Page 72 of Enchanted Hero
Everleigh took a bite of a cheesy puff pastry. “I have to meet this chef.” She took another bite. “Or better yet, ask him to marry me.”
Alexander laughed. “That last might be a bit tricky. You see, he’s already involved.”
“Darn.” Everleigh scrunched up her face. “Does the woman know how lucky she is?”
“I’m not sure,” Alexander picked up his own fork. “However, I’ll be sure to remind her.”
There was no more conversation as they dug into the sumptuous fare. Everleigh finished every bite of her meal, plus a roll and two pastries. Alexander cleared his plate, then took a second helping. She licked her lips and just stopped herself from taking more.
“Don’t worry.” As usual, he sensed her thoughts. “You’ll have the opportunity to sample more of his fare soon. I hope you saved room for dessert.”
“Oh no, I couldn’t possibl–” She stopped as the waiter returned with a big smile and a tray covered in delicacies. Fudge chocolate cake, tiramisu, strawberry shortcake and more filled three large platters. Her stomach protested, but her mouth watered. “Perhaps just a little.”
Alexander smiled.
She had more than a little, unfortunately, but she savored every bite. “I don’t normally eat like this. It’s lucky I love to be active, just like you. Obviously, you exercise a lot.” She cringed. “I mean, I read that on the Internet. I don’t know if it’s true.”
He leaned forward, his muscles flexing. “No?”
She moistened her lips at a body that could only be made with hard conditioning. “Yup.”
He laughed. Even if he couldn’t read minds, no doubt he saw every wicked thought in her mind. He tossed his napkin on the table and sat back. “There is something I want to discuss.”
She sobered in a minute. “Should I be worried?”
“Not at all.” Yet he averted his gaze, before blinking back to her. “It’s about Agent Andrews and Dr. Garrison.”
“The scientist and the agent,” she murmured. “What about them?”
“As you know, they’ve showed up unannounced to my home multiple times, ambushing me. Maybe it’s because of my position, but they believe I’m somehow involved with the–” He waved his hand. “Incidents. I would prefer if you didn’t talk to them.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Why not? Since you have nothing to hide–”
“Of course, I have nothing to hide,” he swiftly interjected. “But I am an influential businessman. If people know I’m being investigated for some sort of paranormal event, it could affect business. Of course, no sane person would believe it, but it still looks bad. You’re my business partner. How do you think it would affect New Age Treasures?”
She shrugged. “Actually, it would probably help sales.”
He opened his mouth, grimaced. “That was a bad example. Most of my companies would be harmed by such news. In addition, I would garner even more attention than I do now. Do you want a bunch of people following us looking for magic wands?”
She blinked. “Us?”
“They’ll follow me around, so if you’re with me…”
How much time was he planning on spending with her? “I hadn’t actually planned on talking to them.” As he grinned triumphantly, she held up her hand. “But not because you commanded me not to.”
“Whatever your reasons, thank you. I appreciate it.”
“The reason is simple.” She leaned her chin on her knuckles. “Someone extraordinary saved my life, and I’d like to protect him.”
He stared at her for a moment. “As long as you keep me out of it, you’re welcome to search for any mythological creature you want. Let me know when you find the tooth fairy.” His voice was flippant, but something deeper lurked behind it. He looked at his watch. “We’d better leave for the press conference. Are you finished?”
She nodded, and they both stood. Of course, the owner of the restaurant didn’t get a bill, which was quite fortunate. Splitting it would have ravaged her monthly budget.
They strolled back through a restaurant just as crowded as before, even though it was no longer a standard mealtime. She stood back as a well-dressed couple passed. “You do fantastic business. People love this place.”
“Thank you.” He led her into the bright sunshine. “We’ve switched to an all-reservation system.”
“How long does it take to get a reservation?”
