Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

D amon is still licking his fingers as he stands by the car when I approach. I have a quick thought of how I wish he were licking me instead, and I quickly bat it away just in case he can read my mind and hasn't told me yet.

"Was it good?" I ask over the top of the car.

"Oh, Tamzin," he says, "you've never had anything so amazing, have you?"

"I've had her cinnamon rolls before. They are good."

"Yes, but have you tried her pecan caramel cinnamon rolls?"

"Hmm, I don't think I have," I say. "Those must be new."

Damon lets out a long groan. "Amazing. Picture one of Olivia's cinnamon rolls, topped with chopped candied pecans and drizzled with warm, melty caramel. And straight out of the oven! Oh, my word. I think I might have achieved nirvana in a bakery."

"Goodness me," I say, opening the car door and sitting in the driver's seat. "I think I put on five pounds just listening to you describe it."

Damon slumps into the car as if he's crashing from the sugar rush already. "I tell you, Tamzin, I will never let any sort of world-destroying disaster fall upon Earth for as long as I live just to preserve the majesty that is Jumpin' Beans."

I can't help but giggle at that. "I'll be sure to let Olivia know that she saved us all with her cinnamon rolls."

"Caramel pecan cinnamon rolls," Damon corrects. "Not some plain, plebeian cinnamon roll." He lets out a sigh as I drive to pick up Bella, and I almost think he's fallen asleep when he suddenly speaks again. "So, did you have a nice chat with Cora?"

"It was…illuminating," I say.

"Oh, yeah? What was so critical you couldn't talk about it in front of me?"

"We talked about you mostly," I say.

"Is that so? What about? My dashing good looks? My witty repartee? My Adonis-like physique."

"Mostly about how humble you are."

"Aww, how kind of you. I am just about the most humble person you will ever meet, aren't I?"

"Actually, I just needed to clear something up with her before…before I asked you out on a date."

He was looking out the window, but slowly his gaze turns to me. "Wait. What?"

"Would you like to go on a date with me?" I ask plainly.

"Umm…yeah. I mean, yes, you know I do. But I thought I was supposed to ask you."

"You know, I was going to wait for you to ask me, but then—well, right now, actually—I decided to take my destiny into my own hands for once and ask you."

"Well, whatever you and Cora talked about, I wholeheartedly approve."

"Sometimes a girl just needs her friends. I am still looking forward to getting this curse broken. We all need a bit of space, don't you think? I know you said that Bianca is running your shop in Milan, but you must miss it, right? And what about your shop here? Who is filling in for Jerome?"

"I don't really have a person to fill in for me here," he says. "I just close it when I need to do something."

"Hmm. Maybe I could be your person here."

"You? Don't you have a job?"

"I work for myself. But as a graphic designer, my mind is always working. I've thought before that Jerome's shop needed a new sign. And he could benefit from some fresh and bold new advertisements. I'm sure I could help you."

"That's very true. I have been very busy in Milan, so I've been neglecting the shop here."

"And I can always run the shop when you aren't around. I can work from my laptop or iPad anywhere. I could be your American Bianca."

"Or Bianca can be my Italian Tamzin," he says, brushing his fingers over the back of my hand. I feel a tingle run down my spine and settle in the small of my back. I open my mouth and realize my tongue has gone completely dry.

Am I really ready for this? My date with a demon? And for what comes after that? He's been around a long time. He must know all the tricks. And I'm just a boring, suburban mom. How can I possibly compete with all the exotic lovers he's had over the centuries? Just think about what he could do with that tail alone…

"Tamzin?" he asks, snapping a finger at me.

"Huh? What?" I didn't realize just how much I'd zoned out.

"We just passed your mom's street."

"Oh, right. You know what, I'll just call her and see if she can watch Bella tonight. She has extras of all of Bella's necessities. And someone will have to watch her tonight anyway, right?"

"Oh, we are going out tonight?"

"Why? Do you have other plans?"

"No, obviously. But a little notice would have been nice. I have to freshen myself up."

"Me too," I say. "I guess I also need to figure out where we are going."

"What? Why?"

"Well, I asked you. Doesn't that mean I have to plan the date?"

"Absolutely not. Sure, you asking me was cute, but that is where I draw the line. I will plan the perfect date. One sure to knock your socks off."

"I don't plan on wearing socks," I say.

"Alright. One that will knock your panties off. Unless you weren't planning on wearing those either."

If I hadn't been driving, I think I would have passed out.

What do I wear for a date with a demon? Forget that. What do I wear for a date with the most handsome man on earth? Or, forget even that. What do I wear for a date? I haven't been on a date in like fifteen years. And I haven't had a man to get gussied up for in four years.

I have to go all the way to the back of the closet to find something decent to wear. I really should have given myself more time just so I could have gone shopping and gotten something new to wear. This will teach me to be so impulsive. Oh well. At least I did it. If I hadn't done it in the moment, without overthinking it, I might not have done it at all.

I pull out a little red dress that I think might have been for a New Year's Eve party back before I had a kid. It's a little tight, but the ruching around the waist hides my permanent post-baby paunch quite well. I find some strappy gold heels that I also haven't worn in who knows how long. And, yes, I do wear underwear. It occurs to me that I don't know Damon's plans, so I might be over- or underdressed, but at least I look fantastic, so he will at least get to see me before telling me I need to change.

I saunter into the kitchen, where Damon is waiting for me. At least, I guess he was waiting for me. I find him once again in a staring contest with the cat. But he tears his gaze away from Mr. Darcy when he hears my heels on the floor. I do my best to strike a sexy pose in the kitchen doorway.

"So, will this do for whatever you have planned tonight?" I ask.

Damon goes slightly slack-jawed when he sees me, and I notice that his eyes lock with mine. He doesn't even look me up and down. He doesn't linger on my body. He looks at me . He walks over and takes my hand in his, lightly kissing the back of it.

"It will more than do," he says, his voice soft yet powerful. I feel my stomach quiver and hope I don't lose all feeling in my legs. The last thing I need to do on my first real date since I became a widow is pass out.

"So, what's the plan?" I ask in a friendly, chipper voice, trying to take some of the sensuality out of the moment so I can feel my legs again.

"Just you wait," he says as he wraps his arms around me. We are enveloped in a cloud of smoke and I feel like we are flying. I wrap my arms around his neck, afraid of falling.

"What's happening?" I ask. But before I finish asking, we've landed and the smoke has disbursed. "What was that?" I wave the smoke away and look around. We aren't in Mystic Cove anymore, Toto.

Damon waves his arms. "What do you think?"

I look around and realize it is very late at night. Even though we are surrounded by buildings, I can see stars above us. We are on a cobblestone walkway with old buildings on one side and a canal on the other. In the distance, I can hear music, a violin and a man singing. From my work as a graphic designer, I can tell that the buildings are Roman in style. Wait. Roman architecture? Canals? A man singing?

"Wait, are we in—" I gasp as I see a gondola appear from under a bridge. The gondolier standing in the back is steering the small boat, and he is crooning to two lovebirds sitting together in front of him. The couple waves to me, the gawking tourist, and I wave back.

"How did you do this?" I ask Damon, who is watching me with a huge smile on his face.

"I told you, I can go where I want, when I want. And, apparently, I still can as long as you are with me."

"Wait, you didn't know it would work? What was your plan if it didn't?"

He shrugs. "Probably go to The Eat again."

I laugh and Damon offers me his hand. I take it, and he leads me down the street and around the corner to a little restaurant right on the water. Across from the restaurant, a man sits on a stool and plays a concertina as he sings. It seems that he doesn't work for the restaurant, but it is customary for diners to tip him as they leave. We are immediately seated, and the waiter brings us bread and wine without us even having to make a selection.

"Are you well-known here?" I ask, taking a sip of the wine. It's fantastic.

"You could say that," he says. "I own it."

I have to laugh. "Oh, you are pulling out all the stops tonight, aren't you?"

He laughs as well. "I have a lot to make up for, right? I'm sure you have a lot of doubts, dating a man like me."

"No," I say. "Remember where I'm from. I'm fine dating someone from a…peculiar background. But anything more serious, that is where I have to take a step back."

"Demons are for fun, but not someone you take home to mama, right?" he asks.

"Something like that," I say. "I mean, are demons innately evil? Can I trust you to stick around even if I get old and fat? How do I know you'll be a good stepfather to my child?"

"I don't have all the answers, Tamzin," he starts to say, but I cut him off.

"And I don't expect you to," I say. "That's what dating is for, right? To get to know one another? To learn to trust each other. To see just how you interact with Bella? Plus, this is all new to me too. I mean, just last week, I was still letting memories of my late husband pull me into a tailspin of depression. I might think I'm ready to move on, but emotions, memories, they have a way of flaring up. I'm not even sure I'm ready for something more serious. What if I'm the one who runs away? How can you trust me?"

"I'm willing to try," Damon says, holding his hand out.

"And so am I," I say, putting my hand in his. "We just need to take things slow and enjoy the ride, right?"

"Well, I don't plan to get off this ride anytime soon," he says.

"Neither do I."