Vicious Circle

My hour wasn’t up yet, so I parked at Meijer and went in. I spotted Joh

The mother turned around, stu

Cradling two packages of cookies in the crook of one arm, the mother shoved hard against the cart handles and hurried her little brood safely away around the corner of the aisle. I heard the younger boy say, “Wow! Look, Joshua! We get two kinds of cookies this time!”

I’d been easing up on Joh

“I wish I had a camera.”

“Why?”

“Seeing you pushing a cart full of Oreos”—I peered into the cart—“steaks, and…”—I raised a dubious brow at him—“every spice known to man.”

“No point in eating if you don’t make it taste good. Just wait till we hit the produce aisle. Some herbs are fine dried and bottled like this, but for some, fresh is the only way.”

“Well, if anyone knows all about fresh, it’s got to be you.”

After I followed him through the produce section and we went through the checkout, Joh

Goddess, how my life had changed. My home’s magical defenses were gone and my personal fences were eroding under the relentless influence of Joh

I was still standing there staring at him when he shut the trunk. I hadn’t helped him at all. “Red?”

“What?”

“Something wrong?”

“No.”

“Okay. You can get in the car. I’ll put the cart away.”

“Right.”

Joh

“Wow,” he breathed as our lips parted. “Apple cider.”

Chapter 29

We headed home.

Forcing my shoulders to loosen, a task made more difficult because I was driving, I was just finding a measure of success when Joh

Those resistant muscles clenched back into their taut position. “It’s over.”

“Sounds like a couple thing. You two didn’t ever—”

“Stop it.”

“Well, some girlfriends do—”

“I said stop.” Damn it. How was I ever going to relax?

“Okay, okay. Just trying to lighten the mood.” Joh

“Joh

He stretched and said, “Okay.”

After hitting the trunk-opening button, I got out. The living room lights were off, which I thought was odd because I figured Nana and Beverley would be watching TV, but the upstairs and kitchen lights were on. Nana was probably still translating the copy of the book. I started to gather up the bags. The next thing I knew, Joh

“I can get it,” I said, and closed my fingers around the plastic handles.

“I can help.” Ever so gently, he again tried to take the bags. His expression was playful as he watched my face while he touched my hands.

“Get your own bags,” I said, teasing, but soft and unsure. I’d snapped at him over the girlfriend remark, and he shouldn’t be acting like nothing had happened. Men let snippy words roll off of them more easily than women did.

“But I want those.”

“Why?”

“To lighten your load.”

“You’re not a servant.”

He stilled, searching my face slowly, making one big counterclockwise circuit, taking in everything. His hands, big and warm, touched either side of my neck. His thumbs rubbed along my jaw. It was nice, sensual, and if he had applied any pressure, it would have been dangerously close to strangling. But he just touched me and let me feel how warm and gentle he was. Cedar and sage filled the air.

Joh

While the kiss was still chaste, he pulled away. “I will serve the Lustrata in all things.” He flashed a one-sided smile before walking away with the grocery bags that had been in my hands. I stood there beside the trunk for a minute, dumbfounded. I hadn’t registered when he had removed his hands from my neck or when he had taken the bags from me.

In all things echoed in my mind. Happy and thrilled and irritated all at once, I grabbed more bags from the trunk. In the garage, Ares was in his cage barking like mad. “Just a minute, boy,” I said. “I’ll let you out in a second.” I headed for the light falling from the open door. Joh

Over my head, the floor creaked.

I found the milk and carried it to the refrigerator. But what I saw when I opened the door made the gallon jug slip from my grasp. Fear stilled me rigid, unable to move. A scream clawed at my throat like that of a caged animal desperate for freedom, but my throat had closed. My mind grappled for understanding.

As soon as I fully recognized what I was looking at, my throat opened. Air was sucked into my waiting lungs, and I screamed.

In an instant, Joh

Joh

The squeak of a step brought me out of the shock. “Nana!” I pushed past Joh

“No.” He sniffed. “It’s not Demeter.”

The footsteps came louder, nearing the bottom and no longer trying to hide anything. A shadow cast by light upstairs shone across my door, and I knew who it was before I saw him. I could feel it like heat inside my spine. “No,” I said.

Menessos came into view. “Yes.”

“Where are Nana and Beverley?”

He walked toward us, gri

“Bastard!” I tried to get around Joh