Her breath caught. “What?”
“Why is hehere?”
Back when she’d desperately wanted Garrett to figure that out, he’d done all but nothing. Now that she desperately wanted him to remain in the dark—now, he cared?
“He needed a break from the stress,” she said, handing over the answer Peter had once given her.
Garrett shook his head. “I don’t believe that.Youdon’t believe that.”
“Haven’t you ever wanted to stop?”
Her jab hit. He winced.
“Sometimes,” she said, “people just want to come home.”
He crossed his arms, face hardening. “And sometimes, people want to take advantage of a helpless woman.”
“That’s enough,” she said, and stalked from the clearing.
He ran after her. “Why are you defending him? Youhatedhim.”
“I’m not defending him, I’m defending myself,” she said, not breaking her stride. “A helpless woman? You really don’t know me at all.”
“Beatrix,” he said, and he sounded so distraught that she slowed to glance at him. “What sort of deal has he struck with you?”
Her rapidly beating heart stuttered. Had he found the contracts? Did heknow?
Her voice sounded odd to her own ears as she said, “What do you mean?”
“He wasn’t in his bed last night,” Garrett said. “Don’t make me say what I mean.”
Oh, for the?—
“Wizard Garrett,” she said, stopping.
“Theo.”
“Wizard Garrett, I share a bedroom with mysister. I don’t do anything at night except sleep. And I am not having relations with my employer.”
Except in dreams. Though … not last night. What had happened?
Garrett did not look appeased, and she forced her attention back to him.
“Of course you would say that,” he said. “You don’t trust me.”
No, she didn’t.
“You’ll be found out,” he said.
“I’m telling you, I’m not having?—”
“Is he making you meet him somewhere at night after everyone’s asleep?”
She glared at him.“No.Be sensible! We’d be exhausted all day while making highly technical brews.”
He frowned—a thoughtful frown, not a mulish one.
“I’m going to be late for work,” she said. “And so are you, assuming I’m not your assignment.”
