his arms and legs and scowled at Dominic.
“It left a sticky residue,” he said, glowering.
Dominic rolled his eyes. “OK,” he said.
“Let me tell you exactly what we want you to do, and
why you aren’t going to refuse.”
It was Pierre’s turn to roll his eyes. But he was
listening all right, because honestly, he was glad to have
a little excitement in his life.
12
Thierry ran up the path to Henri’s lab and pushed the
buzzer. Then pushed it again.
“Henri!” he shouted. “It’s very
important!”
Nothing but silence.
One more push of the buzzer.
“ HENRI ! IT’S AN EMERGENCY !” he yelled at
the very top of his voice.
He put his ear to the door, and thought that yes, he heard
some shuffling around in there.
The door swung open and Henri was standing inside wearing
nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. His physique
was impressive, and Thierry was momentarily startled by
seeing his boss half-dressed. “Come on in,
Thierry,” he said, waving him along. “What is
the matter?”
“It’s Drogo. No, I mean it’s Jo, the
American rider,” said Thierry.
Henri waited for more. Thierry was just standing there with
a terrified expression on his face. “Yes, what about
her?” Henri said finally.
“She went off with Drogo this morning, pretty early.
And now Drogo has returned–but without Jo!”
Henri nodded. “They were in the forest?” he
asked.
“Yes sir, I believe so, sir,” said Thierry.
Henri wondered for a moment what Thierry knew about who
lived in the forest. He certainly seemed to understand that
a human on foot was in some danger there.
“Thanks for telling me, Thierry, I’ll see about
it right away. May I call you if I need help?”
“Of course!”
Henri closed the door after Thierry ran out. He began
pacing. He looked at his watch.
“Oh
why
did David have to hire that
girl?” he said, and then, having said it once, out
loud, he was done with the past and intent on the present.
He went to a closet and began taking out clothing until he
had made quite a pile. He pulled off the towel and tossed
it to the floor, his powerful body naked for a just a
moment. For someone who spent so much time in the lab, he
had a shockingly tight ass, sculpted shoulders, and a belly
that looked like he didn’t work out with a personal
trainer, he
was
a personal trainer.
He put on a sort of bodystocking that went from his ankles
to his neck and down to his wrists, then long pants and a
long-sleeved shirt over that. The shirt was made of a
stretchy material and had a sort of pocket you slid your
hand into, so that your hand was covered up except for the
tips of your fingers. He put on gloves. A jacket. A piece
of filmy netting over his head and face. A large hat with a
brim. He looked a bit like a tall French ninja–a
warrior, but with style, and every square inch of skin
covered.
Well, he thought, it’s been long past time to test
this stuff anyway. Might as well take it out for a spin and
see how it does.
Henri approached the door with a great deal of unease. It
was nearly three in the afternoon. He had not been outside
at nearly three in the afternoon since he was eight years
old, two hundred years ago.
He opened the door slowly, carefully. Then he thought of
Jo, walking along that bridle path by herself, probably
without a suspicion or care in the world, and he hurried
out the lab door, slammed it behind him, and began to run.
David had been tossing and turning for what felt like an
eternity. Finally he got out of bed and went into the
bathroom for a glass of water. Then decided perhaps a nip
of cognac would be better–he simply liked the taste,
and the idea of it, even though he felt no buzz. He poured
himself a glass and flopped down in an armchair,
English-made of all things, since in his private bedroom
where no one ever came, David wanted things the way he
“It left a sticky residue,” he said, glowering.
Dominic rolled his eyes. “OK,” he said.
“Let me tell you exactly what we want you to do, and
why you aren’t going to refuse.”
It was Pierre’s turn to roll his eyes. But he was
listening all right, because honestly, he was glad to have
a little excitement in his life.
12
Thierry ran up the path to Henri’s lab and pushed the
buzzer. Then pushed it again.
“Henri!” he shouted. “It’s very
important!”
Nothing but silence.
One more push of the buzzer.
“ HENRI ! IT’S AN EMERGENCY !” he yelled at
the very top of his voice.
He put his ear to the door, and thought that yes, he heard
some shuffling around in there.
The door swung open and Henri was standing inside wearing
nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. His physique
was impressive, and Thierry was momentarily startled by
seeing his boss half-dressed. “Come on in,
Thierry,” he said, waving him along. “What is
the matter?”
“It’s Drogo. No, I mean it’s Jo, the
American rider,” said Thierry.
Henri waited for more. Thierry was just standing there with
a terrified expression on his face. “Yes, what about
her?” Henri said finally.
“She went off with Drogo this morning, pretty early.
And now Drogo has returned–but without Jo!”
Henri nodded. “They were in the forest?” he
asked.
“Yes sir, I believe so, sir,” said Thierry.
Henri wondered for a moment what Thierry knew about who
lived in the forest. He certainly seemed to understand that
a human on foot was in some danger there.
“Thanks for telling me, Thierry, I’ll see about
it right away. May I call you if I need help?”
“Of course!”
Henri closed the door after Thierry ran out. He began
pacing. He looked at his watch.
“Oh
why
did David have to hire that
girl?” he said, and then, having said it once, out
loud, he was done with the past and intent on the present.
He went to a closet and began taking out clothing until he
had made quite a pile. He pulled off the towel and tossed
it to the floor, his powerful body naked for a just a
moment. For someone who spent so much time in the lab, he
had a shockingly tight ass, sculpted shoulders, and a belly
that looked like he didn’t work out with a personal
trainer, he
was
a personal trainer.
He put on a sort of bodystocking that went from his ankles
to his neck and down to his wrists, then long pants and a
long-sleeved shirt over that. The shirt was made of a
stretchy material and had a sort of pocket you slid your
hand into, so that your hand was covered up except for the
tips of your fingers. He put on gloves. A jacket. A piece
of filmy netting over his head and face. A large hat with a
brim. He looked a bit like a tall French ninja–a
warrior, but with style, and every square inch of skin
covered.
Well, he thought, it’s been long past time to test
this stuff anyway. Might as well take it out for a spin and
see how it does.
Henri approached the door with a great deal of unease. It
was nearly three in the afternoon. He had not been outside
at nearly three in the afternoon since he was eight years
old, two hundred years ago.
He opened the door slowly, carefully. Then he thought of
Jo, walking along that bridle path by herself, probably
without a suspicion or care in the world, and he hurried
out the lab door, slammed it behind him, and began to run.
David had been tossing and turning for what felt like an
eternity. Finally he got out of bed and went into the
bathroom for a glass of water. Then decided perhaps a nip
of cognac would be better–he simply liked the taste,
and the idea of it, even though he felt no buzz. He poured
himself a glass and flopped down in an armchair,
English-made of all things, since in his private bedroom
where no one ever came, David wanted things the way he
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