Sebastian smiles warmly, then slowly, antagonizing slowly, he moves his mouth closer to mine. When they touch, an electric bolt zaps through me, causing my entire body to shudder. I almost forgot what amazing things he can do with his lips. I feel like I’m transported to space, where he and I are floating, soaring as our lips mold together.
Sebastian pulls back. “So about meeting your mother…”
“Yeah?”
He swallows. “Have you ever brought boys to meet her? Did she give them a hard time? Does she expect—?”
I giggle and kiss his cheek. “You’re so cute, my genie.”
He lifts his eyebrows. “Genie? But I’m not a genie anymore.”
I run my finger along his jaw. “Doesn’t matter. You’ll always be my genie.”
He grins. “And you’ll always be my master, Master.”
“Hell no. You know I never liked being your master.”
“But it’s okay for me to be your genie?”
“Not if you don’t want to be.”
He presses his forehead to mine. “Of course I can be your genie. It reminds me of everything we’ve been through. Of falling in love.” He fingers my bottom lip. “I never imagined this would happen to me. I never thought I could be free, that I could feel all these emotions I feel when I’m with you.”
I play with his silky hair. It reaches past his shoulders and his bangs fall into his eyes. As a genie, he wasn’t able to cut it. We tried, but it grew back. “I think we should chop this beautiful hair off.”
His eyes widen.
I laugh. “Just kidding. But we should trim it.”
He nods. “So I can look presentable when I meet your mother.”
I slap his arm playfully. “Don’t be so nervous. I told you she’ll love you.”
“I wouldn’t be able to bear the thought of her not approving of me. Can you teach me how to make a good impression?”
I grab the front of his shirt and tug him close. “Sebastian, she’ll love you.” I peck his lips. He pulls me close, deepening the kiss. I can feel just how anxious he is, and I understand why. He’s never done something like this. He’s never been human. He wants everything to go well.
We settle on the couch and watch a movie. One of my favorite romances. It’s the first movie I watched when he popped into my life as a genie, where he asked me if I believed in love.
He’s the only guy I know who actually managed to make it to the end of such a movie. Not that I have much experience with guys, but whenever I suggested a romance, they turned up their noses. Sebastian doesn’t understand that most guys are into action movies and sports.
“Your game shows miss you,” I tell him.
He smiles. He’s obsessed with them because he loves testing the knowledge he’s gathered over the years.
“Don’t worry, you have many more days to watch,” I say.
He frowns and shifts his position, placing his feet on the floor. “Lily, I was thinking. Now that I’m human, I should get an education, right?”
I hadn’t thought about that. Sebastian knows how to read and write, but that’s about it. He had very little schooling on Ortarus.
I rest my head on his chest. “We don’t have to talk about this now.”
He places his chin on my head, stroking the side of it. “I’d also like to get a job and help you pay for culinary school.”
I smile at his kindness. “Thanks, Sebastian, but I’d hate for you to spend all your money on me.”
He looks into my eyes. “But I want to.”
“Sebastian—”
“It’s not like I need it or have anything to spend it on. I’d do anything for you.”
And I’d do anything for him. That includes helping him with school and everything else he will need. “Let’s take one step at a time.”
He agrees and we resume watching the movie. When the man and woman have their first kiss, Sebastian curls his fingers over mine and gives me a sweet smile. When I was younger, I used to dream about experiencing what the women in romance books and movies experience. I never thought it would actually happen. It’s better than I could have ever imagined.
My phone beeps. It’s a text from my best friend, Macy. You okay?
After Sebastian returned, I rushed into Inferno to punch out, then he and I ran home so we could be alone together. I told Macy something had come up. I didn’t have a chance to tell her about Sebastian yet. I text her that I’ll call her later.
“Was that Macy?” Sebastian asks.
“Yeah.”
“How are she and Andy?”
I smile. “Good. They’re getting married in a few months.”
“I’m happy for them.”
I scoot closer to him. “All that wouldn’t have happened if not for you. You saved Andy’s life.” Andy got hit by a truck trying to save me when I accidentally ran into the street. I wouldn’t be alive if not for him.
Sebastian frowns. “No, you did.”
I shake my head.
“You wished him to get better.”
“But you made it happen.”
He laughs. “Look at us, arguing over this.”
I laugh, too.
“Lily? Are we going to tell your mother that I am…that I was…” His voice trails off.
He has a good point. Macy and Andy are the only ones who know the truth. “I guess there’s no point. It’s not like you’re a genie anymore.”
“And we don’t want her to disapprove of me.” He swallows. “I need to be perfect.”
“Sebastian…”
He angles his head toward the TV. “The mom in this movie doesn’t approve of the man her daughter loves.”
I twist my nose. “That’s different.”
“Is it?” He takes my hands. “You’re your mother’s only daughter. You’ve been through so much. Of course she doesn’t want to see you get hurt.”
I stroke the side of his face. “You can never hurt me, Sebastian.”
He shuts his eyes as he leans his cheek into my hand. “I hope so.”
Chapter Three
“Okay,” Macy says. “Talk.”
I’m lying on my bed with my phone pressed to my ear. Sebastian is watching a game show on TV in the living room. I can hear him cheer each time he answers a question correctly.
“Remember how I sent Sebastian back home to his world?” I ask her.
“Uh huh.”
“Well…he’s back.”
There’s a pause. I can picture her dropping whatever she’s holding, her eyes wider than the moon.
“Wait a minute. You’re saying your genie’s back?”
“He’s not a genie anymore. He’s human.”
Now I picture her mouth drop. “What?”
I laugh and tell her everything. “So yeah,” I say. “He’s as human as you and me.” Except for the fact that he has some magic.
“That means he’s not invisible.”
“Nope.”
“Oh my God, I’d love to meet him. And Andy would want to meet the guy who saved his life and thank him. We totally have to double date!”
Excitement fills me as I think about being able to go out with Sebastian in public, like normal couples do. It’s something I’ve dreamed about since I started falling for him.
“I’m sure he’d love that,” I tell Macy. “But we’re going to see my mother tomorrow.” There’s been a change of plans. When I grabbed my phone to call Macy a few minutes ago, I had a voicemail from my mom. It’s dated yesterday. I guess I had been so busy with Sebastian’s return that I didn’t pay attention to my phone. Mom told me that the therapist is going to be out of town next week and has pushed our appointment up to this Monday. Mom asked if it’s possible for me to come to California for the session, or if not, I could skip this one and go to the next one. I figured I might as well, since I want Mom to meet Sebastian. I plan on being in California from Sunday to Tuesday. After I called Mom and told her the plan—she seems very excited to get to know my man�
��I called my boss and he and I worked out my schedule, switching my shifts around.
Sebastian’s very nervous to visit my mom, but he’s looking forward to it as well.
“Maybe we can go out on Friday?” I ask Macy.
“Sounds like a plan. So since this is Sebastian’s first day back, I should let you two…you know…”
I laugh. “Thanks, Mace. We’ll talk later.”
After I hang up, I head to the living room and wrap my arms around Sebastian, who’s bent forward, studying the question on the TV. I rub my cheek against his. “How’s it going?”
He turns to me and shrugs. “These contestants aren’t smart.” He takes my hand. “How was your phone call with Macy?”
“I told her everything. She wants to meet you.”
He nods slowly.
I squeeze his hand. “I’m sorry to throw everything on you. First my mother and now my friends. I sometimes forget how overwhelming all of this must be for you.”
He kisses my cheek. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. All these people are important in your life, so of course I’d like to meet them.”
“We’re going to double date later this week with Macy and Andy.”
His eyebrows knit. “Double date. The term sounds familiar.”
“It means when two couples go on a date together. It’s going to be a lot of fun.” I rest my head on his chest. His skin is so smooth, his muscles so hard. “I love that we can do everything together.”
He strokes my hair. “I love that, too.”
“Do you want to go shopping for some clothes?”
He sniffs himself, then laughs lightly. “I think it’s time for me to take a shower.” As a genie, he never washed himself.
I get to my feet. “I’ll get you a towel.”
In the bathroom, I show him how to turn the knobs to adjust the temperature of the water. I point out the soap and shampoo. We’ll have to buy some guyish shampoos when we go shopping later.
I eye his pants. “Um…I guess I can quickly wash them. Just hang them on the door after you take them off.” My cheeks heat up. I can’t believe I’m talking about him taking off his pants. He’s got nothing on under there, since he told me he doesn’t wear underwear and doesn’t understand the point of it.
“Okay,” Sebastian says. “Thanks.”
I test the water. “This seems comfortable enough. Take your time and enjoy.”
He holds me close. “Thank you for taking care of me, Lily. I love you, so so much. I know I keep saying it, but I really do.”
I kiss him before leaving the bathroom. As I sit on the couch, I cover my face with my hands. I can’t believe Sebastian is taking a shower in my apartment. It seems so…intimate. Like we’re a real couple living together. I guess we are—it just feels surreal. My genie, my Sebastian, is here to stay for good. We can have the life I’ve dreamed of. Sure we have a lot of things to work through, but at least we’re together.
“Lily?”
The bathroom door is slightly opened, and his hand is sticking out, holding the pants. I take them from him and load them into the washing machine. It’ll take some time until they’re washed and dried, so I leave him my robe near the door. I’m not sure it’ll fit him, but it’s the loosest one I own. My cheeks burn at the thought of him wearing my clothes. It’s another one of those things that real couples do, sharing everything.
I make grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch while I wait for my man to finish with his shower. When I catch sight of him standing in the doorway, I nearly lose my balance. He’s wearing the towel, slung low on his hips. His chest glistens with water and his hair kisses his cheeks.
I’ve never seen him wet before. He looks beautiful. Like a magical, exotic being from another world. Also, he has no hair on his chest or legs, like he hadn’t when he was a genie. I wonder if he’ll never grow body hair. I can’t say I mind him not having any. I’ve always loved touching the smoothness of his chest.
His face flushes. “The robe didn’t fit.”
“Oh…um…” I can’t believe the way I keep staring at his chest. It’s not like I haven’t seen it before. Maybe because he’s here and is real, and that makes everything more…real.
He looks down at himself, as though he’s wondering what the hell I’m looking at.
“I could have used my magic to make the robe bigger, but I didn’t want to ruin it,” he says. “Lily? Is something wrong? Did I not tie this thing right?” He pulls at his left side, where he tied the towel.
I blink, snapping out of it. “No, you did. I’ve just never seen you wet. You look hot.” I press my lips together. Oh my god. Can I be more lame?
His face is still a shade of pink. I love how he blushes when I compliment him.
“I smell good,” he says with a small smile.
“I’m going to miss your genie smell, but I can’t wait to get used to your human smell.” Again, lame. Why am I so nervous around him?
He lifts an eyebrow. “How exactly did I smell as a genie?”
“I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. Exotic. Like not from this world.” My eyes flit to his chest again. “Oh, you can do whatever you want with my robe. I hardly wear it.”
“My pants?”
“They won’t be ready for a while.”
He moves closer and pulls me into his arms. I snuggle up against him, pressing my face to his chest and inhaling the soap and shampoo. He smells so clean and fresh, not that I ever thought he was dirty. It’s just another human thing about him. “I want to hold onto you forever,” he whispers. “I don’t want to be apart. Ever.” He brushes his lips across mine. “When I was back on Ortarus, I missed you like crazy. I never thought I’d hold you like this again.”
“You mean the world to me.”
He squishes me closer. “You mean the world to me, too.” He loosens his hold. “I’m getting you all wet.”
I pull his arms back around me. “I don’t care.”
He nuzzles his nose into the side of my face. Then he lifts his head toward the kitchen and sniffs. “Something smells good.”
“Oh, I made grilled cheese.”
He licks his lips. “I can’t wait to try it.” His eyebrows furrow. “Why is my mouth filling with water?”
I laugh. “That happens when you get excited to eat.”
“So it’s normal?”
I laugh again and reach up to kiss him. “Completely normal.”
“I just worry that all this is a dream. That I’ll wake up back in the castle in Ortarus. Away from you.”
I push some of his wet hair off his forehead. “That’s not going to happen. You’re here to stay and you never have to set foot in there or think about Ortarus again.”
He smiles, his eyes filled with hope.
“Do you have other family there or just your parents?”
“I have aunts, uncles, and cousins, but none that I have ever spoken to or remember. I was five when I was taken to work at the palace.” His gaze dips to the floor.
I rub my finger down his cheek. “We don’t have to talk about this. I’m sorry for bringing it up.”
He places his hand over mine. “It’s okay. I want to be able to talk to you about anything.”
“Me, too.”
He looks down at himself. “I’d better put that robe on.”
I watch as he holds it out in front of him and spreads his palm over it, slowly sliding his hand down. As he does this, the robe grows longer and wider. He then slips it on. “Comfortable. It smells like you.”
I laugh. “So I have a smell, too?”
He hauls me to his chest. “Are we obsessed with each other’s smells?”
“Looks like it.”
He chuckles, then his stomach rumbles, and his eyes widen. “That felt odd. I’ve heard humans’ stomachs rumbling over the years, but I never imagined it to feel like a tiger is inside me.”
“And you know how that feels?” I tease.
“I can imagine.”
“These are so good,” he says with a stuffed face. “I’d love to help you cook. It looks like a lot of fun. And it’s something we can do together.”
“It would be a lot of fun.”
He nods. “And I want to help around the house more. I’m living here now and it wouldn’t be fair for you to take care of everything.”
“Thanks, Sebastian. That’s very sweet.”
“Like I said, I’d do anything for you. This is really delicious. Can I have more?”
I push the plate closer to him. I hope I’ve made enough. I’m not used to him eating. I don’t know how much would satisfy him.
“Lily, about a job…”
I place my hand on his. “We don’t have to talk about this now.”
“But we’re two people living here now. When I was a genie, you didn’t have to worry about feeding me or clothing me.”
I bend forward to peck his lips. “I appreciate you wanting to help out, but let’s take one step at a time, okay? You’ve been here for like a day. I want you to enjoy yourself before you have to worry about serious things.”
He runs his finger across my palm, sending small tingles to every cell in my body. “Whatever you want, Lily.”
After we’re done eating and Sebastian uses his magic to wash the dishes, I pull his pants out of the dryer. I hold them out to him. “I hope they didn’t shrink.”
He smiles crookedly. “That’s fine. I can always make them bigger.”
He stands there, staring at me and I stare at him.
Then it hits me. He’s not comfortable undressing in front of me. “Oh sorry. I’ll leave.”
Loving the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 2) Page 2