‘Please. Just one drink.’
I met his eyes and something inexplicable flared between us. What the hell was that? ‘Okay,’ I said finally. ‘Just one. But only because you’ve paid for that champagne and it’s so expensive.’
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and he held out his arm. ‘One drink,’ he breathed. ‘I promise.’
Chapter Six
We stepped into the lift. As the doors glided to a smooth close, I turned to Byron. ‘So that’s your Gift, is it? Telekinesis? Throwing things around with the power of your mind?’
‘It’s one of them.’
Surprised, I asked, ‘You have more than one?’ That was unusual.
He gave a dismissive shrug. ‘Comes with the family. I only have two though. Not as many as my father unfortunately.’ He paused. ‘What’s yours?’
‘Not worth mentioning,’ I demurred. I didn’t have any. I’d left the Sidhe lands before I could receive either my true name or my Gift. Like I cared. I got along quite well without either of them. It wasn’t too much of a big deal – plenty of lower-level Sidhe didn’t have much zap behind their Gifts.
To avoid further interrogation, I kept the focus on him. People love talking about themselves. ‘Your Gifts must be very strong,’ I purred. ‘What’s it like?’
Byron grimaced. ‘It’s easy to push out lots of strength like I did in the bar. It was actually a dick move. What’s far harder is being delicate and targeted.’
‘Oh yes?’ I asked innocently. ‘Like what?’
Mischief danced in his emerald-green eyes. ‘I’ll show you.’ He blinked languorously like a cat. That’s when I felt it. The zip at the back of my dress tugged. What the hell? I jumped and he chuckled – but he didn’t stop. Without touching me, he continued to lower my zip. My fingers scrabbled at my back.
‘Stop that!’
He smiled. ‘Okay.’ The strap on my shoulder began to slip down instead, exposing my bra. ‘Mm. Hot pink underwear to match your hot pink dress. You do like that colour.’
I squeaked, ‘That’s enough!’
‘If you insist.’
‘I do!’ I wagged my finger. ‘One drink, remember? Nothing else.’
‘As if I could forget,’ he murmured. ‘Come on, turn around. I’ll fix you back up.’
I didn’t ask why he wasn’t using his Gift to return my clothing to its appropriate state. I already knew. His fingers brushed against my skin, lingering as he gently pulled my shoulder strap back up. Then he slowly pulled up the zip. ‘I can’t believe our paths haven’t crossed before,’ he said in a low voice.
Oh, he knew all the right things to say and all the right moves to make. I reminded myself that he was a playboy. I knew that, even though I avoided reading the tabloids and gossip sheets whenever the Sidhe were involved.
Control, Integrity. You’re in control.
‘Just our bad luck,’ I whispered.
A bell sounded as the lift arrived at its designated floor. Both Byron and I flinched then I turned round to catch his eye and laughed nervously. He stared at me for a moment before smiling. ‘Here we are,’ he said. ‘Home sweet home. At least for the next three nights anyway.’
He took my hand and led me into the penthouse and through a heavy self-locking door which I took careful note of. Once inside I made a point of looking around casually. Damn. This was pretty swish. I walked over to the large window and gazed out. ‘You’re a lucky guy,’ I commented, ‘getting to experience all this.’
‘Believe me, I know.’
‘And you’re only here for three nights?’
He nodded. ‘I have some business to attend to.’
I got the impression from his tone that he didn’t want to talk about it. That suited me. I only wanted to know where the Lia Saifire was being kept. I offered a brilliant smile. ‘I’ve never been in a penthouse before. Can you give me the grand tour?’
His mouth quirked up. ‘It would be my pleasure.’
I followed him around. The place was impressive. And ostentatious. I exclaimed over the elaborate chandeliers and cooed over the soft furnishings. I wasn’t expecting to see the gem on display, of course, but there was bound to be a safe somewhere. I strolled over to a large painting of two hunting dogs gazing up at a bird of prey.
‘Beautiful artwork,’ I said as I tried to work out whether it was a front for a wall safe.
‘It’s not really to my taste,’ he said. ‘Come on. I’ll show you the bedrooms.’
I trailed after him, hoping it was clear that this was a tour and nothing else. Fortunately, after the little show of power in the lift, he was now on his best behaviour. He pointed out the vast bed and the modern painting hanging above it, as well as the ensuite. His tone remained neutral. Thank goodness.