“She wouldn’t do something like—”
“If you’re calling me a liar, then I suggest you check your security cams. I know you have them. You can see for yourself that Miranda approached Andi at our table while I was outside making a call. Thankfully, Andi has enough backbone to stand up for herself.” One of many things Constantin really liked about her.
Valentino went silent for a moment. “I’m sorry Miranda did that. I really had no idea she’d be so petty.”
“Really?”
“Really. Despite what you think, I didn’t invite her to poke at you. When Isabelle’s laryngitis flared up, I was desperate for a replacement. And Miranda owed me. But I regret bringing her in now. I’m sorry.”
Constantin almost pulled the phone away from his ear to be sure he was still talking to his brother. He couldn’t remember a time when Valentino had said the word sorry to him in a genuine way. Hearing it twice was staggering. “Thank you. But what did you think would happen when you invited me to see the woman who broke my heart?”
Those were words Constantin had never said to his brother, and Valentino was slow to respond. Maybe shocked by them. Or by Constantin admitting something so personal.
“I just thought you’d like to see her after so long. You claimed her leaving you didn’t affect you, so I figured it was no big deal. I didn’t realize…” He sighed. “Did you have a good time at all?”
Constantin’s mind flashed to Andi tucked against his side, her hand on his thigh, her warmth radiating through him. “Yes. We did. Thank you for the drinks and the food.”
“You’re welcome.” Another pause, this time not as long. “I guess I’ll see you two at family dinner tomorrow night?”
How had Constantin forgotten that? He’d already promised Andi dinner at the Table. He’d tell Andi that they’d go out to dinner by themselves another time and hope she was okay with that. Unless there was a way out of it… “Are you bringing Miranda?”
“No.”
“Then yes, you will see us.”
“Good. Give Andi my regards. I’d better get back to work.”
He hung up before Constantin could say goodbye, but that was just Valentino’s way. With a smile, Constantin tucked the phone away and rejoined Andi, who was still staring up at the menu board.
The tip of her tongue was running over her teeth, and her nose was slightly wrinkled in indecision. She was quite possibly the most adorable creature he’d ever known.
He sidled up to her, not wanting to break her concentration. “Did you decide on a flavor yet?”
“I think so.” She looked at him. “Everything okay?”
“Valentino says hello.” Constantin shrugged. “He just wanted to know why we’d left so soon.”
“You told him?”
“I did. And he apologized for Miranda’s behavior. Also, with everything going on, I forgot tomorrow night is my family’s weekly dinner at my parents’ house. I hope that’s all right. I promise we’ll go to the Table another night.”
“Family dinner?” She got a sudden, strange look. “Is your whole family vampires?”
“Yes. And dinner isn’t us devouring some hapless soul, so calm down.”
“Just checking.” Her expression remained slightly skeptical. “But you know I have to go with you, right? Because of the whole curse thing.”
“I know. I wasn’t implying that I intended to leave you at home.”
“Okay.” Her smile was back, big and bright.
“Thank you. Now that that’s settled, let’s focus on getting you some sugar. What looks good?”
She turned her attention back to the menu. “I think I’m getting that Chocolate Coronary sundae.”
“Sounds like a sugar bomb.”
“I know, right?” She grinned. “What about you?”
He looked at the board. “I’m not really an ice cream person, but I think I’ll try a scoop of that Caramel Cayenne Casualty.”
She made a face at him. “You like spicy things?”
“It’s my Louisiana heritage.”
They ordered, then found a table while they waited for their ice cream to be served up. Didn’t take long for it to arrive, despite the small crowd.
Andi dug in immediately and kept going for a few spoonfuls, her only sounds those of sheer happiness.
He laughed softly. “I take it the sundae meets your approval.”
She nodded, a smudge of chocolate at the corner of her mouth. “It’s the best.”
“Feeling better, then?”
“Completely.” She held out her spoon to him, dripping with ice cream, hot fudge, and a heavy dollop of whipped cream speckled with chocolate shavings. “Try it.”
He couldn’t say no to her. He took the bite. His fangs ached at the sweetness, but it was good. “Wow. That’s a lot of chocolate.”
“I know.” She grinned as she scooped up another mouthful. “Isn’t it amazing? How’s yours?”
Was she angling for a bite? He wasn’t sure. When his sisters wanted a taste of his food, they just took it. “Sweet, but spicy.”
She lifted one shoulder, a look of pure sass on her face. “It’s like me in an ice cream.”
The thought took away the chill the frozen dessert had created in him and replaced it with the heat that Andi seemed to stir up on a regular basis. His eyes were probably reacting to the rush of desire, so he quickly pushed his bowl toward her. “Try it.”
She dug her spoon in and had a taste. He could practically see her roll the creamy confection over her tongue, analyzing it. “Wow, that’s pretty good. And I usually shy away from spicy stuff. But the heat and sweet together is nice.”
She pushed the bowl back to him. “Nice choice. Not one I would have gone for either.” She pointed her spoon at him while she talked. “You know, I really need to break out of my ruts.”
Why that amused him, he wasn’t sure. “Are you in a lot of them, then?”
She shrugged and went back to her sundae. “Yeah, I think so. I mean, who isn’t, right? We all like what we like, and sticking with the tried and true is just easier most times.” She downed another massive spoonful of ice cream, giving him a deep appreciation for her appetite. “Look at you, for instance.”
He put both hands on the table. “What about me?”
She kept talking while she ate. “You’re not at all the kind of guy I’d normally go for, but now that I’m getting to know you, I can see how wrong my initial assumptions about you were. You’re totally my kind of guy.”
His heart expanded, breaking the shackles he’d put in place after Miranda to keep himself from loving again. He was her kind of guy. A few simple, one-syllable words, and he was smitten. What was wrong with him? Or better yet, what was so right about Andi?
Well…everything.
He gathered himself together. “I will endeavor to continue being your kind of guy, but I warn you, you’ve only just met me. I promise I am everything I told you I was. You’ll see.”
The light in her eyes said she wasn’t taking him seriously. “Is that a threat?”
Before he could answer, she leaned in, still utterly amused. “Out of all the stuff you told me, you know what you failed to mention?”
“What’s that?”
She dug her spoon into his ice cream, stealing another bite. “What a good kisser you are.”
More heat. Throughout every part of his body. And the urge to drag her across the table and into his lap was only barely contained.
She licked the spoon clean. Which didn’t help his current state at all. She used it to point at him. “Your eyes are doing that thing again.”
He didn’t even bother trying to calm himself down. “You do that to me.”
“Is it a good thing? Or a bad thing?”
“That depends on your perspective, I guess. But if you really were my girlfriend, you’d think it was a good thing.”
Her smile went a little shy, and for a moment, she didn’t say anything. At last, she spoke,
her gaze on the remains of her sundae. “Is your family going to like me?”
“I…don’t know. My sisters will. And I think Valentino does already. But my parents can be a little more critical.” Then he decided to test her, just to see if he was reading her right. “But really, you don’t have to worry about that. This is just for five more days.”
Her smile faded. And that small change in her expression caused a shower of sparks inside him. That had to mean she was unhappy about ending things between them. Which meant there was a real possibility that things wouldn’t end at all.
“Right,” she whispered so softly only his vampire hearing caught it. “Just five more days.”
* * *
Why hadn’t she said two weeks? Or a month? Or a year, even? Andi knew why. Because at first glance, she’d wanted away from this guy as fast as possible. Granted, there was a seven-day timer on Cassi’s curse, too.
But now…now she wanted to curl up next to him and do nothing. She wanted to go to the movies with him, and sit in a coffee shop and people-watch with him, and slow dance, and stay up late, and laugh at inside jokes, and do all the things that couples did.
Because she was falling for him. But if he was thinking about the deadline, then she was on this ride by herself. Which told her she really had to work harder.
The family dinner was the perfect opportunity. She’d get his family to love her, then he’d love her, too.
She hoped. Or she was doomed.
All he had to do was say those three little words, and she’d be free. That had to still be possible.
Staring at her empty sundae glass like she’d just been kicked certainly wasn’t attractive. She put a smile on her face and raised her eyes to his again. “Do I need another fancy outfit? Or is dinner casual?”
“Pretty casual. But if you want to shop some more, that’s fine with me.”
“I should bring something.” She tapped her fingers on the table, thinking.
“You don’t need to. My mother and sisters do all the cooking. There will be plenty of food, I promise.”
“Well, I should at least get a bottle of wine tomorrow. That would be okay?”
He smirked. “You mean with my money?”
She put her hand on her forehead. “I totally forgot I have no cash. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, but that reminds me. We’re going to see Amelia Marchand in the morning. She’s the witch I told you about.”
Andi clapped her hands together. “The phone call! In all the Miranda nonsense, I totally forgot to ask you about that.”
“Well, it’s all set. She said to bring the book, and she’ll see what she can do. No promises, of course, but she’s very powerful.”
Andi took Con’s hand. “You’re my knight in shining armor, you know that?”
He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles, giving her hope again. “Just doing what I can to help. I know things would be easier if we weren’t attached by this invisible thread.”
So he wanted them apart? Honestly, she’d never found a guy so hard to read. But she held on to her smile and nodded, hoping she didn’t look as miserable as she felt inside.
Chapter Twelve
Morning came dull and gray, and it felt like an unnaturally early hour. Andi checked the bedside clock. It was seven a.m. Unnaturally early, for sure. When had she ever been up that early on purpose? She rubbed her eyes. Nothing about the room looked familiar.
She stared at her strange surroundings for a long moment before remembering where she was. Con’s guest room, which he’d assured her was close enough to his room that neither one of them would accidentally drag the other out of bed due to the curse.
Right. The curse. Which they were going to see some witch about today. That meant Andi had to get moving.
She rolled to the side, put her feet on the floor, and inhaled, hoping for the scent of coffee. Smelling it put her in a good mood instantly. She tied on her new vintage robe and shuffled barefoot to the kitchen.
Con was at the stove in silk pajama bottoms and a white undershirt. His hair was rumpled, and a dusting of dark stubble covered the lower half of his face. He looked incredibly at ease and very sexy. And not just because he was standing over a waffle maker.
He looked up as she came in. “Morning.”
“Morning.” She ran a hand through her hair, thinking she should have done that before she’d left the guest room. Especially since Con looked like an ad for some very expensive men’s cologne, and she probably looked like, well, she didn’t want to think about that horror at the moment. Chloe was at her bowl, eating, which was the perfect distraction. “Hey there, kitty cat.”
Chloe didn’t respond, but Con did. “She’s not really a morning cat.”
Andi nodded in complete sympathy. “Who is?”
He pointed toward the far counter. “There’s coffee. Cups in the cabinet above.”
“Thank you. Cream and sugar?”
“Cream in the fridge, sugar in the same cabinet as the cups, spoons in the drawer below.”
She got the cream on the way to the coffee and went to work fixing a big cup. “Do you make waffles every morning?”
He laughed. “No. I don’t ever really make waffles unless my sisters are coming over for something, and that hasn’t happened in a while.”
Coffee prepped, she turned to face him, holding her cup in both hands. “So you’re making them for me?”
He nodded. “I am. I probably should have asked if you like them first, but waffles seemed like a safe bet. Plus, I have a jar of my mother’s triple-berry compote to go on top of them, so—”
“You had me at waffles.” She sipped the coffee. It wasn’t the coffee she was used to, but it was good. Different. “What kind of coffee is this?”
“You’re tasting chicory. That’s how we drink it. I can get some without today.”
“No, I like it. It’s different than what I’m used to, but I’m getting out of my ruts, remember?”
He flipped the waffle maker. “That’s right. I’m glad the coffee is okay, then. How’d you sleep?”
“Like a rock that was super tired. But then, that was my first night out of that crazy book. Sleeping in there wasn’t great.” It was more of an exercise in survival, really.
“I bet.”
“What was it like in there?”
“Dark. Scary. Like one of those Halloween scare houses, but…real.” She shuddered. “I don’t really want to think about it.”
“I understand.”
She drank more of her coffee and started to feel the life come back into her. Chloe finished eating and rubbed against Andi’s bare legs on her way past. Andi smiled as she reached down to give the cat a little scratch on the back.
Andi wasn’t sure when she’d had such a domestic morning before. It was nice. Cozy. Not a word she’d ever thought she’d use to describe breakfast with a vampire, but there it was. “What time are we meeting with the witch?”
“Nine. Then I need to get the shop open.”
And since they were stuck together, she’d be going with him. She didn’t mind. She liked being with Con, but she also didn’t want to get in the way of his livelihood. “I’d better get in the shower as soon as I eat, then.”
He opened the waffle maker, took the waffle out with a fork, and plated it. “Here you go.”
He put the plate and fork on the counter, then got a glass crock out of the microwave, stuck a spoon in it, and set it next to the plate. “Breakfast is served.”
She took a seat in front of the waffle. “Smells great.” She glanced at him. “Aren’t you eating?”
“I, uh, drank my breakfast earlier. I thought maybe I should get that out of the way.”
She grinned. “As much as I want to say I wouldn’t have minded, it might have been a bit much first thing in the morning.”
He went to refill his coffee cup. “That’s what I was thinking.”
She spooned the compote on top of her
waffle and cut a big bite. It was delicious. Crispy, a little chewy, laced with vanilla and the berries. She couldn’t stop the moan of happiness that came out of her. “Wow. So good. Well done.”
She immediately went in for a second forkful.
He sat next to her, smiling and clearly pleased with himself. “Thank you.”
“I’d like to apologize for my lack of manners right now, because I’m about to inhale this waffle.”
He drank his coffee, still grinning as if bad manners were a great compliment. Maybe they were. She couldn’t take her eyes off him.
“What?” he asked.
“I was just thinking about how you’ve started smiling a lot more.”
He gave that a second of thought. “I have a reason to now.”
“You mean…me?”
He nodded. “You make me forget all the reasons I had to be in a bad mood.”
She continued stuffing waffle in her face. “I like that.”
“So do I.”
She finished her food at about the same time as he finished his coffee. She hopped up and took her plate and silverware to the sink.
He shook his head. “I’ll clean up. You go get ready.”
“Don’t you need to shower, too?”
“I do, but I’m guessing it takes you longer to do your hair and whatever else women do. I have sisters, remember? Which reminds me, there’s a hair dryer under the sink.”
“Okay, cool.” He wasn’t wrong. “What time do we need to leave?”
“By eight thirty.”
“No problem. Meet you back here. Thanks for breakfast, by the way. It was great.”
“You’re welcome.”
She practically scampered off to the guest room now that she was full of sugar and caffeine. Plus, after all that time in the book, she was never going to take a hot shower for granted again.
But she didn’t let herself linger too long. She had hair and makeup to do and an outfit to pick out. Not that she had a lot to choose from, but she still wanted to look nice. Being around Con was great, but not being tethered to him would be nice, too. Ditching the curse altogether would be even better. Andi needed this witch to want to help them.
The Vampire's Cursed Kiss (Shadowvale Book 2) Page 9