Dangerous Magic Read Online Free PDF Page A

a suitably abject act of contrition.
    Elissa spent the last few minutes before the party began thinking of various ways in which she could receive her boss’s apology. She glanced at the hall clock as the doorbell rang. It was just six. With any luck, by the time Wade Taggert arrived at seven the party would be in full swing. She would time the cake so that he would be there when June discovered the lovely diamond necklace inside. And that, she decided vengefully, would be the pièce de résistance !
    A last negligent glance in the hall mirror satisfied Elissa that she looked the proper hostess. Her long plaid wool skirt and lacy, old-fashioned blouse provided a warm, homey look that was at the same time fashionable. The sleek, sassy cap of dark red hair was brushed to a natural shine, and when she opened the door to her first guest, she knew her appearance was more than acceptable.
    “Dean!” she exclaimed happily, flinging open the door to see the polished, handsome man standing outside in the hall. “You’re the first to arrive! Come in, come in,” she urged happily, putting a hand on Dean Norwood’s expensively attired arm and standing on tiptoe for his light kiss. She smiled up at him as she led him inside, thinking, not for the first time, that this man, who was steadily becoming more and more important in her life, was a most attractive specimen. His light brown hair was cut and styled in a fashionable but not the least radical manner. The perfectly trimmed mustache added a touch of sophistication which was well carried out in the expensive tailoring of his designer suit, and Elissa knew the leather in his shoes was Italian. Dean’s cheerful blue eyes smiled down at her as he followed her into the living room.
    “And how was Wall Street this week?” she demanded, escorting him to a chair and moving over to the small bar to pour him his favorite drink. “I didn’t catch the news last night, I’m afraid.” Primarily, she added wryly to herself, because she’d been so upset after the meeting with Wade Taggert.
    “The market closed down a bit, but not bad. The latest government figures on consumer spending affected it, of course, but things should be bouncing back on Monday,” Dean told her pleasantly, reaching happily for the martini she was holding out to him. Elissa always mixed perfect martinis, just the way he liked them.
    “The eternal optimism of the professional stockbroker,” she teased, perching lightly on the wide arm of the overstuffed chair and tilting her head to smile down at him. “But I suppose when you’re handling other people’s money you have to keep them thinking there’s hope around the corner.”
    “Can’t have the clients panicking on me.” Dean grinned, lounging back comfortably and reaching out to pat Elissa’s knee with casual affection.
    “You’re supposed to be the one with the big news tonight, though, love. Let
    ’s have it. I assume I am now drinking a salute to the new head of editing and graphics at CompuDesign?” He cocked a confident, querying eyebrow up at her.
    Elissa grimaced and then attempted a rather rueful smile. “You are saluting the old and familiar supervisor of technical writing, Dean. My friend Evelyn Keenan got the promotion.” Two seconds of inner debate was sufficient to convince Elissa not to go into details. She could think of no suitable way of telling her friend that she had been accused of trying to sleep her way to the top.
    “Evelyn? The little blonde who got married a couple months ago?” Dean frowned in surprise. “But she’s rather new, isn’t she? She couldn’t possibly have your experience.”
    “Taggert thought her perfectly qualified,” Elissa said quietly. “And she is, Dean. I’m sure she’ll do a fine job.”
    “But I was sure from what you’d told me that you had it in the bag.”
    “A good lesson in counting one’s chickens before they’re hatched,” Elissa muttered, getting to her feet to answer the