Page 112 of It takes a Psychic

“Burt called you a monster.”

“He was right. I could have killed him with my talent.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No,” he said. “I didn’t.”

“Was that the reason your marriage was annulled on the grounds of a fraudulent para-psych profile? Your wife witnessed your talent in action?”

Oliver’s mouth twitched in a wry smile. “No wife involved, remember? An annulment means we were never married. But yes, she saw that side of me, and so did I.”

“You mean you didn’t know what you could do?”

“Not until I had the need to do it. I went on instinct and intuition.”

She sipped some wine. “I understand.”

“My non-wife and I were attacked on our honeymoon. One of those wrong place, wrong time things. A couple of high-grade talents carrying mag-rez pistols. I nearly flatlined both of them.”

Leona got another ping. “Your non-wife was shocked to see what you could do with your talent. She never understood that wasn’t your real talent.”

He frowned. “What are you talking about?”

She smiled. “You are a decent, honorable man. The kind of man who does the right thing when the chips are down. I know you would have my back in a bar fight, and you would show up with bail money if I got arrested at two in the morning. That’s the kind of talent that really matters, at least to me.”

He had been about to swallow some wine but something went wrong. He choked on a laugh and spewed drops of the drink into the air and across the table.

“Damn,” he rasped, grabbing a napkin. “Sorry about that.” He laughed again as he mopped up spilled wine. “When was the last time you got into a bar fight or were arrested?”

“It’s been a while,” she admitted. “Like forever. But I don’t doubt you’d be there for me.”

“Always.” His eyes met hers. “You’d be there for me, too.”

“Yes. Always.”

“I’m in love with you, Leona. I started falling for you that night at the Society’s reception when I found you in that lab, setting the dust bunnies free. I’ve been falling ever since. I’m all the way in now. There’s no going back, not for me.”

Joy sparkled through her senses. “I’m so glad, because I’m in love with you. I wasn’t sure what was happening. I’ve never been in love. It changes everything.”

“This is new to me, too. You’re right. It changes things.” His eyes heated. “But it’s been only a few days. We need a little time.”

“Time to be sure?”

“No, I’m very sure.”

“So am I.”

“It’s our families who will want us to take some time. They need to be reassured that we’re a good match.”

She winced. “True. They will insist we go through a normal dating relationship.”

He smiled. “Eugenie and Charlotte, being moms, are way ahead of you. I’ve been meaning to tell you that we have an appointment at the Banks matchmaking agency tomorrow.”

Leona stared at him. “What?”

“It was probably my fault. Late this morning, while you were busy rescuing the Hollister team, I went to the offices of Griffin Investigations to introduce myself.”

“They must have been floored when you walked through the door. I’ll bet they never saw you coming.”

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