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“Wonder what that was all about,” Mathin muttered at her side.
“I don’t know, but I’m beginning to feel like the unappreciated fairy godmother,” Andrea complained.
His grin sent firecrackers popping clear to her toes. Mathin took her glass and set it down. One quick tug pulled her into his arms, slightly bent at the perfect angle for a kiss. “I think I can do something to change that.”
A superb dancer, Mathin twirled her around the dance floor, his grace as beguiling as his dark good looks. The man danced like he made love, and every burning look was enough to set her blood aflame. Schemes and plans for others were lost in the dreamy whirl of pleas
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Scent of Danger 1
PROLOGUELightning flashed and thunder rolled. White-barked birch and budding spruce whipped in the wild wind, groaned under the onslaught of frigid rain. Willows rustled in protest as massive trunks popped and groaned. Some fell under the force of the brewing storm. It was winter’s last gasp for control before relinquishing its seasonal reign.Nothing living moved.A violent flash of lightning split the night, illuminating a clearing on the side of one of the forested hills. In that instant of light, two men appeared.
Scent of Danger 2
“If you haven’t found a job then there’s no problem, dear. You can find one here just as well, or wait until the summer’s over and go back to the lower forty-eight. Though why anyone would like to live there is beyond me.” Something chimed in the background. “Oops! There’s the timer. Jeopardy is on. I’ve got to go, dear. Love you.”“I’m not going to Alaska!” Andrea yelled, but it was too late. The line was dead.For a moment she just stood there, staring at the receiver until the automated message came on. She slammed it in its cradle, grabbed the half-eaten chocolate from Zoë and smacked it firmly on the orange counter. Pointless, now that it had been contaminated, but at least it was one thi
Scent of Danger 3
The first sight of the house caught her by surprise, though it shouldn’t have. After all, if the man were rich enough to hire a caretaker then it would follow that he could afford a rather nice residence.Built of squared stone blocks and nestled halfway into the hillside, the house resembled nothing less than a small castle, complete with octagon towers and a slate roof. Diamond paned glass of an iridescent hue graced the spacious windows. The front doors were constructed of thick planks of wood banded with elaborate ironwork. Still dormant birches lined the gravel paved drive and the grass had yet to turn green on the well-clipped grounds.“Nice place,” the cabbie said as she handed him some money. “What’s it like inside?”
Scent of Danger 4
It hit her then—her grandma was her last living relative. If she died, that was it, no more family. She would be alone. She didn’t even have a boyfriend, wasn’t sure if she’d ever find someone to love.Ashamed of her selfish fears and wishing to give comfort, she jerked out of her review and knelt at her Grandmother’s feet to grasp her hand. Tears she wouldn’t have expected clouded her vision. “Are they sure? They can’t...fix it?”Grandma shook her head sadly, her own eyes misty. “No, sweetheart. They can’t.” She sniffed. “And I’d so looked forward to seeing great-grandbabies, too.”Andrea flinched. How man
Scent of Danger 5
It must be the matchmaking. If Matilda thought there was a man there, she’d strand her in Antarctica with him. Andrea wished she could get her on the phone now and vent. She felt certain she’d feel far more romantically inclined if she were lazing half-naked on a tropical beach. Where was the logic?“Such harsh words from such a pretty lady,” came a man’s husky voice.Andrea froze in the middle of a tirade against her grandmother and a vow to hate her new employer on sight. Oh, please, no, she thought without turning around. It had to be him.“At least I assume the lady is exceptional; the view from behind is certainly promising,” he continued in that de
Scent of Danger 6
Cautiously, she ventured, “Does that mean you’ll quit flirting with me?”He smiled. “It means I’ll be more subtle.”Her expression darkened, but before she could comment, Fallon entered the kitchen. He stopped dead. His head snapped up, and his nostrils flared as if testing the air. Piercing green eyes flashed her way, dark with indefinable emotion. “Andrea, I presume.”Mathin felt a wave of possessiveness flare as he watched her shift uncomfortably. He didn’t like the way Fallon stared.“Yeah. But I think there’s been some kind of mistake.” Andrea pl
Scent of Danger 7
He took it with two fingers, almost visibly holding his breath. “Hmm,” he said after a quick scan, during which he moved toward the counter and placed it on the top. “I knew of no illness. It was my understanding that she was calling you in as a temporary replacement while she went on vacation.”“Ha! I knew it.” She whacked her closed fist against her thigh, vindicated. “She’s up to her old tricks again.”Fallon edged discreetly away, earning a bemused frown from Andrea and a smirk from Mathin. “And those would be?”“Matchmaking,” she all
Scent of Danger 8
Andrea laughed awkwardly. She didn’t know him well, but she’d swear he was dead serious. “Why would you want to do that?”She didn’t see him move, but suddenly he held one of her braids in his hand. His attention fixed on the silky skein, he gently looped it around his finger. His eyes closed as he drew the sable tip across his lips. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek.She made a small sound, protest or invitation. His eyes opened, and he allowed the braid to slip between his fingers, setting her free.It was only after he’d left the room that Andrea discovered he hadn’t answered her. Suddenly she realized she stood there, watching an empty door
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