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  “Okay,” she whispered.

  Thane guided her to the private room just out of sight and sound of the cameras and closed the door. He turned off his mic pack and smiled at her. “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.”

  “I’m not afraid of you.” She raised an eyebrow. “I’m American. I carry mace.”

  Thane dropped his head back and laughed. “I thought that was a stereotype.”

  “Oh, fine.” She let out an exaggerated sigh. “It’s pepper spray.”

  “You really have pepper spray in your purse?”

  “I feel as though I shouldn’t answer that,” she grumbled, holding her purse closer to her chest.

  Thane grinned. “So, Sydney. Tell me about yourself.”

  “Um...” He could see she was fighting back nerves. “I wish I could, but I really do need to go. My cousin’s meeting me here and if I’m not downstairs, she’ll worry.”

  “Could I take you to dinner?”

  “Dinner?” she asked, somewhat shocked. “Me?”

  “Aye, lass. If you’ll let me.”

  “Well, let’s see.” She crossed her arms. “You are Thane Allen, correct? The Thane Allen?”

  “Last time I checked, aye.”

  “You’re the biggest movie star on the planet, demanding the highest paycheck in the business right now, and haven’t had a bomb since you hit the scene.”

  Thane smiled. She’d apparently read the latest People magazine. “So I’m told.”

  “And you want to take me to dinner?”

  “Aye, love.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

  “Why not?”

  “Because we’ve never met, you’re a movie star, I’m an American here visiting my family... and you’re a movie star.”

  He laughed. “Aye, lass, but that’s what I do. It’s not who I am. I happen to think you’re beautiful and I never pass up the opportunity to get to know someone beautiful.”

  “You never pass up the opportunity, huh? Your dinner schedule must be pretty booked, then. So I’ll just go ahead and—” She took a step toward the door.

  “Wait. That’s not what I mean.” He dragged his hands down his face. “I’m sorry. That made me sound like an arse.”

  Sydney bit her lip. “A bit of a player, maybe, but not an ass.”

  He smiled. “I promise I’m not a player.”

  “Which is exactly what a player would say.”

  “Go to dinner with me,” he pled.

  “What if I’m an ax murderer?” she countered. “I could be a really beautiful ax murderer and if you take me to dinner, the world will lose an international treasure.”

  “You think I’m a treasure?”

  “You are on the big screen, but I don’t know what you’re like in real life. I don’t believe everything I read, so I tend to reserve judgment on people who have publicists.”

  Thane watched her in fascination as she grew more animated by the second.

  A beautiful pink covered her cheeks. “Sorry, I’m rambling. I think it’s really nice that you would like to take me out to dinner, but—”

  “Before you say no,” he interrupted.

  “No.”

  “Before you say no,” he repeated, “will you think about it? I’ll give you my number and you can ring me.”

  She let out a quiet snort. “I’m not going to call the Thane Allen.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you’re... well, you’re... you. This is just insane.”

  “Is it?” Thane was beginning to feel a little insecure. Why was it so difficult to convince his mate, the woman he was destined to be with until death, to go to dinner with him?

  “Wait…” Sydney cocked her head to the side. Her expression grew guarded. “Did Lucy put you up to this?”

  Lucy? “I’m sorry, lass, but I don’t know who Lucy is.”

  “Is this like that one time when you took those orphans to that Fallen Crown concert? And now, you’re being sweet because of my situation…” Her voice caught and tears formed in her eyes. She blinked them away.

  What bloody situation?

  “You don’t have to do this. It’s very sweet, but not necessary. I’ll tell Lucy you tried.” She pulled out her phone and shook her head. The pain in her eyes made him want to go to her, to hold her and make everything better.

  Not wanting to confuse her more, he held his ground. “Nobody put me up to anything. I just want to take you to dinner.”

  Sydney gave him a dismissive wave of her hand. Her smile looked forced. “You know what? You’re as good an actor off-screen as on. Has anyone ever told you that?”

  Something was wrong with his mate, and he couldn’t fix it if she wouldn’t even let him take her to dinner. He’d never worked this hard for a date. He’d never worked for a date, period. Hoping he didn’t sound as desperate as he felt, he said, “How about you give me your number and I’ll give you a ring?”

  The door opened and Pam said, “Thane, we really need to get a move on?”

  He turned to her. “Just give me a minute.”

  “We don’t have a minute.”

  “I’ll just get—” He turned back to Sydney, but she was gone. “Damn it.” He rushed into the hallway, but he couldn’t see her in the throng of people.

  “Thane! Can we get a photo?”

  “Thane, over here!”

  Shite! He’d lost her. He smiled as best he could at the reporters, covering a river of bubbling frustration, and then slipped back into the private suite.

  CHAPTER THREE

  AS SOON AS Thane was distracted, Sydney rushed out of the room and into the elevator, pressing the lobby button multiple times. Her cousin had to be the sweetest person in the world, and it would be just like Lucy to set Sydney up in order to lift her spirits. But it was a pity date, and only made her feel pitiful. How the heck did Lucy know Thane Allen anyway? Sydney’s aunt and uncle had money, which meant they had connections; maybe Lucy contacted him through one of them.

  The doors popped open and she walked to the lobby, finding Lucy in the sea of faces. Her cousin rushed toward her. “There you are! I thought you’d left.”

  “Sure you did.”

  “I just got here. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m okay. Really, I am. Look, what you tried to do was sweet and all, but...”

  “What the devil are you talking about, Sid?” Lucy demanded, seeming to be genuinely confused.

  “The whole Thane Allen thing.”

  “What Thane Allen thing?”

  Suddenly Sydney wasn’t so sure about her cousin’s involvement. “Oh, come on, Luce. It’s blown. You really expect me to believe that Thane Allen asked me to dinner, and you had nothing to do with it?”

  “What the—?”

  Sydney waved her hand. “It’s all good. I figured it out. Like I said, sweet, but not necessary.”

  “Hold on a tick.” Lucy grabbed Sydney’s arm and pulled her to a stop. “Thane Allen’s here? In this hotel and he asked you to dinner?”

  “Yeah. But you knew that. You set it up.”

  “I bloody well did not! If I was going to set anyone up with Thane Allen, it would be me!”

  “Lucy, quit messing around.”

  Lucy scowled. “Sydney Roslyn Warren, I am quite literally not messing around. Did you or did you not meet Thane Allen, and did he or did he not invite you to dinner? For real?”

  Oh, crap! Sydney’s heart raced. “I really met him and he really asked me to dinner.”

  “Oh, my giddy aunt,” Lucy breathed out with a groan. “What did you say?”

  “I told him he was a really good actor. Onscreen and off.” Sydney swallowed with a grimace. “I thought I was being set up. I thought it was a pity date.”

  “Sydney! You didn’t!” Lucy wailed. “Bloody hell, love, you are the daftest woman I’ve ever met.”

  “You really didn’t put him up to it?” Sydney asked as she wrung her hands.

  “And exactly how
the hell would I have put Thane Allen up to it, Sid? Oh, my god, just because we live under the rule of the same queen does not mean we all know each other!”

  “I never said you did,” Sydney grumbled.

  Lucy pointed to the elevator. “You need to go back and accept.”

  Sydney’s mouth dropped open. “I am not running back upstairs and begging him to take me out, Lucy. Let’s just go home.”

  “The sexiest man alive just asked you out, are you really going to blow him off?”

  “What possible reason would the sexiest man alive have to want to take me out, Lucy? It’s ridiculous.”

  Lucy crossed her arms. “Maybe he thinks you’re gorgeous.”

  “Then maybe he’s blind.”

  “You’re an idiot, lovie. Truly.”

  Sydney rolled her eyes. “I’m starving. Let’s just get home, okay?”

  “I’m going to talk to Dad and see if he can get in touch with him.”

  “No you’re not!” Sydney squealed. “Please, Lucy, don’t okay?”

  “Fine.” Lucy sighed. “I think you’re insane, but fine.”

  “Thanks. Now, lead me home.”

  Lucy giggled and they headed toward the Tube.

  They arrived home to an empty house, and Sydney decided some cooking therapy was on her list today. She had to find something to distract her from her strange encounter. “Luce!” she called up the stairs. “Spaghetti and meatballs sound good?”

  “Sounds amazing!” Lucy called back. “Need some help?”

  “No, I’m quite capable of setting the house on fire all by myself.”

  Sydney grinned at Lucy’s four-letter response. Lucy couldn’t even boil water, which blew Sydney’s mind. Even though both families had plenty of money, the cousins couldn’t have been raised more differently. Sydney did her own laundry, cooked twice a week when she was home, and contributed to the household chores. Lucy, not so much. The Ashworths had a live-in housekeeper, along with Leticia, who provided meals six days a week. Tonight was her night off, so Sydney was taking her chance to get in the kitchen.

  She grabbed her iPod, cued it up to the new Fallen Crown album, and got her groove on while she seasoned and rolled out meatballs. For the first time in a long time, she was feeling a sense of relief. She’d felt it when Thane had touched her and now she felt it again. Strange, but she wasn’t going to question it too much. It was a nice feeling. One she’d like to get used to.

  Once the meatballs were formed and cooked, she made her magic sauce, and then boiled the pasta. She and Lucy had a quiet dinner, albeit fancy since Lucy insisted on setting the table with the good china, and then Sydney powered up her Kindle and got lost in a book.

  Tonight was the first night in forever was determined to actually relax. Turn off her brain enough to enjoy an epic historical saga. Maybe she’d even sleep. It would be bliss.

  * * *

  “Sydney Warren,” Thane said as he paced his hotel room. “All I know is that she’s American.” And she’s in trouble.

  “That’s not much to go on,” Niall said.

  They’d just finished their interviews and were now back in Thane’s suite discussing the events of the day.

  “Have you tried to speak with her… you know, telepathically?” Charlotte asked.

  “Aye. I can’t quite find her thought pattern.”

  “Is this her?” Charlotte asked, and turned her laptop to face Thane.

  He leaned down to see the screen. “Yes! How did you do that?”

  She giggled. “It’s called a Facebook search.”

  Thane sat down and took the computer from her, scrolling through Sydney’s profile. “Damn, it’s set to private. I can only see her profile picture and her friends.”

  Charlotte waved her hand toward him. “Hit the friend request button. If she accepts it, then I’ll be able to see more and reach out to her.”

  “Done,” he said, and handed the laptop back.

  “You really don’t have a Facebook page?”

  “Not a private one,” he admitted. “My team handles all my social media pages and such.”

  Charlotte rolled her eyes and closed her computer. “You and Niall are so old.”

  “You may want to hide yours before this movie hits, Charlotte,” Thane warned. “If you don’t, you could run the risk of people finding out things about you that you’d rather stay private.”

  Niall picked up the computer and began hitting keys.

  “Nye, what are you doing?” Charlotte asked.

  “Hiding your profile,” Niall said.

  “What? What do you mean?” Charlotte gasped, grabbing for the computer. “You can’t just unfriend people, Nye.”

  “I didn’t,” he said.

  She frowned at the screen. “Gah! You shut down my account?”

  “It’s safer.”

  She glared at him and Thane knew she was yelling at him telepathically. Niall raised an eyebrow at one point and then Charlotte blushed beet red.

  “Really, Nye? You’re unbelievable,” she snapped.

  He chuckled. “I know, baby.”

  “I hear your concerns,” she said carefully. “But I just sent a request to Sydney. If my account is disabled, she won’t be able to respond.”

  Niall stared over at Thane. “You have a man, right?”

  “Aye.”

  Niall smiled and turned back to Charlotte. “Thane’s man will find her.”

  She rose to her feet, closing the laptop as she did. “Excuse us, Thane. I need to verbally spank my husband and would rather not have an audience.”

  “Moira’s next door, love,” Niall pointed out.

  She let out a frustrated groan. “And she can hang with her sitter for a few extra minutes.”

  Niall chuckled.

  Charlotte gave Thane a saccharin smile. “Sorry, Thane, I have a man to murder.”

  Thane choked back a laugh and nodded. “Don’t let me stop you.”

  She headed for the door and Niall rose slowly to his feet, a goofy grin on his face. “Have a great day, brother.”

  “You as well.”

  Thane watched as Niall followed his mate and shook his head. Niall had changed. He was the epitome of a good man. He always had been. It kind of made up for the actions of his brother, Max, who was somewhat of a loose cannon. Niall was the nice guy, the one who never lost his temper, and the one who had patience in spades. But when Niall met Charlotte, he suddenly had an edge. Not one that made him difficult, just one that made him sharper. Charlotte had a unique set of gifts and if Niall had been a lesser man, their marriage could have been disastrous.

  Thane smiled and grabbed his cell phone. It was time to call his “man.”

  “Hello, Thane,” Wallace said, cheerily. “What can I do for you?”

  Thane chuckled. “Actually, I’m wondering if you can find someone for me.”

  “Of course I can. Who?”

  “I don’t have much.” He rubbed his forehead. “A name and nationality…general description, that sort of thing.”

  “No worries. Just give me what you have.”

  Thane gave Wallace what he knew and then moped around the hotel suite while he waited. The London premiere was in two days and tomorrow would be full of more interviews and press before he’d get a break. Once the premiere was done, he could go home; however, it was the first time in a very long time that he wasn’t interested in escaping to his cottage. Right now, he wanted to find his mate and go about wooing her so they could go home together.

  He poured a glass of whiskey and stood at the window overlooking Piccadilly. His thoughts turned to Sydney again, wondering where she was. He couldn’t imagine she was far if she’d ended up in his hotel. At least, not so far he couldn’t get to her relatively quickly.

  Dropping his forehead to the cool glass, he closed his eyes and focused. Maybe if he could settle his mind, he might be able to speak with her. His natural gift of empathy should give him that ability, but he wasn’t sure h
ow it worked with a human.

  He didn’t have long to try as his phone buzzed in his pocket seconds later. “Yes.”

  “I can’t find her,” Wallace said.

  “What?” Thane asked.

  “She’s either some kind of a computer hacker or someone’s hiding her. She doesn’t really exist.”

  “How the hell does she not exist?” Thane snapped. “Charlotte found her on Facebook in a matter of seconds.”

  “Well, she’s not on Facebook anymore.”

  “Shite.” Thane rubbed his forehead.

  “I’ll keep looking, but I doubt we’ll find anything today. I’ll call you as soon as something changes.”

  “Right. Thanks.”

  Thane hung up with a frown. Grabbing his drink, he flopped onto the sofa and continued to try to connect with the elusive Sydney Warren the old-fashioned, non-technical Cauld Ane way.Thane rubbed his forehead. "ok in a manner of seconds."

  * * *

  The next morning, Sydney knocked on her uncle’s office door and entered when bid. Uncle Cary was a large man with salt-and-pepper hair and a deep voice that both terrified and comforted most people, depending on his mood.

  “Good morning, love,” he said, and rose to his feet, hugging Sydney gently. “How did you sleep?”

  “Okay.” She sat in the chair opposite his and smiled. “I think I’m ready for all this yuckiness.”

  “It’s not so bad, Sid. I promise. Your parents organized everything remarkably well, so you have several options. One of which is to do nothing, at least for the moment.”

  “Ooh, I like that option.”

  Her uncle chuckled. “I had a feeling you’d say that, so I gathered all the information and saved it here.” He handed her a flash drive and a manila file. “Plus I printed everything out. Should you have any questions, let me know.”

  “You’re a lifesaver, Uncle Cary. Thank you.”

  “Anytime, love. Now, we need to talk about something else, something you might find a little invasive.”

  Sydney settled the file on her lap. “Okay.”

  “I have disabled your social media accounts.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you need to be invisible for a while.” He frowned as he took a deep breath. “Also, I have let Lucy know and she’s a bit annoyed with me, but you will need to have security with you anytime you leave the house.”