Warmth enveloped the back of her hand.
Molly sucked in a quick breath, for her expression must have given away her torment. Lucian had reached over and cupped her hand in his.
His touch…. A callus on his palm lightly grazed her skin. As her body acknowledged the comfort he offered, heat spread like slow-running honey from her fingers down into her palm and into her wrist.
Stronger heat also kindled, the promise of what could start between a man and a woman with the barest touch. A promise she shouldn’t pursue, but oh, how she wanted to.
“I have Cora’s card, if you want to get in touch with her,” Lucian said.
Nodding, Molly struggled to control her emotions. How crazy to be so affected by a touch. A kiss, maybe. But just his hand against hers?
Panic fluttered. She couldn’t pursue her feelings; especially not right now, when she was grieving and dealing with her mother’s estate.
She should pull her hand away. But, Lucian had been kind to comfort her. If she did move her hand, he’d assume she didn’t like him touching her, and that wasn’t the situation at all—and trying to explain why she’d drawn away would reveal to him just how vulnerable she really was.
How did she break contact without offending him?
He squeezed her fingers then withdrew his hand from hers.
A sigh of relief broke from her. Embarrassed he might have noticed, she coughed, as though bothered by a tickle in her throat, and then drank some coffee. As she set the mug back down on the table, she curled both hands around it. “I would like Cora’s contact information. Thank you.”
He nodded, but didn’t reply. Tilting his head, he studied her; an assessing look that made her wonder if he was trying to read her thoughts. Again, she experienced that sense of lightheadedness. Geez. Maybe she should go to the restroom and hang out there for a few minutes, so she could collect herself?
“Why are you interested in the society?” he asked.
Molly brushed her thumb against the mug’s cool handle. “I’m curious to know what my mom did in her free time.”
“That’s all?”
“Yes. Why?”
After the barest hesitation, he shrugged. “I’ve heard some pretty wild stories about Cat’s Paw Cove. Since you’ve visited before, you probably know them.”
“Do you mean the stories about local houses that are supposedly haunted?”
Grinning, he scratched his bearded jaw. “Those, as well as ghost sightings. Weird happenings. Tales of pirate treasure.”
“There are stories like that about a lot of towns in Florida.”
His grin slowly broadened, tinged with mischief. “Okay, Molly. Fess up.”
With him looking at her like that, she could hardly think straight. What did he expect to hear from her? “I don’t know what you mean.”
He leaned farther forward, and his smile turned sly. “You can trust me. Just between us…. Did you have a strange experience in this town that you can’t explain? An experience you’d describe as paranormal?”
What had happened at the house earlier with the cats was kind of unexplainable, although it probably didn’t fall into the realm of paranormal. “Umm….”
“Did you see a spirit? A zombie pirate? Is that why you want to connect with the society?”
“Nope, no ghosts or pirates.” Wiping away a drop of coffee running down the side of her mug, she asked, “Do you know what time the meeting is tonight? Is it open to the public?”
“I’m not sure.”
“I’ll look it up online later,” Molly said.
Lucian’s dark brows rose. “You’re planning to go?”
“It would give me a chance to speak to Cora.”
His expression hardened a fraction, as if he didn’t like that idea. “She’s a board member and will be busy running the meeting. If I were you, I’d call her and set up another day to meet, when you’ll have plenty of time to talk.”
That did sound like a better plan. But, other people in the group would have known her mom, and she might have the opportunity to speak with them, too.
Besides, while Molly had never paid much attention to the stories that provided fodder for the town’s haunted tours, the topic of the meeting could be interesting.
Lucian continued to study her, as though waiting to hear her final decision on the evening event. She had to wonder: Why was he so interested to know if she’d had a strange experience or seen a ghost? Had he witnessed something unusual in Cat’s Paw Cove?
One way to find out.
She smiled at him. “Okay, Lucian. Your turn to fess up.”
“My turn?”
“How about you? Did you ever see a ghost or have a strange experience you’d describe as paranormal?”
Chapter Seven
Had he ever seen a ghost or had a strange experience he’d describe as paranormal?
Every single day.
While he couldn’t tell her the truth, he wanted to. He’d do it just to keep the fascination in her gaze, because she was so beautiful. In the sunshine coming in through the window, her blue eyes sparkled, and her face glowed with a genuine excitement that touched deep inside his chest. And her mouth….
His focus shifted to her lips, and heat gathered in his groin. He ached to press his lips to her sweet, pink mouth and hear her sigh because she’d loved the way he’d kissed her.
And he wouldn’t stop with just one kiss—
“You have seen something unusual.”
Molly’s voice pulled him back to the clink of silverware, clatter of crockery, and buzz of conversation in the restaurant. The lies came easily after years of practice. “Nope, I haven’t.”
“Yeah, right.” She mock-frowned. “What did you see? Or was yours a bump-in-the-night kind of experience?”
Lucian simply couldn’t let that one go. He winked. “That question’s kind of personal, when we barely know one another.”
As he’d intended, her face turned red.
“Lucian!” she murmured, clearly embarrassed but also trying not to giggle.
“I couldn’t resist.” Teasing aside, minutes were ticking by and he still hadn’t gotten any leads on the possible source of the dark magic he’d sensed. Molly had only promised him half an hour. Resolved to return the focus of the conversation to her, he added: “By the way, in the store, you never finished telling me about your mother.”
Molly looked puzzled. “My mother…?”
“Something about a genealogy project.”
“Right. Yes. She was researching our family tree.”
The Experts had recorded Lucian’s family tree in a special leather-bound book, starting from the day he’d gained his powers in the Middle Ages through to the present day. Details of every lifetime he’d ever had were in that tome. Anyone with even a trace of Lucian’s DNA was named in the book and monitored by the organization.
“I imagine genealogical research could be fascinating,” Lucian said, sipping more coffee.
“She spent many hours on it. She kept notes on where she went and how much time she’d spent researching.”
A waiter with a carafe stopped at their table and refilled their coffees. After murmuring his thanks, Lucian said: “In the store, you mentioned surprises. Did your mom discover some family secrets?”
Molly tucked hair behind her left ear. The strands gleamed where they curved against her shoulder. He’d enjoyed the feel of her soft skin against his palm. How he yearned to touch her again…but he wouldn’t.
“…were a few things,” Molly was saying.
“There have to be salacious secrets. Every family has them.”
“Even yours?” she asked.
If only she knew. “Yep, even mine.”
“How far back have you traced your family?”
“A long ways.” Before she could pursue that tangent, he asked, “Is your family originally from Cat’s Paw Cove?” The founding families had survived a shipwreck during a terrible storm in the mid-seventeenth
century. Folk related to the founders still lived in the area.
“One of our relatives was on the ship that sank in 1645—the boat that was restored and is now the Shipwreck Museum.”
“The Guinevere?”
Molly nodded.
“How fascinating. Man or woman?”
“Man. He was a cook.” Her expression thoughtful, Molly poured more cream into her coffee. “Mom went to the local museum and requested copies of documents from the archives. One of them was a list of some of our relative’s belongings. I think officials at the time were trying to match items washed ashore with the shipwreck’s survivors.”
The back of Lucian’s skull tingled. The fear and horror of the shipwreck could have created the perfect conduit for dark magic. “What was on the list?”
“I only skimmed it, but—”
“Here we are.” Their waitress set a slice of pie topped with an elegant, whipped-cream swirl in front of Molly, and then a piece mounded with vanilla ice cream in front of him. “Enjoy, you two.”
“Thank you.” Molly’s eyes widened. “This is a huge piece of pie.”
Impatience gnawed at Lucian, but he managed a smile. “You must have looked hungry.”
“I am now that I’ve seen this dessert. Yours looks amazing, too.”
He could almost taste the tart apple and creamy sweetness of the ice cream, and he hadn’t yet taken a bite. As he picked up his fork, he said, “The list you mentioned?”
“I’d have to look at it again.” Using her fork, she broke off a small bit of pie. “I do remember one thing on it—”
Lucian’s cell phone buzzed.
If it wasn’t important, he’d send the call to voice mail. After putting the first bite of pie into his mouth, he glanced at the phone.
Julius.
The delicious dessert suddenly tasted as bland as cardboard. Julius didn’t like being ignored. Lucian swallowed, wiped his mouth with his napkin then picked up the buzzing phone. “I’m sorry, but I have to take this call.”
“That’s fine.” She set her fork down on the edge of her plate.
“Don’t wait for me.” She’d have to be a saint to sit with that dessert in front of her and politely wait until he returned to eat it. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Okay.”
He left the booth. Stepping aside to avoid a waitress delivering food to a table, he answered the call. “Julius.”
“Lucian.” Julius’s voice rumbled on the line, and Lucian easily pictured the stocky, gray-haired man with blue eyes who always wore an expensive suit. “Enjoying your dessert?”
Of course Julius would know where Lucian was right that very moment. Striding toward the restaurant’s swinging doors, he said, “I’m kind of busy right now.”
“I’m sure you are. But, this is important.”
Lucian scowled at his superior’s uncompromising tone. “Can I call you back in half an hour?”
“Not this time.”
Lucian walked out onto the sidewalk. Heat rose from the sun-scorched pavement, and he headed for the shade of a nearby store’s awning.
“I saw your report from yesterday,” Julius said.
“I intended to update my progress, but—”
“I’ll watch for that update.”
Lucian wiped away the sweat beading on his forehead. “I was going to say, I don’t have anything more to report yet.”
Silence carried on the line. Lucian imagined the older man’s expression hardening with disapproval. Perspiration dampened the back of Lucian’s neck.
“I trust you realize, as well as I, that the magic you noticed is an anomaly?”
Lucian struggled not to growl. “I know.”
“I trust you also realize that, while it registered below a Category One, it might not stay at that level?”
“I do remember what you taught me.” Quite frankly, Lucian would never forget his teenage years being mentored by Julius. The guy had run his training program like a haunted-antiques boot camp.
A clicking noise sounded; a pen engaging and retracting several times. “From all I’ve seen in your report, there’s no reason for alarm right now. Hopefully, there never will be. But, while the chance is slim, there is the potential for disaster.”
Lucian pinched the bridge of his nose. Did he bother to point out that this wasn’t his first anomaly, and that statistics proved ninety percent of such instances ended up being non-events? Also, if Julius wasn’t keeping him on the phone, he could be working on tracking down what held the dark magic.
“You’ll understand why I want you to make what you saw yesterday a priority, until we’ve determined it isn’t a threat.”
Lucian struggled to keep annoyance from his voice. “I assure you, I’m on it.”
More clicks of the pen. “I will expect that update soon, then.”
“Fine.” Without waiting to hear Julius say goodbye, Lucian ended the call.
Molly tried to eat slowly, but the pie was good. Very good, actually. As she downed another scrumptious bite, her gaze settled on Lucian’s dessert. He hadn’t been gone long, but the ice cream was already starting to melt.
He hadn’t been happy to get the call. As soon as he’d seen who was phoning, his demeanor had changed. The twinkle in his eyes had vanished, his shoulders had tensed, and he’d walked away with brisk, almost angry strides.
Was he talking with a client? Or his ex?
Molly pushed down a pang of jealousy. He might not have a girlfriend, but he could be casually dating.
Maybe he’d argued earlier with his date, and she’d called to continue or finish their discussion.
The caller also could be a client unhappy with a purchase from the shop.
How Molly wished she could watch Lucian’s body language while he had his conversation, or even read his lips, but he wasn’t in sight.
Molly ate the last of her pie then washed it down with coffee. That deliciousness had definitely been worth a delay in returning to her mom’s house, although she needed to be on her way soon.
Behind the group of people standing in the restaurant aisle, she saw Lucian, on his way back to the table. When he slid into the booth, she caught lingering tension in his expression. The phone conversation hadn’t resolved whatever he was upset about.
“Sorry about the interruption.” He set aside the phone.
“Everything okay?”
“As okay as it can be.”
His deliberately vague answer told her he didn’t want to talk about the call. Maybe that was for the best, since she needed to leave shortly. She’d wait until he’d eaten, though.
He gestured to her empty plate. “That awful, huh?”
“Yep. Really awful.”
Lucian grinned, and she savored the warmth inside her, stirred up by his teasing. Howard had liked to tease, too. She’d enjoyed their banter until his remarks had become subtle criticisms of her weight, her clothes, and her dedication to her students and teaching career. He’d known her well enough that with just a few choice words, he’d been able to wound her deeply.
She shoved thoughts of Howard aside, because she’d moved on from that part of her life, and it really wasn’t fair to compare Lucian, a guy she’d only known for barely a couple of days, to her ex, whom she’d known for years. There were also more pressing things to consider, such as when to list her late mom’s home for sale. The real estate agent coming to the house that afternoon would best be able to make that decision.
Lucian’s fork clinked against his plate as he scooped up a mouthful of dessert. As he chewed, a groan of pleasure broke from him, the sound only just audible over the rattle of dishes as a busboy cleared off a nearby table.
Geez, Lucian even looked and sounded hot when he ate.
His gaze flicked up to meet hers. “My pie’s really bad too.”
“I’m guessing you’ll make yourself eat every bite?”
“You guessed right.”
After a moment’s pause, she said
, “Thanks for twisting my arm and bringing me here.”
“Happy to.” He wiped his lips with his napkin. “I have to ask: How did the pie compare to your mom’s?”
He looked so eager to hear her answer, she couldn’t help but smile. “It was almost as good.”
“A close second, then? Yes? No?”
“Yes, I’d say so.”
His grin broadened. “Told you. Next time we come here, you can try a different pie.”
A startled laugh broke from her. “Next time?”
“Sure. Why not?”
He’d decided for her that there would be a next time? That was pretty bold.
“It would help me out,” he added, as though aware of her astonishment. “When customers ask me where they can get the best pie in town, I’ll be able to draw upon firsthand knowledge—”
She laughed. “Firsthand knowledge?”
“I’ll be an expert in fine art, antiques, and pies.”
Molly rolled her eyes.
“It’s a worthy quest, my dear lady. Unless, of course, you have a suitor who’d object?”
She forced down excitement, because she wasn’t going to—couldn’t—get involved with Lucian.
Aware he was studying her and waiting for her reply, she said, “I don’t have a suitor—”
“Ah.”
“—but I also don’t want one.”
Surprise etched his features. “Now I’m curious to know why, although I realize it’s none of my business.”
“The short answer is that I just don’t have time for a relationship right now. By the way, most people nowadays call suitors boyfriends. It’s the twenty-first century, after all, not the Middle Ages.”
She’d spoken in a light-hearted tone, but his eyes narrowed, as though she’d offended him. “No, it’s definitely not the Middle Ages.” His mouth curved in a roguish smirk. “If it was, I’d already have tossed you over my shoulder and carried you off to my castle.”
Oh.
Her imagination easily pictured him as an alpha knight from one of her favorite romance novels, doing whatever he wanted, taking whatever he wanted…. Her face grew hot. No man had ever shown that thrilling but also kind of intimidating interest in her before.
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