"I'll take one of your books," I said.
When his brows lifted, I said, "Not these," with a wave at the library. "One of the ones you wrote."
"And you might even read it?"
"Don't push your luck."
"Oh, you'll try it out of curiosity, even if you're only taking the book to make me feel better. That's an odd way of going about it, don't you think? A book from the author ought to be the gift, not the act of accepting it. However, the fact that you're actually asking is a step in the right direction, telling me I'm inching toward the realm of valuable ally."
"Is there a book coming at the end of this speech?"
He led me into another room, a storage area with shelves of his own work. He took one off the shelf.
"Do you like sex?" he asked.
Gabriel cleared his throat behind me.
"I mean in books."
"In general, I'm fine with it. Do I want to read a sex scene knowing you wrote it? No."
"You're missing out. Bocan are naturally gifted lovers. We have an endless well of creativity."
Gabriel's throat clearing now had a bit of growl attached. "I will warn that the direction of this conversation is ill-advised. Olivia will not appreciate your attempts at flirtation."
"And neither will you?"
"You aren't flirting with me."
Patrick laughed. "I do believe you just made a joke, Gabriel. Liv's influence is, indeed, delightful to see. But no, I'm not flirting with her. That would be wrong. Many shades of wrong. I was merely telling her it's a gift that bocan possess and share with their offspring--"
"Stop," I said, skewering him with a look that Gabriel couldn't see. "Give me one without sex. Please."
"Does this mean I can't count on you to beta-read my sex-slave-lamiae story?"
I made a move to leave.
"Fine," Patrick said. "Take this. It's one of my gothics. The seventies were, sadly, not the time to include sex scenes of any satisfying nature. When the lights go out, you can imagine the hero and heroine are lying in bed, fully clothed, making shadow puppets on the wall. However, if you want to know what I was imagining them doing--"
"No, I do not," I said, taking the book. "Thank you, Patrick. And goodbye."
"Wait, don't you want that signed?"
"Only if it'll get me more on eBay."
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Rose had invited us to dinner, which we'd accepted. Gabriel suggested I go over early and take tea with her while he ran errands. I texted to be sure that was okay with Rose. It was.
As I walked in, I held out Patrick's novel. "Book?"
"Embrace the Shadows?" Rose said.
"Sounds hokey, I know. Believe me, I have no intention of actually reading this crap."
"It's actually quite good."
I looked at her as we walked into the parlor. "You've, uh, read it?"