Witches of Three_Seraphina (8 page)

The doorbell rang, and she hobbled to answer.

“My god, you’re even more beautiful,” he said, staring at her with shiny eyes.

In fact, his gaze was so intent she blushed and looked away. She would have liked nothing more than to throw off her new finery and entice him to bed, but she was going to play it his way for now. She was sure a reward awaited her before the night was over.

“Close your mouth,” she said, laughing at him.

He looked as if he wanted to devour her, and she wanted to be devoured, but for now, she was in the mood to go out on the town. This was kind of fun.

“Do you have a wrap?” Jack asked.

“Do I need one?”

“Not really,” he answered. “It’s just that this is a little fancy for Sam’s Joint.”

“Do you want me to change?” She shook her hips a little bit and smiled at him.

“God, no!” he breathed and took hold of her arm.

She hobbled along beside him until he glanced at her, in which case, she used her witchy powers and moved along just above the cement.

“Those shoes make you so much taller,” he said, and he didn’t seem displeased.

“What’s wrong with short?” she challenged, suddenly sorry she’d gone to all the trouble.

“Not a darn thing,” he said, helping her into the car. “I like short, especially when it’s packaged in a sexy female body. God, you smell good.” His grin was so boyish, so eager that her good humor was restored.

Once they’d entered the restaurant, Sera was pretty sure a lot of diners would have whiplash from turning to stare at her. The women were frowning, their husbands were gawking, and she thought of saying something like, ‘don’t hate me because I’m beautiful’, but that would only make them hate her worse. So she followed the waiter to their table, taking great care to strut, knowing Jack, who was following her, had an excellent view of her undulating hips. As they were seated, she noted that his face was flushed and his eyes gleamed with a hard, bright light that sent her temperature up a whole bunch of notches. She made her smile lazy and sensuous and raked one fingertip across the top of her sequined bodice, just in case he hadn’t noticed her décolletage. His expression showed he had.

“You’re a tease,” he growled, leaning closer to her.

“
Moi
?” she asked, raising one eyebrow.

“Behave,” he admonished. “So I can get through this damned dinner.”

“But you wanted to go out,” she said innocently. “You were tired of staying at home with me. Maybe you were even growing tired of me?” She ended her words on a throaty note and saw the surprise in his eyes.

“Are you kidding?” he asked, obviously shocked by her suggestion.

Sera’s ego soared. She liked this game between men and women. She wasn’t as inept as she’d thought herself to be. She placed her hand over his and let her fingers caress his palm. He drew in his breath and clasped her hand in his. He looked around like a man looking for an escape route, but the waiter appeared out of nowhere to deposit menus and take their drink orders. They were committed.

When they were alone again, Jack took her hand once more and leaned closer. “I love that perfume,” he muttered. “It gets all tangled up in a man’s senses.”

She smiled, mysteriously she hoped.

“You look gorgeous.”

His hand brushed across the top of her shoulders, sending delicious shivers down her body. She wasn’t sure what she drank or ate or even if she did. Every thought and response was pinned on Jack, and he seemed to be the same way toward her. They could have saved the cost of an expensive meal and stayed home. Then the band began to play, and suddenly she wanted to dance. Jack seemed to read her mind because he pulled her to her feet and led her to the floor.

The music had a slight Latino beat, and they swayed to its gentle rhythm until the tempo changed and took on a bold sound that demanded they follow. Sera lost herself in the dance, twirling and wriggling her hips, while the short skirt flared around her. She couldn’t walk in those damn high heels, but she could certainly dance in them. Jack guided her around the floor, and she followed, her arms raised gracefully above her head, her feet flashing, legs pumping and her torso twisting to the beat. Jack kept up with her, supporting her dance steps, whirling with her, catching her when she needed him. They danced as one, and when the music stopped, they stood in the middle of the floor, bodies taut and arched like two bullfighters facing off.

Jack’s eyes glinted with a special light that sent her blood boiling through her veins. All around them, people clapped, making Sera aware of their audience. She stepped back, swishing her skirt dramatically as she circled Jack. He faced away from her, watching her out of the corners of his eyes. Grabbing her hand, he swung her around and pulled her tightly against him then walked from the floor. Her slick high heels glided along the floor. At the table, he released her and held her hand elegantly while she sank into a chair. The air around them was electric, and she shivered. Jack’s gaze held hers, and she wanted nothing more than to be at home in her bed, with Jack beside her and in her. She could tell by his expression that was what he wanted too. She was going to suggest they leave when two familiar voices hailed her.

“Sera, baby, we didn’t know you were here,” Phil called, rushing up.

“Wow, how did you learn to dance like that?” Charlie demanded right behind. They might have been speaking to their youngest sister, but their gazes were pinned on Jack.

“Hello, I’m Charlie, Sera’s sister and you’re—I don’t believe I caught your name.” Charlie held out her hand so no one could ever ignore her.

“Jack Trent,” he said and took her hand with far more alacrity than Sera would have imagined.

How dare her sisters show up like this, pretending not to know the man she was with. It was because of them and their interference that Jack was in her life.

“This is our other sister, Philomena or Phil as she prefers to be called,” Charlie was explaining.

“We’re so glad to meet you,” Phil gushed. “This is my husband, Beck, and this is Charlie’s spouse, Nick Hilliard.” She glanced at Sera, her eyes bright with curiosity.

“I hope you’ll excuse us, we were just on our way to the ladies’ room.”

“Sera, you want to go too, don’t you?” Charlie said, taking her hand and yanking her forward. “We’ll be right back, gentlemen. Order more drinks.”

Sera had no chance to object as she was hustled along to the private lounge for ladies. Once inside, they closed the door and turned on her.

“Where did you find such a gorgeous man?” Charlie demanded.

“And what have you done to yourself?” Phil asked, waving at Sera’s outfit. “And why does that dress look so familiar?”

“That’s the one you put me in when Nick came to your house that first time,” Charlie said.

“That’s right!” Phil looked at Sera. “You sly little fox. You wanted to put her in loafers and plaid skirts. Now look at you.”

“Just leave me alone,” Sera said, making a slashing motion. “You know very well you’re behind all this. You sent Jack to me the night of Charlie’s wedding.”

“What do you mean?” Charlie demanded, her eyes wide and innocent.

“Oh, don’t act as if you don’t know what I’m talking about,” Sera sneered. “You know he’s an Incubus, and you set it up for him to come to my house and pretend to be a plumber.”

Phil and Charlie exchanged puzzled glances, mouths open. “We don’t know what you’re talking about,” they said in unison.

“Sure, you don’t,” Sera said scornfully. “I knew from the very beginning what you’d done. I told you not to interfere with my life, but no, you had to do something for poor little Sera.”

“We haven’t meddled,” Phil said blankly. “You told us not to, and we talked it over and decided to give you a little more time. Charlie was busy with her honeymoon and Beck and I…” She paused and flushed. “Well, we’re trying to make a baby, so we’ve been kind of preoccupied.”

“What liars! Shame on you!” Sera snapped.

“Seriously,” Charlie said. “I haven’t given you a thought for the past couple of weeks. Besides, you don’t need our help if you can find guys like him. He’s yummy, not as yummy as Nick, but still, he’s awesome.”

Sera looked at her sisters. They were interfering and bossy and unstoppable when they made up their minds, but she could never remember their lying to her before. Now, they met her gaze head-on and slowly shook their heads.

“Then who… Where did Jack come from?” Sera asked.

“That’s what we’d like to know,” Phil chortled. “He’s gorgeous, not as gorgeous as Beck, of course.”

“I know, I know, not as gorgeous or manly as Beck or Nick, but the next best.”

Her sisters nodded and smiled happily.

“Grab him, baby. He’s too good to let get away.”

“Grab him,” Sera said, her anger rising. “I’m going to grab him and stuff him in the nearest trashcan.”

Chapter Eight

She’d been tricked. She wasn’t sure by whom, but by someone. She refused to think it might have been by her own imagination. She pushed through the swinging door into the restaurant and stalked to the table where the three men were seated. Even in her anger, she noted that the three guys were talking easily as if they were already becoming friends, and of the three of them, Jack stood out heads above the other two, no matter what her sisters said.

She pushed her admiration aside and thought about the fool she’d made of herself over and over again, believing Jack was an Incubus. He must think she was a kook. Still, he’d stuck around. He’d come back time and again to be with her. She should be happy, and she was, just not right this minute. Not when she had a lot of questions that had to be answered like,
who
the hell was Jack Trent?

Was he a plumber as he’d claimed the first time she’d found him in her kitchen? Maybe, maybe not. Some things just hadn’t added up but, lost in the shivery excitement of great sex with an incredibly handsome man, and her own misconception that he was an Incubus sent by her sisters, she’d ignored the discrepancies. Now she slid into a chair next to Jack, moistened her lips, leaned forward so her breasts plumped up over the low cut dress and fixed him with the sexiest smile she could manage. She was going for ‘blister-the-skin-off-his-body’ sexy.

It must have worked because he glanced at her with a smile and looked away until the image reached his brain. He jerked his head back to look at her, and she saw that familiar flare in the depths of his gaze.

Oh yes, he got the message.

She was one hot sexy babe, and he was thinking home and bed right this minute. But she had something else in mind. She leaned forward, letting her breast brush against his arm.

“Has Jack told you he’s a plumber?” she asked Beck.

“No kidding,” Beck said. “I’m looking for a good plumber. I’ve been doing a lot of updating on an old Victorian. I can do the building and finishing, but I’m out of my league when it comes to plumbing. Could you take us on?”

“Uh, we’re booked up pretty far,” Jack hedged. “I’d have to check our schedule.”

“We can wait,” Beck said. “We’ve made do until now so a few weeks more won’t make a difference. We want someone we can trust and who knows what he’s doing.”

“Then, you’ll want my brother, Bart,” Jack said evasively.

“Do you have a card?” Beck asked.

“Uh, not on me,” Jack said, fiddling with his glass, making wet circles on the tabletop.

“That’s all right. I’ll look you up in the book,” Beck said amiably.

Jack’s expression looked pained.

“Look, you’re better off to just get another plumber. Sorry.” Nervously, he picked up his glass and took a long swig of beer. Why should he be so nervous, Sera wondered, and so evasive if his brother really was a plumber? The answer came to her in a flash.

Because he wasn’t a plumber!

He’d lied, but what did he do and why had he been in her house that night she first saw him? She wanted answers, and she was determined that before the night was over, Jack Trent would be spilling his guts. She smiled at him again, letting her eyelashes dip so she was viewing him through slitted eyes. He might not be an Incubus, but she was still a witch. An ordinary man didn’t stand a chance.

He picked up his glass and took another swallow, avoiding her eyes. She looked at him adoringly. Never had a man appeared so wide-eyed, deer-caught-in-a-headlight, and though she was in no way an expert with men, even she could see he was lying. She studied him with a smoldering glance, and he laughed nervously and began to relax again, while she assessed everything about him, using her witchy powers without one ounce of hesitation. She’d been a good girl long enough. Mums, your innocent little baby girl has come of age with a bang.

She let her gaze slide over Jack, noting things about him with new eyes. Yes, he was incredibly handsome, that hadn’t changed, but in a different way from most men she’d met. He was in great condition, not run-of-the-mill, workout at the gym, but harder like Nick who used to be a police captain but had since become a lawyer. Come to think of it, Jack reminded her of Nick in a lot of ways—that self-contained air, the quiet, coiled strength, never flaunted but you were aware it was there, the vigilance, as if he was watching and weighing everything. Was he a policeman? Why would he hide that? And why would a policeman pretending to be a plumber be in her kitchen?

She studied him some more, the way he turned his head, cautious and alert. He sipped his beer, and to a casual observer, he might appear relaxed, but Sera could see the coiled tension, the wary alertness. He was a man who was hiding something. She was sure of it. She reached across the table toward him, and in so doing, knocked over his nearly full glass of beer. With a little help from her, it splattered his shirt and soaked his lap. Jack jumped to his feet.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, grabbing a paper napkin and swiping at his clad thighs with one hand while she lifted his wallet from his back pocket with the other. She hid it in the folds of her skirt.

“What a mess,” she said, swiping at her own dress although it had remained perfectly dry. “Excuse me, everybody, while I clean up.” Without waiting for a reply, she took off. She was barely inside the ladies’ lounge when her two sisters entered, their expressions avid.