Read Online 1 Witchy Business by Eve Paludan, Stuart Sharp - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Eve Paludan, Stuart Sharp
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with Rebecca having told me to be careful, it was positively stupid.
And yet, I couldn’t pass up the chance to find out more. I just couldn’t. Especially not when it meant having dinner with someone as good looking as Niall. Besides, it was an opportunity to find out something that might let me help with Rebecca and Evert’s investigation. Put like that, it wasn’t stupid. It was practically work. Not a date at all.
“What about Kelly? She was going to make dinner.”
He pulled out his phone and texted her something long and involved. In fact, his fingers were a blur and his eyes didn’t even leave mine.
“I’ll let her know my dinner plans changed. She’s kind of used to my spontaneity.”
I laughed, remembering how she’d said that the dinner would probably go to waste. She’d guessed what Niall was going to do. Obviously, she knew her employer pretty well.
“Can I at least go home and change first?” I asked. It was the wrong thing to say. I knew that as soon as I said it. Why should I want to change to go to dinner with this man? It wasn’t a date. “No, on second thought, let’s just go.”
Niall smiled. “You’re spontaneous, too.”
“I guess I am.” Did he have any idea of what I was feeling right then? Actually though, if he was what he said he was, then he might know exactly what I was feeling—anticipation, nervousness, and pleasure—and that was the strangest feeling of all.
“Shall we?” he said, and I knew what he meant, but still, a blush went through me as he gently brushed my bangs out of my eyes and turned toward the door that led to his garage. He handed me the keys to his Aston Martin DB5.
He looked over at me, a slight quirk of a smile touching his lips. “Would you like to drive?”
It wasn’t just the exhilaration of driving his silver Aston Martin DB5 convertible that went very fast and cost more than most people’s homes, but that Niall trusted me to do so. “Trixie” took the turns like a race car and I tried not to speed, which was tough.
“Is this the same model car from the James Bond movie, Goldfinger ?” I asked, keeping my eyes on the road.
“Yes.”
“But I thought they only made two of these cars for the movie.”
“Are you some sort of a car aficionado?”
“I am a movie car aficionado.”
“You’re an interesting woman, Elle,” he said.
I smiled. “I trust that 007’s gadgets were removed from the car?”
Niall laughed. “The movie studio smoke and mirrors are long gone. However, Trixie has a few tricks up her sleeve. Hence the nickname. No weaponry, though.”
“Good to know. Thanks for trusting me to drive your Trixie.”
“You look good in the driver’s seat, Elle.”
That meant a lot to me, and I think he knew just how much. By the time we got to the restaurant, I felt like I had completely bonded with “Trixie.” Bonding with Niall was going pretty well, too.
After I parked Trixie and we got out, I handed him back the keys. “That was fun. I’ve never driven a convertible that nice before.”
“Perhaps this will be an evening of many firsts.”
“Perhaps,” I said guardedly.
“I just love our city, don’t you, Elle?” he asked, as we walked toward the restaurant he had chosen.
“Yes, Edinburgh must be the most magical city in the world,” I replied. “It has everything. I mean, I do like to travel—who doesn’t?—but we have the best of all possible worlds here with the waterfront, the castles, theatres, museums. And the old buildings, so lovingly cared for, like old grandmothers, right?”
“Yes. The haunted places, too.”
I smiled. “I like those, too. The spirits, they know things.”
“Indeed.” Niall paused mid-step. “What’s your favorite place, Elle?”
“Hands down? The Royal Botanic Garden. It is like time is stopped there, and in spring or summer, I feel like I am in a Renoir painting, sitting by the water and just soaking in the atmosphere.”
“I know what you
And yet, I couldn’t pass up the chance to find out more. I just couldn’t. Especially not when it meant having dinner with someone as good looking as Niall. Besides, it was an opportunity to find out something that might let me help with Rebecca and Evert’s investigation. Put like that, it wasn’t stupid. It was practically work. Not a date at all.
“What about Kelly? She was going to make dinner.”
He pulled out his phone and texted her something long and involved. In fact, his fingers were a blur and his eyes didn’t even leave mine.
“I’ll let her know my dinner plans changed. She’s kind of used to my spontaneity.”
I laughed, remembering how she’d said that the dinner would probably go to waste. She’d guessed what Niall was going to do. Obviously, she knew her employer pretty well.
“Can I at least go home and change first?” I asked. It was the wrong thing to say. I knew that as soon as I said it. Why should I want to change to go to dinner with this man? It wasn’t a date. “No, on second thought, let’s just go.”
Niall smiled. “You’re spontaneous, too.”
“I guess I am.” Did he have any idea of what I was feeling right then? Actually though, if he was what he said he was, then he might know exactly what I was feeling—anticipation, nervousness, and pleasure—and that was the strangest feeling of all.
“Shall we?” he said, and I knew what he meant, but still, a blush went through me as he gently brushed my bangs out of my eyes and turned toward the door that led to his garage. He handed me the keys to his Aston Martin DB5.
He looked over at me, a slight quirk of a smile touching his lips. “Would you like to drive?”
It wasn’t just the exhilaration of driving his silver Aston Martin DB5 convertible that went very fast and cost more than most people’s homes, but that Niall trusted me to do so. “Trixie” took the turns like a race car and I tried not to speed, which was tough.
“Is this the same model car from the James Bond movie, Goldfinger ?” I asked, keeping my eyes on the road.
“Yes.”
“But I thought they only made two of these cars for the movie.”
“Are you some sort of a car aficionado?”
“I am a movie car aficionado.”
“You’re an interesting woman, Elle,” he said.
I smiled. “I trust that 007’s gadgets were removed from the car?”
Niall laughed. “The movie studio smoke and mirrors are long gone. However, Trixie has a few tricks up her sleeve. Hence the nickname. No weaponry, though.”
“Good to know. Thanks for trusting me to drive your Trixie.”
“You look good in the driver’s seat, Elle.”
That meant a lot to me, and I think he knew just how much. By the time we got to the restaurant, I felt like I had completely bonded with “Trixie.” Bonding with Niall was going pretty well, too.
After I parked Trixie and we got out, I handed him back the keys. “That was fun. I’ve never driven a convertible that nice before.”
“Perhaps this will be an evening of many firsts.”
“Perhaps,” I said guardedly.
“I just love our city, don’t you, Elle?” he asked, as we walked toward the restaurant he had chosen.
“Yes, Edinburgh must be the most magical city in the world,” I replied. “It has everything. I mean, I do like to travel—who doesn’t?—but we have the best of all possible worlds here with the waterfront, the castles, theatres, museums. And the old buildings, so lovingly cared for, like old grandmothers, right?”
“Yes. The haunted places, too.”
I smiled. “I like those, too. The spirits, they know things.”
“Indeed.” Niall paused mid-step. “What’s your favorite place, Elle?”
“Hands down? The Royal Botanic Garden. It is like time is stopped there, and in spring or summer, I feel like I am in a Renoir painting, sitting by the water and just soaking in the atmosphere.”
“I know what you
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