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"I know!" Cora Lee waved a hand in the air "He ate soave him a dubious look

"He could eathim a seductive look froers to her led

"I canna say more on the matter" Ian motioned with his head toward Cora Lee and Lady Pamela A secret would never be safe with thelanced at the two blondes "You two check on the custoin to yourself" Lady Pamela strolled from the room, followed by Cora Lee

Vanda shut the door, then walked back to Ian with a grin spreading across her face "I can’t believe it! You’re all grown up" She hugged hiht, but now the top of her head reached his chin "What on earth did you eat that row older?"

"Doona repeat this, but I drank Roed twelve years"

Her eyes narrowed "But you’re so er and tallerit rew a lot, too I thought itfree from his ponytail and stood back to study him "I don’t think the short curls suit you anyed? As insuch a hard ti There’d always been a small dent in his chin, but now it felt more like a bloody crater Actually, it was bloody half the ti without a " Vanda circled her desk and retrieved a pair of scissors froed on the ends, so I’ll give you a tri her desk

Vanda fetched a hairbrush froles Ian closed his eyes, enjoying her familiar touch She’d cut his hair for the last fifty years, and in that time, he’d confided us

He couldn’t tell another man how frustrated he had been Connor was his iuy ould have interpreted his frustration as childish whining Angus MacKay was the head of MacKay Security and Investigation and Ian’s boss He was also the one who’d saved Ian frous had struggled with guilt for trapping him with the body and face of a fifteen-year-old Nay, he could never let Angus kno unhappy he’d been But Vanda had understood and kept his secrets

The scissors snipped "When did you get back in town?" she asked

"Tonight"

"You teleported here from Texas?"

"Nay I was in Scotland"

"Oh" She continued cutting "The last I’d heard you were in Texas, guarding Jean-Luc" "I was Last su sound ceased for a moment "I heard Phil was there, too"

"Aye" Was Vanda interested in Phil? He’d been the daytiuard at Roman’s townhouse when the harem lived there As far as Ian knew, Phil had kept his distance frouard never ever beca "So how is Phil?"

"Fine" Ian wondered if she knew about Phil’s secret

"Is he co souard" Meanwhile, Connor had hired a new uard, Tony, to live at the townhouse while they waited for Phil to return Ian hadn’t met him yet, but he wondered if Tony was a shape shifter, too

"What were you doing in Scotland?" Vanda asked

"Nothing us insisted I take a few months off torecover"

"Then it was painful" She leaned over his shoulder to look at hiht now?"

"Aye" That wasn’t quite true Growing five inches in less than a fortnight had taken soe aer body While in the Highlands, he’d had some major repairs done on his sht, and the result had added soer frae feet and cut his new face when shaving, especially around that damned crater in his chin "I’ "Hoas Scotland?"

"Fine" He was always elated when he first arrived in the Highlands, for it was hohts, he would always realize that every mortal he knew from his past was dead And then the loneliness would set in

Vanda sighed "I get the feeling there’s a lot you’re not saying I thought you wanted to talk"

"I aht like I used to I have a business to run"

He paused, listening to the clicking sound of her scissors How could he just come out and say that he wanted to find true love and be blissfully happy in a e that would span the centuries, and yet he wasn’t sure how to go about it? "How is yer business?"

"Fine" She tossed her scissors on the desk and brushed out his hair withto talk, or do I need to take h, but she was all bluster and no bite "All right I’ll talk WithDid your brain grow, too?"

"Verra funny I ca for" He couldn’t say the words a woh at hihed at hi him "Are you worried about your looks?"

"No, of course not" He shifted in his chair

She perched on the edge of her desk "No one has told you how you look?"

"Men doona speak of such trivial ood" Vanda snorted

Bugger He knew Heather had been lying

Vanda shook her head "Good is a huge understateeous"

A seed of hope burst in Ian’s heart Maybe the right wo kind?"

"Have you ever known me to be particularly kind?"

"Ye have been to me"

"Well" She adjusted the whip around her waist with an annoyed look "You reuess I can’t treat you like a child anyrinned "I’rown up"

"Aye" He druers on the arm of his chair

Her smile faded "You don’t look very thrilled What’s thefor"

"Yes?"

"A woman"

Her mouth twitched "Well, that’s a start" Her eyes suddenly widened "Oh in?"

"Nay! I’m al for?"

"Lady Pamela thinks you are You didn’t deny it"