“Presidential suite,” Mack replies.
Before I have the chance to ask how he knows where the presidential suite is, he’s downed his champagne and is gesturing to the foyer. “We can’t go straight there. Best if it looks like we’re checking into a room.” He holds out his arm and I take it.
In the foyer, we head for the reception desk. Mack leans forward and conspiratorially says, “My secretary and I would like a room please. Just for a few hours.”
“I really shouldn’t—” The concierge begins to answer, but Mack pushes his hand across the desk. When he lifts it, he reveals a wad of hundred-dollar bills. I can’t even count how many are there.
“If we can keep it off the books?” Mack raises his eyebrows.
Smirking, the concierge pockets the cash and takes a keycard from beneath the counter. “Of course, Sir.”
“I’ll return this before the end of the night,” Mack promises him.
“Room 408,” the man says, giving me a lecherous look that makes my skin crawl.
Nodding, Mack hooks his arm around my waist and makes a show of hustling me into the elevator. Inside, he turns to me and says, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I squeeze his hand. “Don’t worry.”
He stares at me for a moment, like he’s trying to look past the spell and see my real face. “I miss your eyes,” he says, touching his thumb to the side of my face.
I run my hands up his arms. “I miss yours too.” I’m about to stretch up and kiss him when we arrive on the fourth floor. “I thought you said Annalise is on the third floor?”
Mack nods, exiting the elevator. “She is, but the concierge needs to think we went to the fourth.” He waggles the keycard at me. “And that we entered our room. He’s greedy but not stupid. He’ll be checking his system.”
Inside the hotel room, I can’t help looking over at the large four-poster bed. The room I shared with Luther was dark, small, and slightly seedy. But this is probably the nicest room I’ve ever been in. Mack catches me trailing my finger along the rim of the large standalone bathtub.
“I’ll bring you back one day,” he whispers in my ear. “I promise.”
I turn and slip my hands inside his jacket. As we kiss, I close my eyes and lose myself in the feel of his mouth on mine.
When our lips part, I ask, “Has it been ten minutes? Please say it hasn’t been ten minutes.” Heat is trickling down my limbs.
Mack tweaks his index finger under my chin. “’Fraid so, Little Star.” He straightens his jacket. “You’re sure you’re alright with this? There’s time to back out.”
“We have to,” I tell him. “We’re not backing out now. Not when we’re so close.”
* * *
Mack takesmy hand and we sneak back out of the room, leaving our key in its slot so that anyone who looks at the computer system will think we’re still inside. We won’t be returning tonight, so it doesn’t matter that we’ve locked ourselves out.
We take the stairwell to the third floor. We walk down a long corridor, and another, then finally arrive at the presidential suite. Two large gold doors are in front of us. Mack knocks purposefully then stands back, shielding me from view.
When the doors swing open, Annalise is wearing the same black dress and red lipstick, but a concerned expression contorts her face. She looks at Mack, then at me, then ushers us inside.
“Are we alone?” Mack asks, not stopping for pleasantries.
“Of course.” Annalise smiles at him. For a moment, she just looks at him. The softness in her eyes makes my skin burn with irritation. Can’t she tell I’m the only one who should be looking at him like that? “Mack? Is this who I think it is?” she says quietly.
Mack puts his arm around my waist and nudges me forward. Closing my eyes, I unwind the masking spell in my mind. I feel it drop, feel my skin relax and the tingling sensation fade. When I open my eyes again, Annalise’s mouth is hanging slightly open. She takes a step back and smooths her hands over her hips then flexes them at her sides like she’s not quite sure what to do with them. “Oh, my,” she says, her eyes landing on Mack’s hand, which is still firmly on my waist. “Mack, what have you gotten yourself into?”
“We need your help.” Mack doesn’t waste any time and he doesn’t take his arm from around me. With his free hand, he pulls out his cell phone and turns the screen to show Annalise the test results that Nico stole from the hospital. “You remember The Phoenix Prophecy, Annalise?” Mack asks as she studies the phone.
“Of course, I remember it.” She tilts her head to the side.
“Nova is The Phoenix.” Mack is unwavering in his conviction. “She was born human, but is becoming a fire witch. A powerful one. The tests clearly show that her DNA is changing.”
Annalise bites her lower lip, then takes a step back. “Even if that’s true,” she says slowly, fixing a piercing stare on me. “She killed a human. With magick!”