by J. L. Weil
I don’t know what I expected a house of reapers to look like, but this was not it. This was normal. No creepy stairs. No dusty corners or giant cobwebs. No death chill in the air.
Zoe strutted down the hall with a sinister grin on her cherry lips. The color popped against her midnight hair and pearl white skin. “You’re still in one piece. Glad to see Zane kept his word.” She draped an arm around my shoulder, leading me the way she had come.
“Me too.” I still found it impossible to Zoe her as a reaper. Sure, she had a bad girl streak, but so did I. It was the black crow that flashed on the inside of her wrist that made it real.
“Mum is dying to meet you.” She acted like nothing awkward had happened, so I could only assume Zane had told no one what he had revealed.
I kind of wished he had. I didn’t trust my big mouth not to slip up. And plus then I would have someone else to interrogate and reinforce the truth—a truth my mind was still balking at. I had spent the last week poking holes in Zane’s story, unable to accept that the world was as black and white as I was raised to believe.
Now I was meeting the parents. Not just any ordinary parents. The Grim Reaper and his wife. Dun. Dun. Duuun!
My palms suddenly started to sweat. Holy fudge cake the size of my butt. What was I doing? But before I could overthink it, a woman with raven hair and dazzling blue eyes appeared around the corner. She was the same height as her mini-me daughter with a face makeup free, but she didn’t need it. I stood frozen like a deer in headlights.
She put her hands on my cheeks, placing a kiss on each one. “It’s nice to meet you, darling.”
My nerves were getting the best of me, my smile wavering. “Thank you for having me, Mrs. Hunter.”
“Call me Ivy.” She had more of a lilt to her tone than her children, and she smelled like jasmine. It was a calming scent. “You’re a gorgeous one, aren’t you? No wonder my boys are taken.”
I turned an ungodly shade of hot pink. “Not all of them.” My eyes drifted to a frowning Zane.
Her bracelets chimed as she waved a hand in the air, smiling fondly. “Don’t let his rough exterior fool you. Zane has the most heart out of the four.”
“Ma,” Zane complained.
She ignored him, looping an arm through mine, a gesture that reminded me of Zoe. She was the spitting image of her mom in both looks and mannerisms. Tiny crows feet appeared at the corners of Mrs. Hunter’s smile. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Starved. I haven’t had a decent meal since—” I stopped myself, unable to believe I had been about to mention my mom. There was something about Mrs. Hunter that made me forget the wall I kept up.
“Are you telling me they aren’t feeding you up at the big house?”
“It’s too rich for my taste.”
She laughed, hearty and light. “I bet Rose is in seventh heaven with you finally home. She might not show it, but that woman thrives on strife and scandal.”
I kept my face blank. Home? I didn’t want to read too much into what was probably an offhanded comment, but Raven Hallow was not my home, and saying so out loud, when they had graciously invited me into theirs just seemed rude. Strife and scandal, huh? Those were two things I could definitely deliver.
I lost track of Zane as his mom led me to the back of the house. Out of sight, out of mind. However, it wasn’t working. If anything, being in his home, I felt closer to him. Zoe was on the other side of her mom. As inconspicuously as I was capable, I checked out Mrs. Hunter’s wrists, searching for any sign of a mark.
None.
She was human?
Color me shocked.
Outside in the backyard, it smelled of barbeque chicken and baked beans, all the things I loved about summer. There was sun tea brewing in the heat on a brick paved patio.
Zander and Zach were seated at a wooden patio table large enough to feed an army, but I guess their family was like a small army. Zach tossed me a shit-eating grin like he had just pulled the prank of the century. And Zander…
This was the first time we’d seen each other since our date. Other than a few texts back and forth, we had made no plans to go out again. He smiled sweetly at me, and I returned his grin.
At the head of the table was a man with dark hair that had a dusting of white at his temples that carried into his trimmed beard.
I stopped breathing. This was Death. I was in the presence of the freaking Grim Reaper.
Gulp.
A chill flitted down my back. No surprise. He was the kind of guy I’d expect to put the fear of God into a person. Play it cool. Don’t embarrass yourself, Piper.
A near-impossible task when he just stared at me. I squirmed under his silver-eyed gaze, wondering if I had a booger hanging from my nose. Ay caramba. That would only happen to me.
“The resemblance is startling,” he said in a deep timber that rumbled his chest. He was a big, burly man, reminding me of a teddy bear. “You’ll have to forgive me. I wasn’t prepared for you to look just like her.”
He’d known my mom, that was evident, but the shock and fondness in his expression said he’d known her well. It was the first, and probably not the last, time I’d been told how much I looked like her. Still, it was a spike to the heart, a fresh, painful reminder that she was gone.
“It’s a compliment.” He scratched the end of his chin, eyeing me thoughtfully. “Tell me you brought an appetite. I am about to show these boys the art of grilling.”
A uniform snicker rolled around the table. “Dad, seriously, you’re only embarrassing yourself,” Zach said, grinning.
He winked at me. “Pay no attention to my ungrateful son. Actually, it is probably wise to stay away from them all. Zoe is the only angel in the lot.”
That brought on a new set of snorts.
Zoe beamed.
Zach placed his elbows on the table, steepling his hands together. “Dad is delusional.”
Silver eyes dancing, he said, “I doubt Piper wants to listen to our family drama.”
I cleared my throat. “Actually…” I did. Very much so.
Mr. Hunter grinned. “I like this girl.”
And that was pretty much how the night went, playful bickering and banter. Death was funny, warm, and had a deep belly laugh, all things you would pretty much expect Death not to be.
I loved him.
I loved them all.
Savoring my last bite of sweet and tangy chicken, the button on my shorts was threatening to come undone. It had been a long time since I’d had a home-cooked meal not prepared by me, and I stuffed myself to the point of near combustion. Should have worn elastic pants.
When Ivy offered a slice a pie, I regretfully declined.
“We are going to the docks to watch the fireworks. The island puts on quite an impressive display. You should come with us, if you don’t already have plans,” Zander offered.
None of the Hunters were quiet, but Zander was more reserve than the others. He had barely spoken two words to me since I arrived. It made me wonder if I had done something, or if he was more upset about the friend zone than I thought.
“Say you’ll stay?” Zoe pleaded in a sultry way that didn’t sound like a plea.
I had two options. I could go to the manor and watch the show from my empty, shell of a room, or I could stay. The answer was obvious. “I would love to.”
Fourth of July had always been a holiday I treasured. Sparklers. Smoke bombs. Unity. The Hunters’ family dynamic made me envious and a bit sad. I missed this, having a family, the togetherness. Mine was broken and distant. Being with Zoe and her family was liberating. I felt alive again, and I didn’t want that feeling to end, kind of a poetic justice.
I just had dinner with Death. How many people could say that? And I lived to tell about it.
Freaky.
The docks were only a few blocks south from the Hunters’ house. As we got up to leave, Zander was summoned by his father. I didn’t give it a second thought, because Zane was hovering over me.
His hand slipped under my elbow, slowing my pace. “We’ll catch up with you. Piper and I have unfinished business.”
Zoe turned around and winked. “I just bet you do. Don’t let Zander catch you.”
“This is my hilarious face,” Zane said flatly.
“Whatever,” Zach called as he walked backward in the direction of the water. “It’s your funeral.”
Zane’s lips quirked.
Funny, considering if he died, it could be one of his siblings reaping his soul. The thought of Zane dying filled me will terror, rising out of nowhere.
It was the coolness of his touched that pulled me from the darkness. “Hey, you okay?”
The chill that had trickled through me thawed. “Yeah,” I managed. As long as he kept touching me, I would be more than okay.
He cast his eyes downward, meeting mine. “I guess that was overwhelming, meeting my father.”
I pinched my index finger and thumb together so they barely touched. “Just a little. You didn’t tell them that I know the truth, did you?”
He dragged his fingers through his tousled hair. “No. Not yet.”
My heart turned over heavily. “Do you regret telling me?”
Zane’s shoulders relaxed as he let out a resigned sigh. “I should, but…I don’t.”
“Is it really that bad that I know?” I asked, not even realizing I had been leaning toward him.
We were in his driveway, shaded by a thick oak tree. “Depends who you ask. But don’t ask anyone,” he added as an afterthought.
“I kind of figured that out on my own, genius.”
He lowered his chin, the sparkle that had been there for a brief second fizzled. “For both of our safety, we need to be honest with each other.”
“I’m in danger, aren’t I?” I barely breathed.
He watched me intently as he spoke. “You’ve been in danger since you stepped foot on this island.”
I rubbed my heart, but it did little to ease the ache that had started to take up residence. “I don’t understand. Who would want to harm me? Harm my family? I have a younger brother to take care of.”
“You forget I have a sister.”
“And a pack of hot brothers to look out for her.” I closed my eyes unable to believe that had come out of my mouth. I really needed to work on my filter around this guy. It was sad.
“You think my brothers are hot?”
Duh. “That’s not the point.”
He blinked, and I told myself to not get swept away by the intense color forming in his eyes. “So, I can assume you also think I’m hot.”
I made a noncommittal sound. “Like you need me to tell you that you are incredibly good looking.”
A devious grin swooped over his lips. “You’re right. I don’t. But I am the better looking one, right?”
I rolled my eyes, done stroking his ego. He had enough puffery to last him for the next decade. How had this conversation gotten so bizarro? For the sake of my heart, I needed to steer us back onto safe ground. “But you have power. Why would you need to protect Zoe?”
He leaned against a car in his driveway. “Have you met Zoe?”
“Good point.”
His eyes were sheltered, making it hard to read his emotions. “With all power comes responsibility, Princess.”
I hopped on the hood of the car, grinning. “You stole that from Spider-Man.”
Lips curled, he shifted his body to the side, his chest brushing my arm. “Doesn’t make it any less true.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “Do you ever have fun with your power, or is it all just angst and business?”
“What do you know of fun?” There was a playfulness lighting his irises.
My emotions were all over the place, zinging and sending warning signals to my brain. I ignored them. “I invented fun. If you look up fun in the dictionary, it says Piper Brennan.”
He laughed. The sound was darkly lyrical. “You are so lame.”
“Yeah, well, at least I’m not boring.”
“I’ve never really liked dull girls anyway,” he said, brushing the hair off my shoulder.
I laughed. “Dull, I am not.”
His eyes flashed. “Your dimple deepens when you laugh. It’s damn sexy and very distracting.”
“I hate to be disruptive,” I said, flirting with danger.
I could just make out the darkening around his eyes as he leaned forward. “I can’t stop thinking about you. You shouldn’t be on my mind at all.”
Those unearthly veins the color of ink encircled his eyes. They should have scared me. Instead, I found them hot—damn hot. My blood was humming, and I couldn’t have made myself pull away, even if the earth was crashing down around us.
We were cheek-to-cheek. I felt him inhale, and then slowly exhale, the warmth of his breath fanning my skin. “You smell of the ocean and lilies. Why am I drawn to you?”
In that moment, I would have given my left arm to know how it would feel to have his soft lips pressed to mine. Just once.
But every fiber in my being told me once would never be enough when it came to kissing Zane Hunter. He was the kind of guy that would never stop with just a kiss.
And that was fine by me.
Chapter 16
He snatched me off the hood of the car so fast that I was still blinking when his arms came around me, his fingers splaying along my lower back.
“What the hell do you think—?”
That was it. My brain clicked off the moment his mouth clamped over mine. Those lush lips ground my mind into mush, and I was helpless to do anything but simply stand there and kiss him.
He should have tasted prickly and sour.
Oh but, he was damn sweet.
When my lips opened on a sigh, he dived right in—wanting much more. Not that I blamed him. He pulled me closer so our bodies became one shadow on the pavement. Sensations swarmed my system in an emotional overdrive, tiny bolts of pleasure spearing through my body from my head to my toes.
Holy hot lava.
There was something different about this kiss, about how he made me feel. Outrageously unique—like Zane himself.
I swore I heard him curse before he changed angles, teeth scraping over the bottom of my lip, and I almost let a whimper of bliss escape. My mind still couldn’t process that he was kissing me, that I was letting him devour me.
The simplicity of a kiss filled a basic need, except there was nothing simple about this kiss. How could it be simple when I was glowing from the inside out, excitement and unease dancing together along my skin? I might have fantasized a time or two about my first kiss with Zane, but sweet baby Jesus, the real deal surpassed any fantasy I could dream up.
I managed to wiggle my hands out from our smashed bodies and dove them into the silky strands of his hair. I had to be out of my mind getting mixed up with a guy like Zane. Really, other than a summer fling, what more could we have? I wasn’t staying; this wasn’t my home. Not to mention, he was a weapon of death. Any relationship we had was doomed, but not even the prospect of our downfall could diminish the power of his lips.
His hands slid down my back and over my hips. Soft lips, firm body, skilled technique, and just a hint of mint on his tongue tangling with mine, that was what he offered. I felt myself sinking. All those awful thoughts I’d ever had about Zane, his rude behavior, all of it just disappeared. Poof. With his lips on mine, and his hands roaming over my curves, I only had impure thoughts.
His fingers skirted along the edge of my shorts, skimming my flesh. I murmured his name. And if we didn’t part soon, things were going to escalate to an indecent level. Technology saved the day.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, humming between us. The vibrations were like an earthquake, jarring me back to reality. He eased back a little, so our eyes met. Clarity broke through the haze of sexual tension, and just as quick as he had me in his arms, I was not.
Falling back onto the car, I lost my balance, and if I hadn’t im
mediately missed the feel of his arms, I would have been seriously irked, but I was too stunned by what had transpired between us. Black lines spread out under his eyes, trailing down his cheeks. They made him hotter. I wanted to reach out, pull him back to me.
The phone buzzed again. Retrieving it from the back pocket of my shorts, I thought about tossing it across the yard until I saw Parker’s name across the screen. My heart sunk, reality crashing down around me.
“Let me guess. It’s your boyfriend?” Zane sneered, seeing my face fall.
I stared at the screen. “He’s just a friend.”
“You sure about that?” He couldn’t hide the jealousy burning in his unnatural eyes.
“Don’t make me vomit. One kiss doesn’t entitle you to pass judgment. What, am I not allowed to have a boy for a friend?” I snapped.
His eyes darkened to sapphires. “It complicates things.”
“Whatever.” I shook my head. I could not believe we were going to fight after sharing the most mind-blowing kiss of my life. “This is a stupid conversation. I’m not dating anyone, so can we talk about something else?” Or not talk at all, I silently added, my eyes shifting to his lips.
“Do you want a boyfriend?” His hand shot out, tucking a piece of loose hair behind my ear.
I stepped back, needing distance. “My life is too messy and complicated for a relationship.” I would just screw it up somehow.
Challenge glinted in his eyes. “I bet I could change your mind.”
What was going on? I angled my head, folding my arms. “This isn’t a game.”
“If you say so, but if it were…” He sent me a panty-dropping grin. “I’d win.”
I couldn’t prevent the heat from sweeping across my face. Damn him. “We should probably go.”
He rocked back on his heels. “You’re probably right. We wouldn’t want to miss the fireworks.”
I coughed.
We’d already made our own fireworks, but I didn’t think it was wise to point that out. His eyes still shone with a glint of disorder. With just the right push, I knew we could be right back where we had been moments ago, his tongue sweeping through my mouth. It would have been a hell of a grand finale.
