“Is that right?” He thrust his chin up defiantly. “And where would you be right now if I had not made it my business?”
I had no comeback for that.
“Sorry if I aided you in a . . . non-conventional manner. That was the best I could do, given the unexpected attack. And I’m sorry for breaking my promise not to use any tricks.” He smiled with that irritating mischief and cockiness of his, knowing full well he’d already broken his promise last night when he disappeared, leaving only the scent of mint and spices behind.
We stared at each other for a long moment. Suddenly, his expression changed. He went into the kitchen and returned with something in his hand. Unceremoniously, he stood in front of me and began to dab at my lower lip with a wet towel. I stood stiffly. He was too close and the gesture too intimate. He worked, biting his own lower lip in concentration, then pulled the blood-stained towel away.
“Thank you,” I said begrudgingly. “For intervening.”
“No need to thank me. I could . . . mend your lip, if you let me.” He looked me in the eye, then lowered his gaze to my lips.
For something I hadn’t even noticed a minute ago, the pain in my mouth became terribly evident then. I took a trembling finger to the wound and swallowed a sudden lump in my throat. His chestnut eyes examined my face, blinking as if in slow motion, drinking me in. He stood very close, so much that I heard his breath catch.
“You’re beautiful,” he said breathlessly. He lifted a hand to my cheek and caressed it gently. The soft gliding motion of his finger across my skin sent ripples of sensation down to my toes. I quivered and when he smiled, I knew he’d felt my tremor.
He was mocking me. He had to be. I wasn’t beautiful. I was all flat lines and bony appendages, nothing like my curvaceous mother or petite and graceful grandmother. The contrast of my black hair and green eyes was striking, my only redeeming quality, but that hardly made me a beauty.
I pulled away from his touch. My body quivered again, this time from longing. “Are you hitting on me?” I mocked back, unwilling to let him make fun of me.
His features changed back to that impassive mask he wore on the first day. He didn’t answer my question.
“What are you playing at? You like having fun at my expense?” I pressed.
“No, Marielle. Nothing like that. I cannot lie to you. Remember?”
I bit my lower lip and was rewarded by a sharp pain. “Ow.” I touched a finger to the sore spot. “You know what? I’ve got to get to work. So if you excuse me, I’ll go take a shower.” And with that, I slipped past him and into the bathroom. All I wanted was to hide.
When I returned twenty minutes later, the Djinn sat quietly in the kitchen, watching television in a trance-like state. He blinked, then clicked the remote control.
“I was thinking you should call the police,” he said.
“Yeah, I know.” Just my thoughts while I was gone, but I’d already talked myself out of the prospect.
“I won’t . . . always be here to protect you.”
I ignored the insinuation I’d be getting rid of him soon and concentrated on the other half. “I appreciate your concern, but I think going to the police would be a waste of time. It would be my word against his. I doubt they would do much, and I already have enough to worry about to add the cops to the list. I’ll be more careful from now on, and if he gets too close again, I’ve promised myself I’ll do something about it. Get a restraining order or something. Not sure how to go about that, but I guess I’d find out.”
“It’s your decision. In my opinion, he should be castrated.”
His intensity made a picture of Jeremy’s agony flash in front of my eyes. It wasn’t an unwelcome prospect to my imagination. Barbaric yes, but maybe fair.
“For now, I shall keep you safe,” he added.
Man, he was good at this guilt game! I turned away, grabbed my bag and headed for the door, doing my best to hide the blush that rose to my cheeks.
“I’m coming to work with you,” he said, trailing behind me. Before I could protest, he added, “I checked the nursery’s finances. They don’t look good, so I think an extra pair of hands could be very useful. You can instruct me on what to do. It’s all I have to offer, manual labor. I can’t use my magic to help you that way unless it is your wish. And—before you ask—it’s not a trick to steal one of your wishes. I just want to be useful. No magic. Mere brains and muscles. Happy?”
I had no energy to argue with him, to scold him for looking into my private business, or to figure out how this fit into his complicated game. In the end, it didn’t matter. The wishes gave me power, and I could use them at any time if it became necessary. I would come to terms with the first one soon enough. I already knew what it should be. I just needed to stop being such an egomaniac.
11
On the way to work, we listened to the radio. From time to time, Faris looked over and I felt his eyes appraising every inch of my body. His breath was audible and somewhat erratic. Feeling self-conscious, I tugged on my miniskirt and wished I’d worn something different, like ratty sweatpants. Damn my vain, feminine side for relishing the attention. I couldn’t wait to get into my work clothes.
“I wanted to . . .” he started to say.
His mellow tone sent chills across unknown corners of my traitorous body. Fighting the sensation, I turned up the volume and started singing along. “Great song, huh?” I yelled.
“Yes, wonderful.” He peeled his eyes from my body and looked out of the window, leaving me feeling as if something precious had been taken away. My old speakers rattled all the way to the nursery, where we found Javier sitting by the curb.
After I parked and turned off the radio, Faris said, “I wanted to ask you something.”
I held my breath.
“Why did you shoo off the cat?”
What? That’s what he wanted to ask me? Not what I was expecting, not after the way he’d been admiring my legs. “The cat?” I repeated.
“Yes, the cat that Maven was petting, why did you shoo it off?”
“You saw that? So you are spying on me.” Indignation replaced my disappointment.
“Only today, and we cannot deny the benefits.” He smirked.
No arguing there. He did save me from Jeremy, a bastard who had suddenly turned into a rapist. Or had he always been one? Would things have gone there if I hadn’t gone along with him while we were dating? As I thought about it, I suddenly felt his hands on me again, his disgusting body pressed against mine. A shudder ran through me. I could be nothing but grateful to Faris for sparing me that dreadful fate. Still, why did he have to be so infuriatingly self-assured?
“Because I thought you were the cat,” I goaded, although it was the truth.
His eyes narrowed. “So that wasn’t your cat or your neighbor’s?”
“No, and you well know it.”
“I do not fancy turning into a cat. Hairballs, you know?”
“I do not fancy? Who talks like that? Seriously?” I rolled my eyes, although, to tell the truth, I liked the way he talked.
“I’m sorry. It takes me some time to acclimate myself to the customs of new times. I’m never given long enough to do so,” he said reproachfully. “But don’t worry. Soon my speech will be as captivating as that of your friend Maven or your charming admirer Jeremy.”
Okay, I’d made fun of the way he talked, but he didn’t have to punch below the belt. I tried not to flinch.
“I apologize,” he said, quickly. “That was uncalled for.”
Apparently, I wasn’t as good at hiding my emotions as I thought. That or Faris was too perceptive and noticed even the smallest of facial twitches. I got out of the car. Faris followed me.
“Good morning, Señorita Mariella.” Javier approached us with shy steps and a wary look toward Faris.
“Good morning, Javier. This is Faris, a friend of Grandpa’s. He wants to help around today.”
Faris extended a hand. “Mucho gusto, Javier,” he
said.
Javier’s eyes grew wide and a smile stretched his lips. He shook Faris’s hand effusively.
“¿De dónde eres?” Faris asked.
But of course! Yet another irritating thing about the Djinn. I’d been trying to learn Spanish for ages now, actually starting to doubt that majoring in linguistics someday was for me, and here he was, rattling off Spanish like that little mouse with the sombrero.
“Soy de Jalisco,” Javier beamed.
“Ah Jalisco, que lugar! Puerto Vallarta es muy lindo.” Faris snatched the nursery’s keys out of my hand and walked ahead, guiding Javier. “¿Qué me puede contar de Marielle? Me tiene preocupado.”
“Sí, la pobre se ha quedado sola. Se hace la fuerte pero . . .”
They left me behind, firing Spanish at a staggering speed. Great! I should have known it would turn out like this. Faris could probably speak any language at will. So unfair.
I took two steps forward, then stopped, feeling the empty space beside me. All summer long, I’d helped Grandpa open the nursery, and today was the first day back without him. Sorrow, like a giant sledgehammer, slammed against my chest. I’d been so preoccupied with everything else that I’d managed to keep the grief trapped in a faraway corner of my heart. Now it broke free and came after me with a vengeance.
As Javier and Faris entered the nursery, I sat by the curb, struggling to breathe through the choking sensation in my throat. I stared at the woods across the street, tears sliding down my cheeks out of control. A band of crows sat perched on a wire. With watery eyes, I threw a suspicious glare over my shoulder, trying to spot Faris through the nursery’s chain-link fence. He and Javier had already disappeared between the aisles.
I was frowning at the ground when a familiar gray truck pulled into the parking lot. I got to my feet and rubbed my eyes dry. After sparing another glance for the crows, I greeted Maven.
He walked up, a questioning expression on his face. “Hey, everything . . . okay?” His blue eyes seemed to fill with questions I didn’t want to answer.
I shrugged.
“Looks like you’ve been crying.” Real concern showed in his voice.
I dipped my chin and looked down, doing my best to keep it together.
“First day back,” he said with understanding. “Must be hard.”
More tears burned in my eyes. I couldn’t fall apart now. But I felt so lonely.
“It’ll get better,” he said, putting a hand on my arm.
“No, it won’t,” I tried to say, but it came out as gibberish, sobs getting the best of me.
Before I knew it, I was in Maven’s arms, having a complete meltdown. I tried to push away, but he felt like an immovable mountain. A thousand tears flowed and soaked his gray t-shirt. He let me fall to pieces while he stroked my hair. When I finally recovered, I was mortified.
“I’m sorry.” I swatted my eyes and pushed away.
“You needed it.” His blue eyes were dark with worry.
An odd admiration surged within me. He held my gaze, unfazed by my scrutiny. How had he managed to disarm me? And how did he know that the simple act of crying would make me feel as if the weight of the world didn’t rest on my shoulders anymore?
I shook myself. “Um, we can go inside and get what you need,” I offered. The owner of the landscaping business he worked for always sent him in to pick up materials.
“Don’t bother with that.” He seemed offended by the idea that his shopping needs were important at the moment.
“We need the business.” I smiled.
He smiled back. “All right.”
As we headed for the door, the unruly crows cawed and fluttered overhead, chasing each other, diving in vicious, full-on attacks. I hugged my elbows and shuddered. Maven followed them with his gaze, but I refused to look at the creepy birds and instead kept my eyes on him. Blond stubble wrapped around his jaw. Under his chin, a small scar marked the skin, preventing hair from growing.
“Crazy birds,” he said, lowering his gaze. I blinked and looked away.
Inside, I took his order as Faris watched, leaning against the shack. Maven cast several glances his way but said nothing. After he paid, I helped load a few things into his truck. When we finished, he seemed reluctant to leave. I waited for him to say something, but, instead, he straightened his shoulders—as if drawing determination out of the air—and got in his truck.
As soon as he drove away, I sensed a presence across the street and cut my eyes in that direction. At first glance, I saw only trees, but then a dark figure took shape next to a honeysuckle vine.
Without thinking, I took off across the street. I wasn’t imagining things, and catching Faris in a lie would prove it. Before I reached the edge of the woods, the figure disappeared. I panted and looked back toward the nursery. I couldn’t see Faris or Javier. A branch snapped. My head jerked back. I peered into the thick, dark foliage. Spanish moss hung from the trees, like long graying beards. They swayed ever so slightly, dancing to a silent tune.
Something dark moved behind a thick trunk with peeling bark. It hunched low to the ground. Its round, yellow eyes shone wildly. Its black fur bristled. I thought of the cat, but this animal was much larger. A growl rumbled in my ears. I stepped back and slammed against something hard. I bit my tongue, holding back a scream.
“Lose something?”
I turned and discovered I’d crashed into Maven. Looking back over my shoulder, I found the woods still and quiet.
“Y-you’re back,” I said, doing my best to hold my voice steady as my heart hammered. “What did you forget?”
His truck sat in the middle of the street, idling. He was looking at me very strangely. A queasy feeling roiled inside my stomach.
He shook his head. “Nothing. I just wanted to ask you something.”
“Um, you did?” A cold finger slid down my spine. I looked toward the woods again, then back.
“I was wondering if you’d like to go out to dinner with me?”
“Dinner? I—I don’t know.” Things were already complicated enough. I’d cried in his arms just minutes ago. A date didn’t seem like the best idea. Or was it? He had known how to make me feel better.
He waited, his blue eyes so expectant that I couldn’t bring myself to say no.
“Uh, sure, I’d love to,” I said.
“Great!”
Doubt entered my mind immediately. This could be a huge mistake. I didn’t need anything else to stress out about. I needed to focus and come up with my three wishes and . . .
Sheesh! Overthink much? It was only Maven. What could go wrong? I’d probably have a good time and even ease the frown lines Faris had pointed out. That should show the pedantic Djinn I wasn’t—what had he called me?—stuffy. Maybe he’d even get jealous.
I blinked. Jealous? Really? Like Faris cared? And why would I care if he did?
“Well,” Maven added, probably noticing my indecision, “I don’t want you to get the wrong impression. I just felt bad and thought maybe . . . you could use a distraction.” He fidgeted.
So it wasn’t really a date. Great! “It’ll be good. I’d like to go.”
After we agreed he would pick me up at six, he asked, “What’s your favorite food?”
“I’m not picky.”
“Yes, but . . .” He smiled again. A cute dimple marked his cheek. “I’d like to know what your favorite food is.” His tone was cautiously flirtatious.
I blushed. “Um, I like Italian.”
“I know just the place. Gotta go now . . . work and stuff.”
As soon as his truck disappeared out of sight, I got cold feet. Frozen feet, really. My eyes snapped back toward the woods. No one was there. I walked back to the nursery and found Faris waiting in the shack. He watched me pull out a roll of paper for the register, a deep crease splitting the space between his eyebrows.
“How can I make myself useful?” His serious tone gave me the impression he was peeved about something.
I watched him cl
osely and noticed the slight tension in his sculpted lips. Maybe he’d witnessed my exchange with Maven, and he was jealous. A childish pleasure had me feeling smug for a moment. Then my adult side kicked me in the butt and reminded me that Faris was stalking me and shifting into creepy animals to scare me. I wanted to throw that in his face, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing his tricks actually mattered.
To spite him, I assigned him the task of shoveling a large pile of manure into thirty-pound bags. I felt really wicked and expected him to turn me down, but, to my surprise, he headed outside, looking undeterred.
I shot him a warning glance. “No funny business out there.”
“As long as you can stay safe from all your suitors, you have no funny business to worry about.” He winked and walked out.
I contained the urge to growl. I so needed to stop agonizing over my wishes. I had to get them over with. The sooner I dismissed him, the better.
Whatever game he was playing, I would never figure it out. I was out of my league.
***
All morning, I stayed busy organizing shelves, counting stock, and attending to customers. While I worked, I forced myself to visualize making a wish, trying to get over the fear of uttering the words.
At eleven, Javier came around, wiping his face and dusting his clothes off. “Same lunch, Señorita?” he asked.
“Yes, Javier.” I opened the cash register and handed him a twenty dollar bill and my car keys. “Bring the same for Faris.” I had no idea if he liked burgers and fries, but it seemed like the civil thing to do.
“Yes, he need food, work very hard to finish, that boy,” he said.
“He’s finished?”
“Almost,” Javier said as he left. I narrowed my eyes, suspecting foul play, though Javier hadn’t seemed suspicious.
When he came back fifteen minutes later, he handed me two paper bags. “You take a break. I watch the register.” The sun burned hot and customers weren’t common at this hour, but Javier liked sitting here, listening to the Latin channel on the XM radio. So I went, glad to get a break.
One Wish Away (Djinn Empire Book 1) Page 8