The man shook my hand. His hand was malformed, but still strong, and he stared into my eyes for a few moments before he pulled his hand away. “An empath?” he said, almost to himself. “And…a rainmaker. Hmm, both powerful abilities.”
And then he grimaced. “I’m sorry you have to feel my pain, love.” He spoke low, probably so Henri wouldn’t hear, but he couldn’t speak so low that the vampire in the room couldn’t hear him.
“I’m sorry you’reinso much pain,” I said.
He nodded, and I could tell that would be all he’d say on the subject. “Now, yes, I hired Reece a few weeks ago. She’s an excellent chef.” He looked at Henri. “Is there something wrong with my having hired her?”
Henri spluttered, and I wanted to smile. This was Henri’s worst imaginings. A handsome, though scarred, single male had employed his daughter.
Draven sat beside me, and the man shook his head in frustration with himself. “I’m sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Tylen Evermore. I hope you’ll forgive me. My mind is not what it once was.”
Draven and I nodded, but Henri was still spluttering, standing twenty feet away from us.
I laughed, covering it with a hand, before I said, “Henri is worried you’ll mistreat Reece, his daughter. She signed the NDA, you see, and he was worried about the household she’d gotten hired by.”
Tylen nodded, as though this was a completely normal response, and I had to admit that it seemed to be. Parents worried about their children always. It didn’t matter if they were 4 or 84, they never stopped worrying. Tylen pushed a gray button that nearly blended in with the wall behind the sofa, and a bright, chiming bell sounded somewhere in the mansion.
A beautiful woman came through a swinging door, dusting the flour off of her bright blue skirt and thick teal sweater. Her bright blonde hair was up in a messy bun, but a good chunk of it had fallen out. It was long, probably waist length. She shoved it behind her ear, revealing a sweet face with slightly pink cheeks, alabaster skin, and bright blue eyes.
In short, Reece was adorable. She was like a Care Bear, except for grown-ups. I wanted to put her in my pocket and take her home with me.
There were so many emotions pinging around the room, my mind was spinning a little. Relief from Henri that his daughter looked to be okay, something deep from Tylen behind me, and a bright spot of embarrassment from Reece. “Yes, My Lord?”
Tylen scowled. “Tylen, Reece. I am not a lord.”
Reece fidgeted, looking like she disagreed with that statement, and I jumped up and crossed over to her.
Men! Poor Reece was seriously uncomfortable.
I held my hand out to her. “Hi, I’m Mia. I live in the Leto Villa. I’m Draven’s dubious executive assistant and resident pain in the butt.” Draven chuckled as I smiled at her, hoping to ease her tension.
She smiled shyly and took my hand. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Reece.” She spotted her dad behind me and blinked at him in confusion.
I winced. Yep. Dear old dad came to check up on you. But Reece didn’t yell or get more embarrassed. She sidestepped me neatly and just about tackle-hugged Henri. I could sense it wasn’t because she felt she needed saving, she just really missed and loved her dad.
Aww.
Henri was spluttering and patting her back as she squeezed him tight.
I laughed at the two of them, feeling a twinge of jealousy at the cute daddy-daughter moment.
“I told you I was fine. Mr. Evermore is a good employer,” she told him in exasperation.
Tylen hissed in pain as his dog bumped his leg, and the dog whined in sympathy. Then the dog sighed and laid his head on his master’s foot, looking up at his master with love in his big, doggy eyes.
I plopped myself onto the floor next to the great behemoth and offered my hand. “His name’s Huggles,” Tylen murmured, his eyes following Reece’s movements like a hawk.
I spluttered out a laugh and then clapped my hand over my mouth. Tylen focused his molten, silver eyes on me. “My 5-year-old niece named him,” he said in self-defense.
I nodded. Yep. That would do it.
Huggles finally licked my hand in hello, then he sniffled all along my skinny jeans and my ankle boots. “Hugs, leave her be,” Tylen growled.
Hugs sneezed, spraying everyone around him in a 10 foot radius, and Tylen and Draven scowled while I laughed, and mopped it up with my sweater.
Tylen eyed him with disfavor. “Thank you for that,” he rasped. “Always so appreciated.”
“He smells my tiger on me.”
