Chapter 3
Sascha hadn’t been surprised that Gregory watched her like a hungry timber wolf ready to pounce on its prey when she’d been dancing for the partygoers.
She’d hoped she wouldn’t miss a step when she caught Gregory’s eye a couple of times during her wild twirls.
She could have sworn he was panting because she’d made him so hot.
When she hurried out of the room to get a drink, she could have laughed as he stepped forward to ask her to dance… a little too late.
But she was a working girl for the evening. She only allowed herself one dance with Camden to annoy Gregory. And because Camden’s family paid for her to be there.
To think Gregory had been checking up on her family. The very nerve of the guy.
When she asked for a soft drink at the bar, she had every intention of working on palm readings next, but then her former boyfriend, Damon, walked in the door.
She couldn’t help that her heart pitter-pattered whenever she saw him.
She knew she had to get over it. His eyes caught hers right away, though, and he immediately gravitated toward her.
She took her drink and returned to her seat, where she would perform her readings, trying to avoid the inevitable. Taking a deep breath, she turned her gaze up to meet his. “What are you doing here, Damon?”
She wasn’t mad, just concerned. In the five years since she’d lost her powers, she still couldn’t fight the attraction she had for him, nor could he for her.
He turned his eyes from hers and stared at the crystal ball sitting on her table. “You’ve got to tell your Aunt Meg I can’t marry Lucy. I never meant for you to lose your powers the way you did, but honest to goodness, Sascha, I can’t marry that witch.”
Sascha and Katrina—often called Kat—really liked their cousin, Lucy. She was lots of fun to be around, but she did rub some people the wrong way.
“I’ve talked to Aunt Meg until the sun goes down. She wants her daughter married off, whether Lucy’s your soulmate or not. If she loses her powers, so be it. Aunt Meg will cast the curse on you if you don’t comply. She’s adamant about it.”
“I’m almost willing to take the curse.”
“You can’t be serious.” She glanced down at his trousers. “The new drugs on the market won’t allow you to have the kind of pleasure you have now, once she casts the spell. Lucy will come around, given time. In five years, you can divorce her. Then your punishment will end.”
“Unless I wring her neck first. Then, well, then I’ll end up in prison forever.” He dragged his fingers through his red hair, tussled by the Texas breeze. “That may be preferable, truthfully.”
She reached across the table and took his hand in hers. She knew she shouldn’t have. His warm touch sent a thrill of expectation through her body that she could never fulfill again with him. “I’m sorry it could never have worked out for us, Damon.”
“I know I shouldn’t have come. But I wanted to see you dance.”
“I’ve already done the last of my dances.”
He groaned. “I couldn’t get away from Lemoyne’s tonight early enough.”
“Well, you know the Worthingtons. They’ll expect you to enjoy the food and drink anyway.”
“And the entertainment?”
“The only thing I see in your future is your marriage to Lucy, Damon. That’s all.” Not in a vision, but once her Aunt Meg’s mind was made up, she didn’t think there was any changing it.
He nodded and looked up from her for a moment, then turned back to her. Leaning over, he kissed her cheek with a tender touch. She knew he wanted much more to send him on his way, but she couldn’t give him what he hoped for.
He winked at her, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. “It seems another redhead is intrigued by you, Sascha.”
His voice masked his irritation in part, but she wondered if he’d said it to see what she thought of the bachelor billionaire. She shook her head. “Yeah, well, Gregory Landry has been investigating my family. He won’t win any Brownie merit badges with me with those kinds of actions.”
Undoubtedly relieved she wasn’t interested in the other redhead, Damon relaxed his shoulders. “Why would he be checking out your family?”
“It seems he was upset that Katrina pretended to be a Landry.”
“But she is a Landry.”
“Yes, only he assumes the Dallas Landrys have exclusive rights to the name.”
Damon chuckled. “Well, I can tell you right now, he’s still investigating you, from the tip of that lovely red head of yours to the crystal baubles dangling from your gold sandals.” His eyes took in the slit of her skirt. “And other parts of you. Be good. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Lucy isn’t that bad, Damon. Truly she isn’t. You just have to stand up to her. Clear your thoughts so she can’t read what you have in mind to do to her, and knock her down every once in a while.”
He laughed. “That’s what I always love about you. Your sense of humor.” He kissed her cheek again, gave Gregory a look like the lady wasn’t available, then squeezed her hand and strolled off toward Mrs. Worthington.
Sascha knew her cheeks must have been as brilliant a red as the hibiscus flower, as warm as they felt.
She avoided looking in Gregory’s direction in case he was still watching her.
To her relief, a lady sat down at her table to get a reading.
For another hour, Sascha read palms for several of the guests at the party.
When she finished with the last of them, she looked around the room to see if anyone else needed a read, but the number of partygoers had dwindled, with several already having left. She sighed deeply. Then she smiled as Katrina and Prescott finally emerged from the hallway leading to their bedroom.
Her gaze caught Gregory, watching her, a smile percolating on his lips. Heat spread through her body like an iron turned on high. Katrina distracted her, though, as she walked over to her table, alone.
“Sorry, I kind of left the party early. I know I was supposed to be your assistant for the night.”
Sascha patted her hand. “You’re supposed to be enjoying time with Prescott. When is Prescott relocating the carriage house and other guest house to the country so that I can move in?”
She hadn’t figured the houses would be moved anytime soon so when Katrina said next week, the news surprised her.
“Then I need to give notice for my apartment?” Sascha said.
“Sure thing. It’ll take a little while for everything to be hooked up, but go ahead and give them notice. You can stay with us in the main house until your place is ready.”
Sascha stood. “You don’t know how thrilled I am for you, Prescott, and the babies. And thanks so much for the carriage house and all.”
“I wouldn’t think of not having you living next door to me. I’ll certainly need the help with the twins when I have them.” Katrina’s mouth dropped open as her gaze shifted to a location across the room. “Is that Damon?”
“Yeah. He came by to see me dance, but missed the last one I did.”
“He can’t be still hoping that you and he—”
“No, he just wanted to tell me that he’s reluctant about marrying Lucy.”
“He can’t be thinking of disobeying Aunt Meg.”
“No.” Well, maybe a little bit. “He’ll marry Lucy.”
“You still care for him, don’t you?”
“I can’t help myself.”
Sascha glanced over at where Gregory had been. His bodyguard, Red, appeared doubled over in pain. Gregory hurried him out of the house. Two of Kat’s staff hurried off with them.
“What’s going on?” Sascha asked, worried someone had attacked Gregory’s bodyguard.
“Appendicitis attack,” Kat said. “Gregory said he couldn’t wait for an ambulance and is taking Red to the hospital.”
“Oh, how awful.”
Then she noticed a waiter appeared to be waiting for Sascha to finish her conversation with Katrina. As soon as Sascha caught his eye, he walked toward her, then handed her a note.
“Who is the note from?” Sascha asked.
“Mr. Landry, Ma’am. He had to leave in a hurry. Since he couldn’t speak to you in person before he had to leave so suddenly, he asked me to give you this.”
“Thank you.” Sascha unfolded the note, read it, and shook her head as the waiter walked away.
“What does he say?” Katrina asked.
“He wants to hire me for a party at his home for tomorrow night.”
“Great!”
“I’m not going.”
She refolded the note and dropped it on the table. “I have to say goodnight to your in-laws. It looks like I’m done with the readings.”
“Prescott and I will be at the fair this weekend with you, rest assured.”
Sascha laughed. “I heard he wants to eat all the fun foods there.”
Katrina wrinkled her brow. “Sascha, you know that Gregory Landry’s life is in danger, don’t you?”
“Yeah. He dismissed it. He said he’d already had two attempts on his life.
He also has a bodyguard, though it looks like Red might be out of commission if he needs an appendectomy.
Hopefully, Gregory will get a replacement for him.
Unlike you and Prescott, when you had deadly troubles, he had already informed the police. ”
“Well, you know Prescott. He didn’t believe me when I saw danger headed his way. You didn’t see anything that could help Gregory?”
“No. Not even about his bodyguard having a medical issue. You know, I’m really a phony.”
“He said so?” Katrina’s brows rose.
“Yeah, and besides, when I told him I didn’t need to save his life, he just laughed at me. I mean, he nearly drowned in his champagne first, while he guffawed.”
Katrina chuckled. “Well, I guess he’s not one you might be able to save then. Though, Prescott was the same way at first.”
“Nope. Gregory is on his own. I’m sure someone will discover who it is before he comes to harm.”
Frankly, as far as Sascha was concerned, she only wanted to save poor Damon, despite the trouble he’d caused her. Though that wasn’t his fault. However, ultimately, he would have to fend for himself.
Mr. Gregory Landry definitely could take care of himself without Sascha’s help.