Page 13 of Of Poison & Pumpkins
Rynn opens the window, and a soft autumn breeze blows in. Goosie jumps onto the balcony and wiggles in loops around the stranger’s ankles.
“Uh, I’m here to meet the Purple Princess.” The woman’s eyes dart between Rynn and me, then she lowers her voice and whispers to Rynn, “The Red King sent me.”
What the Abyss is going on? A role-playing kink? Rynn rolls her lips in and ushers the woman inside. Once the window is closed. She also gawks around the apartment. Okay, she’s clearly never been here before.
“I’m Alexandra. I have payment,” she says in a hushed voice, thrusting an envelope of cash out into the air. “Can we do this quickly?”
I stare. What the? I feel Rynn’s heated eyes on the side of my face, studying me.
“Um, Alexandra, can you give me one minute to show my guest out?”
“No!” Alexandra almost yells, still holding the payment out like a sword. “My husband is in the bathroom at the bar; I don’t have much time until he notices I’m missing. I need your poison. Now.”
“Poison?” I ask, unable to stop myself.
CHAPTER FIVE
Rynn
I yank Elias into my bathroom and do my best to ignore his mouth-watering cologne in this clamped proximity. “What is that brand?” I sniff his suspenders like a crazy person.
He stares, confusion in his eyes for a moment, then smirks. “I’m not wearing any cologne.”
A zing spurts up my inner thighs. I stifle a groan and point to the window above the bath. “Stick your head out there so I know you won’t eavesdrop on our conversation.”
“That’s absolute scurryfungus!”
“Scurryfungus?” I hold back a laugh threatening to control my body like a damn drug.
“That’s what I said. You’re involved in something shady and possibly dangerous, and you expect me to stick my head out the window like a dog?”
“Yup.”
“Maybe if you agree to my one demand.”
“Name your terms. Quicky, Elias. What do you want?”
“A nickname. I want you to come up with a name for me that no one else calls me, that you enjoy using.”
What kind of request is that? But before he changes his mind, I nod. “Okay, fine. Whatever, just?—”
“And three dates.”
“What?! No, Elias, have you lost your mind? We don’t know each other.”
“Dates can change that, don’t ya think?”
I swallow. Until I can learn what this troublemaker is planning, I’ll have to keep my eye on him. “One nickname, that’s it. Don’t counter or I’ll?—”
“Deal,” he says, his smile sending a shiver over my entire body. He crosses his arms and leans against the vanity. Great, the next time I brush my teeth, I’ll be reliving this moment; how his body is pressed against my sink. “Go to your devilish rendezvous. You’ll crush it! I believe in you and your evil, dark ways.”
I escape before my annoying inner-cheerleader can peep out an affirmation. He better not ruin this deal for me.
“Sorry about him,” I say, rushing back to the new client. “I know you want to make this quick, I just have a form you must sign before I cast the curse.”
Alexandra, I think her name is, glances towards the window again, then says, “Okay, let’s hurry.”
I hold out my phone, which shows a document stating my rules.
