She swore shesalivated a little.
With a cheekygrin, he waved goodbye. “Bye, Harper. I’ll see myself out.”
In a blur, hewas gone.
She snapped hermouth shut. Bye, vampire.
Less thanthirty seconds later, Zarya reappeared. “Is it safe to come backin?”
Harper pulledherself together. “Yeah, he’s gone.” She couldn’t keep thedisappointment from her tone.
“Hey, cheerup,” said Zarya. “Two days will fly by.”
“Were youlistening?”
“Who, me?” Shemade a sorry-not-sorry face.
Harper pulledher knees to her chest and hugged them. “Zar, I know it’s crazy,but I think I’ve fallen in love with Damon.”
“It’s notcrazy. Anyone who looks at you the way Damon does…” She made a fanwith her hand and flapped it in front of her face. “Phew!” Shegrinned. “I think your run of bad luck just ended—the vamp isbesotted with you.”
“Do you reallythink so? He left in such a rush.”
“I do, and youtwo looked so cute together.”
“Thanks, but ifit does work out how I hope it might, we need to set some houserules, Zar. No more barging into my room, okay?”
Zarya stuck outher bottom lip. “Spoilsport.” Her expression changed in an instant,her eyes lighting up. “Wait, he has a brother, the website guy,right?”
“Conner,yes.”
“If he’s evenhalf as good looking as your Damon…”
MyDamon. She liked the sound of that.
Her friendwaggled her eyebrows. “Any chance we could set up a double datewhen Damon gets back?”
Harper shookher head in despair at her man-eater friend. “I’ll see what I cando.” She grabbed her robe, slipped it on and got out of bed. Shesat at her dressing table and stared in dismay at her unkempt hair.Scraping her fingers through the curls, she noticed the reddishmark on her neck in between two crimson spots of dried blood. Shetouched her neck and smiled, recalling Damon’s bite.
“You naughtywitch,” Zarya commented as she spotted it. “Harper got a love bite.Harper got a love bite,” she sang in a childish tune like aplayground jibe.
Harper coveredit with her hair, her cheeks warming. “So what if I did? I’m agrown witch.”
Her friend’seyes glinted with glee. “What was it like? They say a vampire’sbite makes you go wild for sex—”
“Never you mindwhat it was like.” She searched for her hairbrush and cursed. Thebrush was in her handbag. And her handbag was… She leapt up and ranto the front door. Flinging it open, she searched in vain forDamon’s car. It was too late, he’d long gone, probably halfway tothe airport by now.
Her friendappeared behind her. “What’s up?”
“My handbag, Ileft it in Damon’s car.” She closed the door behind her, the chillymorning giving her goosebumps.
“Why would youleave it in his car? You never go anywhere without your MaryPoppins bag.”
“I know, I was…err, kind of distracted when Damon and I came in last night.”
Zar chuckled.“I heard.”
“You rotter.You did know I had company.”
“Can you blameme? You’ve been pining after Damon all week, talking about himnonstop. I thought you’d picked up some random guy to take yourmind off the vampire, but then when you told me his name.” Zarya’spretty face broke into a wide grin. “I’m so happy for you,Harper.”
“Thanks, but Iwon’t be happy if I can’t get my handbag back. All my stuff is inthere, my makeup, my hairbrush, my phone… oh no, my phone. It hasDamon’s number on it. I won’t be able to call him.” Her eyeswidened. “He won’t be able to ring me either. What if he thinks I’mignoring him? This is a disaster. What am I going to do?”
“Calm downbefore you give yourself a hernia,” Zarya told her, looping her armaround her shoulders. “Go and get dressed and I’ll pour you a cupof tea. We’ll figure something out.”
Harper draggedher heels as she headed back to her bedroom and got dressed.
Five minuteslater, Zarya called her into the lounge. She handed her a steamingmug of tea and turned on the desktop computer set up in the cornerof the lounge.
“What are youdoing?” Harper asked.
“I thought ofsomething while I was in the kitchen. What’s the name of therestaurant you went to with Damon?”
Harper told herand Zarya typed it into the search engine. Up it came, the websiteas impressive and sophisticated as the restaurant. Her friendscrolled for the phone number. “Okay, grab the home phone.”
“I don’t seewhat good ringing the restaurant will do. Damon won’t bethere.”
“No, but sincehe owns the place, I presume someone there will have his phonenumber.”
“Good point. Ihadn’t thought of that.”
Harper fetchedthe handset and dialled the number. No answer. She tutted. Ofcourse, the restaurant wouldn’t be open this time of the morning.“I’ll try again later, but he’ll be out of the country by then. Icould go to his house. He might have left his car there and got ataxi to the airport.” A thought occurred and she slapped herforehead.
“What now?”
“I don’t havehis address, or I do, but it’s in my other bag. That’s in his cartoo, the one with the paperwork and my business plan for MagikDates.”
Her friendoffered a sympathetic smile. “You don’t do things by halves, doyou?”
Harper’sshoulders dipped. “What were you saying about my run of badluck?”
“Don’t give upyet. You can still ring the restaurant later, they’ll give youDamon’s number, and then you can give him a call so he can tell youwhere his car is.”
“And how am Igoing to get in his car without the key?”
She flapped herhand. “I don’t know, I haven’t figured all the details yet, butyou’ll have to get hold of him somehow.”
ChapterTen
Later thatmorning, Harper rang the French restaurant and spoke to the maîtred’, Clement.
“I’m sorry,mademoiselle, I cannot give out Monsieur Vertefeuille’s privatenumber.”
Harperexplained the situation and said she’d met him the other night whenshe was with Damon, but the maître d’ still wouldn’t give herDamon’s phone number. She expelled a frustrated grunt down thephone. “So, you can’t help me, or you won’t?”
The line wentsilent for a few seconds. “The best I can do is give you MonsieurVertefeuille’s office number. Maybe his secretary can helpyou.”
Harpersuppressed a harrumph this time. The guy was trying to get rid ofher. She wrote the number on a notepad and put the phone down.
Undeterred, sherang his office straightaway, but the
