Abby and the girls stopped. "What are you doing?" Abby asked in an incredulous tone. "I thought you were having dinner with you-know-who?"
"Daniel has to leave. Urgent matters. Dinner has been cancelled. Let's go, go, go!" Charlotte tapped Abby's shoulder twice, urging her to move. With her gloved hand, Charlotte could touch a person without having to invade their privacy. Still, she avoided touchy-feely interaction on a daily basis if she could help it.
Abby craned her neck, looking in Daniel's direction. "What are you talking about? I think he's waiting for you."
"You're mistaken. He's busy as hell."
"No, I think he's really waiting for you," Abby insisted. "Look."
The admin girls voiced their agreement.
Charlotte's cheeks cramped from smiling too wide. "Ah, sorry, I forgot I have to catch an earlier train today. Gotta go. I'll see you guys tomorrow." She brushed past Abby and walked fast. God. She must look stupid. Just when her coworkers seemed to accept the way she was, it all got ruined by this stunt. She shouldn't be surprised if people talked behind her back the next morning.
Geez! She just wanted her peaceful and quiet life back. Peace and quiet. Was that too much for a girl to ask? Since she hit twenty-four last month, she'd worried about her expanding girth-too many goodies and too little exercise. She wanted to be able to fit into her Hot Topic clothes without looking like an exploding muffin. She had an extensive collection of Doctor Who shirts, and it would be a massive waste if she couldn't wear them. She thought biking was a healthy alternative to going to the gym, since there was a free bike that she got from a neighbor who'd moved overseas. She liked riding a bike when she was small. It stopped when her mom finally went off the deep end and had to be institutionalized. Charlotte had to move in with her grandmother at the age of ten. The one time she'd decided to get fit again, she'd been driven off the road by a wannabe racer.
The one time! Jesus Christ. Maybe some divine, cosmic power had conspired against her, not letting her start a healthy lifestyle.
Charlotte hastened her steps, ignoring the funny looks she got from people. Don't care, don't care, don't care. I'm running away from the lion man. Technically she was power-walking, but whatever.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her waist from behind and swept her off her feet.
Charlotte was too dazed to realize that someone was carrying her in his arms princess-style. One second she was thinking about running away from Daniel Addington, and a second later, the ground had moved and she was in his arms.
Huh? How did that happen?
She came to her senses when Daniel's face was an inch away from hers. Panic settled in, and she protested. "What are you doing? Put me down!" She wasn't a pixie, but he seemed to have no trouble carrying her as if she weighed nothing. She struggled to get down.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, unless you want people to see your panties," he said in a nonchalant manner. "You might be wearing a long skirt, but if I slide my arm behind your knee, your whole derrière will be exposed to the world."
Charlotte stopped thrashing instantly. She covered her face with her hands as they walked passed Abby and the admin girls. There goes my peaceful, quiet life. She'd become the talk of the office tomorrow without a doubt. It would be a circus, and she was the star of the freak show. The majority of the girls in the office loved to gossip. Charlotte liked it better when people treated her as if she blended in with the wall. She disliked drawing attention to herself.
She unconsciously gritted her teeth. "I can't believe you'd do this to me!"
"I can't believe you'd bolt in the middle of an important conversation. Rather rude, don't you think?" A ghostly smirk lingered at the corner of his lips. The glint in his eyes told her that he was amused by this whole situation.
He put her back on her feet and pushed her into the Mercedes. Charlotte sternly protested, but her objections fell on deaf ears. Daniel climbed in and sat next to her, closing the door behind him. With a flick of his wrist, he ordered his chauffeur to drive.
The car smoothly moved forward and merged into the traffic. She couldn't hear the noise outside the vehicle, only a quiet hum from the powerful engine. With a luxurious interior and all the expensive trappings, the high-end car whisked her away from the world she was accustomed to and into the unknown.
It was downright unnerving.
As she lamented her fate, she saw her friends' shocked expressions through the car's back window. As she mouthed to Abby "Save me," her friend gave her a double thumbs-up and a wide grin.
Drats!
Chapter Two
Daniel Addington sucked his breath through his teeth, suppressing the urge to let his inner beast crawl out from under his skin. The woman sitting next to him had driven him to the edge of insanity for the past few days. Her scent. Her face. Her voluptuous curves.
Especially her scent.
Good lord!
He gathered his focus, collecting himself. His usual cool-headed mask crumbled when she was within his reach. He wasn't sure how it was possible, but this woman had bewitched him from the moment they met.
And when their skin touched …
Deep desire stirred within him. Wanting. Needing. He wanted the woman sitting beside him.
Daniel turned to her. Charlotte had shrunk into the corner of the seat; she was practically stuck to the door.
"You can't do this. This is kidnapping!" she barked.
Her big, brown, doe-like eyes flashed with indignation. However, she had too much feminine allure in her voice to be taken as fierce. Charlotte Winters was Damsel-In-Distress personified, and it amused him even more.
"I wouldn't go that far. Kidnapping is such an unsavory word," he countered, teasing. "I have simply taken you against your will and falsely imprisoned you in my car."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
Daniel laughed. "Don't worry. I would never hurt you and never will-you have my word. I simply wish to take you to my home, where we can have a civil conversation. You're a woman who was hard to catch, Ms. Winters; I ran out of logical options. Please understand, I'm a desperate man."
Her lips thinned into a hard line. "I have nothing to say to you."
"I'm afraid I have plenty. This is very important to me. Let's negotiate."
"I don't want anything from you."
He leaned closer. "Are you sure? Not even money, fame and fortune?"
Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm happy with what I have, thank you very much."
"Every person wants something. Every person needs something. That's human nature, and it holds true for individuals like you and I. You said earlier that your gift is also your curse. What if I say there's a way to circumvent your rare ability so you won't be burdened by it anymore? Imagine a normal life without fear of accidentally peeking into other people's psyches. Would that pique your interest?"
She faltered. "You know how to get rid of it permanently?"
"Not yet. But I'm sure if you found somebody who fully understood the situation you're in, a partner like myself, the two of us could find an amicable solution to your unique condition."
She scoffed immediately. "No thanks."
Daniel flicked his fingers. As he thought, she was a hard sell. His charm alone wasn't enough to win her trust. Usually, he'd only need to smile and woo his past paramours with his wealth and power, and they'd melt like butter in his hand.
Not this one. Not Charlotte.
It made him want her even more.
People said that men always wanted something that couldn't be attained, and for the first time in his life, Daniel tasted defeat.
He wouldn't allow it.
She was the prize he intended to win.
"I anticipated this type of reaction from you, and naturally, I have come prepared."
Daniel took out a folder containing a dossier his private investigator had gathered about Charlotte. "Let's see. Currently, you're living on your own since your grandmother passed away. You have no living relatives except your biological mother, who is currently being treated at Bellevue for chronic dysthymia and suicidal tendencies.
"You graduated from high school with the highest score in the tri-state area, but you refused the scholarships offered by Dartmouth and Cornell. Instead, you exiled yourself to the confinement of your grandmother's house for two years, living exclusively on your savings until your grandmother died five years ago. Then you were forced to sell the house and move into your apartment in Water Garden."
Charlotte looked irritated and tried to snatch the folder, but Daniel moved his hand away.
"You spied on me? This is invasion of privacy."
"Not quite. That information is a matter of public record. But the following might not be. You love spicy food and chocolate, and you have a pet chicken named Silkie-like the breed name-that you hide from your landlord. The clothes in your wardrobe are black, and for some reason, all of your T-shirts are related to Doctor Who characters. Your favorite soda is Dr. Pepper, favorite music is a band called the Arctic Monkeys, and you have an extensive collection of graphic novels and Japanese manga at home."