Chapter 3
H is deep voice broke through the particularly passionate scene. “You’re back.”
I balked, quickly clicking out of the Word document and into a screen playing background music to the one earbud on my left side.
“Hi!” I breathed, grateful that the surprise was genuine. “Hi, Americano, how are you?”
He frowned slightly. “Americano?”
I gestured to the cup in his hand. “That nasty swill you’re drinking.”
“As opposed to the….” He read the printed label on mine. “Lavender matcha latte?”
Breathe! I gathered my wits about me. I came early to force myself to finish this section of the book, not anticipating losing myself to the whirlwind romance between the prince of shadows and the gifted human he stole from the Earth Realm.
“Writing again today?” Leonard moved to the chair on the opposite side of the table, giving me space but claiming the area at the same time.
Swallowing past the surprise, I smiled. “I found the atmosphere productive.”
“Atmosphere,” Leonard hummed, his eyes tracking from my laptop to the window beside us. Rain tapped against the glass, a gray curtain blurring the world outside. “It is something, isn’t it?”
I nodded, trying not to stare as he settled against the chair. Damn, but he was good-looking. His suit might be tailored and no doubt expensive, but he wore it like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. There was nothing clean-cut about him besides the designer business attire. He was a rogue, sent to devour the innocents in the corporate world.
And I was the little fool plotting to trap him and convince him to help me.
“So what’s it about?” he asked, taking a sip of his drink.
“What’s what about?” I came back to the present from the tangled web of plots running through my mind.
“The writing.” His eyes flicked to my laptop. “You closed it quickly. Must be something fascinating.”
Heat crawled up my neck. “Just a story. What about you? Is this your stomping ground because of the atmosphere?”
“Because it’s close to work.” He flicked a glance at his watch.
“Must be important work if the clock holds such a vise on your time,” I quipped.
A self-deprecating laugh left his throat. “A vise…that about sums it up.”
“Well, don’t let me keep you.” I reached for my drink, but some noise from him made me look up. My fingers missed the cup, and my knuckles knocked into the cardboard.
My heart exploded as I realized it was tipping. Too late, I scrambled to catch it in those precious half-seconds.
Lukewarm, green liquid spread over the table.
Leonard was quicker than me. He snatched my laptop off the table as I yelped.
“Thanks,” I gasped, mortified as the matcha continued its conquest across the wooden surface. Leonard held my laptop safely above the flood while I grabbed napkins from the dispenser.
“No problem.” His voice was casual, but there was something else there—amusement? Curiosity? “Quick reflexes come with the job.”
A CEO didn’t need quick reflexes. Unless he meant mental ones. I mopped frantically at the spill. “What exactly is this mysterious job of yours anyway?”
He didn’t answer immediately, just handed me my laptop with careful precision. Our fingers brushed, and I told myself the little jolt I felt was static electricity from the dry café air.
“Acquisitions and management,” he finally said, helping me clean with his own handful of napkins. “Risk mitigation, more often than not.”
It was the way he said it, not the actual descriptions, that made me pause. A sixth sense tickled the back of my mind, but I ignored it. “Sounds important.”
“Sometimes. Sometimes it’s just watching people.” His eyes met mine across the table. “Observing patterns.”
I swallowed hard. From my research, I knew he was in charge of a company that bought other companies, fixed or sold them, and managed the rest. It was hard to find exactly what that meant. But it made him a boatload of money. My family was wealthy, but it was because we were the third generation to own our media empire. My father and brother were co-owners, and one day, one of us would run it. With the change in markets, it was just one company against a storm of competition. And then there were sharks like Baldwin, sniffing for any sign of blood to come and tear down what we’d been caretakers of for decades.
If I guessed my parents wouldn’t like him based on his new money status, this knowledge made him far more unsuitable.
Which made me want him more.
Mopping up the mess with a few pitiful napkins, I muttered an excuse and went to the counter for a roll of paper towels. When I returned, Leonard was still holding my laptop.
Suspicion immediately spiked, but there was no clue on his face if he’d been snooping.
“New Orleans Jazz,” he commented.
I frowned for a moment before I realized that was the playlist I’d been listening to while I worked. “I have an eclectic taste when it comes to tunes.”
“It’s good stuff,” he agreed.
After cleaning the table, I took the laptop back. “Thank you again for your help.”
He took his coffee and nodded. “Anytime.”
I sank into my seat, my brain scrambling to salvage the situation. I needed him interested in me. These interactions needed to count.
“If you ask me, I think the prince of the shadow realm should use his magic to tie her up. Make her beg for it.” With that parting shot, the CEO left.
I gaped after his retreating black suit. Did he just— “The sneak!”
He’d been reading my scene!
Cheeks burning hot, I stared through the window until Leonard disappeared. He probably thought I was insane. Good little society girls didn’t write smut. We didn’t read it openly, and we never discussed it. But write a dark and twisted fantasy romance? Yeah, that was taboo.
“He doesn’t know I’m a good girl,” I whispered. Maybe I hadn’t screwed this thing up.
Soft, sultry notes of a saxophone drifted through the dimly lit lounge, weaving a melody that hung in the air like a smoky veil. The warm glow of low-hanging lamps cast gentle shadows across the plush velvet seats, where patrons sipped their drinks and nodded along to the soothing rhythm.
After the incident at the coffee shop, I debated not coming tonight. The staged run-in with my target had not gone as planned. But things needed to escalate beyond quick chats in between his business day. So, after a tumultuous afternoon debate, I decided to go through with my plan.
What I hadn’t expected was how much I liked the jazz club. There was a certain elegance here that defied the pristine world of sophistication to which I’d been raised. Not that we didn’t enjoy dinner music of a more jazzy variety, but the gritty, complicated atmosphere spoke to a part of my soul that was buried from society.
I sat in the middle of the room, a slate-grey cocktail dress clinging to my curves. I didn’t look young, and the fake ID was good enough to fool both bouncers and bartender. But I was careful to only sip the beverage on the table. It would be my only purchase. I didn’t want to cause suspicion.
Lost in the music, I didn’t immediately notice when my mark entered. It was only when the rumble of conversation behind me conflicted with the raspy voice on stage that I turned to see who was being so utterly rude to the singer.
Leonard looked up from the bar at that moment and our gazes collided. Warmth spread through my belly, and I felt the uptick in my pulse.
It was showtime.
Shaking my head, I turned back to the stage. The bait was there. The businessman recognized me, and I counted on his appearance at some point in the night to say hello.
When a burst of leather and smoke filled my next inhale, I smiled inwardly that he’d come to me so quickly.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Leonard said, sliding into the empty chair beside me without waiting for an invitation. The leather scent clung to him like a second skin—expensive and masculine.
I feigned surprise. “Americano. Following me now?”
“I could ask you the same.” His eyes, dark and knowing in the club’s dim lighting, traveled from my face down to my dress with deliberate slowness. “This doesn’t seem like your usual scene.”
“And what exactly is my usual scene?” I challenged, taking another careful sip of my drink.
“Coffee shops in the daytime. Prowling magical kingdoms after dusk.” He signaled to a passing server. “Lagavulin, neat,” he ordered before turning back to me. “So tell me, did he tie the mortal girl up?”
My cheeks burned, but I refused to look away. “You shouldn’t have read my work.”
“What can I say? You intrigued me.” Not my work…me.
Another song began, and we fell into a companionable silence as we listened to the heartwrenching melody. This might have been a carefully planned encounter, with every detail thoughtfully arranged, but I found myself genuinely relishing the experience. My gaze kept shifting to the man sitting across the bistro table from me. Here, in the shadows of the club, the polished veneer of the business world faded, and the real man behind the suit peeped through. His eyes, though dark and mysterious, seemed to radiate with a focused energy. He exuded confidence and power, his posture and movements smooth and controlled. In the dim light of the club, his aura seemed to pulsate with a raw intensity, proclaiming the command of those around him.
Leonard focused on the stage, not the singer, but somewhere beyond where the musicians played. I wondered what he was thinking about but didn’t break the spell to ask.
When the notes faded, he rose. “May I buy you another drink, little author?”
“Sparkling water with lemon.” I finished my martini. “I have to drive tonight.”
He nodded without comment and left.
I sagged into my chair, suddenly able to draw a deep breath now that his dominating presence was gone. I wanted a man for this very reason, but perhaps I’d misjudged. This being couldn’t be manipulated easily.
“Alone at last,” a voice broke through my tangle of thoughts. The paid actor was right on cue, earning every cent I’d paid him.
Remembering the role I was supposed to be playing, I put aside the strategic moves of this game. “Can I help you?”
The man in the slim suit looked me up and down. “Why don’t you join me, and we can get to know each other better?”
“Um, I’m good, thanks.” I shifted in my seat.
He stepped closer. “But I’m not.”
If this was a real situation, I would have pushed him aside. There was nothing intimidating about this actor, much to my disappointment.
“Thanks, but no.” I moved away again.
The man reached out and grabbed my waist.
“Hey! No touching,” I hissed.
“That wasn’t part of the deal,” he slurred.
Oh, great…if this prick blew my cover, I was screwed.
But I didn’t have to worry. The man fell back, staggering to keep his balance.
“She said no.” The words cut like the crack of a whip.
The man tugged his suit straight. “Hey, it’s a free country. Don’t hate on me for trying to score with her.”
A hard hand slid behind my back, fingers laying possessively against my side. Heat crawled over my skin. I moved instinctively back into Leonard’s hold, surprised at how natural it felt.
“That’s my wife you’re talking about,” he growled.
The heat ignited into a fire that concentrated deep in my belly. I couldn’t have planned that line of dialogue any better!
“Wife, huh?” The man looked me up and down. “Sorry man, didn’t see the ring.”
He mercifully turned and left us alone. For his sake, I was glad. I didn’t trust him not to take it further than necessary in his semi-inebriated state.
“Wife? Not a friend or girlfriend? We jumped straight to the altar?” I turned to face Leonard, feeling his hand still at my side, warm through the thin fabric of my dress. “That’s quite the cover story.”
His eyes glinted in the dim light. “Seemed effective.” He set down our drinks with his free hand. “Plus, a woman like you isn’t girlfriend material. Any man who didn’t put a ring on you would be an idiot.”
Whoa. My pulse quickened as he finally released me, sliding back into his seat. He barely knew me, and that was his reaction? I suddenly felt in over my head.
Clearing my throat, I took a more flirtatious tone. “I didn’t realize I needed protection tonight.”
“Everyone needs protection sometimes.” Leonard took a sip of his whiskey, watching me over the rim of his glass. “Even talented writers who create worlds where shadow princes capture earthly maidens.”
I traced the condensation on my sparkling water. “You read a lot to know that.”
“Enough to be interested.” His voice dropped lower. “In both the story and its author.”
The saxophone started again, this time a slow, sensual melody that seemed to wrap.
“Well, thank you for saving me, but I have to go.” I slid from the seat. “My characters are stuck in a dungeon—and not the good kind!”
My voice rose an octave at the glint sparking in his eye.
“Perhaps, instead of letting Fate do all the work of throwing us together, maybe we can see one another again. Since we’re married, after all,” I added. “What if I buy you dinner for saving me from an uncomfortable situation?”
Leonard’s lips curved into a slow smile. “Dinner? I suppose that’s an appropriate gesture from a wife to her husband.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t suppress my own smile. “Tomorrow night? I know a place, a hidden gem, that does excellent pizza.”
I gathered my small clutch, enjoying this momentary upper hand. “Unless you’re afraid you’ll end up in my story?”
A slow smile spread across his face, transforming his features from merely handsome to devastating. “Afraid isn't the word I’d use.” He stood, towering over me. “Tomorrow. Eight o’clock. You’ll text me the address.”
“You don’t have my number,” I countered.
Leonard reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card, sliding it across the table. “Now you have mine.”
The heavy card stock felt substantial between my fingers as I slipped it into my clutch. “Baldwin Acquisitions,” I read aloud, then looked up with a teasing smile. “Very subtle.”
“I never claimed to be subtle.” His eyes held mine, unblinking. “Just effective.”
As I turned to leave, his voice stopped me. “One question before you go.”
I glanced back over my shoulder. “Yes?”
“How do they escape the dungeon?”
My heart did a little flip. This wasn’t part of the plan. But the authentic repartee, his genuine interest, and the damn martini made me feel all fuzzy and warm.
I smirked. “I’ll tell you tomorrow.”
The saxophone emitted a particularly mournful note, its sound resonating with a deep, soulful wail that echoed through the room.
“She should be the one to save him. Bring out her hidden power,” he mused and reached out to brush a lock of hair over my shoulder.
But the way he looked at me made me reckless. “Maybe she will.”
With that, I turned and fled.
The cool night air hit my face as I left the jazz club, a welcome relief from the heat that had been building inside me. I pulled out my phone, fingers trembling slightly as I created a new contact. Leonard Baldwin. I typed his number from the card, hesitated, then erased it to write Shadow Prince .
My car was parked a block away, and I took my time walking to it, replaying our conversation. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I was supposed to be calculating, in control. Instead, I found myself genuinely flustered by his presence, the way his eyes seemed to see right through me.
“Get it together,” I muttered to myself as I slid into the driver's seat. “It’s just a game.”
But as I drove home through the quiet streets, the memory of his hand on my waist, his voice claiming me as his wife, played on repeat in my mind.