Damn, I blew it.
“You think?” The laugh lines made another appearance.
“You don’t?”
He turned the glass and studied it. “Maybe a bit.” He met my eyes, waiting for my answer.
“Okay.” I gave him an exaggerated sigh. “For the glass.” I leaned up and pressed my lips to his. I squeezed my eyes shut, aware of his warm mouth moving against mine. What a bizarre turn of events—almost as weird as meeting the necromancer outside the Alchemica. Who knew I’d end my day kissing a complete stranger in the Elements’ kitchen? At least he smelled better than the zombie.
“Mmm, not bad,” he said when I leaned back. “But this isn’t an ordinary glass. For sheer pretentiousness alone, I’m going to have to ask for more.”
“You said a kiss. As in one.” I held up a finger for emphasis.
“That barely qualified.”
Oh for heaven’s sake. I didn’t have time for this. “Fine.” I looped my arms around his shoulders and gave him an encore. I took my time, exploring his mouth as he explored mine. He braced his hands on the counter to either side of my hips and leaned into me. I had to admit, the man could kiss. Should I be noticing that? And how did I know? Did I have a boyfriend? A lover? Oh God, what if I was married?
I pulled away with a gasp.
He leaned back. “What is it?”
I didn’t have an answer. My heart pounded and I had to get out of here. “Do I get the glass?”
He smirked. “And if I said no?”
“Then I’ll leave without it.”
He studied my face, trying to gauge my truthfulness, and then straightened with a sigh. He held out the glass. I wrapped my hand around it, but he didn’t let go. “What’s your name?”
Good question. I couldn’t answer that either. “Addie.” He couldn’t trace that name to the Alchemica. But then, why would he even think to? Lord, he had me rattled.
“Addie?” He paused, waiting for me to offer more. “That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
He released the glass and stepped back, allowing me to slide from the counter. “And you are?” I had no plans for the information, but I’d be foolish not to get his name.
He watched me intently, and I began to wonder if he’d answer. “Rowan.”
“That’s it?”
He smiled. “That’s it, unless you’d like to meet again sometime. Perhaps we could haggle over a dinner plate or a piece of cutlery.”
The heat rose in my cheeks. “I figured you’d suggest a whole place setting.”
He leaned against the counter eying me. “I’d like that.”
I was pretty sure I would, too. Not the dinnerware, the haggling. This scheme had taken a turn I hadn’t anticipated. Time to go. “It was nice meeting you, Rowan.”
I turned away, expecting him to say something, but the only noise in the kitchen was the sound of my footsteps. I stopped with my hand on the doorknob and glanced over my shoulder. He still stood where I’d left him, watching me.
“If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” He left the room without a backward glance. Cocky bastard. Guess being the personal servant of the most feared guy in the Midwest made him think he was something special.
I looked at the glasses still on the counter and considered finishing what I’d started. No. I’d better not press my luck. Time for plan B.
Chapter
5
“T his is completely insane,” James whispered as soon as we were alone. We stood in a small, but expensively furnished waiting room just off the foyer in the Elemental Offices. Morning sunlight shone through sheer, floor-length curtains and gave the room a warm, soft glow. I eyed the half-dozen leather chairs arranged in pairs around the room, but made no move to sit in one. In minutes, my audience with the Flame Lord would begin.
“Explain to me why you chose to wear that.” James gestured, not at my cloak, but at what I wore underneath: the black, slit-sleeved robes of an Alchemica Master. The same robes he’d found me in—except they smelled of fabric softener now
“You think?” The laugh lines made another appearance.
“You don’t?”
He turned the glass and studied it. “Maybe a bit.” He met my eyes, waiting for my answer.
“Okay.” I gave him an exaggerated sigh. “For the glass.” I leaned up and pressed my lips to his. I squeezed my eyes shut, aware of his warm mouth moving against mine. What a bizarre turn of events—almost as weird as meeting the necromancer outside the Alchemica. Who knew I’d end my day kissing a complete stranger in the Elements’ kitchen? At least he smelled better than the zombie.
“Mmm, not bad,” he said when I leaned back. “But this isn’t an ordinary glass. For sheer pretentiousness alone, I’m going to have to ask for more.”
“You said a kiss. As in one.” I held up a finger for emphasis.
“That barely qualified.”
Oh for heaven’s sake. I didn’t have time for this. “Fine.” I looped my arms around his shoulders and gave him an encore. I took my time, exploring his mouth as he explored mine. He braced his hands on the counter to either side of my hips and leaned into me. I had to admit, the man could kiss. Should I be noticing that? And how did I know? Did I have a boyfriend? A lover? Oh God, what if I was married?
I pulled away with a gasp.
He leaned back. “What is it?”
I didn’t have an answer. My heart pounded and I had to get out of here. “Do I get the glass?”
He smirked. “And if I said no?”
“Then I’ll leave without it.”
He studied my face, trying to gauge my truthfulness, and then straightened with a sigh. He held out the glass. I wrapped my hand around it, but he didn’t let go. “What’s your name?”
Good question. I couldn’t answer that either. “Addie.” He couldn’t trace that name to the Alchemica. But then, why would he even think to? Lord, he had me rattled.
“Addie?” He paused, waiting for me to offer more. “That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
He released the glass and stepped back, allowing me to slide from the counter. “And you are?” I had no plans for the information, but I’d be foolish not to get his name.
He watched me intently, and I began to wonder if he’d answer. “Rowan.”
“That’s it?”
He smiled. “That’s it, unless you’d like to meet again sometime. Perhaps we could haggle over a dinner plate or a piece of cutlery.”
The heat rose in my cheeks. “I figured you’d suggest a whole place setting.”
He leaned against the counter eying me. “I’d like that.”
I was pretty sure I would, too. Not the dinnerware, the haggling. This scheme had taken a turn I hadn’t anticipated. Time to go. “It was nice meeting you, Rowan.”
I turned away, expecting him to say something, but the only noise in the kitchen was the sound of my footsteps. I stopped with my hand on the doorknob and glanced over my shoulder. He still stood where I’d left him, watching me.
“If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” He left the room without a backward glance. Cocky bastard. Guess being the personal servant of the most feared guy in the Midwest made him think he was something special.
I looked at the glasses still on the counter and considered finishing what I’d started. No. I’d better not press my luck. Time for plan B.
Chapter
5
“T his is completely insane,” James whispered as soon as we were alone. We stood in a small, but expensively furnished waiting room just off the foyer in the Elemental Offices. Morning sunlight shone through sheer, floor-length curtains and gave the room a warm, soft glow. I eyed the half-dozen leather chairs arranged in pairs around the room, but made no move to sit in one. In minutes, my audience with the Flame Lord would begin.
“Explain to me why you chose to wear that.” James gestured, not at my cloak, but at what I wore underneath: the black, slit-sleeved robes of an Alchemica Master. The same robes he’d found me in—except they smelled of fabric softener now
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