by Peter Glenn
Fortunately, she didn’t seem to notice. She was busy trying to get the lid off the pho container. With a little effort, she managed the task and set the lid down on the coffee table.
“Didn’t you say this was a delicacy? Now it’s common? I’m confused.”
“Sort of a delicacy,” I explained. “The food itself is actually kind of commonplace, but where I got this pho precisely is a really well known shop that’s world renowned for its fusion cuisine.”
“Ah.” She took a big whiff of the container’s contents and smiled. “That smells heavenly.” She dipped in her spoon and took a drink of the broth. “And it tastes good, too. You’re right, this is amazing.”
“Thanks!” I said. Then I clapped my hand over my mouth again. “I mean, it’s my pleasure,” I blurted out as fast as I could.
LaLuna giggled. “It’s okay, Damian, I won’t hold you to that contract.” She ruffled my hair a little. “Or who knows, maybe I will.” She raised her brow suggestively.
“Ooh,” I moaned.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the partially open door to her bedroom. My eyes trailed over there for a second, then snapped back to LaLuna’s. She nodded at me with a slight grin.
It was a tempting offer. We hadn’t reached that point in the relationship yet, but I did want to. Oh, did I want to. Of course, I was also starving, and LaLuna wasn’t kidding that my stomach always came first.
The two thoughts warred in my head for a moment; food or sex? Sadly, food won. I wasn’t quite ready to broach that other subject with her just yet. Not with my mother so fresh on my mind. The last thing I wanted was to think of my mother during a moment of passion. Even just the thought of that happening made me shiver.
“Maybe after lunch,” I offered. I popped the lid off my own container and took a bite of the noodles. “Oh, that is good.”
LaLuna looked a little deflated, but she took a bite of her own, and that seemed to mollify things.
“So, where did you get this exactly?” She took another big bite, this time of the meat, chewing it loudly.
“Pho ‘Que.”
“Excuse me?” Her face reddened and she backed away a bit.
“No, no, not... not the swear word!” I protested. I’d almost forgotten the restaurant’s name was a play on words. “Nothing like that. It’s the name of the place I bought the food. They make pho and barbeque smashed together. It’s fusion cuisine, combining pho noodles and broth with smoked meats to make one-of-a-kind dishes. The place is called Pho ‘Que.”
LaLuna’s shoulders lost their tension and her cheeks flushed. “Oh. Of course.” She put a hand on her chest. “I’m sorry, I overreacted.”
I waved at her dismissively. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” I turned my attention back to the food. “This one has sliced brisket in a smoky, garlicy beef bone broth with bok choy and noodles. It’s their highest-selling dish.”
“Ooh.” She blew on her spoon and took another bite. “I can see why. It’s really good.”
We sat and ate silently for a few moments then, just enjoying being close to one another and the amazing food. Pho ‘Que’s pho really was top notch. And now that they’d forgotten about the little incident where I’d shoved an immortal warrior through their window at dinner time, I could finally visit there again.
It was a win-win.
“So tell me more about this case of yours,” LaLuna said, placing her container of pho down on the coffee table. I glanced at it and saw that it was still about half full. Given how large their containers were, that was actually pretty good. “And why it’s bothering you so much.”
“Oh, yeah,” I said, my mind jarring back to the events of the last day. “The case.”
I took in a deep breath and told her all about it, sparing no detail of the grisly murder or the bloody crime scene. I knew she could handle it, so I was very detailed in my description. I ended the tale a moment later and set my own pho down, settling back against the couch a little. It really was a nice couch. Mei really knew how to furnish a place. If I ever got the money, I’d have her redo my apartment sometime, too.
“And that’s it, really,” I finished, letting out a long breath.
“Poor Daequan. Poor Charmaine.”
I nodded. “Indeed. It’s terrible how they’ve railroaded him. And all for being the wrong race at the wrong time.”
“Oh, for sure.”
A long sigh escaped my lips. “I read in the paper this morning they’re planning to expedite his trial, and they’re seeking the death penalty. It’s… really not looking that good for him.”
LaLuna changed up her position on the couch so she was facing me more directly. “I’m sorry, Damian. I can see why this would be troubling you so much.”
She reached forward and gently caressed my cheek with her hand. Her touch on my skin was like fire. So far different from that of the vampire I’d spent most of the last day with. So warm. So caring. So inviting, and even a little thrilling.
A warm smile played out across LaLuna’s face. “Come here.” She leaned forward just a little. “Let me help you forget all about it for a little while.”
Just like that, she kissed me. Her lips were soft and warm, warmer than her hand had been, and tasted slightly of smoked brisket, which only made the kiss that more enticing. Food and a good woman at the same time was quite the arousing mix.
My worries melted away as I leaned into the kiss, holding onto it for as long as I could. Her lips parted slightly, and our tongues met, wet and searching, hungering for one another as my hands slipped around her waist, pulling her in closer.
She lowered her hands as well, and we embraced as tightly as we could until I swore we were almost one being, our lips never leaving each other as we slowly moved our hands up and down each other’s torsos, each touch generating another pulse of heat and desire.
I felt the edge of her bra, and I moved my hand up just a little more, my hands desperate for the smooth, supple skin underneath. With my other hand, I maneuvered around to her back where I tried, quite unsuccessfully, to unhook her bra.
Seriously, why did these things have to be so complicated?
LaLuna used one of her own hands to help me with the last little bit, and finally, it was free. My hand glided over her soft, bare breast, and I fingered the nipple gently with my finger and thumb. I heard LaLuna moan a little as I moved my fingers in little circles.
Yes. She wanted me, and I wanted her. It was time. I pushed her shirt up a little further and tried to shove it off her without breaking our kiss, failing badly. Eventually, we broke the embrace and she took her shirt off the rest of the way, and I mine, then we kissed once more, each breath coming in hotter and hotter as we moved with one another’s bodies, my bare skin brushing up against hers in a hot, tempting embrace.
That’s when Grace’s cry split the air, long and shrill, signaling that she needed attention.
“Sorry,” LaLuna muttered. She kissed me one more time, then she broke the embrace and stood up as Grace’s cries got louder and louder.
“It’s okay,” I said, a hint of longing still in my voice.
Damn, but that kid’s timing was terrible. We’d been this close.
“I just… I have to put her back to sleep and then we can continue… this.”
LaLuna eyed me up and down with a sultry gaze, her vision settling on my pants where part of me still stirred, practically begging for her to come back. She gave me a wry grin, then reached for her shirt and put it back on while she made her way over to Grace’s room.
“Wait!” I called after her, getting my shirt back on, as well. “I’ll come with you!”
She waved me off. “No, it’s okay. I don’t want to interrupt this any longer than I have to.”
“I hear that.” I sure didn’t want it to stop, either, but I also kind of wanted to see Grace. I’d taken quite a liking to her over my time with her, and I was curious as to how she was growing.
“But it’
s okay. I’ll come with you anyway. Then we can get back to… that.”
“We’d better.” LaLuna raised her eyebrows suggestively, and I could see her chest heaving a little as her breathing quickened.
I grinned back at her, then we both made our way over to Grace’s room. The room was simply adorned with a rocking chair, a changing table, and of course, a crib for baby Grace. LaLuna had done a little redecorating in here while I’d been gone, putting in new sheets and blankets and such.
Everything had a silvery sheen to it, and I could make out little crescent moons and the outline of stars on the blanket that was hanging on the side of the crib. The moon and stars were a baby blue, which looked really good against the shimmery, silver blanket.
And in the crib itself, screaming like her life depended on it, was little baby Grace.
“Oh, my,” I said, looking down at her. My lips cracked into a grin. “You’ve gotten bigger since I saw you last.” I turned to LaLuna. “May I?”
LaLuna nodded.
I reached into the crib and pulled Grace out. She was wearing pink jammies with a unicorn and a rainbow on the front. They were the zippered kind with little feeties at the bottom. I had to admit, it looked really good on her.
Grace stopped crying almost immediately upon me picking her up. She cooed at me, and I let her curl up in my arms where I rocked her back and forth. Her weight was a little more than I remembered.
“I swear, she’s grown like a pound since I saw her last,” I said, mostly to LaLuna.
LaLuna smiled at me and put a hand gently on Grace’s forehead. Soft, dark strands of hair were starting to grow on the top of her head. It looked like she’d have black hair. Which I supposed was fitting for an Unseelie fae. Not that I’d seen that many in my day, but black hair still seemed fitting somehow.
“She really has,” LaLuna said. “Haven’t you, my little princess?” She took the sleepy-looking Grace from my hands then, and hefted her in her hands a few times. Grace gave her a half smile, then went back to staring at me.
“Aww, she likes you,” LaLuna added.
“Well, of course she does,” I said, puffing out my chest. “I’m quite the lady killer you know.”
LaLuna giggled, and I joined in on the laughter. It felt good to laugh with her while talking about Grace. Normal in a way that I couldn’t quite describe, as I’d never been one to want children of my own. But looking at little Grace…
The baby let out another little wail, and LaLuna raised the baby’s butt to her nose. “Looks like someone’s stinky. Aren’t you, you little cutie?”
“Aww.” I made a frowny-face at the baby.
LaLuna got right to work, unzipping the jammies and getting the baby onto the table. “Toss me a diaper, won’t you?”
“Sure, where are they?”
“They’re over by the rocking chair in the little moon-themed bag.”
I scanned the room and found the object LaLuna had mentioned easily enough. I strode over there and hunted inside for a diaper that I swore would be way too big for little Grace, but I picked it up and gave it to LaLuna anyway.
“Are you sure this is the right size?” My face contorted into a look of confusion.
“Of course they are. I know how to handle a baby, Damian.” There was a hint of anger in her voice, but just a hint.
I backed away a half-step. “Sorry, it’s just… it’s hard to believe she’s already getting so much bigger, and it’s only been like a month, you know?”
LaLuna barked out a laugh. “Don’t I know it.” She finished the deed with practiced ease and zipped Grace back up, then turned around to show her to me. “See? All done.”
Grace reached her hands forward, and I held out a hand toward her. She grabbed my pinky with one little finger and tried to put it into her mouth. I let the infant suck on it for a second, then she bit down hard with her gums.
“Ow!” I whined, pulling away.
LaLuna shook her head. “Oh, Damian, she’s just hungry.”
From seemingly out of thin air, LaLuna produced a bottle and stuck it into the baby’s mouth. More of that foul-smelling formula, no doubt, but as much as I’d looked, I couldn’t find anything better for her.
And I’d spent hours searching parenting groups on the social networks about it, unbeknownst to LaLuna. Everyone had said the same thing. Formula was best if you weren’t breastfeeding.
The thought of LaLuna breastfeeding made me think about her bare chest underneath that shirt of hers, and I could see the hint of a nipple sticking out in the slightly cold air of the room, which got me all aroused again.
“Soon, Damian,” LaLuna assured me, looking at me with hunger in her eyes. It looked like she hadn’t forgotten, either.
It took several minutes, but in between the baby drinking the bottle while LaLuna gently rocked her and me taking a turn rocking her as well for a few minutes, we finally got the baby to go back to sleep. I laid her down gently in the crib and let her rest there, inching my hand away a little bit at a time to try not to disturb her slumber.
“She’s not a sleeping dragon, Damian. You don’t have to be quite that careful with her,” LaLuna said, shaking her head and smiling at me.
I shrugged. “You never know. She could have draconic powers or something. They haven’t manifested yet, so it could be anything.”
“You worry too much.” She eyed me up and down again. “Now, shall we continue?”
“Ooh, yes please.” I grinned back at her, and we were back to kissing before we even made it all the way out of the baby’s room and back out to the couch.
I slid my hand under LaLuna’s shirt to help get it off once more, while she started to go to work on the button of my jeans. It was one of those hard, metal buttons that the popular brands used, so it was harder to get undone than you would have thought, but with some effort, she managed the task.
Then something in my pants pocket buzzed. It was an incessant buzz, and I tried to ignore it, but it kept coming.
“Damn it, phone!” I swore at the accursed device.
“Let it ring, Damian,” LaLuna said, her lips still right up against mine. “Ignore it.”
Our tongues met again for a moment, and every part of me ached to continue, but the phone would not relent. “I want to, but it won’t shut up.”
“I can shut it up for you,” LaLuna growled.
“Heh.”
She reached into my pants pocket, and I about died right then and there, what with her hand gently caressing my thigh through the fabric as she pulled the device out. She frowned at it. “Who’s ‘Vamp lady’?”
I rolled my eyes. Great, another distraction, right when I didn’t need it. “It’s Charmaine. From the case I told you about earlier, remember?”
“Oh.” LaLuna looked pacified by that. Her eyes came back up to meet mine, her desire still plain in them. “Well, whatever.” She tossed the phone onto the ground and came at me again. “She can wait.”
Even with LaLuna kissing me and her bare skin rubbing up against me, I couldn’t stop thinking about the phone as it buzzed again on the ground. Charmaine wouldn’t have called me for no reason. We had a plan, and I still had about two hours left in it.
“I’m sorry,” I said, glancing at the phone, “but I really have to take this.”
LaLuna grabbed my head in both hands and pulled until we were staring into each other’s eyes again. “What do you want, Damian, me or the damn phone?”
“You, of course,” I insisted, “but I’ll be able to concentrate a lot better on you after I take this call.”
LaLuna grunted and pulled away. “Ugh. Fine.” She turned so she was no longer looking straight at me and rummaged around on the ground for her shirt.
Geez, Damian. When you screw up, you really screw up. There would be no nookie today at this rate. But still, I had a duty to my client, as well. And there would be other dates. This wasn’t the last time I’d see LaLuna or anything.
With a half-muttered apo
logy, I bent over and picked my buzzing phone up off the floor. I turned it over and swiped to answer the call. “Hello?”
“Damian?” It was Charmaine, all right. And she sounded upset. I could hear a slight sniffle in her voice.
“Yes, it’s me.” I spared LaLuna another glance, but she still looked upset. Damn. “What’s up?”
“It’s Daequan, Damian. There… there’s been another murder.”
All the color drained from my face. “Well, hell.”
8
“Well, that should be a good thing, right?” I said to Charmaine. “I mean, if someone killed another person in the same way, that would exonerate your husband, right?”
Charmaine was still practically sobbing on the other end of the line. “You’d… you’d think that, wouldn’t you?” There was a slight pause while she sniffled again. “But the guy was killed two days ago near that warehouse Daequan said he drove Donald to. So…”
“So they think the murders are connected, and it only makes things worse for your husband.”
“Y-yes.” The word barely came through, her voice was so shaky.
LaLuna looked at me and frowned a little. She made a motion with her hands like she was expecting me to wrap up the call and come ravish her, but the mood was gone on my end. I gave her my best pouty face and went back to the call.
“All right, look. I’m a little ways from Seattle right now, but I’ll get back there as soon as I can, and we’ll go look at the new crime scene together, okay?”
There was more sniffling from Charmaine’s end, then I heard her blow her nose, and it subsided a bit. “O-okay, Damian. Just… come quick, okay?”
“I’m already on my way.”
With that, I hung up the phone and glanced up at LaLuna, my face a mix of pouting and apology. “I’m sorry, but I kinda have to… Charmaine, she’s all broken up and…”
LaLuna put her hand on my arm. “It’s okay. I understand.” She gave me a light kiss on the cheek. “You go figure out this case with your client, and when it’s over, you can come see me again and we can finish,” her brows raised again, “this. That is, if you still want to.”