Storm heaved a longsuffering sigh. “Oh, honey. Aren’t they all?”
When everyone got done laughing, my mother turned back to me with a smug smile and an arched brow. “I hate to resemble my reputation of being a ‘matchmaking mama,’ but it is winter solstice today, when the veil is at its thinnest—the best time to get your heart’s desire. If you open yourself up to the universe and take a chance, you never know what might happen. I’m simply saying… a midnight picnic up in your tower to watch the lightning and allow the fury of the storm to unleash the repressed desire in your loins would not be the worst thing for you. Either of you.”
She sat back and held up her hands. “And I’m done talking because I’m not going to be a pushy mother. Far be it from me to try and help my only child find true love. Or even hook him up with a gorgeous hunk of man who happens to be his favorite author.”
Deadpan, I stared back at the devious little woman. “While you were laying it on so thick, you forgot to remind me he’s gay.”
Mama waved a hand. “Sweetheart, if I have to remind you of such an important detail, then you’re a worse case than I realized.”
I stared at her some more, wondering which of the multitude of ways running through my mind to kill her would be the most efficient. No, better not. Then I’d have another spirit haunting the castle, and I’d never get her to shut up. And don’t forget—you really do love your mama when she’s not stepping on your last nerve. A hand softly settled over mine with the exact right amount of pressure, startling me out of my murderous musings.
When I jerked to look at him, Storm smiled. “I don’t think we need a midnight picnic, but I wouldn’t say no to watching Mother Nature’s light show. I know your mother mentioned the fury of the storm, but I give you my word: this Storm won’t lose his temper. As for the unleashing of loins, I’ll leave the topic up to you.”
I snickered at the pun and surprised everyone at the table—myself included—by slowly nodding. “I don’t normally share my private space with anyone, but if you like to watch lightning, my turret has the best view.”
Storm tilted his head as if counting the melodic ding-dongs from the old grandfather clock in the tea parlor. When it stopped after the seventh, he seemed satisfied. “A date at midnight should be perfect. I’ll have time to help Muriel get settled in her room and unpack our things.”
Mama just had to stick her nose into it again. “Or, and I’m going out on a limb here, but maybe Muriel would like a little girl time for a change? I could get her all set up. Obviously, we’d use the elevator, so I don’t see a problem. It would be a shame if the lightning you wanted to watch passed before your midnight date.”
Turning to Storm, I held a hand to one side of my mouth, speaking in a stage whisper so everyone could hear. “And she asks why I call her a meddler.” When Storm laughed, the sexy sound sent a shiver up my spine, the way it had the first time I’d heard it.
Pushy or not, I might end up owing Mama a thank you if this date went well.
And even if it didn’t, I’d be an idiot to pass up a chance to hang out with Storm D’Arcy while watching an actual storm. In my personal—and completely private—castle turret. My mama might have done a lot of things in her day, but she definitely hadn’t raised any fools.
4
Storm
Becoming a vampire hadn’t made me any smoother. Even though we were standing in an honest-to-God stone turret of an actual fucking castle smack-dab in the middle of Austin, Texas, while the mother of all lightning storms raged through the glassless open windows, and I could write entire novels filled with romantic language, making my readers swoon, I had nothing.
Zero. Nada. Zip. Not one single word.
Apparently, Darcy suffered from the same problem because he’d glance at me every so often and open his mouth as if to say something—only to shut it and look back at the storm.
Weather’s usually a good topic. Right? Right.
I cleared my throat, and Darcy peeked up hopefully, as if praying I’d somehow erase the awkward silence. Nervously rubbing the back of my neck, I used the other hand to gesture toward a large fork of lightning, nice enough to choose that moment to appear.
“Wow. Some storm, huh? I can’t say last time I felt safe enough to get this close, if ever. You know how much electricity is in one of those bolts?”
Please don’t ask me because I really don’t know. Why the fuck would I ask a question I don’t know the answer to? Oh, yeah. I had game, baby.
Thankfully, Darcy shuddered and shook his head. “Better not tell me. Even if I know it theoretically can’t pierce the wards, I’d still worry. Especially after…” He paused, a blush creeping over his neck and up along his cheeks. “Well, you heard what my mama said about the wards.”
I snorted, wincing at the memory. “I wish my mother was still here. They’d get along great. My mom was exactly as open about sexual stuff. At least if she’d been around tonight, she would’ve shared something equally embarrassing about me. Like the time she carried a basket of laundry in my room and found me with my dick in hand. And did I mention the half-full tube of hand lotion and old tube sock sitting beside me? Oh, yeah. Happened to fifteen-year-old me.”
Dear God, of all the stories I could’ve told, why did I have to pick something so embarrassing? It turned out to have been the correct one, though, because the lingering tension dissipated as we laughed together.
Before trying to speak, Darcy waited until he was able to catch his breath. “Oh, shit. My mother would’ve loved catching me in the act. I can see it now—there would’ve been an entire episode of her show based on the normalcy of masturbation and why discussing it with your children is healthy or something equally awful.”
“Right? To give you a better idea of my mother, she thought finding me in a compromising position was an invitation to throw me a clean shirt from the basket of clothes. Once I covered myself, she sat down and discussed my feelings so I wouldn’t be permanently damaged by the incident. Because God forbid I’d be allowed to wallow in my shame while she left the room like a normal person.” I chuckled, my chest warming at the thought of my mother.
Darcy smiled as if he understood. “It does sound like our mothers would’ve gotten along. My dad also died during the war. I promise I’m not racist like Muriel thought or even species-ist, although I do worry about vampires more than other supes. But a vamp killed him.”
“I’m sorry, Darcy. I’ll understand if you don’t want us to stay.” As much as I would’ve liked to get to know him better, there was no way I would make him relive something so horrible every time he saw me. “I’m surprised your mom was so gracious.”
“Please don’t go. I mean it, Storm. As for mom, she’d be the first to tell you she wouldn’t blame anyone for the actions of another, whether supe or human. And since I’ve gotten to know you a little better, I can see you’re not the bloodthirsty kind, unlike the one who drained my father and left him on the side of the road like an empty takeout container. ”