Annette Blair (22 page)

“I’ll give you a—”

He grinned. “Anytime, babe.”

“Babe?” Kira said, hand on hip. “You call your employee
babe
?”

Jason pulled the curl over her brow. “I thought this was a rabbit hole.”

“No. The hidden stairway is a rabbit hole.”

“Let’s go, then.” Jason grabbed her hand and started in that direction.

Kira stopped and pulled him up short. “We have to clean this mess.”

“Right.” Jason sighed, honestly disappointed. “Sometimes I have trouble distinguishing black holes from rabbit holes,” he said. “Was Sunday night a rabbit hole?”

“Oh, yeah,” Kira said, “on an entirely different plane.”

She climbed to the stair above him and bent to whisper in his ear. “We were on the edge of the rainbow in the void of the mist.”

“You’re turning me on,” Jason said.

Kira shoved a string of lights at him, and chuckled at his surprise, enchanting him the more.

“Sunday night’s rabbit hole,” she said, “was a hell of a lot bigger, deeper, and scarier, than even I could have imagined.”

“No kidding,” Jason said. “Not half bad, for a ghost tour with no ghosts. Don’t I have an apology coming?”

“I don’t think so, but Addie might.”

“Hey, I object.”

“Beginner’s luck,” Kira said, patting his cheek, putting his systems on alert.

He patted hers the same way but ended up caressing her cheek, because he
needed
so badly to touch her, and when she didn’t object, he slid his fingers downward, stroked her collarbone and knuckled the spot between her breasts. “The ghost and graveyard tour wasn’t a success because of my luck anyway,” he said. “It was yours. The luck of the witch.”

“So,” came a familiar voice, “Kira told you she was a witch, did she?”

Jason snatched his hand from Kira’s cleavage as Melody Seabright entered what suddenly seemed like another rabbit hole. “Major TV star giving me the evil eye,” Jason said.

Kira squealed and threw herself into Melody’s arms, both of them holding tight. Jason could see the tears in Melody’s eyes, and hear them in Kira’s voice.

“What are you doing here?” Kira asked. “You’re hours early, not that I mind, but, hey, what’s—” Kira stepped back, ran a hand over Melody’s slightly rounded middle, looked up, and grinned. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yep,” said the man coming up and clasping the shoulders of the Kitchen Witch. “She ate a pumpkin whole. I told her to be careful.”

Kira squealed. “Oh, my gosh, a baby? We’re gonna have a baby?”

“Oh, good,” said the man Jason presumed was Melody’s husband. “That must mean that
we’re
paying for her to go to college.”

“Her? It’s a girl? A girl?” Kira high-fived Melody and did a happy dance that woke Harvey right up.

Jason shifted his stance.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Kira asked, hugging Melody again.

“I wanted to see the look on your face, which was worth the zillion times I bit my lip to keep from telling you. And I have another surprise.”

A beautiful blonde, in clothes as dated and classic as Melody’s, came in.

“Vickie?” Kira screeched, and another emotional embrace took place.

Vickie welled up. “I couldn’t let you two try on those vintage gowns without me, now could I?” she said. “It’s been too long since we played dress-up.”

During their squeaky, weepy, three-way hug, Jason and Logan shrugged, shook hands, and introduced themselves.

“Not that I need an introduction,” Logan said to Jason. “I watched that reality show in a haze of pure green.”

“It wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, believe me. Besides, you married better than anyone I kissed during that nightmare.”

Logan grinned. “I did, didn’t I? Better things to do than watch TV now.”

Jason watched as Logan regarded that tiny mound, then
Melody herself, with possessive pride, and unadulterated love. Wow.

Kira turned his way, her big green eyes mischievous and pleading, as she went for, and toyed with, a button on his shirt.

“Oh, this should be good,” Jason said.

She gave him a hundred-watt smile. “Bessie said we could raid the preservation vault for outfits for Mel’s show, and we can’t wait,” she said. “Do you think you can finish cleaning up here without me?” She went for that button again. “Please?”

Jason listened as if for a distant echo. “Let
me
decorate for the ghost tour,” he mimicked in a high voice. “I’d
love
to get my hands on the place. I won’t mind cleaning up after. What else do I have to do?”

Kira laughed, as he intended, and placed her cheek against his, speeding Jason’s heart and making him work at keeping his hands to himself. “Give me the keys to the Hummer,” she whispered, “would you?”

Her request warmed his ear . . . and places best ignored. He shifted again, as surprised by her action as her request. “Are you out of your mind?”

She stepped back, frowning. “You’d let me drive the Zamboni, but not the Hummer?”

“Damn straight.”

“I’ll drive,” Logan said.

“No,” Melody said. “You’ll stay and help Jason—it is Jason, isn’t it?”

“Gosh,” Kira said, “I forgot to introduce you all, I was so excited.”

“You’re Melody and Vickie,” Jason said. “I got that. I’m Jason Goddard.” He extended his hand.

“Oh,” Vickie said, shaking it. “You can be sure we got that, too.”

Melody took Jason’s hand, but instead of shaking it, she kissed his cheek and turned to her husband. “Just for the record: I just kissed the Best Kisser in America.”

“Just for the record,” Logan said, “I’m it for you, and don’t forget it.”

Melody raised her chin. “Maybe you are, and maybe you’re not.”

Jason gave a bark of laughter while the girls did a three-way high-five, and Logan shook his head, looking terminally bewitched.

Melody let her fingers glide across her husband’s cheek. “You
will
be my favorite, if I can drive the girls in your Mercedes.”

Logan flinched at the request.

Jason grinned, fished the Hummer keys from his pocket, and tossed them to Kira. “Drive safe.”

“Precious cargo,” Logan said, stroking Melody’s waist as he caught her in a lip-lock. “Your kisses are mine, Seabright.”

Kira watched, pleased and . . . wistful, and Jason wished he’d saved his kisses for her, that he’d never participated in that blasted reality show.

After the kiss Melody looked besotted, and in complete agreement; her kisses were Logan’s.

Jason didn’t think he’d ever met a couple who were married
and
in love, an oxymoron in his book, until now.

“What does Shane think about having a sister?” Kira asked.

“Shane would rather have a gerbil,” Logan said. “My luck. The rodent would be pregnant, too.”

Kira grinned. “You do have a fertile household at the moment, don’t you?”

“Tell me about it.”

Mel nipped her husband’s ear with her teeth. “I didn’t get this way by myself, Kilgarven.”

“I remember it well.” Logan grinned. “But you
are
the one who brought those felines into the house.”

“As kittens, yes, but you’re the one who said, ‘Put ’em outside. We don’t need ’em underfoot all the time. Give ’em some fresh air. Give ’em room to get frisky.’ ”

Logan winced. “I didn’t think they’d get that frisky.” He pulled Melody close. “Have fun playing dress-up.”

“Wait,” Kira said, coming to a full stop. “I just realized that sleeping arrangements have changed. I was going to put Melody and Logan in my guest room, Vic. Do you mind taking my room? I can sleep on the sofa.”

“Sure. No problem,” Vickie said, “but I can take the sofa.”

“Nobody needs to sleep on a sofa,” Jason said. “Kira, you can sleep in
my
guest room while your friends are here.”

Melody and Vickie raised their chins as if they’d caught a radar signal Jason didn’t realize he’d sent.

“But we wanted Kira with us,” Vickie protested.

“She will be,” Jason said. “We share an apartment.”

“Do tell,” Melody said, as if all her suspicions were confirmed.

“Kira is living with you?” Logan asked after the girls left. “That doesn’t seem possible,” he added, “not after the way she left Salem. Are you sure it’s wise to—”

Jason raised a hand. “We share the family suite in my grandmother’s house, well, my house, actually, but our separate,
private
apartments are split by a kitchen and two doors. Kira lives on my parents’ side, where she’d already been staying for a month, before I moved back home.”

“Ah,” Logan said. “That makes sense. Listen, Goddard, I know we just met and all, but . . . don’t hurt her, okay?”

“Not to worry; we’ve both sworn off the opposite sex, vows made before we ever met, actually, but we’ve discussed it and we’re cool with it.”

“Been there, failed that,” Logan said, “and when we walked in, I could have sworn that you had your hand down her—”

Jason cupped his nape and rubbed it. “Yeah, well, there is a small flaw in our plan.”

“Which is?”

“I can’t explain it,” Jason said. “It’s like . . . I’m a magnet and Kira’s . . . true north.”

Logan raised his brows. “It’s worse when the two of you are alone, right? Especially in confined spaces. Like if you don’t touch her, you’re gonna jump from your skin?”

Jason stepped back and almost tripped on the stairs behind him. He had to catch the banister to keep from falling on his ass.

“Take it from a man who knows,” Logan warned. “Kiss her once and your vow’s history, not that I’m complaining.”

“I haven’t kissed her, not once.”

“Good; you’re strong. Stay that way.”

Right,
Jason thought.
Strong. I’ve made her come forty times, but I haven’t kissed her once.

Logan glanced up the stairs. “Wow, that racket quieted fast. What
was
that?”

“Birds,” Jason said. “Crows. We keep them in the aviary upstairs. They’re in deep mourning at the moment. Their inspiration just left. Help me with this, would you?”

Logan removed his coat and draped it over the banister. “By the way, I can start shooting the documentary whenever you want. Can you spare the time for a tour of this place later?”

“Sure,” Jason said.

“Good. When we’re finished taking down the decorations, I’ll get my video equipment.”

“Thanks . . . for helping me clean up, and for donating the video. Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“How much for a separate documentary about a boys’ home?”

KIRA
clasped the Hummer’s supple leather-covered steering wheel. “Oh, man, I like driving this,” she said. “It’s a powerful beast.”

“So’s your wolf, honey,” Melody said from beside her. “Grrr.”

Vickie leaned forward from the backseat and flicked Mel’s shoulder. “Melody Seabright, are you looking at other men?”

“I’m not blind,” Mel said, looking back at Vic, “just pregnant.”

“You’d have to be blind not to look at eye candy like that,” Vickie said. “Jason’s yummy.”

“With icing you could lick right off him,” Melody said.

Kira turned a raised brow her way.

“Hormones,” Mel said. “Lots of them.”

“Open the windows,” Vickie said. “Cool her down. Oh, the mansions are amazing,” she said as her window slid down. “Can we take a tour?”

“After we tour St. Anthony’s, which we’ll do after we raid the costume vault,” Kira said. “Are you up for a couple of tours, Mel?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“Good. As for the mansions, I live in one and work in another, Vic. You found me in our smallest. The Edge was once called a cottage, even though it had more rooms than a hotel back when it was built. We also have a traditional French chateau and two Italian villas.”

“Sheesh, talk about moving up the ranks,” Vic said. “Which one do you work in?”

“Castleton Court, where the foundation’s temperature-controlled costume vault awaits.”

“I hope I find something to accommodate little Suzie Q here,” Mel said.

“Do you have a
real
name picked out yet?” Kira asked.

Mel chuckled. “Shane wants us to call her Hermione, right now, but I figure that when he gets home from Florida, he’ll want to call her Minnie.”

Kira chuckled as well. “Is he having a good time with his grandparents?”

“He’s in heaven,” Mel said. “I don’t think they’ve missed an attraction. You want to know what’s really funny? My father’s having a blast, too.”

“It figures,” Kira said. “And you don’t mind that he only just started acting like your father?”

“Can’t change history,” Mel said with a shrug, “but he’s good to Shane and he loves Logan’s mom, so I’m okay with it.”

“You have a real father-daughter relationship now, don’t you?”

“The best,” Melody said. “I’m his little girl, Shane is his adored grandson, and Logan’s mother is his pampered wife, plus I have a mother for the first time ever.” Mel sat forward. “Oh, and you should see Logan when his mother takes my side in an argument.”

“How’s the judge?” Kira asked. “Still retired and giving graveyard tours?”

“Jess is Jess. After selling us her house, she married her DA, and they’re thriving. We’re actually thinking of naming the baby Jessica, after her, since she saw the good in Logan when he was a kid and eventually brought us together. But never mind me,” Mel said. “Tell us about Mr. Melt-My-Ice. How
are
those world-class kisses, the real ones, I mean, not the peck-on-the-cheek kind I stole?”

“I don’t know,” Kira said, ignoring her friends’ shocked silence.

“Here we are,” she said, parking the Hummer in Jason’s prime spot. “This is the mansion where I work.”

VICKIE
and Melody admired Castleton Court from the outside and marveled at its opulent beauty all the way up the stairs.