Pan's Conquest (Entangled Covet) (2 page)

“Of course.” He ran his fingers over a hyacinth. “This is a party for business associates.”

The thought of him running the same fingers over Syrinx’s bare skin made her blush, and she looked away. Normally, her thoughts didn’t go there. They hadn’t since…since back on Mount Olympus. “They must be very important to you.”

He maneuvered in front of her and found her gaze once again. “Indeed, they are.” The intensity stirring within the copper-brown depths of his eyes unnerved her. It was almost as if he was saying she was important to him. But that was crazy. They hardly knew each other.

Syrinx clung to business. “And the other rooms?”

He offered his arm. “If you’ll follow me…”

One thing was for sure: to a goddess of chastity, he was trouble. Syrinx wished Kaye would come and take his arm instead, but he offered it to her and her alone.

Kaye stared at her with a mix of envy and amusement.

“Very well.” Syrinx barely touched the pressed sleeve of his expensive suit. Electricity ran through her, distracting her from her work. With the barest touch, she could feel the strength in his arm and smell his woodsy, fresh pine scent. The practiced grace with which his body moved reminded her of a stag hunter, while the wildness in his eyes resembled the prey itself. Nothing about him matched the crisp suit, yet it made the whole package irresistible.

“What kind of business are you in, Mr. Thomas?” Kaye followed them into the room.

His arm tensed under Syrinx’s touch. Kaye’s question seemed to catch him off guard, which made Syrinx even more intrigued. Didn’t he expect them to ask about his work to better decorate the party?

“Fertility.” He led them into a parlor even more gorgeous than the foyer, with leather couches and a grand stone fireplace with statues of golden deer running across the mantle.

Syrinx released his arm, busying herself with more pictures. His occupation made perfect sense, given the opulence of the grounds. Those fertility doctors could make a fortune. Was he following his dream, or was he in it for the money? Syrinx admired people who followed their dreams like her.

“You mean you help women conceive? That’s very
honorable
.” Kaye shot Syrinx a glance and wiggled her eyebrows.

Syrinx reached in her purse and gave her a small piece of paper. “Record the dimensions.”

Mr. Thomas grinned, his gaze falling over Syrinx and drinking her in. “I give them their heart’s desire.”

Syrinx looked away, snapping another picture. She bet he did. Gosh, the last thing she needed was a fling with a playboy bachelor. She had dual reputations to uphold: her goddess identity and her business practices. “This is all we need. We have to get back to the shop.”

She moved toward the door. Rutherford appeared with a silver tray of cheeses and a bottle of what looked like very old and expensive wine, blocking her exit.

Mr. Thomas joined her at the door, picking a piece of cheese from the tray. “Can’t you stay for a bite to eat?”

“I’m afraid not.” She looked back at Kaye, who glared as if she had ruined the party. “We have work to do if you want this place covered in roses in two weeks.”

Disappointment made hard angles in his gorgeous face. Wild unrest stirred underneath the business facade. “Very well.”

Syrinx slipped her phone into her purse. “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Thomas.”

If he was upset, he recovered quickly with a curl of his lips. “Likewise.”

“I assure you, we’ll have the most gorgeous display in all of New England.” She gestured to Kaye, who popped a piece of cheese in her mouth.

He followed her to the door. “I have no doubt in your…abilities.”

“Good.” Syrinx moved away from him, opening the door. Everything he said and did unnerved her and excited her at the same time. “Kaye, are you coming?”

“If we must.” Kaye jogged to Syrinx’s side, giving him one last, longing look. “See you later, Mr. Thomas.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” The playfulness in his voice followed Syrinx down the steps and to her car. Even though she heard the door close behind her, she could still feel his burning gaze on her back.

Once seated in the driver’s seat of her car, Syrinx revved the engine, eager to leave and return to her flowers. Nature was one thing she could control and understand. Humanity—
men
—remained a mystery.

Kaye buckled up beside her. “That was the weirdest meeting I’ve ever experienced.”

Syrinx pulled around the fountain and followed the twisty driveway back to the main road. “Yeah, what kind of customer offers us cheese and wine?”

Kaye gave her a teasing smile. “Someone who wants us to stay longer.”

Syrinx sighed, trying to make sense out of nothing. “Yes, but why? We’re only the florists.”

Kaye shrugged. “Seems like this party is really important to him. We’ll have to make sure we get it right.” She tapped Syrinx on the arm. “By the way, did you see the way he looked at you?”

Syrinx straightened in her seat, pulling her shoulders back in her perfectly practiced I’m-holier-than-thou stance. “Well, I’m not spending any more of my time on some rich playboy. I’m not going to be another mark in his belt.”

Kaye wiggled her finger. “I wouldn’t call him a playboy. I gave him my best come-hither look at least ten times, and he didn’t even notice me.” She nudged Syrinx’s arm. “He only had eyes for you.”

Chapter Two
Intruder

Old pots rattled in the back of her VW Bug as Syrinx drove from the yard sale back to her florist shop. Her mind wandered elsewhere. Parker Thomas had aroused within her urges she hadn’t felt since back on Mount Olympus. Since Pan. The first time she saw Pan standing on the riverbank with lust and desire burning in his eyes, she’d been horrified. How long he’d stood there, spying on her bathing naked, she had no idea. His gaze on her body made goose bumps tickle every inch of her skin.

She’d heard stories of Pan’s conquests for eons, yet she never thought she’d be the object of his infatuation. It horrified and thrilled her at the same time, awakening a dormant passion inside her that scared her more than the thought of Pan coming at her.

She’d wanted his affections.

Syrinx’s tires squealed as she turned onto the paved road with her foot to the metal. Disgust and denial riled her. She was the goddess of chastity. She could have no frivolous desires like her sister, the goddess of lust. There was more to do in the world than fall in and out of love. Thank goodness she’d gotten away from him. She had her business and her flowers, and she’d neglected them all day.

The black Jaguar sitting in her parking lot raised her hackles and intrigued her at the same time. Parker Thomas. It had to be him. No one else in Hillhaven had such an ostentatious show of wealth. Ever since he moved in a year ago, rumors had been swirling like snowflakes on Mount Olympus’s peak. Pulling beside his luxury vehicle, she debated whether or not to go inside, or park around back and wait until he left.

Kaye could handle it. Syrinx would keep herself out of trouble if she stayed in her car.

But how would her absence look to their very best customer?

Sighing in frustration, Syrinx pushed her door open. She walked to the front of her shop with determination and took a deep breath before entering. The familiar sound of wind chimes announced her arrival.

Mr. Thomas was leaning on the counter by the cash register, laughing with Kaye. The notebook Syrinx used to scrawl her ideas lay on the tabletop between them. When his gaze fell on her, he stopped laughing and smiled as if her presence made his day whole.

A tangible pull drew her toward him until she could do nothing else but walk directly to the cash register.

“Mr. Thomas.”

“Ms. Rain.”

The air sizzled between them like the anticipation before the first drop of rain in a midsummer thunderstorm.

Kaye cleared her voice, snapping Syrinx out of her trance. “Mr. Thomas stopped by to take a look at our preparations.”

Mr. Thomas ran his fingers along the drawings. “These are gorgeous. Truly inventive, yet classic at the same time.”

“Thank you.” His compliment hit her with a blush of pleasure. Desire welled up inside her. If she stayed there any longer, she’d want to touch him. Syrinx picked up the watering can and began watering the flower beds across the room. “I see Kaye has shown you everything. Let me know if there’s anything else we can help you with.”

“Actually, there is.”

She froze and turned back toward him.

Mr. Thomas walked away from the counter, leaving Kaye to gawk at his back. He studied the flowers on either side of the aisle casually as he approached her. “I’m redesigning a part of my garden, and I was hoping for some advice.”

His gorgeous blue hydrangeas came to Syrinx’s mind. How she’d love to get her hands on those. “Oh really?”

He stopped to smell a violet morning glory. “Yes. I’ve had some trouble with the perennials coming up around the fountain. They want to stay in the ground.”

Syrinx narrowed her eyes in thought. “Seems to me that soil was soggy and shady. Not the ideal place.”

“I was hoping you’d have some ideas.”

“There are many species that thrive in such conditions. Wild violets are gorgeous and don’t require much care, or you could go with—”

Wind chimes tinkled, and an older couple walked into the store.

Mr. Thomas glanced down at the puddle Syrinx had made with too much watering. “I see you have guests. How about we talk about this later? Let’s say, over dinner tonight?”

Syrinx snapped up the watering can, embarrassed by her lapse of thought. She’d have to drain the pot after he left. As his words registered, she almost dropped the can entirely on the plant.
What did he say? Dinner?

Mr. Thomas caught the can as it slipped from her fingers and rested it on the floor by their feet. “I’ll pay, of course. It’s the least I can do for your expert advice.”

Syrinx glanced back at Kaye, who was obviously
pretending
to jot something down in the notebook at the back desk, hanging on their every word.

Her assistant nodded vehemently.

If only it was that simple.
Kaye was unaware of her god status and her vow.

Syrinx picked up the water can and retreated to another bed of flowers. “That is a nice offer, Mr. Thomas, but—” She bit her tongue. This man was their biggest client in the history of the floral shop. If she could befriend him, perhaps he’d need their services more often. With his business, they could expand their greenhouses, and she wouldn’t have to scrounge pots from yard sales. She could buy them new.

Syrinx turned around and smiled. “Okay, I’ll go.”

Mr. Thomas’s face brightened with pleasant surprise as if he didn’t think she’d agree so easily. “Wonderful. I’ll pick you up at six.”

Kaye grinned widely, then hid the bottom half of her face behind the notebook.

Not wanting Mr. Thomas to see her assistant, Syrinx herded him toward the door. “Until six, then.”

Mr. Thomas nodded, and his copper eyes blazed. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Before she could change her mind, he slipped out the door, heading to his Jaguar. The way his nut-brown hair tossed in the wind and his jeans clung to his butt made Syrinx wish she hadn’t accepted his offer. Could she trust herself?

Time dragged until six o’clock. Syrinx watered every blossom in the greenhouse, then planted ten new seed trays just to keep herself busy. Her impatience tempted her to use her powers to speed up time. But she’d vowed not to use magic in the mortal world if she could help it.

Gosh, going on a date, tempted to use my power.
What was getting into her? She couldn’t throw out all the decisions she’d made for a single man.

After the last few customers shuffled out of the store, Kaye packed her backpack with her water bottle and empty lunch bag. “Looks like someone here will be having fun tonight.”

Syrinx gave her a serious stare. “It’s just a meeting about his garden. It’s not a full-fledged date.”

“Right.” She zipped her backpack with finality. “Well, have fun at your
meeting
. But don’t be surprised if he tries something.”

“Mr. Thomas is a customer, and I intend to keep our relationship professional.”

Kaye waved as she left. “Good luck with that.” Before the door closed, she stuck her head back in. “Remember to bring in the pansies before you leave.”

The pansies! Syrinx had almost forgotten about them. She’d left them out back to dry out their moldy leaves. Not only was it bad for the customers to see wilted flowers, she hoped the change of air from the greenhouse to the outdoors might do them some good.

Better get on it before she changed. Wouldn’t want dry soil on her evening outfit.
Not that I want to look sexy. Just presentable.

Syrinx kept telling herself that as she walked through the greenhouse to her apartment.

She stopped in the kitchen, staring in shock. The back door lay open, and a puddle of water spread from the fridge to the legs of the kitchen table. Mud had been splattered all over her sink. The sickly sweet scent of moss and decay hung in the room.

She crept toward the sink and dug in the drawer, pulling out a kitchen knife. Scraping the mud with the end of the knife, she found a long dark hair halfway down the drain. She pulled it out slowly using the knife tip.

Her heart thumped loudly as she tiptoed toward the door. The backyard lay untouched. Her pansies glowed under the sun, perkier than before.

Syrinx slid the knife in her belt and brought the trays of pansies inside. She cast one last suspicious glare at the forest around her before closing the door. The woods held no answer.

She locked the door behind her with a final clap of metal. She couldn’t imagine eating dinner alone, waiting for whomever it was to come back. Going out with Parker Thomas may have been the best idea she had all day.