She smiled. All was forgiven in that instant. How could she not after all he’d done for her? “Hey,” she said softly. “As reluctant as I am to end this moment, we should go out and sit with Hattie or she’s going to come in here looking for us.”
He chuckled. “That she will.”
They went out to the living room. Hattie was hovering in her chair, engrossed in her show, but she materialized to tap the pause button. “Bigger job than I thought, apparently. You missed the whole opening.”
“We’ll catch up,” Imari said. She waited to see where Lucien would sit. He took a spot at the end of the couch. Good. She sat in the middle.
Hattie pressed play, and as the show started up again, Imari coasted her hand across the space separating her and Lucien and curled her pinky over his.
He glanced at her, a little surprise in his gaze.
“It’s a very colorful show,” she whispered. “You’ll see.”
Understanding filled his eyes, and he smiled.
That smile melted parts of her. It was dazzling and warm and made her breath catch in her throat. She smiled back without trying.
Had he always been so handsome? Maybe it was knowing what he’d been through and understanding the weight of what he was carrying that made her see him in this new light. Whatever the reason, she was content to be at his side, fingers interlaced, doing nothing more than watching television with his grandmother. The grim reaper, the genie, and the ghost. What a trio they were.
It wasn’t anything she’d ever thought she’d be doing, this kind of domesticated scene, but it was peaceful and comfortable and gave her a happiness inside unlike anything she’d ever felt before.
Was this what married life could be like?
She’d balked at marriage since her arranged betrothal, but then, that future had always included Khalid. It still did, and she still didn’t want it. But this? This was different.
This was good.
So were the next day and a half.
While they waited for Willa to complete the bottle, she and Lucien (and often Hattie) enjoyed life. They watched movies in the theater room, played billiards and cards, lounged and read in the library, cooked, ate, and laughed.
On the second day after breakfast, Lucien and Imari swam in the pool that was indeed on the lower level. And what a pool it was. There was a slide, a grotto, fountains, and a video screen system that covered the walls and ceiling, making it seem like they were outdoors on a sunny day beneath a brilliant blue sky. The space was as large as the garage and filled with a variety of palms and exotic flowers that were thriving under sunlamps. The ambient sounds of a gentle breeze and tropical birds completed the feeling of being somewhere far away.
And just for fun, an enormous inflatable swan bobbed in the center of the pool.
Hattie had waved them off, claiming she had errands to run, so Imari and Lucien were left to lounge and swim on their own.
And get a really good look at each other in their bathing suits.
Lucien’s trunks, no surprise, were charcoal gray with a few black stripes down one side. The trunks hung low on his hips, showing off his trim, muscled body. He was, in a word, mouthwatering. The tattoo she’d spied peeking out from his sleeve turned out to be a scythe. Which made sense, given what she knew about him now.
One of the suits that had shown up in Imari’s pile of things was a bright blue floral. The other was a softer turquoise with splashes of hot pink. She chose the bright blue bikini, and as she dropped her robe onto one of the chaises set around the pool’s edge, a rare emotion swept through her.
Shyness.
How odd.
Lucien’s eyes were on her. Just like hers were on him. The muscles in his stomach tightened, and he shoved a hand through his hair. “That suit looks good on you.”
His voice was low and gravelly and drew a finger of pleasure down her spine. She shivered from it. “Thanks.”
“Cold? I can adjust the temperature.”
“No, just…feeling a little exposed.” She laughed softly. Nervously. How odd to be this old and this experienced and yet suddenly feel like an unchaperoned teenager.
He turned away, a little smile on his face. “Get in when you’re ready.” Then he took three long steps and dove into the pool, cleanly slicing through the water with one easy, graceful motion.
He surfaced several yards away and turned. “The water is fantastic, in case you were wondering.”
“Good to know.” She had no reason to be shy. The suit looked good on her. Lucien had said so. Or he was just being kind, but seeing as how he couldn’t stop staring, she believed him. He wasn’t so hard to look at either.
She was being silly. She put her shoulders back, walked to the edge, and dove in after him. She had to swim a little to meet him since he was halfway to the swan now. “The water feels amazing. I can’t believe you have a pool like this.”
“I don’t use it as much as I should.” He glanced toward the giant inflatable. “Race you to the swan.”
“Okay.” She took off without waiting for him to say go. It was the only chance she had, but he beat her handily. She liked that he hadn’t let her win.
He hoisted himself onto the inflatable, making it wobble, then offered her a hand as she approached. She took it, letting him pull her aboard. He held on to her hand and looked around. “Wow, the colors are really something.”
“Have you ever seen this room in color?”
“Never. None of my house. Except for what I’ve seen when you’ve been touching me.” He lay back to stare up at the projected blue sky, tugging her back with him.
She glanced at him. Their fingers were still entwined, but they were touching at the shoulders and hips too. It was nice. Very nice. She went back to looking at the ceiling sky. The moment was so surreal she had to say something. “You realize you’re a grim reaper, I’m a genie, and we’re lying on a giant inflatable swan that’s floating on a pool two stories underground and yet we’re staring up at a sunny, blue sky.”
“Three stories. Insomnia, then the house.” He snorted. “I guess it is kind of odd, though. But it’s one of the best mornings I’ve had in a long time.” He turned to look at her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled at him. “And thank you. You’ve done so much for me. You know, you should let me give you a massage. I’m really good at it, and I think it would do you a world of good.”
He propped himself up on one elbow. “How about now?”
“We’d have to get off the swan. I need to work on a stable surface.”
He lay back down. “Later, then. I’m too happy to move at the moment.”
That suited her just fine.
A few moments of quiet passed, the sounds of the lapping water and the feel of the manufactured sun sending Imari into a blissful state. Holding hands with Lucien didn’t hurt either.
“The sting is all set, by the way.”
It took her a second to realize he meant the plan to catch the wish merchant. “Is that what you were working on yesterday morning?”
“Yes.”
She was almost afraid to ask the next question. “What’s my role in it?”
“Nothing. You don’t need to be there, nor should you. It’s too dangerous anyway. I’m not even going to be there.”
She leaned up on one elbow to look at him. “You’re not?”
He shook his head. “No. The wish merchant knows me. Too much chance he’d figure out it’s a setup and ruin the whole thing. And after our last meeting in your apartment, he knows his genie can’t control me.”
She hadn’t asked him for the details of that evening, but that conversation was coming. “Who’s doing it, then?”
“Greyson.”
“You’re going to end up owing him another favor.”
Lucien frowned. “Don’t remind me.”
She poked him in the chest. “Hey, the first one didn’t turn out too bad.”
He caught her hand and kis
sed her fingers. “No, it didn’t.”
Hattie suddenly appeared above them. “Lucien!”
Imari jerked back, so startled by seeing a woman hovering over her that she fell off the side of the inflatable. Lucien’s now unbalanced weight caused the swan to tip over and pitch him into the water as well.
He bobbed to the surface, spitting out water. “Hattie, what on earth is going on?”
Imari grabbed hold of the swan, which had righted itself. “Are you okay?”
Hattie nodded. “I’m fine, but there’s trouble. Big trouble. Willa just called. Her shop was broken into and the bottle’s gone.”
Lucien stormed into the kitchen, dressed in a suit, but still buttoning the cuffs of his shirt. He hadn’t taken the time to dry his hair, either. He barely managed to get dressed with all the anger that was coursing through him. “I’m going down there.”
Imari and Hattie looked up at him from the table. Imari was in her robe and swimsuit, her wet hair piled on top of her head. Worry bracketed her eyes.
Hattie shook her head and spoke first. “Do you think that’s wise?”
“Yes, I do. I need to know for sure whether or not the wish merchant was involved in this.”
“What if he was, and he’s watching the scene? He might see you,” Imari said. She was clenching a cloth napkin in her hands so tightly that her knuckles were lighter than the rest of her. An untouched cup of tea sat before her. Her deep anxiety over this was clear.
They were all upset by it, but this had definitely unsettled her to a much greater degree. Of course, she had a lot more at stake.
“I’m okay with him seeing me,” Lucien answered. “If he was involved in this, and I have no doubt he was, then he needs to know I’m still involved in this. That should give him some pause.”
Imari made a face. “But he might follow you back here.”
“I won’t let that happen. I’ll come home through the Basement if need be.”
She nodded, but there was no confidence in her posture. She slumped like she was defeated. She let go of the napkin to rub her hand over her mouth.
Lucien narrowed his eyes. She was far too worried about a replica. “Why are you so concerned about a bottle that isn’t even the real one?”
She squeezed her eyes shut and sighed before answering him. “Because it wasn’t just a replica.”
“What are you talking about? The real bottle is in your room. Isn’t it?”
“The bottle is. But not the stopper.”
That set off a small alarm. “Explain.”
“Willa wasn’t sure about matching the stopper. It’s a very unique emerald crystal. So I offered to let her keep it to make comparisons easier. Just until the bottle was ready, of course.”
“I don’t remember any of this. When did this happen?”
“When you were playing with the cat.”
Hattie’s brows shot up. “You were playing with a cat?”
He groaned. “No, not really, but I was distracted by one. Imari, what does it mean if the stopper has been taken?”
She swallowed. “It means the wish merchant might be able to use it to track me. Or rather, his genie will be able to. And it won’t really be tracking me, but my bottle.”
“Then I need to leave now and find out what his involvement in this was.” He searched for reassuring words, but comfort wasn’t his currency. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Imari nodded. “Okay.”
“I’m sure it’ll all be fine.” That was the best he could do at the moment, except he wasn’t sure at all. “You’re very safe here.”
Imari gave him a tentative smile. “Good. Because I feel safe here.”
He sent Hattie a look, cutting his eyes from her to Imari and hoping she understood that he wanted her to distract the genie while he was out.
Hattie gave him a subtle nod. “Imari, do you think you could help me with one of my projects in the craft room? You have such an eye for color.”
Lucien headed for the garage. He took Hattie’s Range Rover again for its ability to be incognito. He’d considered going the Basement route, but he wasn’t sure if he’d be coming straight home. If any possibility existed that he might have an opportunity to confront the wish merchant, he was going to act upon it.
When he arrived at Willa’s, the only indication that anything had happened was the sheriff’s car parked out front.
Lucien knew Sheriff Merrow somewhat. Insomnia did its own policing, but the sheriff was kind enough to send a patrol car through the lot every night anyway. For that, Lucien made a generous contribution to the First Responders Benevolence Fund each year.
He parked, got out, and headed into the shop.
Willa and the sheriff were in the back office, the open door the only way he spotted them. One of her employees greeted him. “Can I help you find something, sir?”
“I’m here to see Willa.”
At the sound of her name, she leaned forward and waved him back.
As he came around the counter and entered the office, she frowned. “I’m so sorry about this.”
“It’s not your fault.” He gave the sheriff a nod of greeting. “Sheriff.”
The sheriff nodded back. “Dupree.”
Lucien spoke to Willa again. “What happened?”
“I don’t really know.” She glanced around. “Nothing was broken. Nothing was damaged. I opened up like normal this morning, no idea anything was wrong, went to get the bottle out of the safe to work on it, and it was gone.”
Lucien looked at the sheriff. “No signs of forced entry?”
“None,” he grunted.
“The alarm wasn’t bothered either,” Willa added. “It wasn’t tripped or turned off. I checked the log. I was the first one to punch the code in since last night.”
He caught her gaze. “What about the other part of the bottle?”
Her brows pulled together in a sympathetic expression. “Also gone. I’m so sorry.”
Lucien let out a curse. “If that’s all that was taken, then this had to be the wish merchant.”
“Who’s that?” the sheriff asked.
Lucien filled him in.
He took notes, nodding. “He has to be staying in town.”
Lucien snorted. “Good luck finding a man with no name.”
The sheriff almost smiled. “You’d be surprised what my aunt can do. We’ll check for prints here, too.”
“There won’t be any. Not if the wish merchant is behind this.”
The sheriff made a face. “How do you know?”
“Because he uses magic.” Lucien turned back to Willa. “Do you mind if I have a look at the safe?”
“Sure.” She took him over to it, the sheriff following. The door was still ajar.
Lucien looked over his shoulder at the sheriff. “I need to touch this.”
“You keeping the gloves on?” the sheriff asked.
“Yes.”
“Fine.”
“Willa, where was the bottle and the stopper?”
She pointed to an empty space on the top shelf. “Right there.”
Lucien reached in and drew his finger along the shelf, then held it up to the light. Fine black particles sparkled back at him. “Glitter. This was the wish merchant all right.”
Willa let out an amused sound. “The wish merchant leaves behind a glitter trail?”
“No,” Lucien said. “The genie he’s enslaved does.”
Imari appreciated Hattie’s attempt to occupy her, and working on the shadow boxes had been fun, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the wish merchant. If he had the stopper, he could get his genie to track her. It wouldn’t be easy. Jinn magic was slow and unreliable when used against other jinn, but with enough patience and determination, it would work.
He would find her. And he would enslave her too.
Unless… She shook her head.
“What is it, dear?” Hattie asked.
“Nothing.” She picked up a glue stick.
“Just thinking.”
Hattie’s smile was warm and understanding. “It’ll be okay.”
“I hope so.”
A door slammed deeper in the house. They both jumped off their stools and turned to look.
“Lucien?” Hattie called out.
He appeared seconds later at the door to the craft room, his eyes on Imari.
She almost didn’t want to ask, but she had to know. “The stopper?”
“Gone.”
She closed her eyes and sat down, the sinking feeling in her belly nearly undoing her. “He’ll find me. It’s just a matter of time now.”
“There has to be another way,” Lucien said. “Give me the bottle. I know you don’t want anyone else to have possession of it, but you know I won’t use it against you.”
“It won’t work.” She looked up at him. Her world was crumbling. This would be how it ended. She couldn’t even go back into the bottle and return home. Not without the stopper. “The bottle is incomplete. I’m such a fool. I never should have given Willa that piece.”
Hattie clucked her tongue. “Now, now. You had no way of knowing what was going to happen.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m still a fool. I just…I felt so safe here. I got complacent.”
Lucien came into the room and took her by the shoulders. “Is there any other way you can think of that would make you safe from him?”
She stared at him, the grim reaper, the best man she’d ever known, and wanted to laugh. The only way he could save her would destroy the life she’d known up to this point. It would ruin whatever this was that had begun between them. It would turn her family against her. Make her an outcast among her own kind.
She couldn’t bring herself to say the words.
“Tell me,” Lucien said softly. “Whatever it is, we’ll do it. I’ll do it. I will not let that man touch you.”
She shook her head and tried not to weep. “There is one way.”
His eyes brightened, and he gave her shoulders a little squeeze of encouragement. “What is it?”
She swallowed and tried to form the words. “You have to marry me.”
Lucien wasn’t sure how much time passed as he stood without moving or speaking, but it was long enough that Hattie became corporeal and swatted him on the arm, causing him to let go of Imari.
The Reaper Rescues The Genie Page 12