Page 7 of Prince of Tides
Easing out of the closet and closing it behind me, I hurried around a corner, only glancing at the direction Laurie had gone once.
“You.”
I came to a halt, mentally cursing myself. In my distraction, I’d forgotten to read the water. Now, I found myself standing in front of a tall, slim male, a pair of fine reading glasses perched on his nose. His hair, mostly white but shot through with some pepper, was pulled neatly to one side.
Despite the fact I had several inches on him, he still somehow managed to stare down his nose at me.
“What are you doing in here?” he asked when I didn’t immediately respond.
“Um,” I said, glancing behind me, then back at the man and his perfectly crisped and ironed black suit and white shirt. I wasn’t sure who he was, but he thought he was important and perhaps in charge.
Is this her father?
“I told Rick that his grounds crew are not to go tromping through the house,” the man said with a sigh. “And what do you do anyway? Go roaming around, leaving a mess. You are not supposed to be in this part of the house.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled, trying to fall into the persona of a true grounds crew member who had disobeyed the rules. “Won’t happen again.”
“It had better not,” he said. “Or you won’t be coming back. Rick answers tome, don’t you forget that.”
“I won’t.”
“Good. Now go, get out of here before any of the family catches sight of you. Goodness, I couldn’t imagine what Mr. Stiller would say if he came across you. I wouldn’t hear the end of it for a week.”
“Of course.” I nodded sharply and went to move around the man and down the hallway.
He cleared his throat as I started to pass him. I paused, looking at him, trying to come across as a bit clueless.
“The exit isthatway,” he said, jerking his chin back the other way.
“Right. Of course. Sorry,” I said, turning and hurrying off. I did not scurry. No soon-to-be dragon prince wouldscurry, but I did move faster than was dignified.
You’re playing a part. That’s all.
I felt the water in his body move as the man headed off, and as soon as I knew he was out of eyesight, I paused, sighing in relief. I wasn’t surewhohe was, but I didn’t want to come across him again. He would begin to suspect something. In fact, I was pretty sure he already did.
I found a door that took me outside and paused, my fingers on the handle. I knew I should go. I hadn’t found any information to help me, but the longer I stayed inside, the more likely I would be found out.
Yet, distantly, muffled by a door, I could hear voices. Every so often, one of them was Laurie’s.
I wanted to go back there and find her.
Find her and take her to the nearest bedroom, so I can make her mine.
There was no doubt in my mind anymore. That woman would be my mate.
Somehow.
Chapter Five
Laurie
Dinner was tough. I was beginning to doubt that we would be able to last through the entire holidays if every day was going to be similar. Perhaps I could convince my father in private to lay off. Even my mother seemed irritated with him.
“How are you doing?” I asked, leaning against Eric’s shoulder, trying to offer him my support.
“Fine,” he said, just a bit brusquely.
I shrugged it off, knowing it wasn’t me he was angry at. “He’s just worried about me,” I said. “Being a bit overprotective.”
