AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, but—”
“Do you not like the bag that I sent you?”
“Well, yes. I do, but—”
“Then what’s the issue,” he asked, an edge of irritation in his voice.
She hesitated and said, “I don’t like the idea of owing anyone.”
“There are no price tags or strings attached to the bag. It was a gift to replace your old purse. Nothing more, nothing less. Be polite and thank me, Miss Ferguson.”
She blinked at him, and then gave an irritated frown. “You just bought me a thousand-dollar purse. I think you can call me Lilly.”
He couldn’t help the ghost of a smile that crossed his lips. She was completely audacious. Strangely, he found it rather...charming. “Very well,” he conceded. “Then be polite and thank me, Lilly.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He watched her fidgeting in front of him. “I bought you a thousand-dollar purse, Lilly. I think you can call me Talan,” he teased.
He watched as her eyes widened in surprise. Like a predator, he could feel the moment that her pulse began to race.
She quickly recovered and said, “If you’d like, Talan.”
He picked up his drink and took another swig. He supposed that his displeasure must’ve shown because she asked, “Not enjoying your drink?”
“Meal,” he corrected, wondering how far her curiosity would reach. “It’s synthetic blood. Imagine your favorite beverage. Now add a cup of soapy water. That…is synthetic blood.”
Amused, he watched as she cringed and then said, “I feel the same way about Cafe Americano’s. They take espresso, which is heavenly, and then add all of this water to it. It’s a terrible waste.”
“Sounds revolting,” he agreed, unable to stop the grin from spreading across his features.
As if she’d realized she was making small talk with the owner of the company she worked for, she said, “Thank you, again, for this. I’ll let you get back to work. My break is probably over anyway.”
“Until we meet again, Lilly,” he said formally.
She gave him a smile and a wave as she gently closed his office door.
Without the thick winter coat on, he had been able to truly appreciate her curves. Her tawny brown curls would fall to the middle of her back, he suspected, if she let her hair down. For work, it had been pulled back into a ponytail. He could imagine, though.
Her face had been devoid of makeup with the exception of maybe some lipstick. Her stormy grey eyes created such a contrast against her pale, creamy skin. Her features were striking. She was shorter than he had expected. With her rather trim build, he still marvelled that she’d taken on an attacker armed with only her keys.
He didn’t try to fool himself. His interest in her was certainly sexual. Not entirely, though. If it had been just about the sex, he could have more easily dismissed it. That was something new for him.
There was something about her open, easy manner that he enjoyed. She had spoken to him
like he was any ordinary person. People either respected, feared, or loathed him too much to do that. Typically, they were polite and brief.
Talan returned his attention to the screen in front of him and accessed the employee files. While she had been on his mind for the last few days, he hadn’t looked into what she actually did at the hotel. The attire suggested she could have been working in any of the bars or restaurants on premises.
A moment of review showed that she had applied for the bar manager job in the piano bar they had recently opened. According to her resume, she’d had quite a bit of experience bartending. He was surprised to see she’d been placed in another position. She worked as lead bartender in the sports lounge.
He did a bit of research on the current manager in the piano bar and found him to be adequately qualified, but he had slightly less experience than Lilly. After more digging, he was able to ascertain that the job had been given to another candidate before she had applied. That made more sense. Still, he would have to consider his options. If she was as skilled as her years of experience belied, she could probably be more useful in one of their larger venues.
The little hole-in-the-wall where she worked was one of the least popular bars on the property. They didn’t serve food, so he imagined the tips were nonexistent. Perhaps he would speak with the bar manager in the sports lounge.
His curiosity may have been motivated by his personal interest in her, but in any case, it made no sense to waste valuable talent.
By the time Talan returned to his penthouse for his day sleep, it was almost light. He wasn’t tired yet, though. Instead, he drew the blackout curtains and poured himself a Scotch. He relaxed into an overstuffed leather chair and sipped. Technically, the Transfigured were able to eat and drink as normal humans did. It wasn’t really nourishment for them, but it allowed them at least the comfort of familiar habits.
