The Lady Vanishes by Nicole Camden Page A

answer. It was flattering in a way . . . and the man could kiss. That was the truth.
    “No, not afraid .” Regina fiddled with the ends of her scarf. “The thing is, ever since you started making me write in that journal, even before I knew he was Milton Shaw, I was fantasizing about him, about what it would be like to be on stage, you know, while he performed tricks on me.”
    “Ooh, Regina. I never knew you were so kinky.”
    Groaning, Regina laid her head back on the couch. “I know. It’s stupid, but there’s something about him when he moves, and he’s different on stage, smooth and at ease, and it’s almost like he doesn’t care that I know he’s stripping me naked with his eyes.”
    “So what’s the problem?” Rose-Lindsey’s knitting needles were moving faster. “Why not see where it goes?”
    “Because I hate feeling so out of control, and because . . .” Regina struggled, not knowing how to put into words the chill it put in her bones to find out that Shaw the Magician was Milton Shaw. “Because he’s Milton Shaw. He’s wealthy, beyond wealthy, and he and his friends helped make software that assists criminals. Encryption and security, mostly.”
    “So let me get this straight: A gorgeous billionaire wants you, and you’re telling him no because his software has been used for evil?”
    “It’s not just that. It’s the publicity. I don’t want anyone following me with cameras again. I sound like a bitch with a stick up my ass, don’t I?” Regina said with a sigh. “I think mostly I don’t like how attracted I am to him.”
    “I’m not surprised.” Rose-Lindsey laughed. “The men you date would bore anyone to tears. After all those years of repression, a little wild was bound to come out.”
    Regina picked up the teacup on the table in front of her and took a sip of the strongly brewed Earl Grey. “A little wild is not coming anywhere. Wild is staying just where it is.”
    “Well, then you probably won’t be coming anytime soon,” Rose-Lindsey muttered, deadpan, and Regina choked on her tea. Little did she know that Regina had come just dreaming about the damn magician.
    “Why don’t you just have a little fun with him, you know, play with him a while and then cut him loose. There’s no reason to date him, just . . .” Rose-Lindsey seemed to be searching for the word. “. . . enjoy yourself.”
    Regina blinked and set down her teacup. Now Rose-Lindsey sounded like Celeste. It seemed like forever since she had just enjoyed herself. Beyond forever. She couldn’t remember when she wasn’t working her ass off to become a doctor, or working her ass off as a doctor. She didn’t even have any real girlfriends, just Rose-Lindsey, but it wasn’t like they saw each other socially. There hadn’t been time for social.
    “Maybe,” Regina said slowly, “it’s not a bad idea to try and enjoy myself more, experiment a little, but Milton Shaw is trouble. He’s associated with the hospital and has too many ties to my working life. If I’m going to experiment, it’s should be with someone no one knows but me.”
    “Well,” Rose-Lindsey said, setting aside her knitting needles, “good luck, I suppose, although I think you should give him a chance. The man doesn’t sound all bad.”
    “He’s not all bad,” Regina agreed, thinking of how he’d performed for the kids. “But he’s bad enough, and definitely bad for me.”
    Rose-Lindsey sighed wistfully. “Those are always the best kind.”

LIGHT FROM THE SUN SINKING through the lead glass of the windows in his home office woke Milton on Sunday morning. He’d fallen asleep with his cheek pressed against a drawing of Regina’s lips. His computer screen was dark, but it hadn’t been, up until around 5:00 a.m. He wiggled his mouse and the screens came to life, revealing one of the results of his night’s endeavors: an email to the board of directors at Boston Children’s Hospital.
    In it, he explained that he