How to Date a Henchman Read online

  How to Date a Henchman

  By Mari Fee

  Gina Hall is a college dropout with big dreams. Working as the receptionist at EnClo Corp isn’t one of them, but she needs the paycheck, and she amuses herself by speculating what the mysterious company actually does. She’s even more intrigued when the owner arrives, bringing with him a very attractive man named Burke.

  Burke’s job is more deadly than dead-end: as head henchman for Gina’s boss, aka supervillain Static, he makes sure his boss doesn’t end up in jail—or worse. But Static’s latest scheme is way more legitimate than either of them are used to. This time they have a real office—with a smart, sexy receptionist.

  Unfortunately, Gina isn’t the only one curious about EnClo Corp’s business. When a superhero starts sniffing around, he proves to be less than heroic, and the lines between good and evil blur. Only Gina and Burke can foil his investigation…provided they can keep their hands off each other long enough to save the day.

  26,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  I celebrate my wedding anniversary in September, and that’s why I think of it as my month of romance. Even after eight years, the romance is still alive in our relationship, I’m married to my best friend, and I’m living my very own happily ever after.

  That’s why I’m thrilled we’re kicking off Shannon Stacey’s return to the hunky and delicious Kowalski men with the first of three back-to-back Kowalski contemporary romances this September. It feels like my very own celebration of romance! Meet Mitch Kowalski and enjoy the ride as he finds his true love in Paige Sullivan, in All He Ever Needed. Look for Ryan’s and Josh’s stories in October and November 2012.

  September is truly a month of romance at Carina Press, with all but one of our releases falling in this genre. If you find yourself wanting to remain in the here and now, be sure to check out contemporary romance Finally Home by Helen Scott Taylor. Catch up with the Men of Smithfield in L.B. Gregg’s contemporary male/male romance Men of Smithfield: Max and Finn. And take a chance on Rebecca Rogers Maher’s Fault Lines, a moving and emotional contemporary romance that had our team members calling it “amazing” and “gripping” while extolling its virtues at our acquisitions meeting.

  If you’re looking for adventure, intrigue and romance with a fantasy flavor, this month we kick off Sandy James’s fantastic Alliance of the Amazons series. Rebecca Massee discovers that not only does she possess incredible powers, she is one of four lost chosen sisters who must fight to

  keep humanity safe from rogue gods and demons. Can she sacrifice the man she loves if it means saving the world? Find out more in The Reluctant Amazon by Sandy

  James. Joining Sandy in the realm of otherworldly releases, Annie Nicholas’s Starved for Love is a delightful and thoroughly erotic tale of a succubus who wants nothing more than to be loved, and an incubus who doesn’t believe in anything but lust.

  Look no further than Fae Sutherland’s male/male space opera romance Sky Riders for a galactic adventure that will leave you longing for the days of Nathan Fillion, Serenity and Firefly. And if Sky Riders isn’t enough of an escape from planet Earth for you, then Blue Nebula by Diane Dooley will surely please science-fiction romance fans.

  Fans of comics, superheroes and The Avengers should check out our two newest superhero releases. In How to Date a Henchman by Mari Fee, our hero proves that it’s not always the superheroes who are the most heroic—sometimes it’s the henchmen who save the day—and get the girl. Yesterday’s Heroes by Heather Long poses the question of what might happen when two superheroes have different goals. Drawn together by passion, and on a collision course with fate, can Rory and Michael work together to change the future? And though not a superhero romance, J.K. Coi’s steampunk romance Broken Promises, a follow-up to Far From Broken, brings back super-spy Jasper and his modified wife, Callie, for a continuation of their romance as Callie joins Jasper in the world of spies, danger and intrigue.

  Also this month we’re rereleasing Christine d’Abo’s three erotic contemporary novellas into one bargain-priced bundle. Get all three novellas in the Long Shots Bundle for $6.99. BDSM, ménage, love and hot, sexy, intense encounters—this bundle has it all. Buy it now and find out what makes sex club owner Josh so appealing before he makes his appearance in his own novel, Calling the Shots, in October.

  Last, though the month of September is filled with romance of all designs, it also brings with it one rich, engrossing and compelling historical mystery in Tainted Innocence by Joss Alexander. Fan of authors such as Deanna Raybourn and C.S. Harris won’t want to miss this engaging debut novel.

  Celebrate my month of romance with me this September and try one or two (or five or six) of our new releases. You’ll find new authors to love and stories you can’t wait to share!

  We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to [email protected]. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  www.carinapress.com

  www.twitter.com/carinapress

  www.facebook.com/carinapress

  Dedication

  For Jonny. Remember that time at the Blue Parrot when we drank $12 cocktails and made up supervillains? This is for that.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  “I do what I do because the world needs me. America needs me. If my superpower calls me to be a guiding light in difficult times, then that is what I’ll do. Besides, this job has its upsides. Like an unlimited supply of Superwhite Radioactive Toothpaste.”

  —Glimmer, in an interview with Times Magazine after receiving a two million dollar endorsement deal from Superwhite Radioactive Toothpaste

  Wanted: Receptionist. Full-time hours, extensive medical benefits, no experience necessary. Must have own transportation.

  Triticale City Times

  “You need to find a new job.”

  “No I don’t, Mom.” Gina rested her forehead against the heel of her hand and stared blankly at her computer screen.

  Her mother sighed loud enough to rattle Gina’s office windows. “You’re wasted there. You could be running that company, or at least heading their marketing department.”

  “EnClo Corp. doesn’t have a marketing department.”

  “See? Obviously you need a new job.”

  “I like my job.”

  “You don’t even know what they do downstairs!”

  Gina refrained from tapping her fingers against her desk in irritation. Both her mother and the mystery in the basement were galling, although right now her mother was edging ahead in the competition to see what would cause her to snap first. Mostly because her mom was right. “I’m hanging up now. Thanks for calling.”

  “Oh! Your Aunt Judy is coming over for dinner tonight. That’s why I c
alled—you should come.”

  “I can’t.” Several hours’ worth of comments about her dead-end life would not make for a fun evening. “Say hi to her for me.”

  “Why not?”

  Gina’s mind blanked. “Uh…well, I…have a date.”

  “A date! Who with? You haven’t had a date in months.”

  “I’m well aware of that.” Gina flinched at her mother’s excitement. “I’ll tell you about it later, okay? The owner is coming in and I don’t want to be caught talking on my cell.”

  “The owner? How strange. I thought the owner was anonymous.”

  “Apparently Mr. Sparks changed his mind about anonymity. Look, I have to hang up. If I get fired because I got caught talking on the phone, I swear I’ll move…somewhere. Somewhere with jobs. Maybe Saskatoon.”

  “Don’t you dare move to Saskatoon. People get murdered there. There were six people killed there last year, don’t you know. And you’d better call me tomorrow to tell me all about your day and your date, missy. Love you.”

  “Love you too. Bye.” Gina hit the end button with a feeling of relief. Once upon a time she and her mother were close, but ever since she’d dropped out of university their relationship was colored by a certain degree of disappointment.

  Then there was the job. Nine months had passed since she’d been hired, and Gina still didn’t know what EnClo Corp. actually did. All she knew was that it was a testing facility working on a pilot project of some kind, and the building was stuffed with scientists and engineers and loaded to the gills with security features like steel doors, electromagnetic locks and endless CCTV cameras. As far as she could tell, she was the only employee without access to B2, the basement level where all the magic happened.

  Maybe she should move to Saskatoon. Or further, to LA or New York, crime rate be damned. She might actually land a useful job.

  Gina tucked her phone back in her purse, and her purse back beneath her desk. She was the only person in the lobby. Everyone else at EnClo Corp. worked in the offices behind the elevator or in the basement levels. It was lonely, but at least she had a bank of CCTV camera monitors to keep her company. If she couldn’t talk to anyone, at least she could spy on them.

  A six-inch-high plastic alien queen overlooked the In-Out tray perched on the corner of her desk. A pile of paper an inch and a half high sprawled in the In tray. The Out tray was empty. The smart thing to do was tackle the In tray and get rid of some of the paperwork, but working was boring. Instead Gina opened her browser to check the news.

  The Globe and Mail led with a story about a missing RCMP officer and something about the economy. CNN.com featured an interview with New York’s premier superhero, Glimmer. She clicked on the link, skimming the article for something more intelligent than his favorite color (green), his nemesis (either the supervillain Static or Dr. Bonegarden and his mutant monkeys, depending on the day of the week), his secret crush (not saying) or whether or not he regretted anything about the unfortunate incident with Mr. Malignant four years earlier (he declined to discuss it).

  Superheroes. They were as addictive as celebrities, and like celebrities, most of them failed to venture into Canada. Canada passed laws against vigilantism rather than reinterpreting the existing Criminal Code to allow exceptions for the exceptional, and as a result there weren’t many superheroes operating north of the Forty-Ninth. Privately Gina thought it had more to do with the Canadian climate and superheroes’ love of spandex.

  CNN’s interview wasted another three minutes. Gina glanced at the clock and with a resigned sigh opened an online game of Scrabble. Just one round. Maybe two.

  The clock continued to tick.

  A whole game later, and there had to be a good word for T T E S O R A. Arts. Start. Tarts. State. Stater?

  Someone cleared his throat. Gina nearly fell out of her chair. Quickly closing her game, she spun to face EnClo Corp’s visitor with the brightest smile she could manage. “Mr. Sparks?”

  The man at the counter shook his head. He was tall, wide shouldered and wore his dark hair in a close military-style buzz cut. Dark, shadowed eyes were set in an aggressively rugged face, and he had a nose that looked like it had gone a round with a frying pan. He looked like a professional rugby player. “I’m Burke. He is Mr. Sparks.” He nodded to a second man standing by the elevator doors, ineffectually pressing buttons.

  Shit. Gina stood, logged off her computer and left the safety of her desk to introduce herself to EnClo Corp’s mysterious silent owner. “Mr. Sparks. It’s great to finally meet you.”

  “I’m sure.” Sparks turned to face her and Gina’s bright smile faltered. A slender man with a face like a weasel and sharp, intelligent blue eyes, he gave her a frank once-over before shaking her hand. “So you’re the front line of defense for EnClo Corp?”

  “Well, I monitor the upstairs CCTV cameras.” Gina glanced over her shoulder at her desk. The central air-conditioning kicked in with a defeated groan, as if the building itself wanted to give up on her too. “I’m just the receptionist. Dan comes in at night as security.”

  “Ah.” Sparks still held her hand.

  Gina resisted the urge to yank free from his fingers. It was hard. “Well. We’re all very happy to have you here, Mr. Sparks. I’ll take you to the meeting room downstairs and go find Dr. Ross. He’s very anxious to meet you.”

  “I’m sure.” Sparks smiled. “He’s a smart man.”

  Burke cleared his throat. When Sparks looked over, Burke shot a pointed glance at Sparks’s and Gina’s clasped hands, and Sparks released his grip. Gina surreptitiously wiped her palm on her black pencil skirt. “The meeting room’s on B1,” she said. “Downstairs.” Immediately she wished she hadn’t said it. Sparks knew where to go—he’d already pushed the elevator button.

  “But nobody will be up here.” Sparks scowled at her unoccupied desk, then turned his baleful gaze on her. “Anybody could walk right on it.”

  “Nobody can get farther than the foyer without a key.” Gina lifted her hand to show a neon-yellow plastic coil with a key wrapped around her wrist. “I can assure you, the facilities will be safe.”

  “I don’t know,” Sparks muttered.

  Burke glanced at her, his expression unreadable, then turned to Sparks. “She’ll be gone five minutes. Stop being paranoid. You designed the security system, after all.”

  Sparks mumbled something inaudible and, Gina suspected, nasty. She stepped around Sparks and stuck her key into an opening above the silver buttons, turning it ninety degrees to the right before pushing the down button. When the doors opened, Burke stepped between her and the company owner. Relief weakened her knees as she stuck her key into a slot identical to the one in the foyer, turned it and pressed B1. The doors closed and the elevator descended.

  “You been here long?” Burke asked.

  Gina looked sideways at him as Sparks made an odd chuffing sound that might have been laughter. “Ever since the facility opened,” she said.

  Burke nodded but didn’t venture any more conversation. Gina used the silence to study her companions from the corners of her eyes. Burke’s rear profile was attractive. Sparks looked bored.

  When the elevator doors opened they were disgorged into B1’s bright white hallway. Gina led the two men through the first door to the left, into a meeting room. A large rectangular table with ten black leather office chairs neatly tucked in around it dominated the center of the space. A screen obscured the far end of the room and a projector sat on the table. S
ince they were already a story underground, the room’s sole window overlooked the hallway.

  Sparks elbowed past her, cracking his knuckles. “Carpet! Finally. It’s the little things you miss,” he said as he kicked off his shoes and rubbed his socked feet against the tan Berber. His pants were two inches too short, and the socks were fuzzy and blue. “I always feel better in a room with carpet.”

  “Do either of you want coffee?” Gina chirped. Mr. Sparks, she decided, was crazy. “We have a nice French vanilla blend.”

  “I like French vanilla,” Sparks said.

  “Do you have tea?” Burke sounded sheepish.

  Gina cocked an eyebrow. He looked more like the type to order a mug of gasoline, neat. “Green tea, black tea, Earl Grey, rooibos or mint?”

  “Earl Grey.”

  “Milk or sugar?”

  “Please.”

  Gina nodded. “I’ll just be a moment, and I’ll find Dr. Ross on my way.”

  “Thank you.” A hint of a smile crossed Burke’s face. It made him look almost handsome, and it pulled an answering, genuine smile from Gina. Her first since EnClo’s owner had arrived.

  Sparks had the attention span of a gnat, so Gina decided to fetch Dr. Ross first. He could occupy the boss while she made coffee. Dr. Ross’s desk was in the office space at the end of the hall, past the red door to the security office. The security office was locked this time of day, its CCTV camera monitors broadcasting to an empty room. The feed would include the cameras in B2. Gina bit her lip and hurried past.

  A gray metal door with an electronic lock barred the end of B1’s hall. Gina swiped her security card against the pad and the doors swung open into EnClo Corp’s offices. Computers hummed like bees, and she caught glimpses of undecipherable screens and the backs of scientists’ heads on her way to Dr. Ross’s office-cubicle. Most of the scientists were in B2, though, doing whatever professional nerds did on Tuesday afternoons.