Part 6 (1/2)
Very strange. Elsa exchanged another look with Alastair.
”We'll be fine, Shanna,” he insisted. ”We can post security guards here at night to watch over the supplies. We always do that when we work in metropolitan areas.”
Shanna glanced at her watch and bit her lip. ”I hope you didn't have any trouble finding the place. This is such a remote location. I'm afraid it could be terribly hard for you to get your supplies here.”
Was the owner just nervous, or was she trying to back out? Elsa took a deep breath and smiled. ”Please don't let that concern you. We don't think the location will be a problem. It will be a nice change for our show.”
”I see.” Instead of looking relieved, the owner looked more agitated.
”I sense you're having second thoughts,” Elsa said gently. ”That's a fairly common reaction once people realize that their house will actually be featured on our show. There are privacy and financial concerns.”
Shanna sighed. ”There is a problem. I didn't think about it when I first contacted you. I was just so excited about you coming here. But when I discussed it with my husband and his ... colleagues, they pointed out some serious security and privacy issues I'd forgotten to consider.”
”We would do our best to comply with your needs,” Elsa a.s.sured her.
”I appreciate that,” Shanna said. ”My husband and I work far away during the day, and we would never be able to do any interviews for your show. Our names would have to remain private, and we would have to use someone else to represent us.”
”We've done that before,” Alastair said. ”To be perfectly honest, the focus of the show is the house, not the owner. As long as your representative can meet with us during the day and doesn't mind doing an occasional interview, then we're fine with that.”
”Well, I'm not sure if he'll agree to it.” Shanna glanced at her watch once again. ”He was supposed to be here by now.”
”If he agrees to represent you, will you let us do the house?” Alastair asked. ”We can cover the cost of the renovation up to the amount of fifty thousand, and we won't go over that without consulting you.”
”And we stand by all our work,” Elsa added. ”We have to. Everything we do is thoroughly doc.u.mented on the show.”
”And we'll put it all in writing, of course,” Alastair said. ”We'll turn this house back into the masterpiece it deserves to be.”
Shanna heaved a sigh. ”It's so tempting. Believe me, I really want you to do it. I just haven't convinced-” Her eyes widened. ”I hear a car coming.”
She must have awfully good hearing, for Elsa didn't hear anything.
Shanna smiled at her. ”Howard's coming. He doesn't know you're here, so he's going to be totally taken by surprise. He's a huge fan!” She dropped her flashlight in the basket by the door and hurried outside.
Alastair sidled up close to Elsa. ”Are you getting strange vibes?”
She snorted. ”Tell me about it.” She'd been getting them since they'd entered the forest.
”Something odd about the owner,” Alastair whispered. ”But I really want to do this house. If the rep seems like a decent chap, I say we go for it.”
Elsa nodded. ”I agree.” The house was very tempting, but the strange vibes were tempting, too. It was as if she'd caught a glimpse of a puzzle she was anxious to solve.
She finally heard the sound of a car engine. ”Let's go.” She returned her flashlight to the basket and peered outside.
Alastair turned his flashlight off and joined Elsa by the front door.
”Howard!” Shanna called out. ”Thank you for coming.”
”Is there a problem?” a masculine voice responded. ”Toni told me to come here right away.”
Elsa swallowed hard. Whoever this Howard was, he had a s.e.xy voice. Deep and powerful enough to make her insides quiver. She inched out onto the dark porch.
Shanna ran forward to meet the newcomer, who had parked an SUV down the driveway in a dark area beneath the trees. ”We're thinking of renovating this house. You won't believe who's here!”
Howard emerged from the shadows, partially lit by a floodlight.
Elsa gasped.
”Blimey,” Alastair whispered. ”He's b.l.o.o.d.y huge.”
Elsa pressed a hand to her chest as her heart thundered. He was tall, taller than her. And big, bigger than her. Solid as a boulder, yet he moved with a stealthy, fluid grace. She eased forward, waiting for him to enter fully into the light. Any second now.
There.
Her heart lurched up her throat. He was gorgeous. Strong, masculine face, beautiful blue eyes, and thick brown hair. His black T-s.h.i.+rt molded to a wide, muscular chest, and the sleeves stretched across biceps that made her mouth water.
Her skin tingled with goose b.u.mps. Was this what she had antic.i.p.ated ever since she'd entered the forest? Somehow, she had known something was waiting for her just around the bend. Something big.
He was definitely big. And having a big effect on her. She felt breathless, weak at the knees, and dazed, as if she were in a dream.
He halted suddenly at something Shanna had whispered to him. ”What?”
”It's true,” Shanna said. ”She's here.”
His eyes widened as he turned to stare at the house. His gaze found her on the dark porch, and his mouth fell open. Her heart leaped in response.
He closed his eyes, and his chest expanded as he took a deep breath. Was he trying to smell her? When his eyes opened, they gleamed a richer blue. He looked at her, and his gorgeous mouth curled slowly into a smile.
Alastair snorted. ”I don't think he'll mind working with you.”
She'd certainly like to work with him. She ventured out of the shadow and into the light.
Howard sprinted toward her, then skidded to a halt in the gravel in front of the porch. He gazed at her, an amazed expression on his face.
”Elsa,” he whispered.
His voice went through her like a delicious s.h.i.+ver. ”Hi,” she breathed.
He continued to stare at her. ”Hi.”
”How do you do?” Alastair stepped forward, extending a hand. ”I'm Alastair Whitfield.”
”Howard Barr.” He glanced at Alastair, then focused once again on Elsa, forgetting to shake hands. ”It's really you.”
”Yes.” She licked her lips, suddenly as nervous as a schoolgirl.