Maudlin's Mayhem (Bewitching Bedlam #2)(17)

“Well, I may not need to, but I’m feeling bitchy as hell and ready to rumble.” I upended the bottle and finished the water, burping as I finished. “Excuse me.”

“Um hm. Leave the satyrs alone. You don’t need them pissed at you again.”

“Pissed at me? It’s not my fault they’re running a brothel masquerading as an inn. It’s not my problem that he decided to bring Snow White out of a storybook and force her to act in a porn movie for him—”

Aegis laughed as he stirred water into my soup—half a can. I liked it strong. “She and the dwarves could have refused.”

I blinked. “Ralph won’t let them return to the pages until they finish the movie.”

Aegis stopped in mid-stir. “You have to be kidding me.”

“Nope, but since technically Snow White doesn’t exist, there’s no way Delia can stop him. Snow and the boys are pretty much constructs, like my holeos, only they’re more substantial and they have more autonomy. He yanked them off the pages and now he won’t put them back until they finish working for him.” I poked at the water bottle, feeling all grumpy again. “I really want to go over and yell at him.”

Aegis snarled. “I want to go over and beat the crap out of him. Constructs or not, that’s a fucking horrible thing to do to somebody.” He set the pan on the stove, but didn’t turn on the burner. After he popped open the biscuits and lined the baking sheet with them, he slid them into the oven. “Dinner in twelve minutes.”

“You go over and it makes matters a little dicey. I go over and all he can do is badmouth the business. I promise I won’t try to turn him into a frog.” I fluttered my eyelashes, smiling at him. “Please don’t try to stop me.”

Aegis let out a gruff snort. “After what you just told me, I don’t think I’d have the heart to stop you. All right. At least let me put an infusion of cash into your anemic bank account. I told you I do have a stash.”

“You might need that someday, and it can’t be that much, right? You were squatting in the house when I bought it.”

“I was squatting in the house because I didn’t think I’d want to stay here, doofus. And I have more tucked away than you think I do.” He arched his eyebrows. “I can front you what you need. Hell, I’ll give it to you, if you like.”

I stared at him. “I thought you weren’t that well off. I always assumed—”

“That because I’m a vampire, I’d own a big mansion if I had money? I was always too much of a nomad. That changed when I met you, Maddy.” He turned on the soup, glancing at me, a serious look on his face. “I feel at home here. At home, with you.”

Once again, the sense that we belonged together, that somewhere, deep inside, we had known each other over the centuries, hit home. He leaned across the counter to stroke my face. “I love you. I know you.”

Catching his fingers in mine, I brought them to my lips and kissed them slowly, my heart beating so loud I knew he could hear it. I pressed my lips to his palm. “I know you. I don’t know how we were brought together, but it feels as though it had to happen.”

We stood there for a moment, just basking in the sensation of touching one another. Then, he slowly withdrew his hand and pulled the biscuits out of the oven, ladled up my soup, and pushed the bowl over to me. A plate of the biscuits followed, along with butter and honey, and for the first time all day, I felt calm.

As I buttered one of the biscuits and spooned up the soup, he began rinsing off the dishes and stacking them in the dishwasher.

“So,” he said, wiping his hands on a dish towel, “will you let me help you out? After all, the Bewitching Bedlam is important to me, too.”

Heaving a long sigh, I finally nodded. “All right. When you put it like that, okay. But we’re going to the credit union and make a new account that we both can access.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said, brushing a strand of his hair back. “I have rehearsal tonight. You don’t mind if I go, do you? If you want me to stay home because of Bubba, I will.”

I shook my head. “No, but before you go, would you be interested in a little dessert?” I was tired, the day had seemed interminably long, and the food hit me like a sledgehammer. I probably would have fallen asleep if I hadn’t already had a long nap. “I don’t want to wake up Bubba, though.”

Aegis laughed. “Let’s go in the parlor. We can lock the door and nobody will disturb us.”

Finishing up the last biscuit—I could easily eat the whole can of ten, and usually did—I wiped my hands, popped a mint, and followed him into the parlor.





AEGIS LOCKED THE door and leaned against it, eyeing me with those silken eyes of his. I caught my breath, holding it as I shivered. My hand fluttered to my throat as he slowly began to walk toward me, his hands on his belt buckle.

“Undress for me, Maddy. Let me see your beautiful naked body.” He liked to watch me, liked to see me take off every speck of clothing.

I slid the tank over my head, dropping it on the back of the sofa, and then reached around to unhook my bra. As my breasts bounced free, he let out a low laugh—one that whispered I’m hungry and I’m going to eat you up. I stroked my breasts, lingering over my nipples, and Aegis’s eyes grew bright, his lips curving into a cunning smile.