“She’s not very fond of men, dear,” my mom said just as Heidi hopped on his lap.
She planted her paws on his chest and sniffed his face, then head-butted him. Her purring started back up and Sam rubbed around her ears, whispering something. It made an adorable picture, but my mouth dropped open in disbelief. The only guy I’d ever seen Heidi give affection to was my dad.
Echoing my thoughts, my wide-eyed mother said, “The only other man she’s ever liked before was Lexi’s father. You should feel honored to have her approval.”
“Very much so,” Sam replied. Heidi jumped down and ran back around to sit on my mom’s lap. A sly grin spread across his face. “I apologize for the cliché, but don’t most witches have black cats?”
I dug into the pasta on the table, huffing a laugh and shaking my head. “In the old days, people put witches and black cats together because they were both considered evil. Witches today often adopt black cats because of the superstition surrounding them, but it’s not a requisite. In fact, cats aren’t a requirement at all.”
Mom shook an accusing finger at Sam. “It’s true. Margaret has a barn owl and Lucinda just got herself a bearded dragon.”
“She didn’t!” I gasped. Oh, Ilovedlizards! I turned back to Sam to explain. “They’re a couple members of my mom’s coven and descendants of original Salem witches. They have some power, but nothing like my mom.”
“Oh, stop it.” Mom shooed her hands at me, but she wore a hint of a smile.
Sam eyed me across the table. “I didn’t take you for a lizard lover.”
“It’s snakes she hates.” My mom jabbed a stiff elbow into my ribs.
Heat rushed to my cheeks. “Uh, yeah, I don’t care much for snakes. But lizards are cute. They have feet.”
Sam and Mom both burst out laughing at me and I shoved a bite of food in my mouth. Assholes. Lovable, but still assholes. It warmed something in my chest, though, to see them interacting well, despite my mom’s obvious tension.
Before we left, my mom held me back while Sam stepped outside. She had that look on her face that said I wasn’t going to like what she said, that “mom” look everyone dreads.
“Lexi, sweetheart, be careful with this man.” Her hazel eyes darted over my shoulder toward the door. “There’s something about him I don’t trust. He’s hiding something.”
My mouth fell open and it took a second to make my words work. “Did you feel it?”
“No, and that’s the problem, I think.” She looked back to where Heidi was lounging on the armchair in the living room. “I trust Heidi’s judgment with people, and if she likes him, then perhaps you’re not in danger. But her approval means he’s not what he seems, and that in itself can be dangerous.”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah, I think I understand, Mom. I’ll be careful, I promise.”
“And make sure you visit again soon.”
***
We’d spent half the day there, and as much as I loved spending time with my mother, it had been mentally exhausting. It felt like walking on eggshells trying to steer her around too embarrassing or too revealing conversations. There were things Sam and I would need to talk about eventually, if things between us progressed any further, but now wasn’t the right time.
Evening came and he’d dropped me off at my apartment and gone on to the bakery to prep for tomorrow. I wasn’t ready for it to end just yet and offered to help, but he insisted I needed thewholeday off. Maybe he’d been right. Between the visit to Salem and last night’s physical activities, I was tired on more than one level.
I slammed my textbook closed and rubbed my head. My assignments were complete and double-checked and my apartment was still quiet. I hadn’t heard from Sophie, but I assumed she was at the gym again. Or a client’s house.
That line of thought led me back to Sam and a certain shower. Yes, exactly what I needed. A shower. A long, hot shower. My mind needed a reset and I needed to wash off all the bad energy visiting Salem always left me with.
Grabbing my fluffiest bathrobe and towel, I hopped into the hot water. The smell of coconut filled the room as I lathered my thick mass of hair. Bumping my elbow on the wall, I was suddenly envious of the spacious shower in Sam’s house. With the handle on the wall, the built-in shelves and bench, the overhead rain showerheads, and the hot-as-sin homeowner. I leaned into the water and rinsed, remembering the feel of his tongue, the heat of his touch.
My hand slipped between my legs, circling the swollen bud. Fuck, I was tempted to call him and demand he come back immediately to fix this. My fingers slid back and forth, increasing speed. I couldn’t pull him away from work, though. What I needed was a fucking cold shower.
The water instantly turned freezing and I yelped in surprise, jumping out from under it, tripping over the side of the tub, and taking the entire curtain and rod down with me. Well, that would do it, too, I supposed. I laid there for a few seconds, making sure I hadn’t broken anything besides my dignity. A minute later, I groaned and got to my feet, flipping the water off.
If it was going to be so fucking amazing every time, I was going to have withdrawals being away from him. That in itself was enough to make me want to pump the brakes on whatever this was. I liked being around him, knowing damn good and well that he liked “options,” but he seemed genuine. For a moment, I debated asking my dad to look into him, to tell me what he knew.
Shady move, Lexi. Don’t do it.
I dried and threw on loose shorts and a tank top, running my hands through my hair to dry it. Then I threw myself across the couch and channel surfed while staring at the phone and debating delivery. A rattle at the door announced Sophie. She bounced into her room to drop her bag off, then flopped on the couch beside me.
“No Prince Charming?” She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. “You’re not fulfilling your best friend duties, Red. I need all the details.”
