Demons Like It Hot (Demons Unleashed #2)(62)

He handed Serah one of the books. She looked down at the cover. A plate of fluffy tiramisu sat surrounded by swirls of chocolate sauce. Not to be outdone, a decorative chocolate pansy topped the dessert. To the side, a dollop of cream sat nestled between two plump strawberries. She glanced at the title—Tiramisu: Lifting up the Mystery, One Bite at a Time. She should have known there’d be a whole book dedicated to the elusive history of Italy’s most delicious dessert.

“Nice presentation, but a little too garish for my tastes.” She handed the book back to Daniel. “The only thing I’ve ever topped my tiramisu with is chocolate-covered espresso beans.”

“Dark or milk,” Daniel asked.

“Dark.”

“Oh God. That sounds so delicious. We have to do it for the show.”

“I don’t have any on hand right now, unfortunately.”

“I passed a candy store on the way to the library. I’m sure they’ll have some there.”

“The Sweetshop, right?”

Daniel nodded. “Interesting name. Their employees are all of legal working age, right?”

“Yeah, the people in this town have a strange sense of humor.”

She pulled the phone from her pocket. “Their candy is to die for. With the exception of the gummies, they make their own candy. I have an open account with the owner. I can have Edie go to pick some up.”

At the mention of Edie’s name, Daniel’s eyes lit up. “Sounds delicious.”

The candy or Edie? Maybe she was better off not knowing. She’d keep the conversation focused on the chocolate instead.

“Oh my God! Delicious is an understatement.” Serah closed her eyes, imagining the smooth and rich Dutch chocolate truffle she tasted yesterday melting in her mouth. Almost as smooth as Matthias’s tongue. Ugh! Not him again. Would he ever leave her thoughts?

“That good, huh?”

Serah snapped back to attention. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“If their candy is as good as you say, I don’t doubt you at all,” Daniel said with a grin.

“So you want the chocolate?”

“Of course,” Daniel said.

“I’ll have Edie get it right away.” She prepared to dial Edie’s number.

His expression grew serious. “About Edie. Can you give her the day off? It’s going to get crowded here with your crew.”

“That won’t be a problem. She’s catering an event for the hotel down the road tomorrow.”

Daniel breathed out a sigh of relief. “Cool.”

What was that all about? Did Edie make him uncomfortable? She was a bit different, but she was friendly too.

“Do you have a problem with Edie?”

“No,” Daniel said with a sheepish grin. “Her accent just creeps me out a little.”

“She’s lived all over Europe. I guess it’s kind of mixed.”

Daniel nodded, his expression growing thoughtful. A smile curved his lips. “Fascinating.”

Serah grabbed the book on tiramisu and thumbed through the pages. “Guess that book came in handy after all.”

Daniel tilted his chin. “They say inspiration is just as important as perspiration.”

“How true that is.” She headed back into the kitchen and grabbed the stainless steel bowl from the counter. “So are you ready to see my tiramisu in action?”

“Let’s do it.” Daniel said, waving his spatula in the air.

***

“So how’s the furniture search going?”

Matthias threw the catalog across the desk and snapped his head up. Lucy closed the door behind her and pulled up a seat.

“I could be of better use elsewhere.”

Lucy flung herself into the chair. “I’m not disagreeing with you. As you know, we have to take precautions when humans are involved.”

Matthias nodded. “I understand. I’m just not used to sitting idly while I could be out protecting her.”

“It’s just for a while, until we convince Daniel that we need to stay during the production.” Lucy smirked. “Trust me, we can be very convincing.”

“Are you going to enrapture him?”

Lucy shook her head and sighed. “Unfortunately that is one trait I never got.”

“Besides karate, what other skills do you have?”

“I can read and speak Old Latin perfectly. I’ve been able to since I was a kid.”

Wow. What an unusual talent. Then again, with that sort of talent she was indeed valuable. “That’s fascinating.”

“I used to think it was annoying. Not so much anymore.”

“It is a great skill to have.” He set his elbows on the desk and stretched. “I assume you had some questions for me?”

“Rafe told me you both were attacked last night?”

Matthias nodded. He knew there wasn’t any way to dodge the truth with Lucy Gregory. “Balthazar.”

“So you know him?”

“At one time I thought I did.”

Lucy arched a brow. “Who is he and what does he want with Serah?”

“He was a mercenary. He was my mentor. He taught me all I know.” Matthias pressed his fingers into the table. “There comes a point when even the strongest of the unsided demons snaps. He and I chose different paths.”