by Sharon Kay
“It was my pleasure.” He dipped his head to breathe in the scent of her hair one more time.
“So…let me know, when’s a good time to meet your friend?”
“Yeah. Tomorrow?”
“I work in the morning. And then I have dinner with my family at night. But I’m off Monday.”
He nodded. “Monday, then. It would be best to meet up at my place. Miranda can join us there. We have a lot of room.”
“Okay. Text me the address.” She leaned forward, leaving a fraction of space between their mouths. So damn tempting.
“I’ll pick you up.” He skimmed his hands up her sides.
“You don’t have to. It’s just a short bus ride—”
“I’ll pick you up.” He silenced any further protest with a swift kiss.
She melted into him and let him bend her backward like he’d done in the park. She ignited a need in him that intensified with every kiss and soft touch. What the hell?
With effort, he tore himself away and pulled her upright, before they ended up inside after all. “Goodnight, Enza.”
“Night.” She ducked in and he stood there, listening as her light footsteps ascended the stairs.
She was so open, so beautiful and sexy. And she still had more to learn. He vowed to guide her through the process as best he could, and make sure that when everything was on the table, she’d feel the same urgency toward him that he felt for her.
CHAPTER 13
THE NEXT DAY, ENZA OPENED THE door of her childhood home and was enveloped with the familiar smells of growing up within these walls. Food, of course, but also her mom’s perfume, the fresh scent of laundry, and the pine cleanser she used on the wood floor.
“Ciao, nonno.” She spotted her grandfather leaving the kitchen with a glass of red wine and gave him a hug, careful of his drink and the box of homemade cannoli she carried.
“Ciao, Enza. I’ve been shooed out of the kitchen.” Looking none-too-bothered by that, he shuffled to the couch.
Enza watched the one man who’d been a constant in her life, a man who loved her selflessly. “I’m going to shoo nonna out too. Do you need anything?”
“No. Not when I’m with the three loveliest ladies in the city.” He winked.
“Well, you’re in luck, then. I’ll help Mom with the food.” She headed to the kitchen, drawn by the aromas of tomato, onion, and garlic. She passed curio cabinets filled with figurines of children and animals, and a bookcase still holding her framed school photos from years ago. On the wall hung a large painting of Italy’s Lake Como, serene azure water dotted with boats. The surrounding homes boasted stone balustrades and porches with brightly colored flowering plants. Enza had never been there, but it was on her bucket list.
The kitchen smelled amazing, as it always did when her mom or nonna cooked. Enza walked in to find her grandma rinsing spinach leaves. “Nonna, you go sit. I’ll do this.” She hugged her grandma, absorbing the powdery floral fragrance of her perfume. Enza swore her grandma had worn the same scent forever.
“Pfft, I like to keep busy.” Nonna’s eyes twinkled, bright and sharp as ever.
Enza washed her hands. “Yes, but I want to help.”
“All right, then. Don’t let the spinach get too wilted, and you should be fine with the onion. I brought a yellow one so you won’t cry.”
“Thank you.” Enza took the chopping knife from her grandma. “I’ll come sit with you in a bit.” Turning to her mom, she grinned. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, honey.” Concetta smiled as she added oregano to the ground beef that soon would become the most delicious meatballs in the city. “You look good. How’s work?”
“Great. Each quarter we do a little better. Meena’s got such a brain for business.”
“Oh, you girls were at the festival last night. How’d that go?”
“Huge crowds. We made up our booth fee and then some.”
“Mm-hmm.” Concetta chopped fresh basil. “And your date? How did you have a date while you were working?”
Enza chuckled. Only her mom could make prying seem kind of funny. “Um, he came by at eight, when I was done.” She couldn’t suppress a smile.
Her mom missed nothing. “Judging by your expression, things went well,” she murmured.
“Yeah.” Enza carefully sliced into the onion, but didn’t miss the curiosity in her mom’s words and knew she had to give some details. She set the knife down. “He’s really tall. Short dark hair, brown eyes, really strong. He stays in shape. He’s the one who helped me get away from the muggers.”
“Oh my goodness.” Her mom beamed. “So he’s really a nice guy.”
You have no idea. Enza nodded. Despite all the surprises he kept dropping on her. “He’s one of the good ones.”
“That’s exciting. What does he do?”
“Computer stuff. Coding, I think he said.”
Concetta burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Enza scrunched her nose.
“They say opposites attract. So no wonder you met a guy who knows computers.”
“Ha, ha, Mom.” Enza patted the spinach dry with paper towels.
Her mom set a pot of water to boil. “Are you going to see him again?”
Hell, yes. “Yeah, tomorrow. I have the day off and I’m going over to his house.” She paused a beat, anticipating the next question. “It’s on Elm, east of State.”
“Ohh. The high rent district. I can’t wait to hear about it.” Concetta stirred the meat sauce simmering on the stove. “I’m really glad you met someone and he seems nice. If he has a big fancy house, fine.” She shrugged. “But make sure he’s sweet to you.”
Sweet? Rhys had been amazingly sweet the other night, after she had writhed all over him and he hadn’t gotten any relief. What were they, teenagers? Making out in a car? Her cheeks heated. Stop! I’m in the kitchen with my mom, for heaven’s sake! Forcing down her wayward thoughts, she murmured, “He’s been great so far.”
She tore the spinach into manageable pieces, dying to ask her mom about her birth father. I bet he was sweet. Her mom didn’t put up with crap.
But she didn’t usually ask about him. To Enza, it had never seemed like any details were missing. Then again, things that fell into the need-to-know category had just changed in a huge way. “Mom?”
“Hmm?”
“I…have some questions about my birth father.”
Concetta turned, brows raised. “Oh. Um, okay. What is it?”
“Did he have a good sense of hearing or smell, like me?” It sounded lame, but she had to start somewhere.
“Hearing or smell? Goodness, Enza, I don’t remember. What brought that up?”
“I don’t know.” She sighed. “I just wondered, since my own hearing and sense of smell are really accurate, if I got that from him.” Or any other quirks.
“Enza, honey, it was so long ago. Maybe he did, maybe he told me, but I just don’t remember.” Concetta went back to her ground beef mixture, forming it into perfectly sized balls. “He stole a necklace for me. Did I ever tell you that?”
“No!” She stared at her mom, who was focused on her meatballs with a slight smile. “He stole it?” Wonder tilted Enza’s lips up at the fondness in her mother’s voice.
“Well, he was hiking across Sicily, so he had no money. His friend had to get him out of jail, or—”
“Jail? Oh my god, you never told me that. He went to jail because he stole a present for you? That sounds so sweet, in a weird way.”
“Sweet. Pfft. It was theft.” But her mom’s face betrayed her.
Enza beamed. “You’re smiling. You liked it.” And this new story added depth to her parents’ oh-so-brief relationship.
“I did.” Concetta worked on another meatball. “He was special.”
Enza let out a slow breath, dying for more details but unsure how much to push. Her mom had never shared how she truly felt about Tony. “Did you ever want to contact him?”
“No.” Her
mom sighed. “Early on, it was harder to get in touch or keep in touch. And now that everyone has email and social media, it’s much easier. But we’ve done fine—you, me, nonno, and nonna. I just never felt the need.”
“Me neither,” Enza said quickly, not wanting her mom to misread her queries and think she wanted to find her dad.
“He was wonderful. We had an amazing time together. But we knew the whole situation was temporary.” Concetta flashed Enza a happy grin. “Well, except for you.”
Her mom’s comfort with all that had happened reassured Enza, as it always did. Concetta was nothing if not grounded. But that jewelry… “What did the necklace look like?”
“It was very pretty. A silver and gold heart on a chain.”
“Do you still have it?”
“Yes.” Concetta finished the last meatball. “I’m not sure why—I just never felt right throwing it away.”
“Can I see it later?”
“Sure. I haven’t looked at it in ages, but it should be in the bottom of my jewelry box.”
Enza added the spinach and onions to a big glass salad bowl, then moved on to slice sweet green peppers. A necklace. Her heart warmed at this new fact. Though she probably wouldn’t get anywhere with any leads on her dad’s possible demon powers or abilities.
But that was okay. If her mom didn’t know anything about it, that was for the best. Enza still couldn’t quite wrap her head around all the new revelations Rhys kept throwing at her, and she had been in that stupid portal. She just wanted her mom to be happy. And one thing that would make Concetta happy was Enza being happy.
And giving her grandchildren.
Enza suppressed a giggle. That was far off on the horizon. But at least for now, she could spend time with the woman who had raised her, playing Mom and Dad both. “You’re off Thursday this week, right?”
“Yes, and I can’t wait for some Java Genie coffee and sweets. I’ll be there in the morning. Not as early as you, though.”
“Of course not.” Enza grinned. Her mom was so not a morning person. But she made a point to come into the shop on her days off. The whole staff called her Mom. “Well, Meena always loves to see you. Want me to bake anything special? Anything you have a taste for?”
“Don’t go to any trouble. Anything you make will be delicious.” Concetta really was an incredible role model. Life hadn’t turned out like she’d planned, and she had adapted. Certainly Enza could do the same.
CHAPTER 14
ENZA WOKE EARLY ON MONDAY morning out of habit. Rising at seven instead of four-thirty felt like sleeping in, though she’d slept fitfully. Rhys had occupied her mind all night. From his sensual mouth to his patience with her, and add to it the questions she had bouncing around her mind about her dad and what else she might be able to do—it all led to a lot of ceiling-staring.
After a quick shower, she busied herself with chores until the time neared for Rhys to pick her up. Yesterday morning she had baked extra items for today’s customers. And she’d saved a half dozen assorted muffins for Rhys, Brenin, and whoever else was at their house today. She glanced around her spotless kitchen, impatient. Her wall clock, a round deal with wine bottles painted on it, ticked in the quiet.
Ding! She grabbed her phone to check the incoming text message.
Rhys: I’m downstairs.
Be right there, she typed quickly. Layering the muffins carefully in a square box, she then nestled it into the bottom of a backpack and headed to the front door.
Thick gray clouds carried the threat of rain, but nothing could dampen her spirits as she took in Rhys. Leaning against the Escalade, he oozed all kinds of sexiness. His full lips tilted up as he watched her approach, eyes raking her legs, shorts, tank top, and continuing to her face. The grin stayed, but something in his eyes turned hotter.
She stepped close and he hooked an arm around her shoulders. Closing the distance between them, he brushed his lips across hers.
Heat surged through her and she slid her hands up the soft cotton of his gray T-shirt. So hot, so hard, so strong…
A car honked as it passed and she broke the kiss, smiling up at him. “Hi.”
“Hi, yourself.” He slipped her backpack straps off her shoulders and opened the car door. “I smell muffins.”
“Yeah, I made extra. I wanted to bring something.”
“You’re about to become our most popular house guest ever.”
“Really? I wasn’t sure what you ate—I mean, that sounds dumb. You ate at my shop and at the fest. I just meant, like, for every day—”
He laid a gentle finger on her lips. “Shh. Anything you make is perfect. We don’t need to eat every day, but when we do, we eat the same things you do.”
“Okay.” She felt silly, but he treated it like all her other questions. As if they were perfectly logical and she could keep ’em coming. God, he was sweet. “Got it.”
He captured a lock of hair that blew across her eyes and gave her a smile that practically shouted that she was the only one on his radar. “Ready?”
“Yes.” She hopped in, thankful for the blast of cool air.
Rhys circled around the front of the SUV and got into the driver’s seat. Linkin Park’s “What I’ve Done” played over the car’s sound system. As he steered east, he draped an arm over the back of her seat. “How’d you sleep?”
“Not that great, actually. I kept thinking about what’ll happen today.” She flicked a muffin crumb off her leg. “What do I do around this woman you want me to meet?”
He shrugged. “Just talk to her. She’s cool. Not judgy.”
“There’s no special demon-meet-and-greet etiquette?”
He let out a loud laugh, so warm and genuine that her dash of uncertainty melted away. “No. No secret handshake or password. I’m pretty sure we’ve never had anything like that.”
“Oh, good. One less thing to remember.”
“No worries.” He took her hand. “Everyone you’ll meet is pretty laid back. And you can ask any question.”
Enza nodded and settled into the soft leather. Each house was unique here, all gorgeous, most with iron fences. Some had stone pillars flanking tall iron gates.
Rhys flicked on the turn signal and slowed, then turned onto a driveway that led underground. Enza got a peek at a statuesque brownstone, partially hidden by a hedge. “Oh, wow. I didn’t get to see the front.”
“I’ll show you. Let’s park this chariot first.” The driveway curled in a circle, then ended in a garage with ten parking spots. Rhys pulled into a space next to an identical black vehicle. “We’re here.” He winked and got out.
Enza opened her door. The garage was just like any other, concrete with glaring fluorescent lights. Rhys came around to her side, extending a hand to help her down. He led her to a steel door with a keypad next to it.
Raising his hand, he paused and pulled her close. “I’m glad you’re here. Everything will be fine. The guys will love you. Especially since you made food. And Miranda’s already psyched to meet you.”
“I have no idea what to expect, but I trust you.” She squeezed his hand. “I can’t imagine being able to command lightning.”
“Me neither.” He grinned. “Let’s go find out.” He punched in the code and they stepped into a cool dark hallway. “On this level we have mostly workout stuff. There are a few extra bedrooms and our movie room.”
He led her up a set of carpeted stairs to a huge foyer. Light spilled in gorgeous patterns through panes of cut glass flanking a wide front door. Mahogany wainscoting decorated the lower half of the walls, and matching crown molding added richness to the ceiling area. A formal dining room sat on the right, but Rhys bypassed it and led her toward the back of the building. As they walked, she heard several voices and the blasts of computer-generated gunfire.
“Sounds like a lot of people are here,” she murmured.
“Nah, just us and Miranda.” They entered a combo kitchen-great room that took Enza’s breath away. Natural light fl
ooded in from towering windows at the rear of the home. The house had a small backyard with two tall leafy trees, though the building behind loomed close.
The living area was open to the second floor, where a walkway led across the airy expanse. In the adjacent great room, leather couches and chairs clustered in front of a huge TV where three men sat staring intently at the screen as computer-generated characters fought monsters on a burned out street. A red-haired woman perched on the arm of one couch, checking her phone.
“These are all your roommates?” Enza asked, feeling less sure of herself. Did they all know why she was here?
“Yep. Well, not Miranda.” Rhys set her backpack on the black granite counter and unzipped it. Nudging Enza, he nodded at the group. “I give them two seconds to guess what you brought.”
“I smell sweet rolls. Or Danishes?” A blond man stood up and turned toward them. “Forget the game.” He dropped his game controller and zeroed in on her backpack.
Enza stared at the man, who was as big and tall as Rhys. Blue eyes twinkled from beneath his cropped hair. “I—”
“Hey, Enza.” Brenin unfolded long legs from his chair and he walked into the kitchen. “Nice to see you again.”
“Um, you too.” Enza still had a hard time believing Brenin was just a regular guy and not dropped in from Hollywood. Now on top of that, she had to factor in that he wasn’t even human. She could tune out his movie hero good looks, though—it was Rhys who got under her skin in the most delicious way. “I hope I brought enough treats.”
“You can bring more next time.” Rhys leaned close, warming her. “They act like they haven’t eaten in days, but that’s not a problem.”
The man with the short blond hair extended a hand across the island. “I’m Jude, and that’s Tor.” He gestured to the last man, who waved from the couch.
“All right. Enough of the testosterone party.” The red-haired woman pushed past Brenin to wrap an arm around Enza’a shoulders. “I’m Miranda.”
“Um, hi.” Enza didn’t know how to take the woman’s—er, demon’s—familiarity. “Nice to meet you.” She also didn’t know what to make of Miranda’s stunning appearance. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, with red waves cascading down to her shoulder blades. Moss green eyes studied her from within a creamy, perfect complexion. She was tall and her double tank top and ripped denim shorts combo did nothing to hide her hourglass figure. She looked like a supermodel, not a demon.
