She doubted her famous ancestor had ever tried to hide red underwear. She set her bag in her lap, then slipped the panties inside. She reached down to retrieve the paper that had landed by her chair.
"Did you drop something?" Giacomo asked.
"No." She grabbed the paper and then straightened, slipping it also into her bag. "Just a mosquito bite on my leg. Itches like crazy."
"Bloodsuckers." Giacomo smiled slowly. "Don't you just hate them?"
Did he really expect a response to that? She frowned at him. "I hear some of them carry disease."
He laughed. "I like her, Angus."
"Ye'll like her from a distance," Angus muttered as he set a diet cola in front of Emma.
With a grin, Giacomo raised his glass. "To amore." He drained his glass dry.
"Miss Wallace, may I ask how ye slayed the Malcontents?" Robby strode toward her.
"Did ye use a sword or one of yer stakes?"
"Stake." Emma gulped down some cola.
"May I see yer stakes?"
She coughed, then cleared her throat. "I–I'd rather not."
Angus snorted. "Ye were never too shy to show them to me. I had to destroy a few that came too close for comfort."
Giacomo laughed. "She tried to kill you?" He leaned forward to peek at her bag. "They must be terrifying."
"Nay. I'll show you." In a flash, Angus grabbed the bag from Emma's lap. He opened it, looked inside, and blinked. He dipped his head for a closer look.
Giacomo stood, smiling. "What is it? Have you discovered her secret weapon?"
"Nay, a souvenir." Angus stuck his hand into the bag.
Emma winced.
"Here ye go." Angus slapped two stakes onto the table. "Souvenirs from the slayer." He returned Emma's bag to her lap.
She sighed with relief. She should have known he would be a gentleman.
Robby and Giacomo each picked up a stake to examine it.
Robby shook his head. "Too small. I prefer my claymore." He dropped the stake into his sporran.
"And I'll rely on my dagger." Giacomo slipped his souvenir into a jacket pocket. "We should be on our way." He bowed to Emma. "A pleasure to meet you, signorina. "
"Likewise." Emma stood, clasping her bag to her chest. "Thank you both for protecting the park." She waited for both men to leave the room, then sat down with a relieved sigh. Angus retrieved his glass of Blissky from the counter and took a long drink. "How did yer knickers get into yer bag?"
She gave him an aggravated look. "They were prominently displayed on the kitchen table for the entire world to see. I had to hide them somewhere. That reminds me—" She removed the paper from her bag. "There was a note on the table, too."
Angus strode toward her, his hand outstretched. "That's probably for me."
She glowered at him. "Myknickers, my note." She unfolded the paper.
He waggled his fingers in agimme gesture. "'Tis my note. And I claim yer knickers as spoils of war."
She snorted. She was too irritated to give him the note, even though it was clearly addressed to him. "Don't tell me you collect women's underwear."
"Only yers, love." He leaned over the table. "And only if I've had the pleasure of removing it myself."
Did he realize he'd just called her love? Or was it simply a common word to him like it was to many British? Although she couldn't recall him using the word before. He snatched the paper from her hands.
"Hey!" She stood, slamming her bag on the table. The rascal had probably said the L-word just to distract her. And worse, it had worked. She was getting in way too deep. She should just take her underwear and leave.
But her curiosity got the better of her. She sidled up beside him to read the note.
Angus,
Phil found these unders in the living room and asked which of us he should congratulate.
We need to talk.
Connor
Brilliant. Emma groaned. Connor knew about them. "Who is Phil?"
"One of the daytime guards." Angus wadded up the paper and tossed it into the litter bin.
"'Twill be easier for me to protect ye if ye live here."
Move in with a vampire? Was he crazy? "I appreciate your concern, Angus, but I don't expect you to protect me. I got myself into this mess, so it's my problem."
"I willna be brushed aside." He tilted his head, studying her. "Yer pulse is racing."
Thanks for the reminder. She squeezed her hands into fists, then slowly relaxed them. "Living here is out of the question. If Sean sees me, he'll fire me and blacklist me from any other job I would ever want."