Magic Misled (Lizzie Grace #7) - Keri Arthur Page 0,60
it comes to the whole date progression.”
“She has that matchmaking twinkle in her eyes.” Belle’s voice was dry. “There’s no convincing her that we really wouldn’t be a great match.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Why not?”
“Because I’m a Sarr and he’s—”
“Absolutely determined to make you his wife.”
“He says that—”
“He believes that.”
She sighed. “I know, but his parents—”
“I think Monty abandoned the whole parental approval thing when they jettisoned him for failing to live up to their power expectations.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean they’d be happy—”
“Not to throw your own words back at you or anything, but how about you concentrate on the relationship rather than what his parents might think?”
“But this is Monty. I mean—”
“He’s not that annoying and scrawny teenager we knew at school anymore.”
“Scrawny, no, but annoying? Hell yes.”
A smile twitched my lips. “And we both know you don’t really mind, don’t we?”
“I refuse to answer that question on the grounds I may incriminate myself.” She drained her mug and dumped it in the nearby sink. “But I would like to know what happened to all the grand plans he supposedly had for our first official date.”
I grinned. “Put off until your mom goes home and there’s a first official fuck.”
She laughed, a warm, bright sound that ran across the soft babble of conversation and had people looking our way. “And you, my dear witch, will never know if and when that ever happens.”
“Wanna bet? One look at Monty will tell me everything.”
She groaned. “Damn it, you’re right.”
I echoed her laugh, then swung around as Penny approached with another order. Customers were few and far between for the rest of the day, though, thanks to the damn weather closing in again. Once we’d shut for the day, Belle and I jumped into the SUV and headed across to the fitness center. It was basically a big tin shed situated in a small industrial area.
We found a parking spot as close to the entrance as possible, then made a mad dash through the rain into the building. A long counter dominated the reception area, and the extremely well-built man behind it flashed a wide smile.
“Belle, wasn’t expecting you here today.” His gaze moved to me. “You’ve brought us a new victim?”
I laughed. “The day I lift a weight will be the day hell freezes over.”
He grinned. “You wouldn’t be the first to say that, and we do love a good challenge. What can I do for you ladies?”
“Is Kash here?” Belle asked. “We need to talk to him.”
“He’s in the weights room, as usual.”
“Thanks, Joe.”
He nodded. We walked through the double doors into the main gym area. It was, as expected, a big area filled with all sorts of torture machines. A glass wall divided this section from the next—a slightly smaller room that held all the weight equipment, as well as more machines and benches.
I couldn’t immediately see Kash, but as we wove our way through the lines of treadmills, elliptical machines, stair climbers, and goodness knows what else, I spotted him. He was bench-pressing what looked to be an impressive amount of weight.
The door slid open as we approached. Belle strode over to his bench and stood behind the bar support. I stopped at the feet end. The three other men in the room got up and walked out, though not of their own volition.
“Hey, Kash,” Belle said, her tone friendly. “How’s it going?”
“Well, this is a lovely surprise.” He hefted the bar onto the support. “You here to work out?”
“No. We’re here to ask a few questions.”
He sat up and swung around. He was, quite simply, a divine-looking man. At six-five, he was several inches taller than Belle—a rarity around these parts—and had dark hair, a neat beard, and the most amazing green eyes. A sexy French accent completed the rather impressive package. “Why? Is there a problem?”
“There most certainly is. You want to tell us about your dealings with Professor Janice Hopetown?”
He frowned. “Who?”
Belle sighed. “Kash, I’m being polite right now, but if you don’t answer my questions honestly, I’ll force you.”
His smile flashed. “Not to be impolite or anything, but you and what fucking—”
He didn’t complete the rest of that sentence, and his expression morphed from one of gentle amusement to a mix of consternation and fear.
“There’s one thing I forgot to mention during our dalliance,” Belle said softly. “I’m not only a witch but also a strong telepath. You will answer my questions and you will do so willingly, or I’ll scramble your mind