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PAIGE WAS CONVINCED she’d seriously lost her mind. What had she been thinking, asking Aidan for help? The man was an excellent detective. He was certain to find out about the dark magic, especially if she had him tagging along to help her find the files. After their confrontation at the coven hall, she’d convinced herself to avoid the man, not find ways to get closer to him.
Per their agreed-upon plan, he picked her up around seven and drove to Harker’s office. Aidan slowed his vehicle as he drove past the building. “Everyone's probably gone. I don't see any lights on inside.”
Paige stared at the shadowed neighborhood and tapped her foot against the floorboard. “Great. Then this should be easy.”
“Sure,” he mumbled and turned down a side street a block away. He found an area away from any overhead lights and parked. “It’s not too late to change your mind.” He kept his hands firmly clamped to the steering wheel and glanced at her. “Or tell me what this is really about.”
She glowered at him. “Remember the part of our discussion where you agreed not to ask questions?”
“I don’t recall that being a part of the conversation.”
“It was implied.” She opened the door and got out of the vehicle. She was actually impressed he’d lasted this long, since being nosy was part of his nature. Especially if it had anything to do with her.
She circled around and waited for him to snatch a small bag off the backseat. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
So do I.
He hooked the bag’s strap over his shoulder and took her hand. “Let’s go.” She followed his lead and stayed in the shadows. Within five minutes, they’d reached the rear entrance of the building. He slipped off his leather gloves and tucked them into his jacket pocket. After unzipping the pack, he pulled out a pick set and a pen light. He flipped on the light and handed it to her. “Aim this at the lock.”
She followed his instructions and watched him manipulate the picks. “Wouldn’t using a potion have been easier?”
“Yes, but it leaves a magical residue that can be traced back to me.”
She’d been so fascinated by his skills with the lock, she hadn’t realized she was practically on top of him until he said, “You’re blocking my light.”
His warm breath caressed her check. She turned her head and found his mouth inches away from her face. Instant heat flushed across her chilled skin, and she stepped back. “Sorry.”
It wasn’t long before the lock tumbler clicked. He pressed on the handle, and the door opened. He slipped the pick set into his jacket pocket and got to his feet. She handed him back the pen light which he turned off and switched out with a larger flashlight from his bag. After slinging the pack over his shoulder, he opened the door and clicked on the small light. Once they were inside, he locked the door. “Stay close to me, and don’t touch anything.”
I can’t believe I’m really doing this. “No problem.” She grabbed his coat sleeve.
He laughed. “That works.” He aimed the flashlight around the room. To the right was a small room with several tables, chairs, and vending machines. To the left was a long hallway. “His office should be down here.” He aimed the light past her. “You aren’t scared, are you?”
Hell yes, she was scared, but she wasn’t going to admit it, at least not to him. “No, why do you ask?”
“Because your nails are digging into my arm.”
She groaned and loosened her grip. “Better?”
“Much.” He aimed the light at each door as they slowly moved down the hall. They didn’t have to go far to find one with Harker’s nameplate mounted on the wooden exterior. She watched in awe for the second time as his skillful hands worked the set of picks on the lock.
He aimed the light inside the office. The beam bounced off furniture and a small filing cabinet. He walked to the desk and turned on a decorative lamp designed for reading. The light illuminated a portion of the neatly maintained and polished surface.
Dreadful images of being caught and hauled off to jail in handcuffs flashed through her mind. “Won’t someone see the light?”
“Not unless they’re standing outside. This office is too far back from the street.”
He was the expert. She would have to trust he knew what he was doing. She circled the desk and rolled the chair out of the way. Normally, she would have taken a seat to type, but she wanted to block Aidan’s view of the screen.
When he continued to hover behind her, she peered over her shoulder and glared at him. "A little privacy, please."
“Fine.” He shook his head and backed away.
She started the computer. A few seconds later, a security box appeared on the screen. “Damn, I need a password.” She’d been so worried about keeping the information from Aidan, she hadn’t planned for the possibility the files would be protected.
“Here, try this.”
She turned and found him right behind her, holding a small black USB stick. “What is it?” she asked and stuck it into a matching slot on the side of the hard drive.
“Chance’s special password decryption device.”
No doubt the same device Alex had borrowed the night Paige had helped her break into the dean’s office to access the coven database. Within seconds the security box disappeared, and she was scrolling through the file directory.
His body swallowed the space behind her, not touching, but close enough to make her quiver. He brushed the hair off her shoulder, his warm fingertips grazing and shooting tingles of heat along her skin.
He toyed with a lock of her hair. “Are you going to tell me what you’re searching for?”
She slapped his hand away. “I told you, it’s—”
“None of my business. I know.” He returned to teasing her hair again.
At the rate her temperature was climbing, she’d reach nuclear in no time and end up a melted puddle of goo. “St. Claire, haven’t you ever heard of personal space?”
“Hmm.” He ignored her question and inched closer until she could feel his breath on her neck. Need pooled between her legs, and she shifted uncomfortably. Thoughts of him running those amazing hands along other parts of her body nearly shattered the rest of her concentration.
Before he could dissolve all her rational thoughts, she raised her arm and elbowed him hard in the ribs.
“Ow.” He stepped back, rubbing his side. “Is there a reason you always resort to violence?”
She chuckled. “Because some people are stubborn and don’t listen.” She peered over her shoulder and gave him one of her back-the-hell-off glares.
He held up his hands. “Okay. I surrender. For now.”
As soon as he stepped back, she returned her attention to the computer screen. Ten minutes later, she’d scrolled through all of Harker’s files. “Damn, there’s nothing here.”
“You mean the nothing that’s none of my business, right?” He was back to hovering over her shoulder, but didn’t touch her.
“Exactly.”
“Maybe if you tell me what you’re hoping to find, I can help you. I’m pretty good with a computer.” He blew on her neck. Again. “Among other things.”
A shiver skittered across her skin. She’d fantasized hundreds of times over the years about all those other things. His mouth, his hands, his tongue...all over her body. Her insides notched up a couple degrees. She turned around, ready to push him away again, and found herself trapped by two strong arms braced against the desk.
He leaned closer, forcing her to plant her rear on the hard surface.
Her throat constricted, and she tried to swallow. “Move.”
“Why?” His lips brushed along her jaw.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, bracing for the impending meltdown.
#
“THIS,” AIDAN SAID AND captured her mouth with his. He should be hurrying her along and getting them out of there, but having her alone and being this close to her was driving him crazy.
Her hands gripped the open edges of his jacket and a moan rose up from her chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her snug against him. Years of longing poured into the kiss. He took his time exploring every sensuous detail of her lips.
He cupped the back of her neck. He shifted her head for better access, and used his tongue to coax her mouth open, to delve inside and deepen the kiss. She whimpered and slid her hands along his shoulders, her fingers curled around the hair at the base of his neck.
Fragments of light burst through the seams of the partially closed blinds, then disappeared. Startled, he pulled away and reached behind her to turn off the desk lamp.
“What’s wrong?”
He moved her away from the desk. “I think there’s someone outside.” He quickly skimmed his fingers over the keyboard, typing in the command to shut down the computer. He removed the device from the port and tucked it into his pocket. “We need to go.” Grabbing her hand, he tugged her out of the office, closing and locking the door behind them.
He reached the rear exit and saw a faint red glow around the frame. He stopped several feet in front of the door, causing Paige to slam into his back. She groaned and stepped around him. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Yeah.” The smell of amyris and sage wafted through the air. He’d recently encountered the smell but was having a hard time recalling where. Someone was using witchcraft to gain access, and he’d bet they were neither an employee nor friendly.
She slowly backed away from the door. “Now what do we do?”
There were too many unanswered questions surrounding Harker’s death, and he doubted the break-in was a coincidence. Getting caught was not an option, nor was the risk of Paige getting hurt. He grasped her hand and headed toward the front of the building. Small circles of light from his flashlight bounced from the floor to the walls as they ran.
As soon as they reached the reception area, he heard the rear door burst open. He closed the door, sealing off the hallway to the back offices. “Here, hold this.” He handed the flashlight to Paige, then reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a tiny vial he kept for emergencies. Popping off the cap, he tapped the edge of the tube and sprinkled an orange-colored powder along the base of the door. “This should buy us some time.”
“What about being able to trace it back to you?” she asked.
“We’ll have to chance it.” He took the flashlight from her and unlocked the front door. As soon as they were outside, he caught her hand again and started running. He kept glancing over his shoulder to make sure they hadn’t been followed.
His heart pounded and his lungs burned, but he refused to stop running or release her hand until they’d reached his vehicle. Once they were both safely inside, he asked, “Are you okay?”
She took several deep breaths and pressed her hand against her chest. “Fine, and you?”
He coughed. “A little out of shape, apparently.”
She secured her seat belt. “Is it always like this?”
“No, sometimes it’s worse.” He cranked up the engine and steered away from the curb. What had he been thinking, letting her talk him into taking her along? Things could have gotten ugly, and she could have been hurt.
She surprised him with a giggle. “Now I get why you and Alex wanted to be private investigators. That was effing awesome.”
He shook his head and grinned, unable to determine if she was incredibly delirious, seriously nuts, or a little bit of both.
