"All right." Howard headed down the driveway to the main road.
She shifted in her seat to face him. "Are you going to answer my questions now?"
"Will you answer mine?"
Her eyes widened with surprise. "What do you mean? I'm not involved in anything weird."
"No? Why did your shoulder burn when I touched you?"
"I - I don't know."
"It was your birthmark that burned, right?"
She stiffened. "How did you know that?"
"I heard you talking on the phone."
"I was inside a car. How did you hear me?"
He turned onto the main road. "I have super good hearing."
"Do you have other superpowers? Is that how you . . . vanquished the pigs?"
Vanquished? His mouth twitched. "Yes, my lady. I vanquished the mighty foe in yonder forest."
She glowered at him. "Don't mock me. I'm having trouble dealing with the fact that you apparently killed some poor defenseless animals with your bare hands. I have no idea how - "
"Defenseless?" He shot her an incredulous look. "They had huge tusks! And they outnumbered me." Damn, he had thought she would be impressed. "It wasn't easy, you know."
"Then you admit it? You actually killed them?"
He shrugged. "It's part of my job."
She shuddered. "I hate violence."
"Well, if it helps - I asked them politely to leave, but they declined."
"Then you killed them with sarcasm?"
He laughed, then stopped midlaugh when she continued to glare at him. "It had to be done, Elsa. I couldn't let them roam about the school, not when little ones like Tino like to play outdoors."
"I understand, but . . . how could you go out there without any weapons? That was crazy!"
"I - I had a knife strapped to my leg." He winced. Damn, he hated to lie to her. But she'd probably freak if he told her the truth. I ripped them to shreds and bloody well enjoyed it.
He'd been frustrated the entire time he'd been in Alaska. For over a month, he'd had to score points against Rhett in secret, when he'd really wanted to confront him in person and bash his face in. But he couldn't afford an open war with the werewolves, not when his family and friends could end up massacred. The result had left him and his inner bear both itching for a fight.
Battling pigs was a lot easier than dealing with one fussy, beautiful woman.
"You should have taken a rifle, at least." She rubbed her brow, frowning. "Or a bazooka. A missile launcher would have been good. I can't believe you would do something so dangerous. I was worried sick."
His heart lifted. "You were worried about me?"
"I . . . of course." She lowered her hand to her lap. "I would worry about anyone in a situation like that."
His heart sank. "Of course." He glanced in the rearview mirror and did a double take. There were a dozen deer following them.
She eyed him suspiciously. "If you killed them with just a knife, you must be super strong and fast."
"You could say that." Damn, she'd taken over the offense. He was playing defense again.
"And you have super hearing." Her eyes narrowed. "What other superpowers do you have?"
"Super smell and vision."
She gasped and crossed her arms over her chest. "X-ray vision?"
He turned to ogle her br**sts with great enthusiasm. "I wish."
"Watch where you're driving," she grumbled. "Can you do that thing that Tino did?"
Howard groaned inwardly. How could he avoid telling her the truth? "I have to beg you not to tell anyone about him. He's a sweet kid, and he deserves a normal life - "
"Don't worry. I already told him I wouldn't say anything. As far as I can tell, he saved my life. And besides that, I really like him."
With a smile, Howard nodded. "He's a great kid, isn't he?"
"He certainly likes you. He kept telling me what a wonderful guy you are."
"He's absolutely correct."
She scoffed. "So are you going to tell me what happened?"
Howard took a deep breath. "All right. I'll stop procrastinating."
"Thank you."
He glanced at her, wondering how she was going to handle the truth. "Tino teleported you."
Her mouth dropped open. "You mean like 'Beam me up, Scottie' teleportation? He can do that?"
"I doubt he can do it into outer space, but yeah, he can teleport."
"He's a child who can teleport?"
"That's what I said. He started doing it when he was a toddler. Really freaked his mom out the first time."
Elsa grimaced. "How can he do it?"
"His DNA is a little different."
Her eyes widened. "Because of his father, the mad scientist?"
"Roman isn't mad." Howard winced. "How did you hear about him?"
"Tino told me. He said Shanna was his mom, and his father was a scientific genius."
"They're good people - "
"Who experimented on their children?" Elsa asked with an appalled look.
"It's not like that. They love their children. And you talked to Tino. You saw how normal he is."
"There's nothing normal about teleportation." She shook her head. "It's hard to believe. If it hadn't happened to me, I don't think I could believe it."
"He saved your life."
"I know. It's amazing."
"What's really amazing is that he managed to teleport a hundred and seventy pounds with him. Usually only an adult can - " He stopped when he realized she was glaring at him.
"A hundred and sixty," she ground out.
His mouth twitched. "Are you sure about that?"
She swatted his shoulder.
"I was kidding. You couldn't be an ounce over a hundred and sixty." My ass. He turned into the driveway for the gatehouse.
She crossed her arms. "So why didn't you just teleport me back here?"
He glanced at the rearview mirror. Damn, the deer were still following them. "I don't teleport."
She sat back, regarding him with a shocked expression. "You can't do something a five-year-old can do?"
His eyes narrowed. Time to take the offense again. "I have a different set of skills."
"Such as?"
He pulled the SUV over, shifted into park, then leaned toward her. "I can touch beautiful women and make them burn."
Her mouth fell open.
He leaned closer. "Does any other man make you burn?"
Her mouth snapped shut, and she looked away, her face flushing.
"I'm the only one, aren't I? Your face is burning now, and I haven't even touched you. Yet."
She gulped. "I don't know why it happened."
"We could speculate." He touched her cheek and felt the heat of her blush, the soft pliancy of her skin. He traced the line of her jaw, then gently cupped her chin. "It could be instant attraction."
Her mouth parted slightly.
"Or desire." He ran his thumb over her lower lip.
She drew in a shaky breath.
He lifted his gaze to her forest-green eyes. "Or it could be something even stronger, a feeling that we were destined to meet, destined to be together."
Her eyes searched his. "Do you really believe that?"
"From the first moment I saw you on television, I was drawn to you. I felt attached to you." When her eyes widened, a sudden thought popped into his mind. What if he sounded like a crazed fan? She'd already accused him before of being crazy.
He lowered his hand and sat back. "You probably get fan mail like that all the time."
"Not really." Still blushing, she fumbled to open the passenger door. "I should get back to work."
Howard climbed out. "I'll walk you back."
"It's not necessary." She hurried toward the house and waved as Alastair peered out the front door.
"Have dinner with me tonight," Howard blurted out. When she glanced back with a wary look, he quickly added, "Alastair, too. We can celebrate you guys signing the contract."
Alastair rushed down the stairs. "Did Shanna agree?"
"I don't know for sure," Howard confessed. "But the Shanna I know has always been able to convince her husband to do what she wants."
"Excellent!" Alastair grinned at Elsa. "We shall be delighted to dine with you tonight. Right, luv?"