Bound by Light (3 page)

Thane heard the beep of his lock and then
his assistant pushed through the door, followed by a waiter with
room service. “Good morning,” Pamela said brightly.

“Morning, Pam,” Thane said. “You’re chipper
this fine day.”

She grinned. “Am I? I should work on that. I
ordered breakfast for you. Niall and Charlotte will join you in ten
minutes.”

“You’re a godsend, Pam.”

“Perhaps I’m underpaid, then,” she
retorted.

Thane laughed. “We can discuss that at your
review.”

“I look forward to it.” She tipped the
waiter then scanned her iPad. “Do you want to go through the
schedule now or eat first?”

“Schedule, I think.”

“Right.” She skimmed a finger over her
screen as she sat in the chair by the window. “You and Charlotte
will have fifteen-minute interviews with twenty-two media outlets.
Niall will join you for the last five minutes of each one.”

“Aye,” Thane said, and studied his
screen.

“Most of the interviewers you know, though
there are a couple of new ones from America. Wallace says they’re
okay, and he’s fully vetted them.”

“Good work.” Thane smiled. “What cold and
exotic paradise am I sending you to when this circus is over? Did
you get your fill of Siberia last time?”

Pam giggled. “Honestly, I just want to hang
out at home in my pajamas for a couple of weeks.”

“Fair enough.”

A knock at the door had Pam rising to her
feet. “I bet this is the MacMillans.”

She opened the door and Charlotte and Niall
walked inside, Niall carrying one-year-old Moira. Thane stood and
greeted his friends while Pam went off to take care of a few
things.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so nervous,” Charlotte
said, and flopped on the sofa next to Niall.

“Why?” Thane asked.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because this is my
first film and I’m not a particularly interesting person. Why the
heck would they want to interview me?”

Niall chuckled. “Because you’re stunningly
beautiful, exceedingly talented, and more fascinating than anyone
else I know.”

She snorted. “You have to say that. You’re
my mate.”

Thane chuckled. “Well,
I’m
not your
mate, and I wholeheartedly agree with Nye.”

Charlotte blushed. “Thank you.”

Niall pulled her close and kissed her
temple, smiling at something she probably said to him
telepathically. Thane focused on his coffee for a few seconds. He
wondered if his mate was close. He was young compared to the
majority of his friends. Less than three hundred years old, but it
was a long time to wait for a mate and, he had to admit, he was
getting restless.

The Cauld Ane had been rocked with surprises
over the past few years. Their king had bound a human woman, as had
both of the princes. Even Niall had bound a human, and Thane
wondered if this was why he was waiting so long. Was his mate human
as well?

“Thane?”

“Hmm?” He glanced at Niall.

“You all right, brother?”

Thane chuckled with a nod. “Aye. Sorry. My
mind’s elsewhere. What were we talking about?”

“Well, I’d like to know if there are any
topics I should avoid,” Charlotte said.

Moira wiggled her way out of Niall’s arms
and toddled to Thane. He picked her up and settled her on his
lap.

“Just answer what you feel comfortable
with,” Thane said. “They’re going to pry, but you’re not obligated
to talk about anything you don’t want to. I think the biggest
question will be how Nye felt about the kissing scenes.”

“And the other parts,” Charlotte grumbled,
her face bright red.

Thane tried not to laugh at Niall’s
expression. “Aye. But you can tell them there was a body
double.”

“I don’t know how I feel about that,” she
said.

“Why, love?” Niall challenged.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “It’s not like
there was nudity in the film, I guess, but I felt a little
uncomfortable even alluding to it.”

“You’d be surprised how often it happens,”
Thane said. “Don’t worry about it. They probably won’t even
ask.”

“Do you think it’ll do well?”

Niall laughed. “Baby, it’s a period piece
with Thane Allen. It’ll do very well.”

She giggled. “I suppose that was a silly
question.”

“Let’s finish our breakfast,” Thane said.
“We’ll need our energy to deal with the jackals.”

“Unca Thane, book, please?” Moira asked, and
gave him a slightly toothless grin.

“I’d love to read you a book, lassie. Did
Mummy bring one?”

“No, Mommy did not,” Charlotte
confessed.

“Never fear,” Thane said, and grabbed his
cell phone, sending a quick text to Pam. “Uncle Thane is on the
job.”

Niall grinned and sipped his coffee.
Charlotte motioned Moira over and the little girl reluctantly left
Uncle Thane’s lap with the promise of food.

Pam arrived a few minutes later with one of
Moira’s favorite books and Moira climbed back onto Thane’s lap for
a quick story time.

Twenty minutes later, it was time to face
the media, so Moira was handed off to her sitter, and Thane
followed Pam into the suite set up for the interviews and took his
seat. Charlotte sat beside him and gave him a nervous smile.

“You’re going to do great, lass,” he
promised.

“Thanks.”

Niall kissed her quickly and then stood off
to the side.

A young blonde woman walked in and shook
their hands. “Hi, I’m Christine Beach. Thanks so much for speaking
with me.”

“You’re from Portland,” Charlotte said.
“You’re on the KRTV news channel, right?”

“I am.” Christine smiled. “I understand
you’re from Portland too, is that correct?”

“Yes,” Charlotte said.

“Nice to meet you,” Thane said.

“You too,” Christine said. “Are you
ready?”

Thane nodded. “Always.”

“In this movie, you play an American. You
did a great American accent, by the way.”

Thane grinned. “Thank you.”

“How hard was it to get into character, and
did you ever find yourself slipping back into your Scottish
accent?” Christine continued.

“I found the accent relatively easy;
however, it was the pacing that was a little harder. Charlotte
helped a great deal, and if I slipped, she’d correct me.”

“You didn’t slip very often,” Charlotte
said.

Thane chuckled. “Because of you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

“This story is about Sophie, a woman who is
catapulted in time back to the American Civil War and you play
Jamie, the husband who follows her. The chemistry between the two
of you was hot, hot, hot. Were the love scenes difficult or is
there a spark between you two also?”

“Considering the fact that my costar happens
to be married to my closest friend,” Thane said, “I can’t say it
was easy. But Charlotte’s an incredible actress, so I can’t say it
was hard either.”

Charlotte giggled. “I personally found it
almost impossible to kiss Thane. I mean, look at him, he’s so
ugly.”

Christine chuckled.

The interviews continued, the questions all
relatively the same from interviewer to interviewer.

* * *

Sydney rushed into the hotel lobby to escape
the rain and groaned. She was lost. Hopelessly lost. She was
supposed to be meeting Lucy at a local coffee shop, but she’d made
a wrong turn somewhere along the way, and then buckets of water had
begun to fall from the sky, and she had no idea where she was now.
Gah! She was going to have to concede that she was directionally
challenged and call her cousin.

Pulling out her cell phone, she shot off a
text and rolled her eyes when Lucy called right back. “Don’t say
it,” Sydney begged.

Lucy giggled. “I’m trying to figure out if
it’s an American thing, or just a Sydney thing.”

“It’s most definitely a Sydney thing,” she
admitted. “I was doing so well, but I stopped to get some money out
of the ATM and I think that’s where I went wrong. But you have to
cut me some slack. I’ve only been here for a few weeks and London’s
a zoo. Who can expect anyone to find their way around?”

“Oh, love, you’re doing great. Where are
you?”

“The Ritz.”

“Okay, why don’t you stay where you are and
I’ll come and get you?” Lucy suggested.

Sydney sighed. “Probably a good idea. But
wait for the rain to let up a little. I’m warm and dry, so I can
hang out here for now.”

“Alright,” Lucy agreed. “I’ll text you when
I’m on my way.”

“Miss?” Sydney turned to see a bellboy
motioning to her. “You need to come with me, you’re late.”

“Luce, I have to go. See you when you get
here.” Sydney hung up.

“You really need to come with me now,” the
man insisted.

Sydney frowned. “I think you’ve got me
confused—”

“Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but you need
to follow me or I could get sacked.”

“I…ah. Okay,” Sydney said. She had no idea
what the guy was talking about, but maybe he knew something she
didn’t. She followed the man into the elevator and up to the tenth
floor. She was ushered into a large hotel suite where a couple
dozen other people milled around, some on phones, others on
computers, but all looking very professional and important.

A young, attractive woman rushed toward her.
“Are you the American?”

“Ah, well, I
am
American,” Sydney
confirmed.

“Oh, good. You’re late.”

“I am?”

“Yes,” she said with an irritated sigh.
“We’re running behind now. Please follow me.”

“I’m sorry, really. I think, but I—”

“Well, we can’t cry over spilled milk now,
can we,” the woman said. “Come with me.”

Sydney forced herself to stay calm. Dang it!
She needed to learn to say no.

“Right this way.” The woman pushed open a
door and guided Sydney inside. She was blinded by bright lights. In
a matter of seconds, she realized she was staring at only the
biggest movie star on the face of the earth and the breath left her
body.

Holy crap. I’m less than two feet in front
of Thane Allen.

“This is Lana Jones from Ivory Hope
Magazine.”

“Miss Jones?” Thane smiled at her.

His sexy smile distracted her and it took a
minute for Sydney to find her voice. “Um, no, actually, I’m
not.”

* * *

Thane’s heart stopped in his chest. He took
in the sight of his mate with her long dark hair and deep brown
eyes. She was taller than most human women, probably
five-foot-nine, and she was stunning.

“I’m sorry?” Pam asked.

“My name is Sydney Warren.”

“Then why are you here?”

“I have no idea. The bellboy said he’d get
fired if I didn’t come with him.”

Pam scowled. “Bloody hell.”

“Pam,” Thane warned, and rose to his
feet.

“Look, this is ridiculous,” Pam continued.
“We pay a bloody fortune to keep the crazies from getting in
and—”

“Excuse me?” Sydney snapped. “Listen here,
lady, I am
not
a crazy! I was dragged here, obviously due to
a misunderstanding, but I’m not a crazy anything…well, by medical
standards anyway. I suppose there might be people in the world who
think I’m nuts, but not in the way that you’re implying.”

Thane forced back a chuckle. His mate was
funny
and
beautiful.

“If you’ll just show me how to get out of
here, I’ll go,” Sydney continued. “I’m supposed to be meeting my
cousin.”

“Just a moment,” Thane rushed to say, and
stepped toward Sydney, but Pam still stood between them. “Pam, I
need a minute.”

“But, we’re running behind as it is,” she
argued. “You have a queue of reporters waiting to speak with
you.”

“And they will continue to wait,” he said
quietly. Pam nodded, lowering her head in contrition, and Thane
closed the distance between him and the lovely Sydney. “May I
borrow you for a moment?”

“I...um...” Sydney’s expression grew a
little wary. “I really do need to go.”

“It won’t take long,” he said, and laid his
hand on her lower back, the universal Cauld Ane action toward his
mate. He closed his eyes, feeling the connection all the way to his
soul.

“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.”