Page 20 of The Chase
“She’s a bit glitchy.” A male voice. My stare shot toward it.
Tobias Wilder stood at the top of the stairs with his hands tucked casually inside his trouser pockets, his thoughtful frown deepening. He was more striking than I’d remembered him, that dark blond hair crowning his handsome face and his green eyes were mesmerizing as they held mine. His well-defined physique was now dressed sharply in a classically styled tuxedo, his white shirt open at the collar with no bow tie.
I chastised myself for staring too long. The geisha was gone.
Blinking furiously, my brain tried to process what I’d seen.
Tobias made his way down the stairs. “The uncanny valley.”
“I’m sorry?”
“A hypothesis.” He paused on the last step. “From the field of aesthetics.” He raised his gaze to the ceiling. “The brain triggers unease. It clearly senses what it’s seeing isn’t real. What was your initial emotion?”
My thoughts swirled, my jaw easing its tension.
If try not to pee yourselfwas an emotion, that would be it.
He gave an assured nod. “Revulsion? Even if she is pretty.”
“A hologram?” I wanted to tell him that was wrong in so many ways.
He arched his eyebrows playfully. “I started off with a rat. That did not go down well.”
This man was bloody insane.
And I was in the middle of the country and quite possibly alone with him.
Trying to pull back on my startled expression, I said, “You have a beautiful home, Mr. Wilder?” It came out as a question. “Long driveway.”
“Please, call me Tobias.”
My gaze darted around to see if anyone else was here.
“Would you like a drink?” He gestured to the left.
I knelt to retrieve my handbag and cringed when I saw the shattered glass on my iPhone’s screen.
He stood above me in that devilishly handsome pose, his face calm as though he’d not just scared the crap out of me and smashed my phone. I peered up to see his intense stare locked on mine, and a rush of ill-timed excitement flooded my veins.
He’d frozen me there with his stare.
“I’ll get you a new one,” he said firmly. “You’re three models behind, Zara. This will not do.”
My gaze swept over my phone.
He held out his hand, and I felt his firm grip as he assisted me up. I stared at him. “That won’t be necessary.”
“I think you’ll find contradicting me is unwise.” He winked.
God, I’d forgotten how gorgeous he was. How his striking green eyes crinkled so seductively when he smiled.
“I insist.” He waved it off.
My cheeks scorched with embarrassment as I followed him out of the foyer. This was my first day out in the field, and I intended on getting my act together and impressing both Tobias and my boss when he reported back to him.
For now, I’d have to tuck my cheeky retorts away.
His cologne wafted around me and I subtly sniffed him in. The scent of a fresh forest in the morning, and something spicy, something forbidden. A poorly timed vision of his naked, toned torso flashed through my thoughts.
