“Come on. I’ll show you the real monster I’ve been battling for two days and where I need it to go.”
Opening a door on the left, she motioned to a dark, ornate dresser sitting a few feet away from the wall. Five drawers were stacked next to it.
“I got the damned thing that far and decided rather quickly that I was no match for it.” Reaching across the hall, she swung open a door that was obviously to her bedroom, as evidenced by the king-sized sleigh bed perfectly suited for the surprisingly spacious room. Pointing toward the empty spot next to a double window, she grimaced.
“No way was I dragging that thing all the way over there. It would destroy my floors, and I’d probably end up in the hospital with nothing to show for it. I want to use the other room for something else, and the dresser will just get in my way.”
Caelius knew she was saying something, but all he could comprehend was the sight of a black thong and matching frilly bra slung over the back of a chair. Knowing they’d been on her body sent him into a tailspin. He only woke from his stupor at the sound of her soft curse.
“Shit. I forgot about those. Sorry about that.” Snatching them up, to his dismay, she stuffed them inside a small dresser next to the wall switch. He swore he heard her softly mutter, “I don’t know why I bother,” before turning back to him. Her checks were flushed a lovely pink, and she was having a hard time looking him in the eye.
“All righty then. I’ll just get out of your way and let you do your thing. Or do you need me to help?”
Blinking a few times, Caelius shook his head and cleared his throat. “No…uh, I’m good. Just make sure the door stays open as I come through it.”
“Sure.”
Glad his T-shirt was untucked and blocking the instant erection from the lingerie encounter, Caelius strode quickly to the other room and lifted the dresser. Walking it across the hall, he made fast work of placing it next to the window. When he turned around, he stopped in his tracks. Rhia was in the middle of the room and staring at him with eyes peeled wide.
Quickly glancing toward the dresser then back, he felt his brows draw together.
“What?”
She seemed to snap out of her frozen state at the sound of his voice.
“Damn, Caelius. I knew you’d be strong, but that was just mind-boggling. Those things aren’t just for show are they?”
Confused, he approached her.
“What things?” He watched her gaze fall to his left bicep, drift slowly across his chest, down his stomach, and then to the other arm. He was suddenly grateful he’d chosen to wear his black, sleeveless muscle shirt tonight. He found that he liked having her eyes admiring him in such a way.
A punch of jasmine-scented desire slammed into his nose, and he locked his knees in place. It felt like home, and he just wanted to lie down and enjoy the experience. He wanted desperately to brush his hand across her hair as he inhaled the innocent offering. Inferni! It was refreshing to experience the cleanness of this welcomed gift. It was much stronger than the first time he’d encountered it during class. He grinned when her gaze flipped back to his. Pink cheeks and darting eyes made another appearance, and he counted that in the “win” column. Despite her reluctance to discuss his overtures, this one thing could not be denied. She was attracted to him—excellent.
“Uh…your…never mind. I’ll get the drawers.” Just like that, she was hauling ass back to the other room.
Nodding his head in approval of the exchange between them, he followed her. On the return trip, he carried four drawers to her one—just to prove that he could. She tried to make a show of not looking at him as he slid the drawers into place, but he caught the quick glances away whenever he looked in her direction. He tried to appear oblivious so he wouldn’t embarrass her. She left the room as the last one slid into place.
Caelius felt his stomach drop at the thought that all of this was about to end. The task was finished and she’d expect him to leave. How many more times would he have to show up at the shop and hope for another rare opportunity to be alone with her?
Taking a deep breath, Caelius took his time walking down the hallway and inhaling as much of her lingering trail of desire that he could. He stopped short as soon as he rounded into the kitchen. She was holding out a glass of ice water like a barrier.
“Here. Sit down and drink this.”
“Sure.”
Plopping down on a stool, Caelius took a sip and waited for her to say something. She just stared at him as if she was trying to figure out how his internal organs worked. Well, as long as she wasn’t shoving him out the door, he’d let her look her fill. Glancing away to give her time to sort through whatever had her puzzled, he immediately spotted a thick photo album lying at the end of the counter. He reached out, placed his hand on it, and turned back to give her a questioning look. She nodded, and he slid it over.
He was surprised to find vibrant pictures of food instead of people. Page after page of delicious-looking desserts, candies, and meat dishes filled the book. He quickly noticed that each picture had a corresponding recipe on the opposite side. The tattered edges of the binder let him know this had been lovingly constructed over many years. He grimaced when his stomach growled and was surprised when she finally spoke up.
“I’m glad you just did that.”
“What?”
“Proved to me that you’re hungry. I knew that one slice of pie wasn’t going to cut it for you. Now you can’t turn me down when I offer to feed you.”
“You wouldn’t have gotten an argument on that at all.”
“Good. I made some lasagna earlier. All it needs is heating. I know it’s late, but do you have time for a meal?”
“I have plenty of time.”
“Okay then.” She turned and pulled the refrigerator door open.
“Hey, Rhia?”
“Yes?”
“This is a fantastic recipe book. Where did you get this? It looks personal. Was it your mother’s?”
She slipped a covered dish into the oven then reached inside a cabinet and retrieved a loaf of garlic bread. Again, she kept her back to him as she placed several slices on a flat cooking sheet.
“No. Those are mine. The first ten are the first I prepared from recipes I’d found. I kept tweaking them until I modified to my taste. The rest are ones that I created.”
“These are advanced dishes, Rhia. Why would you waste your time taking a beginner’s cooking class?”
Finally, she turned around and leaned on the cabinet. “Simple. I want to start making extra money by teaching a class. I needed to get a feel of how to conduct one. It’s easier than I thought. That’s why I’m cleaning out the other room. I can set up several small stovetops and have at least five to ten students at any given time. I’m going to be a student at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in the fall. I’ve saved up for the tuition, but need some extra padding to live off of while I’m there.”
Caelius felt the blood leave his face when images of her on a plane to France flew through his skull. Thankfully, she’d turned to check the lasagna and didn’t catch him gripping the cabinet to keep from swaying. He’d just received enough of an adrenaline dump to allow him to run the block and back before she could turn around.
“Uh, where’s the school?”
“Here in Austin.”
Instant relief made him weaker and he dropped his chin to his chest to keep from passing out. He gathered his wits when she called his name.
“Caelius, do me a favor and look in the cabinet to your left. Get three placemats out. They’re somewhere on the bottom shelf.”
Thankful for the diversion, he hopped off the stool and located the mats. As he stood, he found himself eye level with a framed picture. The young man looked like a very young version of Rhia. He carried a large smile as he stood by an older model sports car and pointed to the scooped hood.
“This has to be a relative. He looks exactly like you.”
“That’s my brother. He’d just
gotten that car for his upcoming graduation. He died two days later. Quick, push a mat over here so I can put this dish down.”
“I’m sorry, Rhia. I didn’t know.”
“No, it’s okay. It was a long time ago. It was difficult to talk about it for a while, but it’s gotten easier over the years. Go ahead and load up your plate.”
Sitting down, he pulled her stool out when she rounded the counter with a basket of steaming bread.
“What is his name?”
“Rio. That’s how I ended up as Rhia. We’re twins. He was an excellent football player and had just gotten a scholarship to UT. He was jogging with a group of his high school teammates when a driver plowed into them. Rio got the worst of it. Totally senseless shit. A simple decision on whether to run at the front or back of a pack determined his fate. It is what it is and you move on. My parents didn’t see it that way. It completely destroyed them. Dad basically checked out of the family. He took a young lover and moved off. Last I knew, he was in Maryland, but I’m not sure. Mom committed suicide a year later. Two losses were a little too much for her. I still can’t believe she’d throw a third one on me. She was selfish in life, so it didn’t really surprise me she’d take that route out of it.”
Caelius felt sick that she’d had to endure something so tragic. He couldn’t help but share his own to show his understanding.
“I lost my mother, too. She fell ill and died the same day. I know exactly how you feel. We’re absolutely helpless to what happens to our loved ones. You can cry and tear your hair out, but that doesn’t bring them back, and I’m positive that’s not what they would’ve wanted. You move on and hope you honor them by remaining strong. In your case, it’s despite her actions.”
Rhia leaned close and bumped him with her arm.
“That’s a very mature way of looking at things, Caelius. Some people never get it, no matter their age.”
“Thanks. I may be young, but I’ve seen and experienced things that make me feel much older. One day, I hope to be able to share that with you. I’m going to change the subject now before we become morose and spoil this excellent meal.”
Rhia chuckled and nodded. “Sounds like a plan. What do you want to talk about?”
“Why did your mating not last?”
“My mating?”
“Oh, sorry. I’ve not mastered your vernacular yet. I refer to your marriage. You said you were divorced.” He was surprised when she laughed.
“I thought you wanted to change to a less depressing topic. That one is about as bad as you can get.”
“Maybe to you, but I’m rather glad he was an idiot.” He smiled when her tinkling laugher filled the room again.
“You sure know how to compliment a woman, Caelius. I also like how you don’t hold back with your opinion. Okay, if you want the deets, then here’s the quick version. He woke up one day, took a good look at me, and decided a younger version was more appealing. They just got married last year and now she’s pregnant. I think karma’s coming to roost on his balding head for denying me children. He was adamant that he didn’t want kids, so the only thing I got out of the marriage was the lovely furniture and a lot of bills. I hope she has triplets.”
Caelius couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Like I said, he’s a total idiot. Good riddance.”
“I second that motion. Now eat your food before it gets cold.”
Happy to just be near her and sharing a meal, Caelius dug in and even helped himself to a second round. She was a fantastic cook. They both jumped when the phone on her wall rang. She grimaced.
“Don’t laugh. I still have a landline phone. I’m old-fashioned.” She held up her index finger and answered.
“Hello? Hi, Scott. Yes. I’m home and safe. Yes, it’s been moved.” Her eyes darted over to him, then back to the counter. “Yes, he was a perfect gentleman. Okay. Thanks for calling. See you tomorrow. You too. Good night.” She hung up and pressed the volume control several times. Turning, he could see her cheeks were flushed.
“Sorry about that. I muted the ring. Scott has a tendency to call several times a night to check on me. I think he’s a little overprotective. He had about the same reaction you did the first time he was here. His wife died several years ago, so I think it makes him feel better to have someone to look out for.”
Caelius shook his head. “No, I’m glad that he checks on you. He has reason to worry.”
“Well, I think it’s sweet that both of you care. Hey, you want some coffee?”
Nodding, he immediately picked up the receiver when she turned around and memorized her phone number on the display. He barely got it back in place and his hand wrapped around his glass before she returned to gather the platters. Among the self-congratulations at the move, he got a warm feeling inside his chest that she didn’t want any more disruptions while he was there.
Despite her objections, he insisted on helping her clean the dishes. Soon, they were sitting back at the bar and stirring creamer into their decaf coffee. He glanced over when she spoke.
“I have a confession, Caelius. I overheard something about you in class, and it took me by surprise.”
Caelius felt his stomach drop and tried to keep his features steady as he focused on his coffee. His mind screamed with numerous scenarios, but kept coming back to his conversations with Ulixes. Had they said something that might have revealed their race? No, it couldn’t have been that. They’d been cautious the whole time and attentive to the instructions. Perhaps what she’d learned was the reason that she’d kept him at arm’s length? Shit. Well, the only way to find out was to ask.
“Oh? And what was that?” Flicking his gaze to the side, he saw her swivel on the barstool to face him.
“I know what you are, Caelius. Look at me.”
Steeling himself, he turned on his seat and raised his eyes.
“What am I, Rhia?”
Chapter 6
Caelius was surprised when Rhia’s glance fell to her lap and her cheeks turned a rosy pink. She took a deep breath and glanced back up.
“I know that you’re a dancer. I overheard one of the young girls mentioning that she saw you at Heat Seekers Male Revue nightclub. I have to confess that I went in one night and watched one of your acts. I feel like an idiot for not telling you. I hope you’re not mad at me for intruding on your life outside of class.”
Bursting out laughing, Caelius let his shoulders drop in relief.
“Is that all? No. I’m not mad in the least. Hell, I’ve been to your work. We’re even. I’m glad you took an interest in me, Rhia. Why didn’t you come find me afterward?” Her cheeks darkened further and she gave him a lopsided smile.
“Because I’m a coward. I’ve never been in one of those clubs before. As soon as you finished, I ran away. I didn’t want you to think I was like those other girls in the class.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re kidding, right? Your fan base. A groupie? Potential stalker? Why do you look so confused?”
“Because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Chuckling, she patted him on the arm and shook her head.
“You really have no idea that all the young girls that flocked into the next class session after you arrived were there for you?”
“No. It hadn’t occurred to me. I thought they were there to learn to cook, just like us.” Despite his continued confusion, he was enjoying her sweet laughter. She was absolutely gorgeous when she smiled. He liked how her eyes crinkled on the edges and a small dimple formed in her left cheek.
“Nope. Cooking is the last thing on their mind. They spend more effort taking surreptitious pictures of you and Ulixes than stirring ingredients. Half of them are failing and the others hope you notice they can cook so you’ll marry them. It certainly wasn’t Henry or Martin that caught their attention. They both have to be at least seventy. No, you’re the draw.” She paused and tilted her head.
“I can tell by your face that you really didn’t notice
. Geez, Caelius. You don’t realize how devastatingly handsome you are, do you?”
Feeling his face heat, Caelius shook his head.
“I know that I am exciting to the women when I perform my act. I am no more handsome than my brethren.”
Leaning forward, Rhia gazed at him as if he was something unknown to her.
“Caelius, you can’t possibly be from this planet.”
Gut clenching, he felt his eyes widen.
“What do you mean?”
“Your humility is astounding. I’ve been around long enough to recognize when it’s false. I’ve seen men that were nowhere near as good-looking as you turn out to be the biggest bastards known to man. They’ll smile at you like they have no clue why your mouth is hanging open, but you can see it in their eyes that they’re preening under the attention and crave more. They get away with being total dipshits just because of their looks. They act entitled. You’re impossibly real. I like that.”
Caelius smiled and took a deep breath. “Good. I’m glad you find favor with me, but can we quit talking about my face? It makes me feel funny. Ask me something else.”
She chuckled.
“Okay, then. What do you like the most about being an entertainer, since it doesn’t appear you need to feed a humongous ego?”
Caelius’s heart filled with warmth at her statement.
“I love that you consider me an entertainer instead of just a stripper, Rhia. Yes, I may remove articles of my clothing to show more of my body, but mostly it’s about the time and effort of giving the audience a great show. It’s like making living art. The women are looking at me with expectation, as if asking me to make them feel special and appreciated. In fact, I’d really like to know what act you saw. I hope that I performed sufficiently and that you enjoyed it. I’ve been practicing since I arrived on…uh…in the states.”
Fueled by Lust: Caelius (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 5