Alejandro's Sorceress(17)

Several minutes later, Harold had recovered enough to sit up by the time Sue walked in.
“Why is your door hanging open, and what in the world is he wearing?” Rose’s mother stopped dead in her tracks and stared at Harold, who smiled almost bashfully back at her.
“It was the closest thing to villain wear I had handy, since most of my costumes are at the dry cleaners,” he explained, and Alejandro started smacking himself in the forehead, over and over.
“Flamingos?” Sue shook her head. “Not really scary. If you’re into birds, I would have gone with hawks or something.”
Rose rolled her eyes. “Hawks? Ravens would be far more frightening.”
“This is the man who threatened your daughter, Senora Cardinal,” Alejandro said in that low, dangerous tone. “He is lucky to be alive, let alone discussing his clothing choices.”
In a heartbeat, Sue went from cheerful neighbor to terrifying and powerful witch, raising her hands in the air and beginning to chant in a low tone.
Rose knew the cadence of that chant. Harold was about to be very, very sorry. Possibly for the rest of his unexpectedly short life.
“Mom. It was mostly a misunderstanding. Harold is an actor. He’ll tell you all about it. Take him away, so we can make more potion. Please.” Rose put the plea in her voice as well as in her words, praying to the goddess that her mother would listen. She just didn’t have the energy to rehash it all again.
Sue opened her mouth and then shut it. “Fine.” She shot a shrewd glance at Alejandro and then smiled sweetly at Rose. “I’ll just leave you two alone, shall I? Come on, Harold. Let’s discuss how lucky you are to be alive over a cup of tea.”
A befuddled and babbling Harold followed her mother out the door, keeping one fearful eye trained on Alejandro all the way.
“He was sure you would have shot him,” Rose told Alejandro.
“He was right,” Alejandro said. “I’m going to check on Mac again while you start that potion.”
“He’s going to be okay. I promise. I once heard of a person who stayed stone for nearly a year and came out of it just fine. He had a slight eye twitch and a pathological fear of pigeons afterward, but no other side effects,” Rose said, trying to be reassuring.
From the expression on Alejandro’s face when he stalked out the door, she’d failed badly at it.
***
By the time he came back in, she’d put together the potion ingredients, covered the pot, and set it aside to process.
“It will be ready by morning,” she told him, tired but proud of her mastery of the difficult spell. “I really need something to eat. How about you?”
“I’ll eat when Mac can,” he said, scowling out the window. “This is my fault. I should have been more prepared, instead of falling for the initiation nonsense. I’m no untested rookie.”
The meaning behind his gruff declaration struck Rose a little too hard, and her heart thumped in her chest. “You’re used to taking care of everyone, aren’t you?”
He didn’t answer, just shifted restlessly, and she realized she wasn’t the only one who was tired of being trapped in her kitchen.
“That’s it. We’re going for pizza,” she announced. “There’s nothing we can do until tomorrow, and I need food or I’ll fall over.”
“I don’t want to go for pizza,” he growled, suddenly menacing in the fading light of dusk. She hadn’t yet turned on the lights, preferring to work her potion spells in natural light, and she hadn’t realized how dark it was getting until now, when she had a real predator in her kitchen.
Hawks and ravens, nothing. Alejandro was a dragon.
Metaphorically speaking.
Wow. She really was reeling from that kiss. Time to shake it off, Rose.
So she shrugged, pretending a lightheartedness she was far from feeling. “See you later, then.”
In one long stride, he was blocking her way. “You’re not leaving without me. Basilisks in your yard and crazy actors breaking into your house. No. Forget it.”
A delicious shiver ran through her at his protectiveness, but she hid her reaction to him behind a layer of cheerful defiance. “Come with me or move aside, Buster. Nobody keeps me from my pepperoni and extra cheese.”
    







 
    Dark and Deadly: Eight Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance by Jennifer Ashley, Alyssa Day, Felicity Heaton, Erin Kellison, Laurie London, Erin Quinn, Bonnie Vanak and Caris Roane
    
 


 
CHAPTER 10
Alejandro secured the back door, sent a silent mental apology to his partner, and then led the way through Rose’s house to the front. He gestured for her to stay back while he cleared the yard and was surprised when she actually obeyed.