He went over to the dining room wall and removed a picture. “This is my dad.”
In the photo, Leo stood next to a slightly shorter man who didn’t look anywhere near old enough to be his father. Like Leo, the man was tough-looking, dark haired, and lean. At odds with their intimidating physique, both were standing on the front porch of the cottage smiling at the person with the camera. Probably Katie.
“You aren’t falling in love with him, are you?” he asked. “The genie mojo doesn’t usually work through pictures, but…”
I playfully smacked at his arm. “No, I’m not falling for your father. That’s ridiculous.”
“I should have known. After all,” he said, lowering his voice, “you certainly seem to be immune to me.”
I met his gaze and gulped as I realized how close he was.
The glow in his eyes flashed brighter and I licked my lips.
“Just how immune are you, Jen,” Leo whispered huskily. He put one hand on my hip and the other behind my head and pulled me gently to him.
I hugged the framed picture to my chest and wrapped my other arm around his waist.
Fire rushed through me as his lips touched mine.
The heat intensified as he gently nudged my lips open. His velvet tongue caressed mine sending fever racing through my veins.
Until a screeching sound shocked me back from the passion.
Beep. Beep. The shrill sound hurt my ears.
Leo cursed and grabbed a notebook to wave under the detector. I set down the picture before I could drop it.
Had the heat been real?
Leo finally got the detector to quiet. He set down the notebook. “I guess when two genies kiss, weird things happen.”
I touched my lips as I looked up at the detector. “Do you think we really could start a fire?”
“Probably not,” he said. “But I’m up for trying if you are.”
I was about to say, “Maybe one more time,” when my cell rang.
My mother’s ring.
Chapter Twelve
“It’s my mother calling,” I said. “Don’t say a word.”
He nodded, but the mischief in his eyes made me worry.
“Hey, Mom. What’s up?”
“Hi, Jen. Ian said you’re still out. Would you mind to run by the store and get a gallon of milk? Tell Alex I appreciate her stopping.”
Oh, right. Mom assumed I was with Alex. Because I always was with Alex.
“Uh, sure. I’m on my way.”
“Thanks, hon.”
I pushed end and turned to Leo. “Is there a way to get a gallon of milk home on your motorcycle?”
His shoulders slumped as he exhaled. “Yeah.”
“Sorry.”
He stepped over and kissed me on the cheek. “No problem.”
After locking up and climbing back on the bike, we headed north. We stopped at a convenient store, and I hopped off. “Want anything?” I asked. “A soft drink?”
He shook his head. “Can’t drink and drive.”
“Oh.” I could never ride a motorcycle regularly. I needed a cup holder and some ice cold liquid refreshment. Who knew my love for soft drinks so limited my lifestyle choices?
I went in and grabbed the milk. I was almost to the counter when I saw the girly mags in their brown paper wrappers. Perfect. Just what Sean needed to shut Ian up.
I grabbed two of the familiar names, hoping they were on the milder side. Then I went up to the register where an overweight woman in her twenties rang me up.
“You know you don’t have to buy these, right?”
Huh. What are those things free?
I just blinked at her.
“If you want to Photoshop your face onto one of these bodies, you can get photos online just as easily.” She smiled. “I do it all the time.”
The images running through my head almost made me hurl.
“Um,” I finally managed to say. “Thanks, I’ll try that. But I’ll take these too.”
She shrugged and finished ringing me up.
I handed her the money, grabbed the mags and the milk, and rushed out the door.
“You have the weirdest look on your face,” Leo said as I ran up to him.
“Don’t ask.” I lifted the milk. “How do we work this?”
“We’ll put it between us. What else did you buy?”
“Nothing,” I said like an idiot and hid the magazines behind my back.
Leo just looked at me.
“Okay, fine,” I said, showing him. “Ian’s been really hard on Sean, so I got Sean some evidence to support his, um, allegations that he has started puberty.”
“Wow,” Leo said with wide eyes. “You’re a cool sister.”
Fighting a blush, I said, “Don’t tell Ian.”
Leo gave me an affronted look. “I would never.”
“So how do we manage all this?”
“Tuck the magazines in the back waistband of your jeans. Then climb on and wedge the milk between us.”
The ride home wasn’t nearly as fun, with the cold milk chilling my nether regions.
Leo pulled up to the curb one street over so I could cut through the back yard to my house.
“Thanks, Leo. And thanks for showing me your house and your father.”
“See you in the morning.”
“You’ll be at school?”
He grinned. “Definitely.”
My heart thumped thinking about our kisses. I walked through the yard and around the front with the milk.
Everyone was already in the kitchen, so I was able to rush upstairs and stash the mags under Sean’s mattress before making my milk delivery.
“There you are,” Mom said as I came into the kitchen. “Thanks, hon.”
“No problem,” I said, smiling a little at the lengths we’d gone to carry it home.
“I’m afraid you’re back on duty again tomorrow, Jen,” Mom said putting the milk in the fridge. “We’ve had a lot of Code Ones this week.”
Code Ones were deathbed wishes. Not only were they sad, because you knew the person wouldn’t get to enjoy the wishes, but they were also dangerous. People were way less selfish and more charitable on their deathbeds. Which meant more forbidden wishes. “How many genies are down?”
“Ten,” Mom said. “Ten Karmic colds.”
I shuddered. I hated catching those things.
“Maybe you’ll get lucky,” Mom said.
Ian chuckled like a moron.
“Ian,” Dad hissed.
Sean made a face at our brother.
After dinner, Mom sent Ian out for cereal. Apparently my brothers had finished it off without milk. Not the first time.
“I’ve got homework,” I said.
“I finished mine,” Sean said. “So I guess it’s TV time for me.” He started to dash out of the kitchen.
“Not quite,” Mom said reaching out and snagging him by his shirt tail. “It’s been three days since I’ve seen a book report.”
“Awww, Mom.”
“Upstairs,” Mom said. “You can have a day off after I see the next report.”
Sean trailed me up the stairs and his glare cut into my back.
I just smiled at him and motioned for him to go ahead of me.
“What?” he said with irritation.
“You’ll see,” I said. “Go look in your room.”
Sean’s face turned uncertain. “What is it? Did you bring me contraband chocolate?”
“Not this time.”
He frowned.
“Trust me. It’s better.”
With one last disbelieving look, he marched into his room. Turning to me, he said, “There’s nothing in here.”
“Look under your mattress.”
He looked at me like I was nuts, but he was too curious to refuse. He lifted the mattress and pulled out the two magazines.
“What the—” Sean blushed beet red.
“Ammunition for your next fight with Ian.”
Sean stared d
own at the magazines. “Thanks, Jen!”
“Remember to let him find out, but pretend you’re hiding them from him. Don’t brag or anything. It will be more realistic.”
“You didn’t look at them, did you?”
“Barf, no.”
Sean gazed up at me. “For a sister, you’re not so bad.”
I grinned. “Right back at ya’. Well, compared to Ian at least.”
When I got to my room and set up at my desk, I realized there was no way I could concentrate on my homework. Not a prayer.
All I could think about was kissing Leo. His lips on mine. And riding on the bike pressed up against him with my arms on his chest.
His warm, muscular chest.
His soft, full lips.
Ooh, baby.
I finally closed the book I was trying to read for English class. I was falling further and further behind in school, and I hadn’t even touched the drums today.
I grabbed a shower and crawled into bed.
After playing through the kiss and smoke alarm hundreds of times in my mind, I realized I was never going to get any sleep.
The clock read 2:00. I’d see Leo in less than six hours. I rolled back over and imagined the feel of his back against me. Motorcycles rocked.
When my alarm went off, I jumped out of bed so fast the room was spinning a little.