Chapter 49

"Do you think we can fix it?" After a quick shower, Dana came out of the bathroom to find Beau bent over examining the broken leg of the bed frame. She tried not to focusing on how tempting his ass looked pointed up in the air, even though he'd pulled on his soft silk boxers.
"It's only a snapped off bolt," Beau said. He came to his knees and gave her an appreciative once-over as she stood in the doorway in her short, black satin robe, her steam-damp hair piled high on her head. "If you know of a hardware store, we can fix it tonight."
"Most of the smaller stores are probably closed," she mused. "It's almost eight o'clock, after all. There's a big-box home repair place out in the suburbs a bit. They're probably open later. We need groceries too." Her stomach rumbled, underscoring the need for food.
He chuckled and rubbed at the bite scar on his shoulder. Dana peered at it closer. Had she - Yes, she'd reopened it just now. Damn. She really had to get these raging hormones under control.
"Does the underground go where this store is? And can we get a meal in the same location?" Beau picked up a folded pair of jeans from the top of the dresser.
Dana nodded, looking around the room. There was no sign of their discarded clothing. Apparently in the five minutes it had taken her to shower, he'd managed to hang them up and get fresh ones out for himself. Jeez, not only did he cook, he was a neat freak as well. That didn't bode well. Dana wasn't exactly a slob but she came pretty close.
While Beau ducked into the bathroom to clean up, Dana dressed in jeans and a soft knit top, then slid her feet into a pair of flip-flops. A glance in the mirror on the back of the bedroom door told her she still wore the topaz pendant, which reminded her that she wanted to study it further, perhaps cast an inquiry spell to determine what kind of magic it was imbued with. It was a positive spell, she was sure of that much. Protection, probably. It had that kind of warm, sturdy feel. Turning away from the mirror, she pulled the clip out of her hair and gave the heavy mass a quick brushing, finishing as Beau returned from washing up. His faded jeans hung low on his hips, exposing his chiseled abs and chest and Dana sighed. They'd just cleaned up from the last round and already she wanted to lick him all over - again. She hoped they got this investigation wrapped up soon, because it was going to take her a good long time to get over her feelings for the handsome gargoyle.
They found the home repair superstore, collected a supply of bolts along with a few basic tools, then ducked into a Tudor-era tavern just a few blocks away from the sprawling modern shopping complex. The juxtaposition made Beau smile and regret that he'd spent so little time in the old world lately. He sipped at his pint of stout and looked across the table at Dana's tawny hair, gleaming bronze in the flickering candlelight of the quiet pub dining room. Once his niece had weathered her change in a year or so, perhaps then he could take some more time off, travel like he'd planned to once upon a time.
Dana finished nibbling on an onion ring and cast him a wry grin. "Why so thoughtful all of a sudden?"
"Just admiring the view," he answered honestly, lifting his glass.
She rolled her eyes. "Please. I can practically hear the wheels turning in your brain. Something's bothering you. Spit it out." She took a swallow of her own beer and nudged his shin under the table with her foot. "We might as well talk when we're in public. We never seem to get around to it when we're back at my flat."
"True." And they had this corner of the dining room to themselves, as it was well past the typical supper hour. Perhaps this was a good time to get some answers. He pitched his voice so low that if his companion had been human she'd have had trouble hearing it. "How did an antiques dealer from Philadelphia come to be investigating a ring of thieves half a world away?"
"Ah." Her lips twitched with suppressed amusement. "A friend of mine owns a gallery in New York. Some of her things were stolen and later turned up here. One of those was an artifact with some genuine magical properties. Then it happened to another acquaintance, one who runs an auction house in Boston. We discussed it and with my...abilities, we decided I was the best choice to send. Growing up around cops, I'm familiar with the basics of investigation, plus I'm awfully hard to hurt in a fight, if it ever came down to that. Throw in my ability to scent magic on an item and the fact that even though I'm built like a linebacker, the guys always underestimate a blonde."
Her hair was such a deep gold, he'd never really considered her blonde but he supposed some men were just clueless like that. But he couldn't let the first half of that sentence go unremarked upon. "You are not built like any linebacker I've ever seen. Even though I've no doubt of your strength, your curves are distinctly feminine and soft."
"Most men have argued that I don't have any curves," she replied. "But thank you. Now back to the subject at hand."
"Of course. So your plan is to have Saville..." Beau nearly growled his distaste of the other man, "show us around his warehouse, so I can see the items you already saw last night."
"Exactly. Then what I want you to do is mention that you're particularly interested in high-end medieval jewelry. Hint that you're especially into symbolic or magical items. Get him to the point of suggesting the crown. He's got to have another location, a place where he, or more likely his boss, keeps the really good stuff."
"And then?"
"Once we've found the items, we figure out a way to get them - the crown, a few items of power stolen from my friends. Then we turn over the evidence to my brother's friend from Interpol and get the hell back to the States."