“No,” he said emphatically, then he switched to sending telepathic thoughts. “I don’t support the animosity between vampires and werewolves. I think in-fighting amongst Magickals weakens us all. There aren’t enough of us out there for us to turn on each other. Plus, the more we let our fighting get out of control, the more likely we are to be found out by humans. That would be an utter disaster.”
She tugged on his hand, drawing him closer to another farmer’s stand to check out their produce. Nope, still nothing that measured up to her exacting standards. “I wasn’t sure if having wolves on your team was a choice, a practicality or a decision made over your head.”
“A choice. My choice.” His voice rang with conviction, even though it was barely above a whisper. “I hand selected every single member of my team, and they all know it. Each of them brings different strengths to the group.”
She liked that. Then again, there was very little she’d ever found about him that she disliked. It was a real problem when trying to keep a man at arm’s length. Emotionally, anyway. Physically, she wanted him a lot closer. “What strengths does my Normal cousin bring to your team?”
“Aside from his military training? His Normality.” He glanced around, and she wasn’t sure if it was to see if anyone was following them or if anyone was close enough to overhear their conversation. His thoughts filtered through her mind. “Jack sees things in a way that people who were born or have become Magickals don’t. Also, many Magickal criminals have ways of sensing other Magickals. They tend to ignore Normals as harmless nuisances.”
“So Jack can fly under their radar.”
He nodded, pulling her out of the path of a portly man who carried a case of strawberries. “Something like that.”
But the portly guy had caught her attention. She flagged him down. “Excuse me. Where did you get those?” She pointed to the luscious red berries, and her mouth almost watered. Some beautiful dishes could come from strawberries like that and she wanted them.
The guy half-turned and pointed with his elbow. “Over there, second to last one.”
“Thank you.” She stepped out of his way with her brightest smile. “I really appreciate it.”
“No problem.” He grunted and continued on his way.
Before they’d gone ten more steps, she veered left and dragged Luca behind her. He laughed and lengthened his stride to keep up. Delight filled her. “Oh. Oh, yes. This is exactly what I was hoping for.”
She picked up the reddish-white stalks and held them up for his inspection. He shrugged. “What is it? Red celery?”
He was serious. Shaking her head at his ignorance, she picked out multiple bunches of the leafy plant. “Rhubarb, and it’s ripe and fresh and perfect. A bit of experimenting and I might do a strawberry rhubarb tart for the bakery soon.”
“Ah.” He picked one up and sniffed it. “I had no idea this is what it looked like raw.”
“Sadly, I doubt you’re the only one. People should know more about the stuff they consume.” She caught the eye of the teenager manning the booth and motioned him over.
While they talked produce, Luca stepped away from her, presumably to keep an eye out for bad guys. A few minutes later, she had a several bags loaded down with not only the rhubarb, but some fantastic green beans and summer squash. She made a mental note to stop by again next week and check out their stock. All in all, an excellent new find.
Pleased, she turned to look for Luca and came face-to-face with a bunch of flowers. Looking up to meet his gaze, she found him grinning.
“For you.” He handed her the bouquet of purple, pink and white sweet pea blossoms and took her bags of vegetables.
She bit her lip, wanting to protest, but also wanting to bury her nose in the fragrant flowers and let her heart flutter with pleasure. A blush scorched her cheeks. “Um…thank you.”
“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” He tweaked the tip of her nose.
“Yes, it was.” Because, damn, he couldn’t get more amazing, and she couldn’t keep him. That was the plain, ugly truth. It wasn’t that she couldn’t fall for him, wasn’t that she had any issue with him being a vampire, but that being with him for real would cause problems for her family, and she loved her family more than anything in the world. Even then, her family might have been willing to deal, but his family? She doubted it. Vampires didn’t mix. Sure, they might mess around with another Magickal race—except werewolves—but they didn’t commit to them. They might be willing to turn a Normal in order to avoid mating with non-vampires, but she knew she wouldn’t fall into an acceptable category of Normal. She’d bring the whole wolf pack along with her, because she wouldn’t turn her back on her family for any reason. She sighed. “You don’t have to do things like this, you know. I don’t expect flowers. I never have.”
“I know. Maybe that’s why I like buying them for you so much.” He tugged on one of her curls, then swooped in for a quick kiss.
She suspected he used a little vampire speed to capture her lips before she realized what was happening. The warmth of his mouth made her sigh, and just that quick sip of his lips was enough to make her want more.
“Erin!”
The sound of her aunt’s voice snapped her head up and around. Every drop of blood drained out of her face. Oh. Shit.
“Aunt Angela,” she said faintly. “Uncle Darren.”
Her luck couldn’t possibly be this bad. No wait, she was being stalked and her secret vampire lover had barged into her house. A run-in with the future werewolf pack leader was exactly the kind of luck she’d had lately.
“Hello, Erin.” Darren Kerr was a mountain of a man, with a voice so deep it rumbled like thunder. “And if it isn’t Luca Cavalli.”
And that contained, controlled tone was enough to make her fight a wince. Aunt Angela gave her a one-armed hug, but the older woman’s gaze was pinned to the two men. The cellophane wrapped around her bouquet crinkled as Erin fidgeted. She prayed the ground would split open and swallow her whole. There was no way to pretend she hadn’t been kissing a vampire in public. Not just any vampire—a Conclave leader’s son.
The tremor of disquiet in her stomach wasn’t helped by the fact that Darren and Luca were eyeballing each other like two dogs ready to fight over a bone. Their white-knuckled handshake would have crushed a Normal’s fingers.
“Darren, Angela—it’s good to see you both again.” Luca managed a smooth smile, which was more than she could do.
“Oh, that’s right. You guys have met.” During a case where Darren and Selina had almost been murdered by Gregor’s serial killer brother. Best not to mention that. “Luca and I were just headed over to buy strawberries for some tarts I want to make. For the bakery.” Erin tried for a cheerful voice, but it came out squeaky and anxious instead.
“Well, then. We won’t keep you.” The thousand and one unasked questions on her aunt’s face meant Erin was getting an uncomfortable and probing phone call later. Maybe even an in-person interrogation.
Great. Just great. She tried not to whimper. “It’s nice to run into you. You’re doing some shopping?”
Of course they were. Seattleites didn’t come near Pike Place unless they wanted to shop. Too many tourists otherwise.
Aunt Angela’s grin was crooked and a little forced. “I had a craving for some raw oysters, and Darren let me talk him into coming down to this zoo. It sure is crowded today.”
No more than any other day, but Erin nodded anyway. “Tourist trap, but I like coming to peruse the fresh ingredients.”
Awkward silence. Uncle Darren didn’t seem to feel the need to fill it, but he’d always been a man of few words. Then again, he didn’t require words when his disapproval was radiating off him in waves.
“So…” Erin rocked back on her heels.
Angela hooked her arm through her husband’s but arched an eyebrow at Erin. “You’ll need to come by for dinner on your next night off. We really should catch up on what’s going on in your life, sweeti
e.”
That was about as subtle as a sledgehammer. Interrogation invitation issued. Either that, or they’d have a The Bachelorette style dinner party with every eligible werewolf the pack had to offer. God save her. Luca gave Erin a pointed look, reminding her that she either had to bring him or Gregor or both along everywhere she went for the foreseeable future. After Uncle Darren’s run-in with Gregor’s brother, bringing him was out of the question. Which meant Luca was her sole option. Which meant her family was now going to think she was dating her fuck-buddy.
Might as well get it over with. Her chin lifted. “If you invite me to dinner, I’m bringing Luca.”
Angela drew in a deep breath. “Of course, Luca is welcome to dinner. We’d love to have him.”
Well, she’d almost managed to keep the pained note out of her voice. Almost.
“Good.” Despite the weirdness of the occasion, her aunt and uncle reached out to hug her goodbye, entangling them in a three-way embrace. The message couldn’t have been clearer. They loved her no matter what, even if she did things that upset them. Erin closed her eyes as a lance of pain hit her heart.
Uncle Darren ruffled her hair and kissed her temple, stepping back. Aunt Angela squeezed her tighter. “I hope you know what you’re doing. There are other Magickals—”
Erin huffed in the older woman’s ear. “Stop that. Don’t think you can try to foist a werewolf on me to take my mind off the vampire.”
Her aunt held her away from her and winced because that was clearly what she’d intended to do. “We’ll expect you both next week. Dinner.”
“Great. We’ll see you then.” Clamping her hand around Luca’s wrist, she hauled him in one direction while Angela dragged Darren the other way.
Erin didn’t say another word until she’d picked out and bought her strawberries. Luca did his stoic bodyguard routine while she ignored him in favor of fruit. Probably not the nicest thing to do, but holy shit, her worst nightmare about their affair had just hit the fan and splattered.
She sighed when she met his gaze. “They are going to harass me to death the next time they get me alone. They love me, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to get an earful about the evils of bloodsuckers.”
Luca took the case of strawberries from her too, and given his vampirism, he had no trouble handling the load. “Their assuming we’re dating means I can protect you while you’re at their house, and on the way there and back. You’d rather they assume you’re dating Gregor? After his involvement with Jack and Selina, you can bet your ass they know who he is.”
“I know,” she groaned. “That’s why I let them think we’re dating.”
He glowered at her. “It’s hardly the end of the world.”
“Not yours, anyway.” The wind kicked up and blew a few escaped curls into her face, and she shoved them back. “Let’s put the stuff in the car and then get some breakfast. Brunch. Whatever. I’m hungry.”
Well, that had gone about as badly as Luca might have expected.
Darren Kerr had been pleased to have his stepson working on Luca’s FBI team, had been grateful for that team’s work in catching the serial killer who’d almost ended his life, but the thought of Luca dating his niece had clearly crossed a line he didn’t like.
Hardly surprising, considering the centuries of conflict between the vampires and werewolves. It shouldn’t get under his skin, but it did. More because it upset Erin than because he felt slighted by the Kerrs’ reaction to him. Old prejudices died hard, and Luca had his doubts that any man who tried to date one of Darren’s nieces would be welcomed with open arms, regardless of species. The wolf epitomized overprotective father figure.
Luca stowed Erin’s purchases in her car. He’d kept his senses wide open the entire time they’d been at the market, and the cacophony of voices, noises, and scents had given him a pounding headache. It had faded slightly now that they were in the parking garage. The only beings he could sense nearby were Gregor and Balthasar, though how his familiar had found his way to this part of town, he didn’t know. Probably used an invisibility spell and hitched a ride in either Erin or Gregor’s vehicles. Luca rubbed a hand over his forehead, though it did little to alleviate the pounding in his skull. “Where would you like to eat?”
“Are you sure you want to go out?” The way her blue gaze zeroed in on his hand told him he’d given himself away. “We can just head to the café now.”
“No, let’s eat here.” Call him selfish, but he knew the moment they got to her business, she’d be pulled away to handle one of the million details that went into her work. He’d known she was a talented chef, but the last few days had shown him more about the restaurant industry than he’d ever imagined existed. Holly and Erin worked their asses off, and their operation was impressive. Still, he wouldn’t mind a few more minutes of having her to himself.
Her lips formed a thoughtful moue. “There’s a place around the corner with some amazing clam chowder. Does that sound okay to you?”
“Do they have good coffee?” Caffeine might help with the headache, and if it didn’t, he’d like the jolt of energy anyway.
“Better than the nastiness Gregor made this morning.”
That wasn’t saying much, but he smiled at the disgust on her face. She hadn’t finished the travel mug she’d brought with her. In fact, he didn’t think she’d taken more than two sips. He set his hand on the small of her back, steering her toward the garage’s exit. “Sounds good to me then.”
“You’re not hungry?” The sound of traffic almost drowned out her question as they made it back out onto the street.
“I’m not a picky eater. And if my favorite chef says it’s good, then I know I’m in for a treat.”
“I’m your favorite chef, huh?” The pleased note in her voice made him wish he could see her expression. He’d bet her features had the same soft shyness she’d worn when he’d given her the bouquet of flowers. She was sweetness and fire all rolled into one irresistible package. He couldn’t get enough of her, and not having to limit his access to her this week had only increased his addiction. Returning to his own bed in his own house after this was all over was going to be an empty, lonely experience.
He stroked his fingertips against her back, and was rewarded with a subtle shiver from her. “Yes, but don’t tell any of my aunts. Each of them would swear she made my favorite foods.”
“You’re cheating on your aunts with me?” She bumped him with her shoulder.
He smiled, though he kept his gaze moving over the throngs of people rather than looking at her the way he wanted. “I’ve never cheated on a woman in my life.”
He felt her searching his face. “You know, I actually believe you.”
“I’ve never cheated on you.” He didn’t know why, but he needed her to know that. There’d been no one except her in the year they’d been sleeping together. He hadn’t wanted anyone else.
Stopping dead in the middle of the sidewalk, she turned to stare up at him. Emotions flitted across her expression so fast he couldn’t decipher them. He could sense her turmoil, but didn’t know what, exactly, had caused it. A shudder ran through her, and then she jerked around and strode into a building. “This is the place.”
He followed her, sensing no threat coming from inside. Mostly Normals, a few Magickals, none who paid them any undue attention.
They’d already ordered by the time she spoke to him again. “We didn’t have an exclusive relationship. It wouldn’t have been cheating.”
He plucked a roll out of the breadbasket and spread butter on it. “Still, there’s only been you since we met. You should know that.”
“I…haven’t been with anyone else either.” Her shoulders scrunched uncomfortably. “It’s not like either of us had time. It doesn’t—”
“It does mean something,” he interrupted, and couldn’t prevent the edge of impatience to his voice. He was damn tired of being told what they had meant nothing. That was such bullshit. He’d had enough women in
the last century to know the difference between something and nothing. This was something special. “Busy or not, if either of us wanted to sleep with someone else, we could have. But we didn’t.”
“No. We didn’t.”
He offered her a grin that he knew would grate on her nerves. “And it seems we’re officially dating.”
As expected, she reacted like he’d stabbed her with a hot poker. “Just because we told my aunt and uncle—”
“No, it’s because we’re out on a date.” His gesture encompassed the restaurant.
She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it, her eyes going round. “Well, shit.”
He doubled over with laughter. The stunned look on her face should have been insulting, but it tickled a perverse funny bone inside him. After a moment, she joined him, giggling while her lovely eyes danced with mirth. She shook her head at him, but then their food arrived and it was every bit as delicious as she’d promised. They kept the rest of their conversation to neutral topics—the new tearoom Holly wanted to launch, hilarious mishaps on the cases Luca had worked over the years. Erin especially loved any story where her cousin had been involved.
“You seem very close to your family,” he observed. It was obvious she adored every single one of those she claimed as her own, and he guessed their resistance to her dating him was one of the real issues holding her back from wanting more. Luca’s lips curved in a wry grin at the thought of what his father and uncle would say if anyone intimated that a Cavalli wasn’t good enough.
“I am.” A smile softened her face. “Family means everything to me.”
He arched an eyebrow. “A sentiment that would make any werewolf—or vampire, for that matter—proud.”
“So I’ve heard.” She waved her spoon in the air.
Sitting back in his chair, he took a sip of his coffee. “You never talk about your parents though. I’ve heard a lot about your cousins, your aunt and uncle, but…nothing of your parents. For someone who adores her family so openly, it seems a pretty glaring oversight.”
Edge of Night Page 25
