Page 188 of The Heart You Kept

“It’s my vegetable garden.”

“You grow vegetables?”

“I do.” I smile proudly and then I rush to the other side. “Ah, and over here is my flower garden. I’m growing peonies, they’ve always been my favorite.” I pull out a weed.

He gives a subtle shake of his head. “I’ve never met anyone quite like you, Alora.”

I pull out another weed. “What do you mean?”

“You have a body built for sin and fuck like an….” He shrugs as if searching for the right word. “Animal demon. And yet…you cook and garden like a farmer.”

“An animal demon?” I smile as I slide my hands around his waist. “How does an animal demon fuck?”

His dark eyes hold mine. “Really fucking good.”

I giggle as I take him by the hand and begin leading him back inside the house. “Here’s how tonight’s going to go, Mr. Prescott.”

“I’m listening.”

“I’m going to cook you dinner and then I’m going to take you upstairs and you can meet a possessed animal demon.” He stops and pulls me back to him and we kiss. Really hard. Our lips linger over each other’s and I feel that throb of arousal that swirls between us.

“This night is sounding very promising indeed.” He takes my face in his hands and kisses me again, this time with suction, and I feel his erection grow between us.

I know if I don’t stop this there will be no cooking, and I want his first night here with me to be more than sex. I pull out of the kiss and step back. “Your job is to light the candles and set the table.”

He frowns. “What do you mean?”

“I’m cooking.”

“And.”

I pass him the matches. “Go around and light the candles and turn the lamps on to set the mood.”

“Oh.” He looks around as if having jobs is totally foreign to him. “Okay. I could do that.” His phone beeps with a text and he digs it out of his pocket and reads it.

“Why don’t you switch it off?”

He glances up. “What?”

“Switch it off.” I take his phone from him and I put it on the fireplace mantle. “When you’re here with me, then you’re here with me.” I slide my hand down and cup his crotch. “Time to relax.”

EDWARD

I stand at the window looking out into the back garden, garden lights are shining into the garden and lit solar lanterns hang from the trees. I have a glass of wine in my hand, music is playing through the sound system and not your usual music, something called “Sunny Mornings.” It’s all piano and zen with birds and shit. Alora is happily chatting away from the kitchen and whatever the hell she’s cooking smells divine.

I turn and look around the house, home. This is a home. Candles flicker, and lamps throw a warm glow through the small and intimate space, and the weirdest feeling runs through my veins, though I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what it is.

“Babe,” Alora calls.

Babe….

“Yeah?”

“Do you want béarnaise or Diane sauce?”

What is this alternate universe? I take a gulp of my wine, almost shocked to silence.

“Whatever,” I call back. “Both sound good.”