Grant ushered her to an office to the left of the foyer. He knocked on the door then entered when the man inside said to do so.
Before Grant could present her case to the man seated behind the desk, Eris said quickly, “I am so sorry I’m late, sir. I ran into car trouble this morning and then the tow truck guy took forever to get to me and I got a little lost on my way here. I’m not usually late. I prefer getting to appointments early, but—”
“Mr. Styr,” Grant said over her, “this woman claims she’s with the group from the CGB, but her name’s not on the list.”
“As I told Grant already,” Eris said in a tone she knew was near exasperation, “my co-worker cannot remember my correct name, which is Eris Brue. I’m your cataloger.”
But, I would rather be yours, Eris thought.
The man before her was tall, dark and handsome. Well, he appeared tall. He sat behind his desk staring at her and Grant with his tawny eyes wide and unblinking in a state of shock. They may have overwhelmed him overwhelmed him.
His dark brown, almost black, hair was pulled back in what Eris guessed was a ponytail. She couldn’t tell. It could be braided. The length was an unknown in the man’s current seated position, as well. She wanted to get up close and personal so she could find out first hand.
“Eris, there you are!”
Eris tore her gaze from the man and looked behind her. “Pete. Thank God. Tell them who I am.”
Pete entered the room with Chad, Michael, and another unknown man following behind him.
Chad threw his arm around Eris’s shoulders and said, “Ranulf, Lucien, this is our fearless leader. Eris Brue. The best cataloger the company’s got. When she’s done with your collection, you’ll be able to find an issue by the colors on the cover.”
Eris said, “I wouldn’t go that far.”
The man with Chad stared at her in the same state of shock as the other.
She couldn’t figure out the problem.
Chad didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. He pointed to the man with him and said, “This is Lucien Riordan and he”—he pointed to the man at the desk—“is Ranulf Styr. They said to use their first names. I’ve been telling them all about you. Well, actually just Lucien. Ranulf has been holed up in here doing busy work.”
Eris snapped, “You couldn’t have told them my name while you were at it?”
“I didn’t know Connie had you listed wrong.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, I should have guessed she’d flubbed your name and made sure the guys at the gate knew, but I thought you’d get here before us.”
“I planned to, but my car died on me this morning.” She put down her laptop bag, effectively dislodging Chad’s arm.
“You should have called,” Pete said. “Matter of fact, Chad tried calling you three times.”
She shook her head. “My cell is lost. I had it last night, and the thing grew legs and disappeared. I noticed it was missing when I decided I should call here and confirm the directions. To add insult to injury, my Internet connection isn’t functioning properly either, so I couldn’t go to a map site.”
“Did Connie’s directions get you that lost?”
“Horribly. She had all the exit numbers and names mixed. Thankfully, I figured it out.”
“You should have called before you left your house.”
“Sorry, Dad, but I don’t have a landline since I have a cell phone, and I gave up looking for it because I didn’t want to be late. I ended up borrowing my neighbor’s phone to call the tow truck guy. He was such an ass—uh, excuse me—jerk about it I didn’t want to ask if I could call here too.”
“You’re here now,” Lucien whispered. He cleared his throat and said in a normal tone, “Welcome, Eris. Chad has indeed told me much about you, but he never mentioned your name.” He walked around Pete and offered her his hand.
“I’m really sorry I’m so late,” Eris said, shaking his hand. His grip tightened when she would have let go. She tugged on her hand, and he released her.
Ranulf said, “Thank you, Grant. You can go.”
“Sure thing.” Grant said to Eris, “Your car will be in the garage when you’re ready to leave. Your keys will be on the small table near the front door.”
“Thank you. Sorry again for making you come all the way up here,” Eris said.
“It’s my job.” Grant nodded then left the room.
Ranulf came around his desk with his hand out toward Eris.
She shook his hand, and like Lucien, he hesitated before letting her go. Or maybe it was her imagination. Both men wore a weird expression and stared at her as though they couldn’t believe she was real.
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Eris (Eternal Truths 1) by D. Reneé Bagby
Time Travel Romance
Only time knows if they are meant to be together.
Immortals Lucien and Ranulf have survived to see the modern era to be with the woman they both love once more. Equally anticipating and dreading the reunion, they’ve vowed to let her decide which of them she wants to be with. But are they prepared to let one woman end a friendship that has lasted centuries?
Eris has just started her dream assignment. She’s not looking for an office romance, but her new bosses aren’t making it easy for her to avoid it. And right when she gives in to their joint seduction, she ends up tossed back in time to the medieval era where the men she loves have no clue who she is. What’s worse, they think she’s the enemy.
The Lucien and Ranulf of the past are rough and dangerous. Eris is doing everything she can to survive them while searching for a way back to her time. But returning home means confronting an undeniable truth, one that could end their relationship forever. It’s up to her to decide if her heart is strong enough to handle the love of two men and the reality of their enchanted existence.
Available in Ebook & Print:
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