"No, I don't think," she assured him and then added, "My James loves all the vegetables and fruits . . . and he seems pretty manly to me."
For some reason Justin scowled at that and then muttered, "I bet he eats quiche too, huh?"
"Sure," Holly answered as she snatched up a shopping basket from the end of the nearest checkout.
"Of course he does," Justin said.
Noting the almost snide tone to his voice, she turned to peer at him curiously. "Is there something wrong with that?"
"Not a thing," Anders assured her, turning his cart to head back toward the vegetables. "There's no need for the basket. There is still room in my cart."
"Yeah, not much though, huh?" Holly said, eyeing his cart dubiously. If she fit more than a tomato onto that stack she'd be surprised. "I think I'll just hold on to the basket."
"As you wish," Anders said mildly, following when she headed back through produce.
"You do realize, Justin, that Holly didn't understand your reference to real men not eating quiche," Decker said as he watched Justin turn his cart around. "She's too young to get it . . . or perhaps it is fairer to say that the reference, like yourself, is too old."
"I'm not old," Justin squawked, shocked at the very suggestion. He was the baby of the Enforcers. The young hip one to their grumpy old codgers. He was not old.
"You may not be old in comparison to us, but you're ancient in comparison to mortals. Old enough to be her great-great grandfather, in fact," Decker said with obvious enjoyment. "There is a definite generation gap between you two, sonny boy."
Justin fell into step with Decker as he headed after Holly and Anders, but his mind was now racing as he absorbed the man's suggestion. Old? Him? He was the young hip one, the one who knew the ways of the world and the women in it. He wasn't old. Was he? Certainly there was no way he was old enough to be her great-great grandfather, he assured himself and then frowned. Well, okay he was over a hundred while she was maybe twenty-five. So maybe he was a good eighty years older, but . . .
"Damn, I'm an old man compared to her," he muttered with dismay.
"A dirty old man too," Decker informed him, and when Justin glanced to him with surprise, pointed out, "You can't look at her without imagining her naked and in some sexual position or other." He shook his head. "It's a good thing she can't read your thoughts or she'd be slapping that smiling face of yours."
Justin merely shook his head, feeling dazed. "I'm an old man."
"Yes, you are," Decker said cheerfully, then glanced at him sideways and said, "Ah, don't worry about it, Bricker. We all get there eventually. Well, unless we die," he added dryly and then shrugged. "Better to be old than dead, huh?"
"But I've always been the young one." Justin heard the whine in his voice, but too late to stop it.
"Yeah, well them's the breaks my friend. Get over it," Decker said with a distinct lack of sympathy.
"What did you do? Buy out the store?" Gia asked as she held the door open between the garage and kitchen and watched them cart in the first load of groceries.
"Don't look at me," Holly said on a laugh as she stepped inside and set her bags down. "Most of this is down to the guys. Each of them filled a whole cart to overflowing on their own. It was almost embarrassing when we went to the checkout."
Gia shook her head and glanced from Anders to Decker. "You won't even be here to eat any of it."
"We were thinking of Dante and Tomasso," Anders said with a shrug as he turned to head back out.
"Ah." Gia nodded her head, and then arched an eyebrow at Justin. "And what's your excuse?"
"I was thinking of your cousins too," Justin assured her. "Those two could put away an entire cow at one sitting . . . each. I'm lucky to get anything at all to eat when they're around. It seemed a good idea to pack in the food. That way Holly and I might at least get a sandwich or something here or there."
"Si." Gia grinned and then confided to Holly, "My cousins are big boys who like their food."
"We can get the rest, Holly," Justin said, stopping her when she started back out to the garage. "Why don't you start unpacking while we lug the bags in?"
Nodding, Holly turned to move back to the bags she'd set down and began to pull out and sort items. Gia immediately moved to help her. Neither of them knew the kitchen layout though, so it was slow going.
"You will like my cousins Tomasso and Dante," Gia announced suddenly as they worked.
"Why is that?" Straightening from sticking half a dozen frozen pizzas in the freezer, Holly turned in time to see Justin scowling as he dumped a bunch of grocery bags on the counter.
Gia waited until he'd stomped out, then grinned and said, "I mostly said that to annoy Bricker. He is sometimes acting too big for his bitches."
Holly blinked once and then gave her head a shake. "I think you mean he is growing too big for his britches."
"Britches?" Gia stopped with a box of pasta in hand and eyed her uncertainly. "What is britches?"
"They're pants or slacks," Holly explained.
"Why would he grow too big for his pants? We are immortal. We never gain weight," she pointed out with a frown.
"No, well, it's just a saying. When someone gets conceited or puts on airs, they say they are getting too big for their britches."
"Not bitches?" Gia asked with surprise.
"No," Holly said gently, biting her lip to keep from laughing. She didn't want to make the woman feel bad.
"Oh." Gia shrugged. "Okay then, yes, that is what I meant. These britches." She pursed her lips. "It makes more sense than bitches anyway."
"Yes," Holly murmured as she moved back to the bags.
"But you really will like my cousins," Gia announced. "They are both big, beautiful bad boys."
"Bad boys? And you think I'll like them?" Holly asked with confusion.
"They are not really bad boys," Gia assured her. "They just look like bad boys with their long hair and leather. Inside though, they are dolce."
"Dolce?"
"Sweet," Anders announced, carrying in more bags. "Dolce means 'sweet.' "
"Si, and Dante and Tomasso look big and pauroso--scary, but inside they are as sweet as gelato."
"Sure they are, big as bears and sweet as ice cream," Decker said with a smile as he entered now as well. "Speaking of which, I just got the call, they will be landing in an hour. Anders and I won't be able to help put this stuff away after all. We have to head to the airport if we want a ride home." He grimaced and added apologetically, "Otherwise we'll be waiting for at least a couple hours for the plane to come back for us."
Holly nodded with understanding, recalling Gia explaining that the planes they used were apparently behind on pickups.
Decker glanced back out to the garage, where Bricker was loading himself up with more bags, and then turned back to Holly and murmured, "Remember what we said."
"I will," she assured him solemnly. She was to avoid being alone with Justin. That shouldn't be too hard with Gia and her cousins around, should it?
Justin stifled a yawn and shifted his gaze from the television screen to Holly. They were watching a nature show on lions. So far they'd watched them hunt, sleep, and have sex. It seemed to be all they did and while it was more interesting than his own life right then--at least the sex part was--it was boring as hell to watch. But Anders had said Holly liked nature shows so when they'd sat down with Gia to wait for Dante and Tomasso in front of the television, he'd spotted the show on the guide and put it on.
Gia had fallen asleep in her chair within the first three minutes of its starting and he was desperately struggling to stay awake himself. He hoped to hell that Holly was enjoying it at least, but it was hard to tell. She was lying on her side in front of the coffee table, her head pillowed on her arm, while he was sitting on the couch behind it. He couldn't see her expression.
Sighing, he picked up his glass, noticed that it was empty, and then picked up both it and the empty plate he'd set on the table and sto
od, but then paused to peer at the woman on the floor.
"Holly? Would you like a drink or anything while I'm in the kitchen?" Justin asked softly, not wanting to wake up Gia. Too softly, apparently: Holly didn't appear to hear him. Moving around the coffee table to get closer, he asked a little louder, "Would you like a coffee or something? I'm heading to the kitchen."
Still no answer.
Frowning, Justin shifted around in front of her and then stilled. The woman was sound asleep. He'd been suffering the nature show for nothing. Cripes.
Shaking his head, he straightened and headed to the kitchen with his dirty dishes. Even hungrier when they'd finished unpacking the groceries than he had been at the restaurant, Justin had made himself four sandwiches to eat while they watched TV. He'd then pretty much inhaled the food and had considered going back for a couple more, but had decided against it. He didn't want to spoil his dinner and no doubt they'd be having that shortly after Dante and Tomasso arrived.
Justin rinsed the crumbs off of his plate and put it in the dishwasher. He then grabbed a glass, got some ice from the icemaker on the refrigerator door and grabbed a pop. He took the time to pour it slowly over the ice, to prevent too much foam, and then headed out of the kitchen and back up the hall to the living room, but froze in the doorway when he spotted the duffel bags on the floor inside the front door. Dante and Tomasso were here. But where?
His gaze slid to the empty stairs and he started forward again, only to pause once more when Dante came out of the living room with a sleeping Gia looking like a child against his massive chest. The tall, wide-shouldered Italian nodded at him solemnly as he started upstairs with Gia, no doubt intending to carry her up and put her in her bed.
Justin nodded back, and then started forward again, only to freeze when Tomasso came out of the living room carrying Holly in his arms. She was asleep, curled against his chest and nuzzling her head sleepily into the crook of his neck as if looking for somewhere soft on the massive man's hard body. Justin stared, noted the man's nod, and scowled in return, showing teeth.
"Which room?" the man asked, his voice a soft growl.
"End of the hall on the left," Justin hissed, battling an incredibly strong urge to jump the huge bastard and beat him silly. He wanted to smash his stupid face and--
The glass Justin held suddenly shattered in his hand, sending ice and soda splashing him in the face and chest. Tearing his gaze from a now-amused Tomasso, Justin glanced down to see the liquid dribbling down his legs to the floor. Sighing, he turned to head back into the kitchen in search of something to clean up the mess he'd made.
He'd just finished cleaning up the hall and was putting away the Swiffer in the broom closet when the kitchen door opened behind him and Dante and Tomasso entered. Closing the closet door, he turned reluctantly to face the duo.
"Food?" Tomasso grunted. He was a one word kind of guy, while Dante was more likely to string three or four words into a sentence.
"We just went shopping this afternoon. There's lots in the fridge, freezer, and cupboards. Help yourself," he suggested and headed for the door. Now that the floor in the hall was clean, there was still himself to consider. He needed a quick shower to remove the sticky liquid that had seeped through his clothes to his skin, and a change of clothes would be good.
"Both girls were dead to the world," Dante commented. "Neither even stirred when we picked them up."
Justin paused at the door. "Gia's had no more than a short nap since yesterday and Holly is a new turn. They'll probably both sleep for a while."
Both men nodded and then Tomasso asked, "Life mate?"
"Yes," he said grimly.
"She's married," Dante put in solemnly.
"I'm aware of that," Justin growled, feeling his jaw tighten with tension.
"Tough break," they said together.
"No shit," Justin muttered and pushed out of the room. He was halfway up the hall when a knock sounded at the door. Moving a little more quickly, he opened it and peered out at the man in a black jacket with a rental agency name on the pocket.
"Justin Bricker?" the man asked.
"Yes." He accepted the pen and clipboard the man offered and glanced over the rental agreement on it. Lucian had rented an SUV for them to use while here. What he held was acknowledgment of having received the vehicle. Justin glanced out at the SUV now parked in the driveway, then to a white car with the rental logo on the side and a man behind the wheel. He quickly signed the bottom and handed pen and clipboard back.
"Thanks." He took the pen and clipboard in one hand and held out a set of keys with the other. "Have a good day."
Justin muttered a thank-you as he took the keys, and then closed the door and returned to the stairs. He considered looking in on Holly, but Gia wasn't the only one who had been up for quite a while and he was exhausted. Too exhausted to even want to think about the situation he found himself in for now. A life mate with a mortal husband. Tough break indeed, he thought grimly as he dragged himself upstairs to his room.
Holly opened her eyes and found herself peering into darkness. Biting her lip, she sat up and reached out blindly to her side until her arm bumped into something. A quick exploration proved it to be a lamp and after a bit of fumbling she found the switch and turned it on. She peered around then, releasing a little relieved sigh. It was the same room she'd woken in when Gia had been there. The last thing she recalled was watching that horrid, boring nature show in the living room and for a minute she'd feared she'd find herself in yet another strange room.
She didn't recall coming up to bed again. So either she'd staggered up here half asleep, or Justin had carried her up and put her in bed. That thought had her glancing down and quickly shifting the blankets and sheet off herself. Much to her relief, she was fully dressed, only her shoes missing. Sliding off the bed, she paused to stretch her back and arms, then moved to the bathroom to relieve herself, run a brush through her hair, splash some water on her face and then quickly brush her teeth before heading through her room to the hall door.
The sound of squealing wheels and explosions met her ears as she stepped into the hall. The television, Holly guessed as she made her way to the stairs and down. She moved to the door to the living room, expecting to find Justin and Gia there, but instead there were two of the largest men she'd ever seen inside. One was draped over the chair Gia had previously sat in, turned sideways, his legs over one chair arm and his back up against the other. His eyes were fixed on the television screen, where a car chase was in progress. A second man lay on the couch, his feet overshooting the end of it by a good foot. They were the only thing she could see of him from where she stood.
Holly couldn't see the face of the man on the couch, but the other man sat in profile to her, revealing a hard face and roman nose. Gia's cousins, she guessed, and recalled that they were twins. Gia certainly hadn't been kidding when she'd said big, and yes the black leather they wore made them appear bad. The long hair just added to that image.
Shy about meeting them, Holly eased back from the door to avoid drawing their attention, and then turned and made her way into the kitchen. She'd expected to find Gia and Justin there, so was surprised to find it empty. Gia had been complaining that she was exhausted when they'd sat down to watch that horrid wildlife show, so Holly supposed she was probably in bed.
Wondering where Justin was, Holly moved to the refrigerator. She was starving, her stomach aching with it. Thanks to their shopping trip there was plenty of food, but unsure what the plans were for supper, she didn't want anything too heavy. Just something to ease the ache would be enough, she thought, and grabbed an apple. After polishing it on her borrowed top, she took a bite and moved to peer out the glass doors at the backyard. While it was dark, there were lights on in the yard, enough for her to see a large pool.
Wondering how deep it was, Holly eased the door open and stepped outside, then moved to sit cross-legged at the edge of the pool. She leaned forward to dip her fingers into the wa
ter, surprised at just how warm it was. The water still retained the day's heat.
A swim would have been nice, Holly thought, taking another bite of her apple. Unfortunately, she didn't have a swimsuit. She wouldn't use the pool without permission anyway, so stood up and walked around it instead. A row of hedges made the pool seem secluded, but there was a gate in the center of the hedgerow and Holly moved to it now to peer out over a large lawn with something rippling beyond it.
The ocean, she realized after examining it for a minute. This house was on the beach . . . and yet they had a pool.
"Yeesh, talk about extravagance," she muttered and opened the gate. A nice walk on the beach while she ate her apple sounded appealing. It might help clear her mind, and Holly could definitely use that. So much had happened, and all of it taking place so quickly . . .
It was hard to believe that only a couple of days had passed since she'd headed back to the office to get her forgotten purse, she thought, as she crossed the lawn to the beach.
Actually, it had been more than a couple days, she supposed. It was just that she'd only been conscious for parts of two of them. Or was it three?
She went over her memories as she reached the beach and started along it. She'd woken naked in that hotel and gone home, where she'd slept and rose the next day. She'd then gone to the hotel, where she'd been knocked out, and then woken up here today. All told, it had been three days for her, or parts of three days. At least that's how much time she'd been conscious. But it felt like a lifetime had passed. Although not really. It felt all at once like a long time and no time at all.
Weird. She thought, raising her apple to take another bite, only to find that she had finished it. She'd eaten the damned thing down to the core, but her stomach felt no better. It was still aching something horrible.
Holly turned and started back to the house, cutting across the lawn rather than walking back along the beach to where she'd started. Her mind was on what they'd bought today and what she might eat to satisfy her hunger, so she didn't notice Justin until she nearly ran him over.
"Whoa," he said on a deep laugh as he caught her arms to steady her.