wasn’t afraid to climb the big oak tree at the park. When she’d reached the top and raised her arms in triumph, she lost her balance and fell. She wasn’t hurt, but they had a mother who ran her two children to the doctor at the slightest sniffle.