Escape Magic Read online

  Just as she located the last earring, the phone rang. She picked it up. “Yes?” As if she weren’t expecting anyone special. She smiled at the thought.

  “I’m here.” Tony wasn’t buying it, obviously. His tone was casual, almost bored.

  “Be down in a few. Make yourself comfortable.” She hung up, and only after surveying herself from all angles in the mirror did she finally locate her bag and trot downstairs.

  He was seated casually on a couch, his arms spread over the back, looking unhurried and amazingly good in his all-black tuxedo. He stood at her approach, his gaze sweeping over her. She thought she caught a glimmer of approval in his eyes. “You look…respectable.”

  “What did you expect? Leather mini?” She spread her arms and twirled. “I save those for anniversary parties. Preferably fiftieth.”

  He didn’t bother trying to hide his amusement. “Remind me to call you up in fifty years.”

  “Ha. In your dreams.” She tossed her fiery head. “So where is this reception, anyway?”

  “Top secret location.” He grinned and took her hand. “Limo’s waiting.”

  “Oh, I am impressed.” She followed him out into the arid but still warm desert evening.

  She actually was a little impressed, in spite of herself. It was an actual limousine, not the Town Car she’d half been expecting. The interior was clean and smelled of leather instead of cigarette smoke and spilled liquor. She let herself relax as Tony took the seat across from her instead of next to her as she’d half expected, half dreaded. She felt a little wary being this close to him. He’d made no secret that as far as he was concerned, their past wasn’t buried. Added to her completely understandable attraction to him, it made for a sense of nervousness she was not used to feeling around any man.

  They rode in silence for several minutes before he broke the silence. “Your show starts in a couple of weeks?”

  “Yeah.” She shot him a cautious look. “If you’re going to be in town, email me. I’ll be happy to get you some tickets.”

  He looked thoughtful. “I haven’t actually made up my mind what I’m doing next.”

  “You’re not going to stay with Andre? He’s still touring, isn’t he?”

  “I’d be a fool to think that’s going to last.” He shrugged. “He’s marrying Stacy, getting more involved in television, settling down a little. He’s become sort of a machine, in a way. Not in a bad way, just…I doubt he’d miss me much.”

  “I don’t think that’s true.” She searched his face, hoping not to find any signs of weakness there. But the strength and determination she’d sensed earlier was still obvious. She took a deep breath. “Any magician would be lucky to have you.” Heat rose unbidden in her face at the way her words sounded.

  He laughed. “I never thought I’d see you blush, Lady Lydia.”

  Her heart skipped a beat at the slightly husky sound of his voice speaking her stage name. “Don’t call me that.”

  “Why not?” He leaned forward, closing the distance between them a little but not touching her. Just hinting that he might.

  God, he’d gotten good at this. She gathered her scattered senses and folded her arms over her chest as if to keep something close to her heart. “Because you don’t mean it. You’re practically insulting me when you say it.”

  “Is that what you think?” He looked a little surprised, although whether it was that she was right or that he hadn’t expected her to mind, she couldn’t be sure.

  “I don’t blame you.” The words came out a little more apologetic than she’d intended. She cleared her throat. “I mean, it wasn’t like I started out trying to betray anyone. And I think you both overreacted.”

  “Overreacted?” He snorted incredulously.

  “It was a trick, Tony. Not the Hope diamond. I figured out how it worked, that’s all. And I was young and didn’t even realize what I was doing. I mean, I’d taught Andre a thing or two about escapology. I just figured turnabout was fair, you know?”

  He frowned a little, looking away, then he sat back in his seat, his face half-veiled in shadow. “You’re right.”

  “I am?”

  His lips curved a little. “Yeah. You weren’t right then, but you are now. I guess that’s what Andre saw…why he forgave you.”

  “You sure he’s not just feeling sentimental on his wedding day?” She raised her eyebrows, wishing he would sit forward again so she could see his eyes.

  He didn’t oblige, however, and his chuckle sounded almost eerie coming from the shadows. “You could be right.”

  She shivered a little. “Yeah. Maybe.”

  “What’s the matter?” Abruptly, he switched seats so he was next to her, too close. Close enough to touch.

  “Nothing. A chill.” She wrapped her arms around herself more firmly. “And I’m still a little jet-lagged.”

  “When did you get back in town?”

  She hesitated, wondering if her answer would make it look like she’d been stalking Andre. She wished she could clear that up with Tony. It was important to her that he know. Curiosity had led her to peek in on her old friend and the woman rumored to be the love of his life. And then she’d been so startled by the change in Tony she’d stayed…

  The truth is, I wanted to say good-bye. The thought felt like truth, and she didn’t want to lie anymore. It took too much energy. “This morning.”

  He shifted a little in the seat next to hers. “That makes sense.”

  Before she could answer, he looked out the window. “Looks like we’re almost here.”

  “Should I be nervous?” She straightened her dress, fussed with her hair, wished for more light to check her reflection.

  “Only if you’re still hung up on my brother.”

  The words startled her into looking at him. He held a pack of cards in one hand. As if he wasn’t even thinking about it, he began shuffling the cards, letting them spin weightlessly through the air between his fingers. He’d always been good at that, although he didn’t have the same showmanship his brother did. Still, Tony must have picked up a few tricks through the years. You couldn’t be that close to the world of magic for that long without wanting to hold a little bit of it in your own hands. Her eyes flickered up to Tony’s and she caught her breath. “What makes you think I’m hung up on him?”

  “Isn’t that why you came to the wedding portrait session?” He raised his eyebrows, paying no attention whatsoever to the cards floating between his hands.

  “No.” She shook her head, hoping he couldn’t see her breathlessness. “Andre and I were never more than friends. Ever. I was just curious, is all. I wanted to see who’d finally gotten Andre to commit himself to more than a show.”

  “Were you satisfied?”

  Damn him. Those words and the tiny smile that accompanied them called to mind all the ways she wanted to be satisfied. But no way was she going to give Andre’s little brother the satisfaction of knowing she was attracted to him. Jeez, the last time she’d seen him, he’d been a skinny little addict.

  And now he’s an attractive, powerful man with a darkness that’s got me buzzing for him. She brushed off the thought with a toss of her head. “Aren’t we here?”

  “We’re always here.” He accompanied his cryptic reply with a snap of his wrist that brought all the cards back into his left hand. “What’s your point?”

  “I mean, aren’t we—” She realized she didn’t know where the reception was and shook her head in irritation. “—here. The reception? The limo stopped. Shouldn’t we get out?”

  He glanced at his watch. “I suppose. They’ll be here soon. Or not. They are newlyweds.” He opened his door and held out a hand to her.

  She didn’t take his hand. “You know I wouldn’t even be here if Andre’s wife hadn’t insisted.”

  “Are you getting out?”

  “I haven’t decided.”

  He looked at his watch again. She noticed it was a nice watch. Not flashy, but obviously expensive. Heavy, but
not too heavy to be supported by his wrist…and arms. She let her eyes travel up his arms to his broad shoulders and puzzled face. She blushed when she realized he’d said something she’d been too distracted to hear. Damn it. I need to stop this. “Pardon?”

  “I said, would you like to call me when you make up your mind because I really do need to get inside now, but maybe I should just have the driver take you home.”

  “Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” She snorted and got out of the car without taking his offered hand. They stood in front of a brightly lit country club. Other well-dressed people were chatting happily and going in the front door. Her gaze fell on one fabulously beautiful blonde woman holding the arm of a portly bald man. They would attract attention anywhere with her beauty, but Lydia did a double take, recognizing a well-known magical duo. “Mariella? Mark?”

  The woman turned first, her expression changing from detached to thrilled. “Oh my God! I didn’t know you were going to be here.” She glanced at Tony and back at Lydia with a wink. “I guess you’ve been forgiven, then?”

  “Not sure I’d go that far.” Lydia hugged the other woman and smiled at Mark. “You might call it parole, I guess.”

  Tony stepped forward. “We’re considering it, anyway. Good to see both of you. I’m glad we caught you off tour. That’s getting tougher to do.”

  “For the moment.” Mariella gave her husband a shy smile. “We’re going to take a break in a few months.”

  Lydia frowned. “Pardon? Your show is really taking off. Why would you take a break now?”

  Mariella smiled a little, a secret smile that lit her eyes in a very lovely way. Mark slid his arm around his wife’s waist. “It’s a good thing.” He smiled at Lydia and Tony. “See you inside.”

  Lydia continued to frown at their backs, puzzled. What on earth could two of the world’s greatest illusionists see as a “good” interruption to a show that was finally getting the recognition it deserved? “I don’t see how—”

  Tony snorted, and Lydia turned to glare at him. He took her arm. “Let’s go in before you embarrass yourself further.”

  “I just don’t…” Her voice faded as a thought struck her. “Oh.”

  “And it dawns!” He laughed. “You’re very career-centric, aren’t you? But then, of course you are. You threw away our friendship for one trick.”

  “It was a good trick.” Still pondering her sudden comprehension, she spoke absently. Realizing how it must have sounded, she looked at him quickly. “Sorry. I don’t mean to sound callous. I guess at the time I didn’t see why I couldn’t have both your friendship and the trick. I did figure it out, after all.”

  “You have an interesting system of morals.”

  She winced. “I’m not saying what I did was right.”

  “First time for everything.” He grinned and tucked her hand into his elbow, pushing the door to the club open and letting out a blast of air-conditioned coolness filled with music and laughter.

  Chapter 3

  He felt her hesitation as they entered the ballroom of the clubhouse. It was an overwhelming sight. Andre and Stacey had made many friends in the field of magic over the past couple of years, and many of them were in attendance, mixed in with the more run-of-the-mill journalists and the somewhat bemused family members.

  Tony had long ago found that when his brother’s friends got together, most of them couldn’t resist the temptation to outdo each other with their newest tricks. Which explained the flashes of fire and bright colored scarves and the sound of cards shuffling emanating from all over the room. He smiled a little. It promised to be a lively and interesting night, and his brother wouldn’t want anything less for his wedding reception.

  He glanced at the beautiful woman on his arm and realized her hesitation had been more out of delight than anything else. And rightly so. A woman of her talent should fit right in. These were her peers.

  “Can I get you a drink?” He gestured at the ballroom. “You can make yourself comfortable. Andre and Stacey didn’t bother with seating arrangements or a big meal. There’s a buffet on the terrace and servers will be by with smaller stuff and drinks.”

  “This is superb!” Lydia clapped her hands and looked around with anticipation. “Oh, why didn’t you tell me? I’d have brought some chains or cuffs or something.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “That would be why.” He looked around. “Besides, we didn’t plan it or hire them or anything. They’re just Andre’s friends. If they arrived with a few tricks to show off, well…” He shrugged.

  She snorted. “Right. Well, I’ll improvise.” She started toward one of the flashes of light.

  He caught her hand. “You didn’t say if you wanted that drink.”

  She waved him off impatiently. “There’s fun to be had here. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  He shook his head, looking around for a waiter to see if he could get a seltzer water. Just something to hold in his hand while he circulated. One day at a time. He found a waiter with soda and snagged one, turning just in time to run into Mattie, Andre’s second in command. “Hey, where’s Andre?”

  “Who knows?” She threw her hands out wide. “He’s throwing the party of the decade here, paying out the nose for it, and he and Stacey are nowhere to be found. Thank God for Bella. She’s been keeping their parents out of my hair.”

  He smiled, taking a sip of the soda. “Never thought I’d ever hear you say ‘thank God for Bella’ after what she did.”

  “What she did nearly cost us all Stacey, and she’s the best thing to happen to Andre since, well, me.” Mattie glared at him. “That’s plain soda, right?”

  “Yes, mom.” He squelched a rush of irritation.

  “Well, after having to babysit Lady Lydia, I’m not sure I’d blame you—totally—if you did add a little rum, but don’t do it, anyway. How is she? She isn’t going to cause any problems, is she?”

  He shook his head. “She’s good. I don’t think we’ll have any more displays.” Well, nothing like that, anyway. He remembered her wish that she’d brought her chains or cuffs and had an unexpected craven impulse to fulfill that desire…just maybe not in public. He frowned at his own internal conflict. Did he dare believe she had grown up? And what about Andre? Had there really never been anything between them? He wished he dared believe it.

  “You okay?” Mattie looked at him sharply.

  “Yeah, fine. Really.” He immediately wished he hadn’t tacked on that “really”. Mattie was smart and fast and usually knew everything there was to know about a situation about a minute after she walked into it. He figured his minute was up. “Hey, is that Logan? It is. Sorry, Mattie, I’ll catch up to you later. Gotta go say hey.”

  Ian Logan had always been an imposing figure. Well over six feet tall, dark, handsome and brooding, he often had the effect of making Tony feel short, pale and commonplace. Logan had once been an important figure in the field of magic. Until he retired to the Caribbean and turned his back on the whole industry.

  Logan had had his own tragedy to deal with at the time, and Tony hadn’t seen much of him in the intervening years. The man still cut an imposing figure, though, and Tony imagined if he ever returned to the stage, he’d be a force to be reckoned with in the magic world.

  “Whatever you’re doing, it’s working.” Tony shook his friend’s hand warmly. “What’s your secret?”

  “Nothing but sand, sun and beautiful women.” The hint of melancholy in Logan’s eyes belied the light words. “What about you? I’ve been hearing rumors about you and Lady Lydia arriving together tonight.” He indicated the red-haired beauty watching raptly as another magician broke his glass on the table and began to eat the shards.

  “Don’t remind me.” Tony snatched a seltzer water with a lime twist from the tray of a passing waiter. He studied it with an internal sigh. Fancy looking, but no bite. He took a sip. “My brother invited her.”

  “Umm.” Logan sounded noncommittal. “Well, she’s a beautiful lady. A l
ittle on the wild side and hard to keep down from what I hear, but it’s part of her charm.” He raised his eyebrows as he took a sip of the wine he had barely touched. Alcohol was not one of Logan’s sins, Tony knew. But he had others.

  “She’s hard to figure out. She pulls that stunt after Andre’s wedding—you heard about that?” At Logan’s affirmative, Tony continued, “—and I thought sure she was trying to get Andre’s attention. Or promote her show. But she swears she was just curious and it was an accident. Says something, doesn’t it?”

  Logan raised his eyebrows and took another sip before answering. “Says more to me that you believe her.”

  “That’s—” not relevant. But it was and he knew it. When did he start believing Lydia? She was a magician after all. Magicians dealt in half-truths and misleading. Hell, so do I. He laughed at himself. I’m such an idiot. She’s a beautiful woman and I want to sleep with her and I’m trying to make it okay.

  And why wouldn’t it be okay? Tony had never been a master of restraint, but since going on the wagon, he’d worried a lot less about other, less harmful, pleasures. If he wanted to sleep with a woman and he could get her into his bed, he did it without hesitation. He enjoyed women, and they enjoyed it, too. And that was the key as far as Tony was concerned. As long as I don’t hurt anyone, what’s the problem?

  What indeed? Maybe this. Maybe not being able to resist the temptation of her, the one woman in the world who might actually best him in more ways than he could count. Lydia was strong, talented, brave and far too intelligent to be trusted. She’d already proven she would betray him. But she was attracted to him. He’d seen it in the light blush on her cheeks. He’d seriously considered kissing her then, finding out how far he could push things, but he’d passed up the moment. That didn’t mean that if it were to present itself again, he’d do the same.