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Authors: Kerrelyn Sparks
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bed.”
Fidelia laughed. “I can’t guarantee I’ll dream of him…but you might. I can tell you like him.”
Jean-Luc tiptoed closer to the kitchen door. He needed to hear Heather’s response, but instead, there was a fumbling sound.
“Are we out of triple chocolate ice cream?” Heather made a sound of exasperation as the freezer door slammed shut.
“You’re in denial,” Fidelia announced.
“No, I’m fully aware that I’m overweight.”
“No,” Fidelia countered. “You will not admit that you are attracted to Juan.”
“His name is John.”
He grimaced. Neither one of them pronounced it right.
“He’s very handsome,” Heather whispered. “But he’s too domineering.”
“No, no. Chica, he’s nothing like your ex. You just think all men are bad right now.”
“There’s something weird about him I don’t trust.”
Fidelia made a clucking sound. “Then let’s finish his reading and see what the cards reveal.”
Jean-Luc dashed back into the living room and eyed the cards on the coffee table. After Fidelia had shuffled them, she’d invited him to select seven cards. Only one had been turned face up so far, that damned Hermit card. He didn’t normally believe in such nonsense. He’d seen too many charlatans over the centuries. Still, hearing someone announce his loneliness had pricked his pride.
Of course he was lonely. How could he court a woman knowing that Lui would try to kill her?
“I’m not sure he’s what he says he is,” Heather’s soft words drifted from the kitchen. “He has…secrets.”
She was a perceptive woman. Jean-Luc leaned over the coffee table and flipped the next card. His heart froze.
The Lovers. It was so tempting to hope for a happy future and a glorious union with a loving woman. But how could it possibly happen with Heather? Even if she survived Lui and forgave him for endangering her, how could she accept a lover who was undead?
He heard them enter the foyer. Quickly, he grabbed the Lovers card and stuffed it back into the deck. He picked another card at random and set it facedown where the Lovers card had been. Then he sat in the wingback chair and assumed a bored expression.
“We’re back!” Fidelia marched into the room, her long skirt swishing. She flopped down onto the middle dip in the couch and set her purse beside her.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Heather motioned to the kitchen with a hand that held a glass of ice water. The cubes clinked together like musical chimes.
“No thank you.” Jean-Luc clenched the arms of his chair to keep from standing. He’d lived through several centuries when good manners dictated a male should stand whenever a female was standing. Such habits were hard to break, but it would be even harder to explain why he had such a habit. Heather already suspected too much.
“How about we finish your reading?” Fidelia leaned forward, propping her elbows on her knees.
Heather set her glass on a coaster close to the cards. “Do you mind if I watch?”
“No. I have nothing to hide.” He was such a liar.
She gave him a suspicious look as she perched on the sofa arm. She dragged a powder-blue chenille pillow into her lap and twisted the fringe around her fingers.
“All right, the second card.” Fidelia flipped it over.
Thank God he’d gotten rid of the Lovers. Whatever he’d substituted had to be an improvement.
“The Fool,” Fidelia announced.
He winced.
Heather chuckled, then pursed her lips when he glared at her.
“It doesn’t mean you are foolish,” Fidelia assured him with a smile. “It means you have a secret desire to leap into the unknown and start a new life.”
“Oh.” That might be true. He glanced at Heather. She hugged the pillow to her chest, her fingers lightly stroking the soft chenille.
She likes texture. She liked to touch and feel things. His groin reacted. Hopefully she enjoyed hard things as well as soft.
Fidelia turned over another card and frowned. “Oh
Fidelia laughed. “I can’t guarantee I’ll dream of him…but you might. I can tell you like him.”
Jean-Luc tiptoed closer to the kitchen door. He needed to hear Heather’s response, but instead, there was a fumbling sound.
“Are we out of triple chocolate ice cream?” Heather made a sound of exasperation as the freezer door slammed shut.
“You’re in denial,” Fidelia announced.
“No, I’m fully aware that I’m overweight.”
“No,” Fidelia countered. “You will not admit that you are attracted to Juan.”
“His name is John.”
He grimaced. Neither one of them pronounced it right.
“He’s very handsome,” Heather whispered. “But he’s too domineering.”
“No, no. Chica, he’s nothing like your ex. You just think all men are bad right now.”
“There’s something weird about him I don’t trust.”
Fidelia made a clucking sound. “Then let’s finish his reading and see what the cards reveal.”
Jean-Luc dashed back into the living room and eyed the cards on the coffee table. After Fidelia had shuffled them, she’d invited him to select seven cards. Only one had been turned face up so far, that damned Hermit card. He didn’t normally believe in such nonsense. He’d seen too many charlatans over the centuries. Still, hearing someone announce his loneliness had pricked his pride.
Of course he was lonely. How could he court a woman knowing that Lui would try to kill her?
“I’m not sure he’s what he says he is,” Heather’s soft words drifted from the kitchen. “He has…secrets.”
She was a perceptive woman. Jean-Luc leaned over the coffee table and flipped the next card. His heart froze.
The Lovers. It was so tempting to hope for a happy future and a glorious union with a loving woman. But how could it possibly happen with Heather? Even if she survived Lui and forgave him for endangering her, how could she accept a lover who was undead?
He heard them enter the foyer. Quickly, he grabbed the Lovers card and stuffed it back into the deck. He picked another card at random and set it facedown where the Lovers card had been. Then he sat in the wingback chair and assumed a bored expression.
“We’re back!” Fidelia marched into the room, her long skirt swishing. She flopped down onto the middle dip in the couch and set her purse beside her.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Heather motioned to the kitchen with a hand that held a glass of ice water. The cubes clinked together like musical chimes.
“No thank you.” Jean-Luc clenched the arms of his chair to keep from standing. He’d lived through several centuries when good manners dictated a male should stand whenever a female was standing. Such habits were hard to break, but it would be even harder to explain why he had such a habit. Heather already suspected too much.
“How about we finish your reading?” Fidelia leaned forward, propping her elbows on her knees.
Heather set her glass on a coaster close to the cards. “Do you mind if I watch?”
“No. I have nothing to hide.” He was such a liar.
She gave him a suspicious look as she perched on the sofa arm. She dragged a powder-blue chenille pillow into her lap and twisted the fringe around her fingers.
“All right, the second card.” Fidelia flipped it over.
Thank God he’d gotten rid of the Lovers. Whatever he’d substituted had to be an improvement.
“The Fool,” Fidelia announced.
He winced.
Heather chuckled, then pursed her lips when he glared at her.
“It doesn’t mean you are foolish,” Fidelia assured him with a smile. “It means you have a secret desire to leap into the unknown and start a new life.”
“Oh.” That might be true. He glanced at Heather. She hugged the pillow to her chest, her fingers lightly stroking the soft chenille.
She likes texture. She liked to touch and feel things. His groin reacted. Hopefully she enjoyed hard things as well as soft.
Fidelia turned over another card and frowned. “Oh
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