Page 102 of Dark Lover

One of the guys, Cardozza, tried the doorknob first. “It’s locked.”

Nick tried not to roll his eyes. “Ring the bell. Missus is at home. So’s the help.”

Kit was already ringing the doorbell. “So what’s the plan, Nick?” she asked. “I mean, Hemmer isn’t here and when he gets back, I don’t think he’s going to tell us what we want to know.”

“You’ve never seen me at my most persuasive.” Nick smiled at her.

Kit didn’t smile back.

He was expecting a butler or housekeeper to answer the door—not Becca Hemmer in her La Perla bra and panties.

His eyes widened. He’d seen photos of her, of course. She was on magazine covers, celebrity rags, the Enquirer. He knew she was a knockout, but she was better in the flesh. In the five-inch pumps, she was almost as tall as he was.

“We were wondering how long it would take you to come over, Nick,” she purred.

He refocused. “Gee, I don’t recall us having met…Mrs. Hemmer.”

“We haven’t.” She smiled. “But Rupert is expecting you and you’re more than welcome to wait until he comes back. We can even amuse ourselves, if you’d like.”

He told himself not to get distracted. His surprise visit wasn’t very much of a surprise, apparently.

She stepped up to him so his groin brushed her cute panties. “You will come in and wait, won’t you?”

Cardozza snickered.

Nick slid his arm around her waist and handled her ass. He looked at Cardozza and Putney. “You know what to do,” he said.

They barreled past Becca, heading across the entry hall for Hemmer’s private office, Cardozza taking a drill out of his backpack. Kit followed them.

“What are you doing?” Becca cried.

“Well, since this is an official visit, we’re going to break into dear Rupert’s office and seize his computers and all his files.”

“He won’t like it,” she finally said.

“But he doesn’t mind his little trophy shagging the cop?” Nick asked.

She shrugged. “Are we shagging, Nick?” Her smile returned; she’d recovered.

He smiled back and blasted the chandelier that wasn’t very far from their heads.

Becca cried out and jumped as it crashed to the floor, breaking into a million tiny pieces. The marble floor didn’t look so good, either.

“I don’t like surprises,” Nick said easily, “and I bet Rupert doesn’t like them, either.”

She wet her lips, looking at him with new respect. Raw lust shimmered in her eyes. “Men with white power are always the best,” she said roughly.

“He has my agent,” Nick returned flatly. He leveled the walls in the room. Then he kicked a piece of crystal from the chandelier out of his way. “And I am not a happy camper.”

WHEN SHE STOPPED HURTING, Sam sat up. She found herself in a medieval great room she instantly recognized, in spite of the newer furnishings. She glanced at Ian in surprise. He was standing above her, glowering, arms crossed. He’d apparently recovered from the leap a bit more swiftly than she had. “We’re at Castle Awe,” she said, becoming excited. “Are we still in 1527?”

His gaze was cold. “Yeah. It’s the next day. August 10, 1527.”

She stood up. His gaze went to her legs and Sam looked down. She had quite a few silly scratches, and one huge gaping tear on her calf. Now, she became aware of the pain.

“The dog bit ye,” he said harshly.

He was blaming himself, she thought, for not rushing to leap away. She cursed and limped to the trestle table and sat down hard on the bench. “Can you do something about it?” The last time she’d been at Castle Awe, she’d been with Nick and they’d been looking for Brie. It had been 1502. She’d seen Tabby, too. She really hoped her sister was still around. The odds were in her favor, she thought.