And he thought about Lilith every moment of every day.
He noticed that Lilith had cleaned up her garden so that it didn’t look so bad. He found himself listening closely to Jason’s stories about Balthasar, the praying mantis near Lilith’s compost, and was startled to feel envious of his son for the chance to enjoy Lilith’s company.
Mitch tore apart the files at the office, and found nothing more about his neighbor than he had the first time. He looked again and again, he tried to dig deeper, but without success. Even Isabel was starting to think he had lost it.
On Thursday night, as Mitch lay staring at the duo-green ceiling, he resolved to spend any Christmas bonus on installing air-conditioning before the next summer. It was not only the heat keeping him awake, though. Mitch wasn’t going to admit – even to himself – that he was thinking of Lilith’s soft curves tangled in her sheets not that far away.
It was a matter of principle, though, that kept Mitch from Lilith’s door – as much as a conviction that she would land another one of those kisses on him and his control would melt like butter in the sun.
She probably used that technique all the time. No wonder it worked so damn well.
Mitch hated that hew as even susceptible.
Because it was wrong to swindle people. Criminal. The issue was perfectly simple and clear. Mitch was right and he knew it.
So why did being apart from Lilith feel so wrong? She was nuts, or a manipulative con artist, or a witch, or some combination platter of the above.
But Mitch wanted her in ways he had never wanted a woman before. It was more than her luscious kisses. It was that mischievous twinkle in her eye, her cleverness, the way she surprised him, the way she kept him guessing. Mitch wanted to know more about Lilith, and what he wanted to know wasn’t going to be lurking in any dusty office files or government databases.
Mitch was starting to wonder about his own sanity. Because the fact was, even knowing everything he knew, he was really looking forward to the possibility of crossing paths with Lilith this weekend.
Accidentally, of course.
It made absolutely no sense. And – remarkably – it had nothing to do with being right or being wrong. Mitch would be rebuilding a fence on the property line. It was only natural that they would see each other, that Lilith might come out to see his progress or make a suggestion.
The prospect of seeing her again was enough to make Mitch anxious for Saturday morning to begin. He told himself that his anticipation was a natural part of his quest for the truth about Andrea’s cruise.
But even Mitch noticed that the thought lacked a ring of truth. He scowled at the ceiling as the clock struck three and he faced an uncomfortable reality.
What he was looking forward to was, plain and simple, a glimpse of Lilith’s smile. Just the acknowledgment tightened everything within him. Mitch’s hormones were winning the field, despite his perfectly reasonable suspicions.
It wasn’t like him to lose his professional detachment when he chased a story. It wasn’t like him to lose track of the point. It wasn’t like him to be…beguiled.
Maybe Lilith had cast a spell on him.
The idea was so troubling that it ensured Mitch couldn’t sleep at all.
*
6
The Lovers
By Saturday morning, Lilith was done with it.
She had had more than enough of Those Men mooning around in front of her porch and she wasn’t going to take it any more. She had been hoping that time would do its thing on wearing down the spell, but no such luck. The calendar was wrong for her spell, but it didn’t matter. Lilith couldn’t wait any longer.
Besides, she had a sneaking feeling that their presence was affecting the reestablishment of her relationship with Mitch. And that simply wouldn’t do.
Lilith put her cauldron on the stove and set to work. An unbeguiling spell took a lot of concentration. It was a delicate balance to persuade a smitten man to simply not to love a woman anymore, at least without pushing the man into actively disliking or even hating the woman in question.
Do whatsoever you will but harm none. The old oath was tough to hold in this circumstance. Lilith was determined not to mess up.
She peeked through the front curtains and counted Those Men. If anything, their ranks had increased over the week. Lilith might have been pleased to have concocted such an effective potion - at least, if it had worked as it was supposed to.
She would not think about Mitch or the argument they had had the other night. And she certainly wouldn’t think any more about him having no one lurking in his eyes - let alone what she could do about it.
Lilith had lain awake enough nights over that already.
She was going to fix all of that, first things first.
Lilith frowned and considered the problem at hand. A potion gone wrong should definitely be countered with another potion, although Lilith winced as she guesstimated the quantity of elixir she would need.
This concocting could take all day.
And it would clean out her supplies.
But there was no choice. She had to make this come right. In fact, righting this unexpected wrinkle in her magick could put her back in Mitch’s eyes where she belonged. You never knew. At that promising thought, Lilith pushed up her sleeves and went to work.
With luck, by late afternoon, she’d be able to offer Those Men a quenchingly cool “herbal drink”. And then, provided they each only had a precise measure, one of Lilith’s troubles would be solved. She turned on the radio and grinned as the chorus of The Supremes’ “Where Did Our Love Go?” filled the kitchen.
In that moment, Lilith decided she liked the oldies station after all. She danced barefoot across the cool tiles and opened her cupboards with purpose, as her cauldron came to a boil.
She even sang along.
*
Saturday went better than expected. Not only did Kurt declare Mitch’s house basically sound, he set to work with a vengeance that Mitch found hard to match. Cooley and both kids defied expectation by staying out of the drying concrete in the fence postholes.
In fact, they all played so amiably together that Mitch tried not to look surprised. The fence took shape with surprising speed and Mitch could have called the day a great success.
Except for one critical detail. Lilith didn’t make an appearance. Mitch peeled off his shirt in the afternoon sun and couldn’t help thinking of her comment.
Instead, it was Andrea who appeared, lugging a great big box emblazoned with the logo of a fancy clothier. It looked as though she’d been indulging herself again.
Mitch smiled and shook his head indulgently, nodding to his stepmother. The kids called delighted greetings, while Andrea waved to the two men. “Hello, Kurt! How are you?”
“Great, Andrea.” Kurt paused to rub a hand over his perspiration-drenched brow and grinned his most charming grin. He whistled low at the sight of her and Andrea preened playfully. “How do you manage to look younger every time I see you?” he demanded.
Andrea shook a finger at Kurt and laughed. “And how do you get smoother and smoother every time I see you? Still breaking all those hearts?”
“As many as I can.”
“And not getting any younger while you’re at it.” Andrea sniffed disapprovingly. “What you need is a nice steady girlfriend.”
“Bah! A man needs variety. I’m a dyed-in-the-wool bachelor, Andrea, and don’t even imagine that I’ll change. Gonna die with my boots on.” Kurt winked devilishly at Mitch, then nailed a board in place. “You’ll never catch me committing to one flavor of ice cream for the rest of my life.”
“Ice cream!” Jen echoed, picking up on a key word with her characteristic selective hearing. “Who has ice cream?”
“Are we having ice cream?” Jason asked, poking his head out from behind the massive thistle that had claimed the back corner of the yard.
Mitch rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Now, see what you’ve started?”
>
Kurt chuckled, then began to whistle as he worked.
“Ice cream in a minute,” Andrea declared.
“Funny,” Mitch mused as though he hadn’t already guessed what Andrea had brought. “We don’t even have any ice cream.”
Jen pouted, Jason sniffed and went back to his current investigation.
But Andrea grinned. “Now, how did I know that? You know, I just happened to bring a gallon of my favorite double chocolate chip. It jumped right into my basket at the quickie mart.”
Both kids cheered and Mitch shook his head. He pointed his hammer at Andrea. “Then, this afternoon, you can scrape them off the ceiling with a spatula,” he informed his unrepentant stepmother. “It would serve you right for filling them up with refined sugar.”
Andrea stuck out her tongue, then waved the big box. “First, you all have to be suitably dazzled by what I bought!” She hauled out an armload of blue chiffon and held it up to herself, swirling on the steps. It was a great color for her and Mitch had a sinking feeling that he knew exactly why she had bought the dress.
His smile disappeared in record time.
“Nana, let me see!” Jen launched herself across the yard, muddy fingers outstretched for this feminine delight, but Andrea whisked the dress out of harm’s way in the nick of time.
“It’s for Nana’s trip,” she said sweetly. “For dancing.” And she punctuated that last word with a glance at Mitch.
Though he’d fought the good fight, Mitch was smart enough to know that he had lost this one - big time. No doubt Andrea would come to him to do damage control - and knowing himself, Mitch knew he wouldn’t even have the heart to say he’d told her so.
He tried not to growl. “Nobody says you’ll find anyone who can dance well enough for you.”
Andrea snorted. “Lilith says and Lilith knows.”
At the sound of a woman’s name - any woman’s name - Kurt looked up with interest. “Lilith? Who’s Lilith?” He nudged Mitch hard and grinned. “Got a new girlfriend I can steal?”
“You should have stolen the last one,” Andrea commented dryly.
“Hey!” Mitch shook a finger at her.
Andrea rolled her eyes then held up a hand in surrender. “Okay, I know, I know. That topic’s off limits.”
Mitch checked but the kids weren’t listening.
“Where’s the ice cream, Nana?” Jen asked as Jason listened avidly for the answer.
“Lilith’s just our neighbor,” he said firmly, concentrating on hamming a nail home.
“Lilith is the most lovely person,” Andrea confirmed.
“Lillit has a kitty,” Jen contributed.
“And really neat bugs,” Jason amended.
“And she tells fortunes for a living!” Andrea concluded. “She can tell you how to find your one true love.” References apparently completed, Andrea herded the children toward the kitchen. “Now, who wants ice cream?”
The clamor was enough to deafen anyone unprepared for it. Cooley barked and bounded after the trio, pressing his nose hopefully against the screen door when Andrea firmly shut him out.
The dog whimpered, to no avail.
“A fortune-teller? No kidding.” Kurt glanced to Mitch and Mitch saw a familiar gleam in his buddy’s eye. “The ditzy ones are a lot less trouble. This Lilith have a true love of her own?”
“She’s single,” Mitch supplied tersely, not at all liking the smile that curved Kurt’s lips. It suddenly seemed like a critical error to have forgotten Kurt’s seducing ways. “Look, Kurt, leave her alone. She’s a nut anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
Mitch instinctively decided to make things sound worse than they were. He would not consider why. “I mean she thinks she’s a six hundred year old witch and that she casts spells on people that work. Nutty as a fruitcake.” Mitch rolled his eyes, trying to convey the ridiculousness of that.
But Kurt was unpersuaded. “A witch!” Kurt eyed Lilith’s house pointedly. “Wow. That would be something different.” He slanted a glance at Mitch. “What do you think it’s like? Being with a witch? You think it’s freaky?”
It really mattered to Mitch that he keep Kurt from going next door. “Isn’t there an old story that witches make things shrivel and fall off?” he asked idly as he hammered home a nail.
“Things?”
Mitch looked Kurt dead in the eye. “One particular thing.”
Kurt whistled, his speculative gaze drifting back to Lilith’s house. “Yeah, but what would you know about it? You’re too much the family man, ol’ buddy.”
Mitch concentrated on hammering that nail and ignored the heat on the back of his neck. Sunburn. Plain and simple.
Kurt exhaled through his teeth, his attention fixed again on Lilith’s house. “I think that a little witchy action might be just what the doctor ordered today.”
“What?” Panic rolled through Mitch. “Look, Kurt, leave it be. She’s my neighbor, after all!”
“Yeah, so. I’m not expected you to do the mogambo with her.”
That sunburn was hotter than hot. Mitch tried to sound as grim as he could, though why he imagined he’d win this battle, he didn’t know. “Kurt, don’t. It would be more than awkward. She’s just a fortune-teller…”
“What’s she look like?”
Mitch might have lied - his own astonishment over that uncharacteristic urge was the only reason the words didn’t jump out in time - but Lilith chose that moment to make an appearance on her back step. She let her cat out, glanced up and granted Mitch a warm smile.
His heart thumped in a way he was quite sure it wasn’t supposed to. And he couldn’t catch his breath. She was every bit as gorgeous as Mitch recalled, her smile ever bit as breathtaking as he remembered. Maybe even more so.
She really made it hard to keep all the dastardly things he knew about her straight in his mind, never mind the way she took advantage of people. That sweet slow smile made it hard to believe that she was a master criminal who had somehow ensured that her identity had been erased from all files. Maybe it was those dark eyes with that twinkle lurking in their depths that did Mitch in.
Mitch was surprised to realize that he didn’t really care. He just wanted to smile back at Lilith all day long.
But the lady had other ideas. She waved and ducked back inside, her cat curled into a watchful ball on the back step. In fact, she was already back in the house by the time Kurt whistled in admiration.
“Wow! You didn’t tell me she was gorgeous!”
“Well…”
“Trying to keep her for yourself, huh? Can’t say I blame you.” Kurt put his hammer down and scooped up his t-shirt. “But hey, I’m on to you now. Open field. All’s fair in love and war, right?”
“Wait a minute! Where are you going? It’s too early to quit.” Mitch gestured impatiently to the nearly finished fence. “Let’s get finished. We’re almost done.”
Kurt sighed theatrically and put a hand over his heart. “But I suddenly feel this burning desire to have my fortune told.” And with a wink, Kurt swaggered through the gate and headed for Lilith’s front porch.
Mitch had to stop Kurt from going in there! “But she’s an opportunist!” he called.
Kurt’s grin flashed in the shadows between the houses. “And you don’t think I am?” he joked.
Mitch hated with newfound passion that Kurt was both so classically good-looking and so successful in pursuing women. The guy looked like some kind of love god! And he spread his affections around as though he had invented sex.
If Lilith pounced on Kurt the way she had pounced on Mitch, the pair of them wouldn’t come up for air until Tuesday.
And that bothered Mitch a whole lot more than he knew it should.
“But she’s a witch!” he hissed, making the only other protest he could think of.
“Hey, I’ll let you know if anything falls off!” Kurt chuckled, then vaulted onto Lilith’s porch without a backward glance.
No, this wasn’
t how things were supposed to go. Not at all. It wasn’t in Mitch’s script - and he sure as hell didn’t like the revision.
His hormones had plenty to say about it, but Mitch deliberately listened to his logic. Maybe he was right about Lilith’s interest in Andrea’s money, maybe he was wrong. Maybe there was some other explanation for her not being in any of the files she should have been in.
Either way, he wasn’t going to find out the truth by his usual means. Conventional research had yielded a big fat zero.
But Mitch was by no means out of options. The sudden idea that popped into his head was just too good to ignore. He put aside his own hammer and scooped up his t-shirt, tugging it quickly over his head. Of course, he was only doing this for Andrea’s good, and for the sake of uncovering a story, maybe of exposing a fraud.
But as Mitch stalked down the alley between the houses, he wasn’t thinking about any of those things. He was thinking of stopping Kurt from making Lilith another notch in his well-adorned bedpost.
It didn’t make any damn sense to worry about protecting a woman who seemed to prey on others for a living, but Mitch didn’t have time to think about it too much right now.
He had to do something. And he had to do it now.
And pretending to remember being Sebastian was the best plan Mitch could come up with in such short order. Lilith would certainly buy it, given her consistency with that concept.
Yep. Mitch was going Under Cover to get the truth. He was definitely on familiar ground.
For the moment, at least.
*
Cooley eventually realized that he was alone in the yard. He whimpered and pressed his nose to the screen - nosing it distinctly inward as he watched more than one glop of ice cream drop to the floor uncontested.
He sniffled to general disinterest.
Time Travel Romances Boxed Set Page 113