extraordinarily, ethereally beautiful. He was too perfect to be human and the white hair just emphasized his otherness. “Are you a genie?”
This made him laugh harder. Shaking his head, he glided down onto one of the cushions, sprawling his long limbs out. Holding his arm out to another pillow, he beckoned her to sit down. “No. I’m just a simple shop keeper.”
With only the slightest hesitation, she sank down on the pillows, keeping her eyes on the strange man. “Then can you help me?”
“You have a surprisingly one-tracked mind,” he grinned, grabbing a crystal glass and taking a drink of the deep garnet liquid. “What would you be willing to give for such protection?”
Melanie couldn’t help herself; she grinned at the absurdity of it, “Have I inadvertently entered a fairy tale? If I offer my first born and when you return to collect it I have to guess your name to defeat you?”
“My name is Omari,” he said, his hazel eyes twinkling with laughter. “And I don’t want your first born; I have no use for human babies.”
She frowned, “Do you have a use for non-human babies?” She shook her head to clear it, not wanting to know the answer to that question. “Never mind. What do you want in return?”
He studied her over the rim of his glass, his hazel eyes sweeping over her features in an intimate manner. Strangely, Melanie wasn’t uncomfortable; he didn’t seem to be perusing her in a sexual manner, not entirely at least. He was simply curious. “I’m not sure. I’ve never had dealings with your kind before.”
“My kind?” she frowned. “Are we still on the human, non-human thing?”
“You’re having a bit of difficulty with this concept,” he grinned, looking all kinds of breathtakingly gorgeous. Which one was the illusion? The old man or the man in front of her now? “Though you seem to be taking it all in stride.”
“Okay, then if you’re not human, what are you?” she asked.
He shrugged, a slight smile on his full lips, “As I said, I am a simple shopkeeper.”
She snorted her disbelief, “I don’t believe you.”
“I am a procurer of spells and ingredients for spells,” he added. “I buy and sell what is necessary. Terms are always… negotiable.”
She narrowed her eyes as she looked at him, as he grew more and more attractive the longer he lounged on the pillows. “What do you want from me?”
“Since I have never been with a human, I would ask if you would be interested in having sex with me but your last partner has left a resilient claim on you,” he said with a lazy smile, brushing the rim of his glass against his lips. “I don’t believe he would appreciate the competition. And I don’t believe you would be tempted.”
“Er,” she was at a loss for words, feeling the heat in her cheeks. Really, what did one say to such a comment? “Well, I suppose?”
He raised a single eyebrow, “Human?”
“Yes, definitely,” she answered without hesitation. But then she thought about it; maybe the black-haired brother wasn’t the only one with powers. This whole experience was new and she truly didn’t know Vaughn that well. Maybe he was a warlock, or something. But would that make a difference? With a thoughtful frown, she amended her response, “Probably.”
He laughed. It was a nice laugh; just the right amount of seduction, just a hint of the pleasures he could offer. Abruptly, he stopped laughing and sat up, the amusement gone from his face. He looked at her with supreme seriousness; it was very bewildering. “What I want from you is sanctuary, should I ever need it.”
“Ooookay,” she said in a long, drawn out voice, not exactly sure what this guy was talking about. If he truly weren’t human, which was quite apparent as he grew even more devastatingly handsome with each passing moment, it
This made him laugh harder. Shaking his head, he glided down onto one of the cushions, sprawling his long limbs out. Holding his arm out to another pillow, he beckoned her to sit down. “No. I’m just a simple shop keeper.”
With only the slightest hesitation, she sank down on the pillows, keeping her eyes on the strange man. “Then can you help me?”
“You have a surprisingly one-tracked mind,” he grinned, grabbing a crystal glass and taking a drink of the deep garnet liquid. “What would you be willing to give for such protection?”
Melanie couldn’t help herself; she grinned at the absurdity of it, “Have I inadvertently entered a fairy tale? If I offer my first born and when you return to collect it I have to guess your name to defeat you?”
“My name is Omari,” he said, his hazel eyes twinkling with laughter. “And I don’t want your first born; I have no use for human babies.”
She frowned, “Do you have a use for non-human babies?” She shook her head to clear it, not wanting to know the answer to that question. “Never mind. What do you want in return?”
He studied her over the rim of his glass, his hazel eyes sweeping over her features in an intimate manner. Strangely, Melanie wasn’t uncomfortable; he didn’t seem to be perusing her in a sexual manner, not entirely at least. He was simply curious. “I’m not sure. I’ve never had dealings with your kind before.”
“My kind?” she frowned. “Are we still on the human, non-human thing?”
“You’re having a bit of difficulty with this concept,” he grinned, looking all kinds of breathtakingly gorgeous. Which one was the illusion? The old man or the man in front of her now? “Though you seem to be taking it all in stride.”
“Okay, then if you’re not human, what are you?” she asked.
He shrugged, a slight smile on his full lips, “As I said, I am a simple shopkeeper.”
She snorted her disbelief, “I don’t believe you.”
“I am a procurer of spells and ingredients for spells,” he added. “I buy and sell what is necessary. Terms are always… negotiable.”
She narrowed her eyes as she looked at him, as he grew more and more attractive the longer he lounged on the pillows. “What do you want from me?”
“Since I have never been with a human, I would ask if you would be interested in having sex with me but your last partner has left a resilient claim on you,” he said with a lazy smile, brushing the rim of his glass against his lips. “I don’t believe he would appreciate the competition. And I don’t believe you would be tempted.”
“Er,” she was at a loss for words, feeling the heat in her cheeks. Really, what did one say to such a comment? “Well, I suppose?”
He raised a single eyebrow, “Human?”
“Yes, definitely,” she answered without hesitation. But then she thought about it; maybe the black-haired brother wasn’t the only one with powers. This whole experience was new and she truly didn’t know Vaughn that well. Maybe he was a warlock, or something. But would that make a difference? With a thoughtful frown, she amended her response, “Probably.”
He laughed. It was a nice laugh; just the right amount of seduction, just a hint of the pleasures he could offer. Abruptly, he stopped laughing and sat up, the amusement gone from his face. He looked at her with supreme seriousness; it was very bewildering. “What I want from you is sanctuary, should I ever need it.”
“Ooookay,” she said in a long, drawn out voice, not exactly sure what this guy was talking about. If he truly weren’t human, which was quite apparent as he grew even more devastatingly handsome with each passing moment, it
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