Beverly sidled up and set a tray down with four espressos in white china cups with blue rims, small silver cream and sugar decanters, and four teaspoons.

Ruben gave her a smile. “Thank you, Beverly.”

She nodded then left.

Mateo leaned back with his long fingers wrapped around the cup. “So witches don’t need witch sign for their natural born gifts of magic.”

I blew on my espresso before taking a sip. “Like telekinesis. Most witches have some level of innate ability. We don’t have to cast for that. We can do it at will.”

“Yes, I know all about that,” said Ruben, flashing a smile to Jules, showing a little fang.

“Really?” I asked. “How do you know?”

“Your sister once threw a raw rump roast at my face. Telekinetically.”

Mateo coughed on his coffee. I barked out a laugh, then stifled it. My sister was practically purple with the deepest blush sweeping up her cheeks. Ruben was all smiles as he sipped his coffee with casual grace.

After calming myself, I asked, “Why in the world did you do that, Jules?”

She shrugged and sipped her coffee. “We had a disagreement.”

“About what?” I asked.

Ruben opened his mouth, but she gripped his forearm still lazily draped over the arm of her chair. “It was business. No need to discuss it.”

Ruben’s gaze darted to her hand on him. He seemed to ponder for a second, then said, “A business disagreement.” Jules removed her hand and tucked it back in her lap. Ruben set his empty cup on the table. “So you’ve enraged a witch, have you, Mateo?”

I found it interesting that Ruben never remarked on Mateo being a werewolf.

“Apparently.” I’d set my coffee cup back down, so Mateo took my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. “Whatever spell she put on me, I can’t shift.”

“Damn.”

Ruben sat forward, elbows on his knees, long fingers loosely clasped together. A silver signet ring with some kind of crest adorned the index finger of his right hand. He truly was polished from head to toe. I felt a little schlumpy in my T-shirt and jeans.

“You don’t know who cast it?”

Mateo exhaled a sharp breath, his hand sliding absently over my upper back, tugging on the end of my ponytail. “I wish I did.”

Ruben’s gaze glimmered more blue than green. “I’ll ask around and see if I can find anything.”

“That would be great. I’d appreciate it.”

If anyone could dig up information about a witch casting black magic spells around here, it was Ruben.

Ruben kept very exclusive company with ties to celebrities, politicians, even more organized businessmen. Aka the mafia. Or so the rumor went.

“I’ll access my resources and get the book delivered as quickly as possible,” he said to Jules.

Mateo stood. “Thank you for your help. If you ever need a favor, you know where to find me.”

Ruben smiled then stood with Jules and I. “I’ll take you up on that.” He shook Mateo’s hand, then turned to Jules. “I’ll text you about our date.”

Jules’s face went white. “This was it. We just had it.”

Ruben’s laugh was all deep and seductive and melty like decadent chocolate, traveling in a sweet slide down my spine. I’ll bet he had dozens of women lined up to be his blood host.

“This wasn’t our date.” He splayed his long-fingered hand over his vest, smoothing it, the other tucked casually in his pants pocket.

“Yes, it was,” she snapped, eyes sparking with defiance. “Besides, you don’t want to date me.”

“You have no idea what I want.” His tone was serious, almost severe, his expression even more so. This time, Jules didn’t look away, holding his gaze with the same intensity he’d been staring at her this whole time.

Mateo nudged me toward the door, his hand at the small of my back. I glanced over my shoulder to see Ruben moving into my sister’s personal space, speaking low and soft, but then we both ducked out the door, and I didn’t get to hear what he said.

Pulling me against him, locking his arms at the small of my back, he whispered against my temple, stirring the little hairs and giving me a shiver. “Speaking of dates, I’d like to take you on one.”

“I’d love it.” Excited, I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed. “What’ll we do?”

“Dinner and a movie?”

I tilted my head and quirked a brow. “Not very original.”

“I’ll see what I can do to help that.” Grinning, he asked, “Tomorrow at 6:00?”

I rose onto my tip-toes. He leaned down and met me halfway for a very not-friendly, butterfly-inducing kiss. “It’s a date.”

Chapter 27

~MATEO~

“I thought we were going on a date,” said Evie as I tugged her through my courtyard past the Hades statue.

“We are.” I pushed open the workshop door.

“You promised dinner and a movie.”

I pulled her to a stop. “All upstairs waiting for you.”

“You cooked?”

“Don’t look so surprised. I told you I could.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” She glanced toward my workshop table. “Whoa. You’ve been working a lot without me.” Heading over to the still headless sculpture for Sandra, she then walked a circle around it.

“She’s already so lovely. Her gown.” She crouched and ran her fingers over the steel waves, a skirt billowing in an unseen breeze, pressed against the leg my dream girl had put forward, her bare foot peeking beneath the metal gown. One of the sculpture’s arms was at rest by her side, the other was raised, reaching out toward something or someone. Long, delicate fingers I knew so well.

Evie twisted around, her brow pinched. “I thought you couldn’t work with Alpha in your head.”

“I couldn’t. Before.”

“Before what?”

“Before you.”

She blinked and swallowed hard, staring back at the unfinished piece. She traced the square shoulder and long arm on one side. “How?”

“I’m not sure. It’s not like he leaves me completely alone, but he’s much quieter since I’ve been spending time with you.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“I don’t know.” But I did know. I just wasn’t ready to tell her. Or scare her off. “Come on.”

I led her upstairs, not bothering to flip on the lights. I watched her face as she took in my living room.

“Mateo.” She stood there and stared, her eyes growing brighter by the second until she belted out a laugh. “What on earth?”

She rushed to my spread on the floor set up in front of my seventy-two-inch plasma TV.

“Oh. My. God.”

I smiled as she practically vibrated with excitement. The giant Death Star sleeping bag spread out on my Persian rug, a stack of furry Ewok throw pillows, the room lit only with red and blue tall candles set in lightsaber candlesticks, a domed serving tray in the shape of R2D2’s head, the tall glasses with Han and Leia’s faces etched on the side, a pitcher of margaritas, popcorn-filled Storm Trooper helmet bowls, chips, salsa, and guacamole in a Millennium Falcon chips-n-dip tray, and sugar cookies with chocolate icing shaped like Darth Vader.

Evie stood there with her mouth hanging open, staring with gleeful wide eyes. “I can’t even.”

“The best surprise is this.” I took a seat on the far side of the sleeping bag and lifted the R2D2 dome to reveal a stack of perfectly baked golden pies.

“Are those…?”

“Only first place award-winning meat pies for you.”

She stood there speechless, shaking her head.

“Do you like it?” I don’t know why I was nervous, but I was, rubbing a palm on the side of my jeans.

She stumbled to the middle of the blanket and sank to her knees, still staring at it all. “You had me at lightsaber candlesticks.”

Laughing, I picked up the remote and pressed play on the movie I had frozen and waiting.

Her head jerked at the opening music. “The Force Awakens?!”

“Of course.” I made her a plate with two meat pies, some chips, salsa, and guacamole, and handed it over. “I have to know what happens next.” I poured her a margarita, then fixed my plate.

She settled against the pillows with her plate on her lap, the prettiest smile spread over her face. “You’re like the perfect man conjured from my nerdiest fantasies. I couldn’t have made you better in a Weird Science experiment if I tried.”

Trying to be casual when my heart was drumming hard, I held out my glass for a toast. She raised her own. “May the force be with you.” I clinked mine to hers.

She shook her head with a heavy sigh, her loose hair around her shoulders gleaming in the candlelight. She’d worn it down for me. I knew it was for me. “That does it. You win.”

“What do I win?” I drank a gulp, set my drink down, then scooped some guacamole with a chip and took a bite.

“All of it. You just win all the things.”

“You haven’t even tasted my meat pie.”

The flash of pink that filled her cheeks had me grinning.

Oh, yeah. She’s gonna taste our meat pie.

Settle down. Go back to sleep.

I wasn’t asleep. Just watching this epic fail at seduction.

I wasn’t trying to seduce her.

Good. Because you’ve got no game.

You have no idea what Evie wants. You think all a girl needs is a hot tongue and a hard dick.

Am I wrong?

Yes! Yes, asshole. You’re completely and one hundred percent wrong.

We’ll see.

“Mateo, you okay?”

I shook him off and cleared my throat. “More than okay.”

She picked up a meat pie and took a bite then closed her eyes as she chewed it. She gave me the biggest smile. “You totally deserved that first place award.”