Serah drew her lips straight and steepled her fingers. “Enough that he has a say, unfortunately. He wasn’t too happy with my decision to apply as a guest.”
“Nine out of ten people who’ve been guests on my show saw a profit increase of around fifty percent.” Daniel angled a grin that would make a salesperson jealous. “Your investment just got bigger.”
This man was good. Matthias took a sip of his coffee. Was it so wrong to enjoy some of the same things humans did? After all, it allowed him to blend in. The essence of dark espresso, toffee, and cream rolled across his tongue. Sweet, but not as sweet as Serah’s lips. Not now! He quickly gathered his thoughts.
“What about the tenth?”
“Can’t please them all.” Daniel shuddered.
“That bad?”
“Was that the ‘Diner Diva’ episode?” Serah clenched her teeth and grimaced. “Good God. How did you manage to keep your cool?”
Daniel smirked. “A lot of wine.”
“I must have missed that episode.” Matthias felt completely out of place and out of his element. This man could cook flaming bowls of cherries; he, on the other hand, only managed to burn down Serah’s kitchen. He and Serah were nothing alike. He glanced at Serah and Daniel, sitting at the table chatting and giggling about different episodes. They, on the other hand, were like two peas in a pod.
“Well, I need to call the producer and check in.” Daniel reached over and took Serah’s hand in his. “If that’s okay with you, Serah.”
Daniel called her by her first name already? Matthias gritted his teeth. He should feel happy that Daniel and she were hitting it off so well. Instead, he felt empty and alone. He’d been alone for centuries. Why all of the sudden now?
“Don’t let me keep you,” she said, a smile brushing across her lips. She let her fingertips linger with Daniel’s a little longer than he liked. “I need to speak with Matthias about some issues.”
“No problem.”
Serah pulled her seat back to stand up.
Quicker than most humans, Daniel burst from his chair and allowed Serah his arm. Great, he could add gentleman to the ever growing list of Daniel’s charms.
“Wow! How polite.”
“I was taught well, huh?”
Serah blushed. “You sure were.”
Matthias clenched his fists. Frustration pounded its way through his body. He wasn’t sure what frustrated him most, the fact that Serah filled him with emotions he had no business feeling, or the fact that she and Daniel were hitting it off so well. Too well.
“Will do.” Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out an iPhone. “Can I use your office to make a call?”
“Sure, just through the door there.” She pointed to the office in the far corner.
“Be right back.” Daniel swiped and pushed some icons on the screen. With that, he strode toward the office.
Matthias grabbed Serah’s shoulder and pulled her to the side. “I need to do some recon.”
“What?”
“Surveillance.”
“You are going to try and listen in on his conversation? Seriously?”
“Seriously. I don’t trust him.”
“From what I can tell, you don’t trust many people.”
“A good procedure to follow.”
“How can I trust you then?”
Leave it to Serah to emphasize a good point. “Just remember this: I have a duty to the Fore-Demons. I will not fail them.”
Serah’s lips curved down slightly. “I see.”
Matthias bit his tongue. He couldn’t get close. No matter how hard it hurt. She was safer with someone else. Someone who had purpose. He was still trying to find his.
“I’m going to see if I can hear anything.” He left no room for her to refuse. He marched toward the office and crouched low, pressing his ear against the door.
Just a few words to better understand Daniel’s interest in Serah’s shop. He pressed closer. He silently thanked whatever deity that decided to bless—or curse—him with extremely acute hearing.
“Hey, Sally.” Daniel’s voice lacked urgency. Matthias growled. So far, not so good. He pressed his ear closer to the door.
“I’m here at Tasteful Elegance. Pretty good, so far. Miss SanGermano is pleasant. Her investor—not so much.”
“I don’t know. Was there anything about him on the application? Well… He doesn’t look like the businessman type. Kind of weird but he looks like he’d be more comfortable on American Gladiators than a cooking show.” There was a brief pause. “His name? Umm… Matt… No… Matthew? Wait… It’s Matthias. Yeah, that’s it. Matthias Ambrose.” He chuckled. “Kind of a stuffy name, if you ask me.”
Stuffy? Hah. Humans these days preferred silly names like Taylor, Peyton, and Jordan. They sounded more like surnames, not first names.
Daniel cleared his throat. “I don’t think they’ll go for that.” There was another short pause and he blew out a breath. “I can try. Other than that, everything looks good. I’ll call you in a couple hours.”
Did that mean Serah got the show? Or was there more going on? Why wasn’t the producer here too? Something was off. But he’d seen some of the videos and the website. American Chef appeared legit.
The sensual aroma of orchids tingled at his senses. He looked up. Serah stood over him, annoyance clouding her expression. “So you have subsonic hearing too?”
“Something like that.”
Serah’s breath hitched. “That’s nice. Remind me to keep my mouth shut while you’re here.”
Matthias clenched his fists. “I can’t listen in on you, Serah.”
“Yeah, right. Tell that to the door you mutilated.”
“You yelled my name. That is the only thing I heard. It sounded urgent. I couldn’t travel inside, so I used force instead.”
Serah shrugged, but something mysterious flashed in her gaze. “Ever heard of knocking?”
“I’m not making excuses, Serah. I sensed danger and I reacted as I was trained.”
“Whatever.” She leaned over and peeked through the window. She scooted him with her foot. “Better get up. He’s making his way to the door.”
Matthias lunged up to his feet, grabbed Serah by the waist and took her toward the sink. “How long would he be here for?”
“So you approve?”
Matthias shrugged. “I didn’t pick up enough of the conversation to target him a threat. He seems harmless—for now.”
“And he didn’t smell like Infernati either, right?”
“You already knew that, didn’t you?”
Serah slumped against the sink and raked a hand through her curls. Grabbing the side of the counter, she blew out a long breath. “You just don’t understand. I just want a normal life—demon-free.” She snorted. “Well, free of demons I don’t already know, anyway.”
He understood more than she realized. He’d felt the same way when he’d lost his life and turned into a monster. He hated himself. He wanted to die. But as years turned into centuries, he’d learned that normalcy was just a fantasy.
Serah lowered her gaze to the black-and-white-checkered floor and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I know you’re here for a good reason. I… It’s just a lot to deal with all of the sudden.”
Matthias knew he shouldn’t, but seeing Serah in this state pulled at him. He reached out and brushed a stray curl from her cheek. “I understand. Trust me.”
He let his hand linger on her cheek, letting the sizzles spark against their skin. His breath caught. God, her skin was so soft. He traced his thumb across her cheek, brushing away a teardrop.
He looked down at her and gazed into her eyes, bright blue and sparkling. God, she was so beautiful. He wanted so much to kiss her—right then and there.
She reached up, brought her hand to his, and brought his hand closer to her skin. What on earth was she doing? Bloody hell, she was a temptress and didn’t even know it. And that made her dangerous.
Then again, he n
ever shied away from danger. Why should he now?
He reached out with his other hand and grabbed Serah’s waist, pulling her to him. With gentleness he never knew he possessed, he cradled her head to his chest and laced his fingers through her sable curls.
With slow, tentative strokes, he stroked her hair. He leaned in, his mouth inches from her ear. “I understand… more than you know.”
She looked up with those disarming, sapphire eyes and placed her hand on his chest. “So what’s your story?”
His breath caught. It amazed him how just a simple touch made his blood boil. If they continued this close of contact, he’d do something he’d regret.
“My story would make your blood curdle, Serah.”
With that, he pulled away and stormed toward the door. The brisk winter air would do him some good.
***
The door slammed shut. Serah blew out a trembling sigh. She shouldn’t like the hulking demon, but something drew her to him. She shook her head. She knew he sensed it too. What was his deal? One moment he was tender and in a millionth of a second, he was cold and distant. He was hiding something. As for knowing his past—she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to know.
“So he’s that kind of investor, huh?”
Serah spun around to see Daniel with his elbow propped on the buffet, a sly smile spread across his lips. “Huh?”
“I saw the way he held you.”
Serah gasped and shook her head. “It’s not what you think. Seriously. He’s too arrogant for me.”
Daniel’s smirk grew even wider. “Really?”
“Yeah, really.”
“Whatever you say. And there’s no need to hide anything. I’m doing the show.”
“Seriously?”
“As serious as a heart attack. Congrats. I’m just waiting for the producer to call and finalize some things.”
Serah nodded. “Don’t producers usually come along to these things?”
“Not always. Sally’s a little private and prefers to remain in the background. Put her in the spotlight and she’ll melt.”
“Sounds bad. I can recommend a good psychologist if she needs one.”
Daniel grinned. “You don’t look like the type that would need a therapist.”
Oh, how wrong he was. She managed to keep her snort contained. “Ha ha, very funny. Someone I dated.”
“Oh, well Sally’s not one to see a shrink, but I can take the name anyway. She’s pretty content with her reclusiveness.”
“To each her own, I guess. So when do you plan to start shooting?”
“Does tomorrow work?”
“I’ll make it work.”
“I like your style.”
“How long does shooting usually take?”
“Two to three days usually. Unless you’re Diner Diva, then we’re looking at one week to shoot and three weeks post-production therapy.”
“I don’t think you need to worry about that.”
“Good. And I have to discuss Matthias with you.” Daniel blew out a deep sigh. “Sally believes it best if he stays away from the production.”
“He’s already been banned from the kitchen, so no worries there.”
Daniel arched a brow. “Banned?”
“Yes,” Serah replied with a nod. “He’s a horrible cook.”
“Sally doesn’t like outside investors. She doesn’t want him anywhere near the crew.”
Matthias wouldn’t like this one bit. She wrung her fingers and bit her lip. “That isn’t going to happen.” Maybe she should just be as honest as she could with him. She never was much of a liar anyway. “Umm… Matthias isn’t really an investor.”
Daniel slapped his hands together. “Hah! I knew it. You couldn’t hide that electricity between you if you tried.”
“Heck no! He’s not my boyfriend. We only met yesterday.”
“Yesterday? Really?”
Serah nodded. “He works for a private security firm. He’s a bodyguard.”
“I think you are taking this whole TV show a bit too seriously. Even I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“Look at yourself. Does it look like you need one?”
Daniel shrugged. “I guess not, but still.”
Here comes the hard part. She took in a huge gulp of air and clasped her hands together. “A while ago, in my desperate days, I filled out an online personal ad. One of the guys that responded was a little more into me than I was him.” No one is going to believe this shitty story. She rambled on. “He sent flowers every day. Then chocolates. Then he would show up at random places. The grocery store, the mall, some of my catered events. I finally put my foot down and told him to leave me alone. One night he broke into my house and drilled a hole in my fishbowl. I woke up the next morning to find my precious Goldie belly-up in an inch of water.” She snorted out a fake sob. “It was horrible.”
“Oh, my God. That’s terrible.”
“That day my friend and her fiancé called the security guard company for me. He’s here for my protection.”
It was either that or tell him the truth, and the truth was too much to believe. She might as well give him a more believable and laughable story. The less people knew about demons, the better.
“Did you file a restraining order?”
Serah nodded. “He waits for the restraining order to expire then starts the madness all over again. It expires tonight.”
“And the cops won’t do anything?”
“I’ve tried, but until he acts again, they can’t be bothered.”
“That doesn’t sound right.”
“Tell me about it.”
Daniel reached out and grabbed her hand. “I’m sure Sally will understand. I’ll let her know what the deal is.”
“Thanks, Daniel.” She leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek. As if she were in a cheesy romantic comedy, Daniel chose that exact moment to move his head. Instead of brushing his cheek, she met his lips instead. And she always rolled her eyes at those parts. That never happened in real life, or so she thought. And then the hero and heroine knew in that precise instant that they loved each other. However, this was anything but romantic. Awkward was an understatement.
Daniel made a sound similar to a dying cow and she squeaked against his just-as-surprised lips. Birds did not sing and there were no butterflies or any romantic ballads. There were no sparks or zaps—absolutely nothing. It was like she was kissing a cousin or brother.
Daniel pulled back and quickly wiped his lips. “Wow. That’s a first.”
“You’ve never been kissed on the lips?”
“No. I’ve never been kissed on the lips by a guest.” A nervous chuckle burst from his lips. “Did it do anything for you?”
Serah moved from one leg to the other and twirled a finger around a curl. Aww heck. She’d lose the show before they even started shooting. However, honesty was always the best policy. “No, not really.”
“Whew, me either.” Daniel giggled. “I hate saying this, because you’re truly lovely, but it was like I was kissing my mom.”
Serah winced. “Good thing your name isn’t Oedipus, then.”
“You know Oedipus?”
“Yeah, he’s a complex character.”
Daniel burst out laughing. Finally, someone got her joke. “That’s a good one.”
“Yeah, what can I say. I try.”
“You’re smarter than you let on, aren’t you?”
Serah shrugged. “I like to read, but all that math and science stuff drives me crazy. Those are more Lucy’s expertise.”
“Lucy?”
“My best friend. She and her fiancé will be here any minute.”
“Oh. We can’t have too many people here. You know what they say?” Daniel flashed a soft smile.
“What’s that?”
“Too many cooks spoil the broth, you know?”
She never was much for those old proverbs. “Oh, yeah. That.” She felt her cheeks warm as a blush took over.
“It makes for
a better show when it’s a more intimate setting. Plus the kitchen can get kind of crowded, even if it’s only two.”
“Don’t worry about Lucy or Matthias.” Serah covered her mouth and giggled. “Lucy can’t even boil a pot of water, and Matthias? Let’s just say he almost burned down my house. Neither of them will be anywhere near the kitchen, so don’t worry about intimacy issues.”
A wide smile spread across his lips. “The show is somewhat scripted too. To sort of draw on some of that intimacy. Is that okay with you?”
“Scripted? I didn’t know I was signing up for a production of Shakespeare in the Park. Jeez. Now you tell me.” She blew out a sarcastic sigh.
“Even reality shows follow some sort of script. Did you know that?”
Serah snorted. It didn’t surprise her one bit. “They need to hire better writers, then.”
“I won’t disagree there. Since I write most of my scripts, I will assume you’re not talking about my show?”
“No, I’m talking about any un-real housewife in any big town. Where’s the Real Housewives of the Midwest?” Serah threw up her fists in frustration. “And don’t even get me started on those guidos and guidettes down in New Jersey. Is this where entertainment is taking us? Steroid-popping, orange-skinned idiots?”
Daniel shrugged. “I am one of those stars you know.”
Serah’s mouth fell open and she gasped. “Oh. But Princes and Paupers was a great show. I could see how real you all were. And I can tell the difference between fake bake and a real tan. This stuff now? It’s just crap.”
“People watch it, though.”
“I know. It’s just that… I’d rather keep up with a turtle than… well you know.”
“It’s the days of fifteen minutes of fame, what can I say?”
“To each his own. YouTube doesn’t help much either.” Fingering the diamond-encrusted locket around her neck, she flashed a smile. He was as friendly off camera as he was on camera.
“Some good musicians have been discovered that way.”
Including Justin Bieber, but she kept that to herself. “You have a point. My main issue is with the idiots who make fools of themselves just so their stupid videos go viral.”
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