Eden's Charms (17 page)

“For the record, I think Uncle Jonah likes you. You’re kindred spirits of sorts. You have the same lousy history. Brainwashed and bitten by bastards. He sees himself in you when he was younger.”

“That’s exactly what he said.”

After the waitress set down their plates, Ethan’s eyes grew wide with delight. A three-egg sausage, spinach and cheese omelet, home fries and rye toast, rested in front of him. Pancakes, dripping in warm maple syrup, whipped cream covering them like a snowy mountain and a large glass of chocolate milk waited for her. She dove into her stack, barely coming up for air.

“You’re not like most women,” Ethan mused as he watched her food disappear. “Most women are petrified to eat in front of a man on their first date.”

“Well this isn’t a date and I’m hungry and I don’t care what you think of me. Women should go to the gym more, then they wouldn’t worry about their weight and the exercise is good for them and speeds up their metabolism so they
can
eat like this. Which is where I should be in one hour.” With the mention of that Savanah yawned, wide and long.

“Come on, sweet cheeks, I’ll take you home and tuck you in.”

“You can take me home and that’s it.”

Ethan dropped his chin into his palms and gazed up to Savanah. “How did your parents meet?”

“Random! Why would you, of all people care?” Ethan’s hurt glare made her want to kick herself. The man had been nothing but honest with her this morning and for the most part a true gentleman, other than the car door getting opened. “I’m sorry—again. Ethan, I don’t know how to take you. You show up in our lives with the vilest of intents and now you’re living under our roof, and I’m sitting here having breakfast with you? My father got turned because of you.” She squinted and a tired little tear rolled off her cheek. She swiped at it. “Sorry. It makes no sense to me that my parents are allowing you to breathe, let alone stay in our home.”

“Me either. And have you noticed the way everyone looks at me? I feel like a freakin’ ghost. Come on.” Ethan got up and threw a wad of bills onto the table.

Savanah glanced at the amount of money and then back to Ethan. “You’re one hell of a tipper.”

“Oh, have I got some tips for you!” He held the door to the restaurant for her. As he approached his car he stroked the side in passing, wiping off someone’s fingerprints before stopping and grabbing her door.

Savanah smiled, but this time walked to his side of the car and opened the driver’s door.

“
Absolutely not
. You are so not driving. You’d still be blowing the top off the breathalyzer.”

“Not me. I’m opening the door for you this time.” Savanah motioned her hand to his seat. Ethan stood there with his mouth slightly ajar before getting behind the wheel.

Stopped at the corner of Washington Street and Broadway for a group of late-night-early-morning partiers zigzagging their way across the road, Savanah pulled her feet up onto the seat and told him the love story between her parents.

Without thinking twice, Ethan knocked her feet off the fine leather upholstery. He shot her the evil eye toward her feet on his new baby. “How long before they fell in love and had sex?”

“Ethan!” She choked. “That’s none of your business. Why?”

“I just wondered how long before you and I…”

“You’ll turn a ripe shade of blue before that happens. And I don’t mean your face.” She nodded toward his loins. “My parents actually liked each other, had respect for each other, and it was love at first sight. They were together three days and then apart nearly four years, because of a cruel vampire.”

“Of course,” he teased. “What else would ever get in the way of
twoo luv
?” He laughed.

“I get it. Billy Crystal in the
Princess Bride
. Great imitation. You even resemble,
the old wizard
.” From the corner of her eye, she saw him quick peek in his rear view mirror, and she had to bite her cheeks to not laugh. “Actually, my great aunt got in their way. My Uncle Lucian told me she had both female and male sex organs, a hermaphrodite.”

Ethan tried to peek under the skirt Savanah wore. “Genetics, shit. I hope it doesn’t run in the family.” Savanah tried to slap his hand away, but he caught her and held on. “I know you have feelings for me, Savanah. I’ll work on the other stuff, but I know there’s something there.”

Savanah fought for her hand. “Which one of your deranged personalities told you that? Me, myself or I? Me—the one who sits there and tries to act so cute and innocent? Or myself—the one who has excuses for each day of the week, or I—I am God. I am handsome, irresistibly charming… I, Ethan, can get you into bed, Savanah.” She raised her eyebrows to him, waiting for his rebuttal.

“Definitely, I will get you into bed, and you’ll be rather pleased with the outcome. I will be the last man you ever invite into your bedchamber!”

Somehow, she had no doubt he told her the truth. She leaned across his seat, getting kissably-close to his lips and whispered, “It’s on.”

It took his every ounce of self-restraint he owned not to close the distance to those luscious lips of hers. Less than a breath away, he asked, “What’s on?”

“The bet, you loony tune.”

“One week tops and you’re mine, but, Savanah, you can’t fight me if you really want me, just to win.”

“Oh Ethan, you’re so going to owe me.”

“What’s the bet for?”

“This little car.” Savanah smiled, as she rifled through the dashboard glove box. “All this junk will have to go,” she said with a wicked sexy grin plastered across her face.

“You’re insane. You really don’t play fair do you?”

“No one said life is fair, baby.” She turned her blue almost black eyes on Ethan, and he caught his breath. She blew him a kiss with her perfectly heart-shaped lips, and his dick went solid. He prayed she didn’t notice.

She prayed he didn’t notice her staring.

Parking the car in the lower lot of the rose garden, the two of them snuck in the back door, took their shoes off and padded across the kitchen floor in stocking feet, trying to be as stealthy as the plane itself. Reaching the stairs from the kitchen, they quickly realized they hadn’t squeaked in under the radar. Heading up the angry lynch mob, stood André, holding all of Savanah’s clothing, undergarments dangling from his knotted, angry, fingers. Jovan perched behind him and Julian brought up the rear.

Ethan burst out laughing, knowing everyone thought the absolute worst. “You three look like the
Mod Squad.
Mike, Julie and Linc. Ya know, with the exception that Linc was this really cool African-American dude, and Julian is just beastly—I bet shirts have to be made special order to fit that massive set of shoulders.”

Savanah gave Ethan an unhealthy glare.

Ethan crossed his eyes. “I’ll shut up now.”

Mortified, Savanah prattled, “Papa, I promise—it’s not what you’re thinking.”

“Really? Because right now, little girl,” her father’s voice rose in octaves, “it’s not looking all that promising.”

“Papa, how old am I? Shouldn’t I be allowed to date a man without you breathing fear down his neck?”

Each one of them answered a collective, “No.”

Ethan peered over her shoulder. “Ah! So it was a date after all.”

Savanah swung around and put her finger to his mouth to shush him, trying to look stern. He returned her gaze playfully and Savanah lost out, smiling. “It was not a date. We had breakfast. Harmless, Pops,” she said turning back to her parents.

“I swear, André, on your daughter’s behalf, she behaved.”

“It’s not her I’m worried over, Ethan. And you still haven’t answered me about these?” He shook her pink rhinestone string-of-a-thing in her face.

Savanah snatched her undergarment midair from her father’s hand, turned and walked away.

“Savanah, you didn’t answer me.”

“Come on, Mr. Kitt. I’m going to the gym to work off my breakfast and some anger. Today seems to be starting where last night ended.”

Ethan shrugged his shoulders in the general vicinity of the
triad of justice
and turned, following happily on Savanah’s heels.

As soon as Savanah and he were out of everyone’s hearing range, he offered, “Savanah, I’ve got a better way for you to work off your frustration and breakfast.”

Savanah took in his brilliant smile and wanted him all over again. “Yeah, Ethan, I’m sure you do,” she teased, as she ran her finger from his abdomen to his chin and stopped just before his lips.

Ethan grabbed her hand. “You’ve a one track mind woman. That idea never crossed my mind.”

“Liar.”

“All right, so maybe it did, but I’m thinking more along the lines of going up.” Ethan pointed his finger skyward. “Let’s go to the airport. I’ll take you for a tour. We can go anywhere you want for lunch and dinner. My treat. I’ll even let you play with my joy stick.”

“See, I knew that’s why you wanted me to go.”

“Could you for one second get your mind out of the gutter? I know it’s impossible to do this with me standing here in front of you,” Ethan chuckled, “but I call my controls on my dash board my joy sticks, because flying just does it for me. One-track mind. Yep!”

Savanah tugged at her hand, but he brought it to his lips while he gazed into her eyes. Once she smiled, he kissed each finger and then worked his way up her arm. His lips nibbled on her neck.

“Now who is it with the one track mind?” Savanah turned away from Ethan, afraid of her feelings for the man. A large vacant hole sat where her self-confidence once resided. She’d declared herself a failure in love and wasn’t too keen on proving herself right yet again, but this man tested her, made her want to take chances, to live, to love.

“I’d love some jambalaya. A frosty hurricane drink and for dessert, a
beignet
or two.”

“
Café du Monde
it is. Your flight will depart when you are packed. Would you care to spend the evening in the French Quarter or return home? Before you jump to any conclusions, I’m asking because I need to have a flight plan, not to get you alone in a hotel room. That’ll come soon enough.”

“You are too cocky for your own good.” Savanah looked around her room, nervous, anticipating the day. “We can come home tonight if it’s not too much trouble. I don’t want you tired and passing out, leaving me to play with your little stick.”

Ethan’s eyes lit up. “Trust me, Savanah, if you play with my joy stick, I promise I won’t pass out. And it’s not little, not by a long shot.”

Savanah couldn’t wait to find out. “I’m going to shower and get ready first. I won’t be long.”

“I thought you did that before we went out for breakfast. What took you so long then?”

“I sat on the other side of the door debating whether or not to join you. For the record, I’m glad I did. Won’t be long.” The door to the bathroom closed.

Ethan made himself at home on her bed, and closed his eyes with a smile on his lips.

With her cell phone ringing, and Ethan not answering it, Savanah crawled out from her warm, steamy retreat, wrapped her body in a big, white towel and opened the door. A cool blast of air swarmed her. The phone bellowed away right next to Ethan’s head, without so much as a twitch from him. Was he deaf? Or quite possibly her father snuck in and off’d him. She impatiently waited to see the rise and fall of his chest. With the flare of his nostrils, she answered the phone. “Shit,” she said perturbed, when she noticed the time. Ten o’clock. Mr. Colwell was punctual if nothing else. “Hello, this is Savanah.”

“Miss Savanah, I’m sorry to bother you, dear, but something dreadful has happened.” Savanah sat on the bed and shoved Ethan out of her way. She slumped beside him, pulled her knees to her chest to brace herself for whatever the museum curator offered. She’d had so much fun all morning with Ethan she’d completely forgotten about the call.

“Spill ’em.”

“Your display at the museum has been cancelled.”

“What—why—who? What the f—?” Savanah screamed into the cell.

Ethan jumped as if ice had been poured down his shorts. “What is it?” he asked. Savanah shoved her hand in his face abruptly.

“A good morning to you too,” got tossed at her. Ethan ruffled her hair.

Savanah grabbed his hand, in no mood for games. “Who pulled the plug? Is it that slime-ball Radcliff? He’s doing this to get back at me for the injunction right?”

Mr. Colwell interrupted, “Miss Savanah, it wasn’t him, dear. All your relics have been stolen. The museum was vandalized late last night.”

Tears filled Savanah’s eyes. Ethan looked helpless at his new friend? Girlfriend? Soon to be girlfriend? Hopefully soon to be under him, begging him to take her,
roll-in-the-hay
friend? Wife? What?
He reached for a box of tissues and handed her one, wondering who the hell Radcliff was.

“More,” she said gruff, pointing to the box. “Oh, I cannot believe all my work is gone. Was anyone hurt?”

“I dare say all your treasures are lost. Even your prized possession, the casket is gone.”

“Shit no! Don’t even tell me that old bag of bones is still flying high and wanted his bed back.”

“I’ve never heard it put quite like that before, Miss, but that is the general assumption. We have the I-PEON’s searching, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

“Those morons? I wouldn’t either.”

“To answer your question, two guards were killed last night. Vampire attacks. Our guards were taken to the morgue and disposed of.”

“Lovely term that, Mr. Colwell. Disposed of? Like they were trash? They were humans, men with families.”

“Not after they were bitten, dear. You—better than anyone should know they become monsters. You’ve unearthed them.”

Savanah hung up the phone swearing, “You’re a giant ass, Colwell,” before she sent the phone into the wall again. She warned Ethan, “Don’t you dare get up and bring it back to me this time.”

Ethan didn’t budge. “Do you want to talk?” he asked concerned for her obvious state of dismay.

“That man dismissed two guards killed last night as monsters because they were bitten by vampires.” Savanah threw her hands wildly in the air. “When are people going to learn not all vamps are evil? Are all humans evil because a few are serial killers or rapists? It’s so—so—I forgot the word I need.”