Inevitable (2 page)

No, it wasn't just because of her hair or her body that he recognized her.

It was the look in her emerald green eyes. He remembered that look after being on the receiving end of it nearly six months ago.

Sheer unadulterated hatred.

It brought back memories—bad ones.

His knee-jerk reaction to seeing her standing there glaring at him like he was an insect that had the audacity to smash into her windshield was to pretend he didn't recognize her.

And here they were.

“Anyway—” he pushed a facsimile of a charming smile to his lips “—have a lovely evening.”

He didn't want to scurry off with his tail between his legs, but the compulsion was strong.

“Ryan,” she said sharply. “It's
me.
”

This ruse wasn't going to last. But owning up to it right away just wasn't in his nature. “Have we met before?”

“Yes.” It was more of a hiss than a confirmation.

He scratched his chin. “You do seem a bit familiar to me. Was it Hawaii? A little bar called the Lotus Flower?”

The glare she gave him was sharp enough to wound. “You're hilarious.”

“I am known for my sense of humor.”

“What the hell are you doing here, Ryan?” There was a decidedly unpleasant edge to her words that tasted a bit to him like venom. She had just as much of a sense of humor as he did—at least she
used
to. It was one of the things he liked best about her. This, however, was not one of those times she chose to tap into it.

Ryan's smile finally faded. “Emma.”

Her eyes widened. “Ha! I
knew
you recognized me.”

“Long time no see.”

“Not long enough. Why are you here?”

He glanced around. “I'm attending a party.”

“With or without an invitation?”

One thing he'd learned about the delicious Emma
Black, after working side by side with her for a year—she never minced words. Tact was not always at the top of her to-do list either. “What are
you
doing here?” he countered.

“You didn't answer my question.”

“You're right, I didn't.” He eyed a couple who passed them on the way to the open bar. “I do have an invite, although it wasn't necessarily sent to me personally. Perhaps you'd like to alert security that I'm crashing and have them drag me out. Would that make you feel good about yourself?”

“It might.”

He forced a smile. “Don't worry your pretty little head. I'm not up to anything nefarious.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

He held out his hand. “Let's put the past behind us, Emma.”

She eyed his hand as if it were covered in fungus. “Right, like I'm going to touch you so you can get a read on me.”

All agents with PARA, current and former, were psychic. The majority were either empathic—those able to sense emotions and feelings from other people through touch—or clairvoyant—those able to communicate with ghosts and sense important things from objects or places without relying on the usual five senses.

In their partnership, Ryan was the people person and Emma dealt with all the other stuff. His empathic ability had never been very strong and he had to work hard to get any kind of reading at all. He also had to do it through skin to skin contact. Some empaths were strong enough to get a sense of another just from being in the same room with them. Not Ryan. He was a one on a scale of one to five, maybe a two on a good day. His gift was more like
strong intuition rather than total psychic ability. But he'd made it work for himself and his low-end ability had never really given him any problems on the job.

He was much better with cars, really. Tinkering with cars, sensing what made them work—or not work—was his true talent. And his true love. It wasn't related to his psychic ability, but it might as well have been. He felt he had a sixth sense about cars. But that hadn't been put to much use as a PARA agent.

One thing he had going for himself as an empath was that other empaths couldn't get a read on him. This was both a blessing and a curse since it meant that his secrets remained secrets.

“Read you?” He gave her an innocent look. “I wouldn't do something shady like that without your permission.”

“You don't need to read me. I can tell you what I'm feeling—disgusted. And a little nauseous.”

“The shrimp pâté
is
a bit questionable. I'd stay away from the caviar as well. Nasty stuff.”

Her cheeks went a bit flushed. He was surprised that he seemed to be able to affect her just with a few words. She must really hate him, even after all this time.

He wished the feeling was mutual.

Since he'd been fired from PARA for theft, he'd worked a lot of jobs to make ends meet. In a week he was scheduled to move down to Florida to work with his brother in a high-end garage taking care of luxury vehicles. It was a dream job for him.

However, he had a little bit of business to clear up first before he left.

Emma looked up at him. He was six-two, so even with the highest heels she was still at a height disadvantage. But what she lacked in stature, she made up for in
attitude. Their gazes locked and he felt something stir inside him. Desire. He found her just as gorgeous as he ever had and she affected him whether he liked it or not. It put him at an extreme disadvantage if he was trying to keep his cool.

“If you try to steal anything from Xavier Franklin tonight,” she said slowly and evenly, “there will be consequences. I don't know how you managed to get your hands on an invitation, but the security for this party is very tight. PARA didn't press charges when you stole from them, but Xavier would.”

Now that was a low blow. What happened six months ago was still constantly on his mind. He didn't need the reminder.

Ryan's mood darkened as if a storm cloud had drifted overhead. “No, PARA didn't press charges. After all, who's going to believe a self-proclaimed supernatural investigation agency that says they're missing a stash of enchanted tea cups or grandfather clocks? I know the board of directors likes to keep PARA business private.”

“All I'm saying—”

“I get it, Emma. Stealing is wrong.”

Her fierce expression faltered. “I don't know why I'm even talking to you. I washed my hands of you a long time ago.”

“I remember.” Her words made something sharp and painful twist in his chest. He'd valued their friendship more than she ever knew. Enough that he'd started casually dating another woman, Charlotte, when he began developing deeper feelings for Emma. It had made sense at the time. His relationships—they didn't last long. They never had. And if he'd had a fling with Emma, it would have ended the friendship he valued so much. A friend
ship that ended anyway. Maybe it had never been as strong as he would have liked to believe.

He pushed the grin back onto his face, though it felt as false as it probably looked. “Don't worry about me, Em. I have things under control. Enjoy the party.”

Ryan turned to walk up the stairs to the terrace. He was now in desperate need of some fresh air. Emma thought he was a thief who'd manipulated her and shamelessly lied to her. That he was the sort of man who would steal potentially dangerous items and sell them for profit. Your average enchanted tea cup went for a whole lot of green on the black market and there were literally hundreds of eager buyers worldwide who had vast collections of supernatural paraphernalia hidden away in their mansions. It was a booming business.

But there was a big problem with Emma's theory. Despite what she believed, he'd never stolen anything from PARA's vaults.

Never.

The evidence, however, proved otherwise and had gotten him swiftly fired without a chance to properly plead his case. Since he was an empath—even a low-end one—there was no way to gauge if he was telling the truth when he'd denied the charges.

Ryan knew he'd been set up. And his life and career had been ruined because of it.

That was why he'd come here tonight. He'd crashed Xavier Franklin's ritzy masquerade party because he suspected the billionaire was one of those supernatural collectors. If he could find hard evidence of that fact, he might discover who'd been providing Franklin, and others like him, with merchandise.

Ryan was all ready to start his new life down in Florida at a job he knew he was going to love. But first,
something deep inside of him was driving him to clear his name. Otherwise this stain on his character would never let him rest. He didn't want distractions or regrets to haunt him as he embarked on his future.

And yes, he wanted to prove to Emma Black, once and for all, that he wasn't a thief. That he wasn't a liar. He wanted to see that trust in her eyes again one last time before he walked away and never looked back. He wanted her to feel sorry that she ever doubted him in the first place.

She'd been totally wrong about him and he'd prove it.

However, based on their latest little confrontation, he knew that was going to be one hell of an uphill battle.

A
N HOUR LATER
,
Emma sat on the stiff, black leather couch in the library where she'd been told to wait for Xavier and tried not to think about what happened with Ryan.

She tried. She wasn't all that successful.

One brief conversation and he was suddenly all she could think about. Maybe she should seek him out again and get more answers from him. Or maybe she should keep trying to forget she ever saw him in the first place.

Finally, Xavier entered the room. “There you are, my dear.”

She stood up. Her purse and tote bag full of books leaned against the leg of the couch to her left. “Here I am. Do you have it?”

“I certainly do.”

He held a small green glass bottle. It was about the size of an antique perfume bottle with a glass stopper.

“It's beautiful,” she said.

“I acquired it in London a few months ago.” He looked at it sourly. “I'm disappointed in it.”

It was half filled with liquid. “What sort of potion is it supposed to be?”

“It is called
Desidero
.” He peered at it through the opening in his mask. “It's supposed to be a mood enhancer, but it doesn't seem to work at all. I've tested it several times to no avail, which leads me to believe I was either duped when I bought it or its properties are no longer viable. I spent a great deal of money on this and if PARA determines that it is not what it is meant to be, then those who sold it to me will be held accountable. At the very least, I'll expect my money back.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“Not at all. Like I said, it doesn't work. It's no more dangerous than water.”

Emma took the bottle from him and inspected it, turning it around in her hand. The stopper didn't look particularly snug. She'd brought a sealed case to keep it in for the trip back so no contents would spill. “We're happy to assess it for you and let you know what we find. It'll probably take about a week before someone gives you the report. Anyway, it was very nice to meet you, Xavier.”

She was about to move past him to grab her bags when he blocked her path. “Leaving so soon?” he asked.

“I appreciate you letting me attend the party, but I think it's time I headed home. My bus leaves at eleven and it's already ten o'clock.”

“I understand,” he said, nodding. “But if you're tired, I have plenty of room here at my mansion. I could have a bed made up for you.”

“That's really not necessary.”

He drew closer to her. “I'd love the chance to get to know you better.”

Emma stiffened as she felt his bony hand press against
her. “Are you aware that you're now cupping my right breast?”

He smiled. “Such a lovely right breast it is. The left one is equally alluring.”

Oh, boy.
“I need to go now.”

“I'm a very rich man, Emma. And I enjoy collecting beautiful things. I have three mistresses set up in Manhattan, two in Toronto, and one in London. Have you ever given any thought to letting someone take care of you so you can live a life of leisure rather than having to pursue a full-time career to support yourself?”

She eyed him. “Are you asking me to be one of your mistresses?”

He swept his gaze over her, stopping at her cleavage. “I don't have a redhead in my collection yet.”

She couldn't say she was overly surprised by this turn of events. Xavier Franklin's reputation for chasing much younger women by the baker's dozen did precede him, after all. She was surprised he only had six mistresses.

“Look, Xavier, I'm flattered, of course, but I wouldn't say I'm in the market for—”

He aimed a kiss toward her mouth, but she dodged out of the way just in time. He grinned wickedly at her. “I like a little spunk in my ladies. The chase only makes it more fun!”

This wasn't happening to her. “I really need to leave.”

His pale eyes swept over her body. “You, me, hot tub. Now. You can leave the mask on but everything else comes off. I enjoy a bit of mystery.”

She grimaced. “No, thanks.”

“Your beautiful lips say no, but your sexy green eyes say yes.”

“My sexy green eyes are also saying no. Trust me on that.”

He grabbed her wrist and she had to jostle to keep a hold of the potion bottle so it wouldn't spill. “I've desired you since the moment we met. I want to make love to you.”

She gritted her teeth. “That wasn't part of the agreement with PARA.”

“I don't care.” He waved a hand flippantly. “You know, Emma, I have a difficult time taking no for an answer.”

“I can see that.” She didn't want to resort to kneeing the old man in his privates, but it was a distinct possibility she'd have to go there. He was rich and powerful. PARA considered him a VIP, so he could make her life very difficult, but she'd be damned if she was going to let him to fondle her like one of his shiny glass bowls.

“Excuse me,” a familiar voice said from behind them. “Emma, I was wondering where you'd gotten to. Is everything okay?”

She turned with shock to see Ryan standing by the open door to the library.

“Who are you?” Xavier demanded, without letting go of her wrist.

“I don't think we've been formally introduced. I'm Ryan. Emma's fiancé.” He smiled thinly. “Is there a problem here?”

Xavier let go of her so abruptly she nearly stumbled backward. She pressed her hand over the top of the bottle to keep the stopper in place.

“Emma, I wasn't aware that you were engaged,” he said.

Her first inclination was to deny it, but she bit her tongue long enough to come to her senses. “Oh, yes.
Very engaged. Ryan came along with me tonight. It was a long drive and I wanted the company.”

“Yes,” Ryan agreed. “I couldn't let my angel come all this way by herself. The city can be very dangerous. Predators are everywhere. Present company excluded, of course.”

Xavier pursed his lips. “I thought you said you were taking the bus back tonight.”

“I…uh, yes, of course,” she said. “We both took the bus.”

The billionaire eyed each of them in turn and Emma was certain he didn't believe a word they spoke.

“Yes, well,” he finally relented. “I really must get back to my party. Everyone will be wondering where I've gotten to.”

“Good idea,” Ryan said. “Bye now.”

“Lovely to meet you. Both of you.” Without another word, Xavier Franklin left the library and closed the heavy, ornately carved door behind him, leaving Emma and Ryan alone. She finally released the breath she'd been holding.

“You don't have to thank me—” Ryan offered.

She looked at him, trying her best to repress the gratitude she felt. “I wasn't going to.”

“—but you're welcome.”

Emma put her hand on her hip. “I could have handled that, you know.”

“A dirty old man with big bucks trying to get you into his hot tub? Yeah, you probably could have. But I thought I'd intervene, just for old time's sake. You do know these parties are simply a way for him to meet new women, right?” His gaze narrowed on the bottle she held. “So, what's that?”

“A bottle.”

“I figured that part out all by myself. Was it a gift from the octogenarian Casanova?”

“Not a gift. I'm taking it back to PARA with me. Don't try to steal it or I might be forced to stab you in the eyeball.”

He raised a dark brow. “With what?”

Emma frowned. “I have a very pointy pencil in my purse and I know how to use it.”

He studied her for a moment. “I see. So if you're here on behalf of my old employer, where's your new partner?”

“I don't have a partner at the moment. I'm currently working independently.”

“For six long months?” His lips stretched over his straight white teeth. “So nobody lived up to me, did they?”

She shook her head. “I see you haven't misplaced your inflated ego anywhere.”

“Thought I did for a while, but I found it in my sock drawer.”

Speaking with the gorgeous but disappointing man in front of her was wearying, especially when being close to him made it difficult to separate the anger she felt from the desire that pooled inside her. It was well past the time when Emma wanted to leave. “Well, it's been great walking down memory lane with you, Ryan, but time is a-fleeting.” She grabbed her purse, slung it over her shoulder, and then eyed the tote bag. She'd have to catch a cab to the bus station. Any more walking was out of the question tonight with this load. All she knew was she had to escape. And soon.

His smile faded. “So you're going to leave, just like that.”

She shrugged. “My work here is done. I have what I came for and now it's time for me to go.”

He'd drawn close enough that she could feel his body heat. She forced herself not to back up a step or show any weakness toward him.

“Take off your mask, Em. I want to see your face,” he said.

“No.”

“Is that the only word you know?”

“Tonight it is.”

She wanted to stay professional, but it was difficult when Ryan Shephard was so close to her. She'd tried very hard to forget about him, to put everything that happened between them well behind her. Logically, she knew she wasn't supposed to like him anymore, but it was as if her body had a mind of its own.

A whole year of wanting him when they worked together, side by side. Never having him. Fantasies of bare skin, his body pressed to hers, his lips and tongue moving over her naked body, lower, lower…

She had to get out of here.

“Can I tell you a secret, Em?” he asked after a moment.

“I'd prefer than you don't. And stop calling me Em.” Her grip tightened on the bottle of potion. It was an abbreviation of her name that he'd used in the past, but now it felt much too intimate.

His jaw tightened. “Fine,
Emma.
Then let me ask you a question first.”

She reached up to adjust her mask. Flimsy though it was, it felt like it offered her a bit of protection against the man facing her. “Go ahead. But I can't guarantee I'm going to answer it.”

“When you heard that I'd stolen all that stuff from the vaults, did it ever occur to you that I didn't do it?”

“No,” she said, hating that her throat now felt thick. She didn't want him to affect her like this. She thought she'd steeled herself against him a long time ago.

His blue eyes grew serious beneath his red mask. “Why not?”

“Because there was a witness to your actions, someone I trust more than anyone in the world.”

His eyes narrowed. “Who?”

“Like I'm going to tell you.” A flare of anger ignited inside her, which helped her see things clearly again. “Look, Ryan, I don't care if you're only now starting to feel guilt about what happened. I don't care if you're looking to make amends. It's too late for that.”

“So you still hate me.”

She blew out a breath. “Actually, I feel nothing for you.”

His face tightened. “That's even worse.”

“Just because you're having a moment of guilt doesn't mean I need to feel sorry for you. It's not going to happen. You made your choices and I made mine.”

“Did you ever feel anything for me?” He searched her face.

Dangerous question. “You're the empath. You tell me.”

His lips curved at the edges. “Humor me.”

Humor him. She wasn't sure why she would want to do something like that.

“Okay, you really want to know?” She exhaled shakily and her grip on the glass bottle tightened until the sharp edges bit into her skin. “Whatever I might have felt for you in the past was swept away the moment you decided that being my partner at PARA was not as good
as making some easy cash on the side. You had a good life and some great friends—especially me—and you threw it all away. We knew each other a year, Ryan. You were my partner. I trusted you with—” Her voice caught and she cleared her throat. “Quite honestly, at this very moment I just want you to go away and stay gone. I really never wanted to see you again.”

The words poured out of her mouth in a gush and he stood there letting her have her say. The look on his face, although partially hidden, stiffened with every word she uttered. His reaction bothered her, she couldn't help it.

Because, bottom line, six months ago—even after he started dating Charlotte—she'd been well on her way to falling in love with him. And he'd broken her heart. So she'd stuffed those feelings down deep and tried not to pay any attention to them. But seeing him tonight—the realization that she was far from over him was not a comfort in any way, shape, or form. Actually, it made her want to cry.

Finally, a glimmer of a smile, although now lacking any humor, touched Ryan's lips. “I guess it can't get much more clear than that, can it?”

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “You said you had a secret you wanted to tell me?”

“Forget it. Suddenly I'm not in much of a mood for sharing.”

“Then I'm going to go. Goodbye, Ryan.”

“Goodbye, Emma.”

She took a deep breath and began to walk past him. She had a feeling that after tonight, she'd never see him again. It would be for the best—for both of them.

“Wait…before you go—” He reached out and grabbed her wrist to stop her. The bottle Xavier had given her earlier jerked and the loose-fitting top flew off. The clear,
oily liquid within spilled over the lip of the bottle and splashed them both.

“Damn.” She rubbed her hand against her dress, then grabbed for the stopper and quickly put it back in place.

“What is that stuff?” Ryan asked. He brought his fingers to his temples as if he'd suddenly developed a headache.

The temperature in the room felt as if it had just shot up about twenty degrees. A wave of dizziness swept through her. She pressed her hand to her face. “PARA business. It's the reason I'm here in the first place.”