Page 13 of Rekindled Prophecy

Dinner Date with the Demon

Wiping the foggy mirror with her hand, the face looking back at her had worry lines etched into the forehead and around weary green eyes. For being an immortal, she did not look a day over twenty-two. Unfortunately, right now she felt every one of her four hundred-plus years.

She had not heard Kael come back to his suite in the Carriage House, directly above her own. Hopefully, he had gone somewhere far, far away and would not return. Did not care where, just elsewhere.

The writing on the wall could not be clearer. Evil planned something big this weekend.

Kael only showed up when the stakes were high with the potential for mass devastation.Not going to happen, Kael. No way I will let you win. Not while there is breath in my body.

Perhaps, subconsciously, she had been pulled to this place again by her guardian intuition after all. Trouble always did seem to find her.

But why couldn’t she just get a damn vacation?

Time to get her game-face on. And that meant blocking out the image of Kael standing in the gazebo looking as provocative and menacing as the storm itself.

Easier said than done. A vision rose in her mind and replaced the face in the mirror with deep cognac eyes, strong masculine jawline with just a touch of stubble, and full, sensuous lips.

“Damn it!” She threw a hairbrush across the room. More than anything, she needed to punch something…hard. However, the last thing she wanted to do was have to explain a gigantic hole in the wall to Maureen.

Time to focus, girl. You have a job to do. Now, do it. Shut Kael out of your mind and do your damn job!

The storm had come and gone quickly as most southern storms do at the onset of summer. The smoky gray sky was still filled with a smattering of light clouds, but the welcoming breeze had disappeared. Stifling humidity hit her like a slap of wet laundry as she opened the door of the Carriage House. By the time she made it to the main house, perspiration had beaded up on her forehead and her Atlanta Braves tee shirt clung to her torso.

The delectable scent of shepherd’s pie permeated the air as she entered the main house. Yum! Maureen had remembered her favorite. Not very capable in the kitchen herself, Greylyn took every opportunity to grab a home-cooked meal.

Peering into the kitchen to ask if she could help with anything, Greylyn nearly recoiled in horror. There stood Maureen with Kael, both decked out in clover-green chef aprons with the nameGaelic Havenspelled out in a florid print. He stirred something in a large pot while Maureen beamed with pride beside him.

She stepped back around the door quickly to avoid being spotted, but… “Come in, Greylyn! We are almost done making dinner. Kael here was sharing his family’s secret recipes for shepherd’s pie and bread pudding with me. I know how much you loved my pie last time you visited, but I have to say he has the culinary genius of a somewhat less flamboyant Emeril,” she gushed.

Oh no. The dark guardian knew exactly what he was doing. The fastest way to Maureen’s heart was a man who could cook. If he happened to specialize in Irish cuisine, all the better.

As she stepped fully into the kitchen, he even gave Greylyn a little sly wink. It was a good thing she had trimmed her fingernails. Otherwise, her palms would be bleeding again from piercing them. Not in a mood to play nice, she grimaced. With no other options at this point, she decided to suck it up and deal.

Greylyn strolled over to inspect the culinary creation and feign interest in his cooking skills. She just hoped she was enough of an actress to pull off this ad-lib performance for Maureen’s benefit. There was no need to get her flustered by outright hostility towards her new favorite guest. “Anything I can do to help?” She forced a smile.

In a sly maneuver of her own, Maureen strategically stepped over to take the wooden spoon from her new apprentice, who had stopped stirring when Greylyn first entered the kitchen.

An uncomfortable electricity filled the air, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to rise. Kael stood completely still while staring at her with a goofy grin, and a mischievous gleam in his eyes. Her brain registered what he was doing. Obviously, he wanted Maureen to think he was smitten with her. It was a good plan. The woman was a hopeless romantic, after all.

Her body warmed under his gaze; her blood simmered under her skin. But it was all just a game to him. It only made her inwardly seethe more.

“No, no! It’s too stuffy in here with the heat from the ovens. You two go relax and get to know each other better while I wrap up here.” Maureen shooed them towards the door. “It’s too humid to sit on the veranda just yet, so why don’t we make use of the pub instead, if you prefer? Kael, choose a nice wine to go with our dinner, please.”

If she knew just how well the two were already acquainted, Maureen would not have believed it. No one in their right mind would.

A bitter taste coated her tongue as Greylyn followed Kael out of the kitchen to the pub. He seemed right at home in the manor. Proving the point, he walked right up to the floor-to- ceiling wine rack and pulled out an awfully expensive bottle of 1975 French Bordeaux from Chateau Fonplegade.

Okay, so he also had excellent taste in wine.

“Well, you’ve made quite an impression on Maureen. Youmustbe a good actor!” Greylyn smirked.

He did not acknowledge her barb as he took down three long-stemmed wine glasses and set them on the counter before turning to locate the corkscrew. Looking at his backside was just as disturbing as his front. His too-tight shirt did nothing to hide the muscles in his back as he reached up. Not to mention the snug jeans.

He turned towards her as he worked to extract the cork from the bottle. His slightly smug smile prominently displayed his dimples.

Oh, dear Lord! He just caught me ogling his ass!

Riveted in place, she could not break away from his stare. Kael gave a soft chuckle, which thankfully broke the moment.

---