Page 93 of Reap the Night
“I have a spare bedroom, so you’re more than welcome.”
“You’d leave us?” Edwin asked Padma softly, but to me, it sounded more like ‘you’d leaveme.’
Padma rolled her eyes and smiled. “What? You can’t do without me for a night?”
He quickly matched her smile but not before I caught the hurt in his eyes and oh…oh dear…did Edwin have a thing for Padma?
“I want to come stay once too,” Merry said.
“Sod it,” Edwin said. “Me too.”
“Maybe we can all have a sleepover and bunk in your sitting room.”
“What about Haiden?” Holly asked. “We can’t leave him behind.”
I laughed. “Sod it, I’ll ask Ezekiel to buy us a chapter house in New Town, how’s that?”
Silence reigned. “You think he would?” Merry asked, wide-eyed. “I mean…all the work we do is here, in New Town.”
I’d said it in jest, but it did kind of make sense. It was something the Order should provide, and Hemlock and Ordellhadstarted the Order so… “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Well,” Edwin said. “It’s almost lunchtime, so who wants baguettes?”
“I’ll come with you,” Padma said. “We can stop at the bakery on the way back.”
“Succulent treats?” Merry said, eyes wide with hope.
“Isn’t that all the way across town?” Holly asked.
“That’s why we’ll take the van.” Edwin winked.
They left, and the rest of us set to work.
There were minor cases to be logged and reports to be written up from the past week.
An hour passed before the bell in reception tinkled, and I set my cup down. “I’ll get it.” I left them discussing location and building options for our new chapter house and headed into reception.
A tall broad-shouldered man stood with his back to me in a long, camel-colored coat, dark pants, leather shoes, and a familiar aroma of cedarwood and spice.
He turned to face me as I approached, the silver ring around his pale gray irises glowing brighter as they took me in. “Hello, Orina.”
A phantom fist squeezed my lungs, leaving me light-headed as I beamed up at him. “Hello, Lorenzo.”
Chapter 36
Lorenzo Crescent, most powerful mageri and sex on a stick, at least that’s how I’d always thought of him, was standing in reception looking slick and put-together as always. His dark, silver-streaked hair was usually brushed back, but the wind had tousled it so locks sat across his forehead, giving him a rakish look.
Our gazes locked, and awareness zinged between us. The familiar crackle and tension that always crept up on us when we met wasn’t shy today. It flared brightly, leaving me with flushed cheeks and him with bright eyes.
“You look good,” he said in a voice like chocolate and sin.
Hearing it over the phone didn’t do it justice.
“You too.”
He smiled, his slow-burn half-smile that left me wondering what thoughts were scrolling through his mind.
His gaze slipped over my shoulder, and I was suddenly aware of the others hovering in the doorway, watching the exchange.
