She blinked and then, tentatively, her palm closed over him. She explored him gingerly, cautiously, as though she was unsure of herself. He groaned.
Hastily she withdrew her hand.
“Aren’t I doing it right?” she said anxiously.
“Irene,” he got out between clenched teeth. “You have done this before, haven’t you?”
“Yes, a few times, but I don’t think I was very good at it.”
“I’m going to faint.”
“What?” Horrified, she sat up very fast. “Lie down.”
“I am lying down.”
“Shall I get a cold compress?”
“I don’t think that will do any good.”
“Do you need a doctor?”
She started to reach for her blouse.
“I don’t need a doctor.” He imprisoned her hand again and pulled her gently down on top of his chest. “I need you. Tell me, what went wrong when you tried this before?”
“He was a lying, cheating bastard.”
“That explains it.”
“It turns out that I wasn’t the first secretary in the history of modern business to make a fool of herself with her boss.”
“I get the picture.” He cradled her face between his palms. “I want to make this special for you.”
“Trust me, this is special,” she said.
She kissed him and he was lost. Desire heated his senses until all he could think about was sinking himself into her soft, supple body.
The surroundings were hardly romantic but he had one thing going for him—he was very good with his hands.
When she came for him, breathless, shuddering in his arms, then and only then did he allow himself to thrust into her.
She gasped, wound herself around him, and held on with all of her strength.
His release pounded through him, and the world outside the storage locker disappeared, taking the past with it—at least for a time.
Magic.
Chapter 38
Luther Pell propped one forearm on the bar and considered the earthshaking news that Willie had just delivered in a very low voice and with all the drama suited to the announcement.
“He took Miss Glasson into the prop storage locker?” Luther said. “Are you absolutely certain?”
“That’s straight from Hank’s lips.” Willie polished a wineglass with a white towel. “Hank got it from one of the gardeners, who saw the boss unlock the door himself.”
Luther whistled softly. “Big news, all right.”
Willie raised her brows. “What’s more, they’re still inside, according to Hank. He says they’ve been in there nearly an hour.”
“Evidently Miss Glasson is very interested in a certain magician’s props.”
“If you ask me, the most fascinating aspect of the situation is that a certain magician seemed keen to take Miss Glasson on a tour of his props.”
“You’re right,” Luther said. “As a matter of fact, I can’t recall the magician in question ever having escorted any lady into the prop locker for a private tour.”
“Neither can I.” Willie slotted the wineglass into the overhead rack. “You heard what happened at the warehouse fire last night?”
“The story is all over town.”
Willie smiled. “The boss ordered ice from room service. Rick in room service made the delivery. The boss explained what had happened at the warehouse. Rick told the kitchen staff, who passed the story on to housekeeping and security, and the next thing you know, it’s all over town.”
“Small town,” Luther reminded her.
He swallowed some of the sparkling water that Willie had poured for him and thought about the meaning of it all. One thing was clear: Irene Glasson was different, and not just because she had refused to abandon Oliver in a burning building.
It wasn’t that Oliver didn’t like women. Oliver had escorted other ladies to the Paradise Club, and he had indulged in a couple of short, discreet affairs since arriving in Burning Cove.
But Irene Glasson was different, Luther reflected.
He and Oliver had known each other ever since Oliver purchased the hotel. In spite of the age difference between them, they had become friends from the start. Luther figured it was because each of them had recognized a kindred soul in the other—or maybe just another lost soul traveling the same path. Whatever the case, it was the kind of soul you wanted at your back in a bar fight. A soul you could trust with your secrets.
Both of them had been damaged when they arrived in Burning Cove. Each of them had made a fresh start in a town that encouraged reinvention. Each had done a good job of concealing the damage, but neither of them tried to pretend to the other that the damage didn’t exist. Maybe that was the real reason for their friendship.