"You're right," Holly said finally. "I guess I'm just not brave enough for your clothes. But they are beautiful and I do appreciate your letting me borrow them."
"Bah." Gia waved away her words. "I knew that. I can read your mind," she reminded her and then urged her forward. "Come, let's get these up to your room."
Nodding, Holly turned and led the way upstairs. She had to do some juggling once they got to her door to open it, but then she stumbled in, headed for the bed, only to pause after just a couple of steps.
"What the--?" She turned slowly, her gaze moving over the flowers on every surface in the room. Flower arrangements sat on the bedside tables, crowded the dresser and covered every inch of the sitting table in the corner of the room. There were even flowers strewn on the bed and petals on the floor.
"Ah," Gia said, and that was it. Just "ah."
Holly shook her head with bewilderment. "Did someone die?"
Gia choked on a laugh and moved past her to the bed. She started to set the bags down, then paused to brush some of the flowers out of the way first. Setting the bags down then, she turned to survey the room and said, "I think maybe this is Justin's idea of the romanticismo."
"Romanticismo?" Holly echoed blankly. "What the devil is that?"
Gia frowned briefly and then offered, "The romance?"
Holly groaned at the suggestion. Decker and Anders had warned her that he might go a bit over the top in his desperation, but this was . . .
Well, it was kind of sweet, really, she supposed. Or would be if she hadn't developed such an aversion to flowers since working at the funeral home. Prior to that she would have welcomed such a gesture. From James, she added quickly to the thought. She would have welcomed flowers from James before working at the funeral home, but they had both been as poor as church mice since getting married and hadn't been able to afford the extravagance of even a vase of flowers let alone a whole bloody store's stock, and that's what it looked like to her. There were so many she was quite sure Justin must have left the store he'd bought them from completely barren of flowers. They'd probably closed shop the moment he left.
Shaking her head, she carried her bags over to the bed and set them next to the ones Gia had put down. She then glanced worriedly at the pale blue carpeting, concerned that the crushed petals might be staining the carpet.
"I don't suppose you noticed if there was a rake in the garage, did you?" Holly asked, surveying the floor with a frown. For some reason that made Gia burst out laughing.
"I will go see," Gia said, heading for the door.
"Oh, no," Holly protested at once, turning to move after her. "I didn't mean for you to--"
"I know, I know," Gia said, waving her to a stop. "I can read your mind, remember? You change. I shall get the rake."
"Thank you," Holly breathed sincerely and watched her go before returning to the bags that held the clothes she'd bought that day. She quickly dug through them in search of underwear, a bra, jeans and a T-shirt, and then paused, unsure what to do. Gia had told her to change, but the woman had also left the door open. She wasn't changing right there when any passing person might see. On the other hand, she didn't really want to risk crushing any more color into the carpet by walking anywhere again.
Clucking her tongue with exasperation, she toed a couple petals aside in front of her until she'd made a spot large enough to place her foot. She then stepped forward and did that again and again until she'd made her way to the bathroom. She opened that door, only to find it also full of flowers and crushed petals.
"Honestly," Holly muttered, using her foot to sweep several petals aside. "What the heck was he thinking?"
As soon as the exasperated words left her mouth, a smile followed. The gesture was just so over the top and romantic. Much like the gourmet meal, she acknowledged. She would have been happy with salad, Shake 'N Bake pork chops, and macaroni and cheese for dinner. Instead, he'd spent hours making a fancy meal and gone to all the effort of setting that beautiful table. And a simple bouquet of flowers would have been much less bother than this sea of blooms. The man was trying. It was just a shame his efforts kept missing the mark.
Holly blinked and gave her head a shake as she realized what she was thinking. It wasn't a shame at all, she assured herself firmly if silently. She was a married woman. He shouldn't even be making these gestures. And she certainly shouldn't be enjoying them and feeling all warm and fuzzy inside because of them.
Satisfied that she'd set herself straight, Holly slipped into the bathroom, closed the door, and quickly began ripping her clothes off. She was determined to be changed and ready to rake up this mess when Gia returned. There was no way she was letting the other woman do it. This was her mess and--well, really it was Justin's mess, she corrected herself. But after experiencing that morning's kiss, she wasn't ever letting him in her bedroom again. Ever. Like never ever.
Holly's parents hadn't raised an idiot. They had taught her that life was full of temptation. And her mother had sat down on her wedding day and flat out told her that while she knew Holly loved James, there may come a day when a good-looking, sweet, funny, charming man like Justin might come along and tempt her to break the vows she'd made when she married James. Well, okay, so she hadn't mentioned Justin's name, and she hadn't used all those descriptors either. Holly had inserted those herself because they fit. But her mother had said a man might one day come along to tempt her to break her vows. She'd also said that while it was her choice what to do about that, she should be aware that James had known and loved her, her whole life. That he would never do anything to hurt her, and that there was always another man who might come along to tempt her from that one. Life was full of temptation and she could either spend her life chasing after the next merry-go-round, or ride the one she was on until the end, knowing it was a comfortable fit.
James was the merry-go-round she planned to stick with to the end. She'd known him all her life, loved him all her life, and knew that he loved her the same way. And while Justin was sweet and kind and had saved her life by turning her into an immortal when she fell on her scissors . . . well, what if she broke her marriage vows for him and then encountered another Justin, and then another?
Holly didn't want to be one of those women with countless lovers and six marriages under their belt, who seemed always to be dissatisfied and searching for something special. She would be satisfied with what she had and continue to build the life that she'd started with James. She'd finish her classes, get the on-the-job experience necessary and gain her license as a CPA. Then they'd both work for a couple of years to save up money to buy a house, have children, raise them, see them married and have grandchildren. She would have the normal life she'd always longed for while she'd been dragged around the world as a child. Both she and James wanted that.
And they would have it, Holly thought grimly, as she finished changing and opened the door, only to pause with surprise. Not only had Gia returned with the rake, she'd already raked up the petals. The carpet was completely petal free. It was also rake and Gia free. The other woman had apparently returned, raked up the petals, and left in the time it had taken her to change. Holly had been told that immortals were fast, but this was crazy.
The thought made her pause and tilt her head. She was an immortal. That meant she was supposed to be incredibly fast now too, and strong. She hadn't seen any evidence of that yet, but then she hadn't done anything to test it either. Stepping into the bedroom, Holly glanced around until her gaze settled on the dresser. She crossed to it, took a corner in hand, and nearly tossed the damned thing across the room when she tried to lift the end. Seriously, she put the effort into it that she would have had to prior to being turned, when she might have managed to lift the solid oak dresser an inch or so. But instead of that, it flew up, onto its side and then crashed down onto its top.
"Oh crap," she muttered, scrambling to quickly straighten the dresser. Once she had it upright and in position again, Holly spent a minute look
ing it over to be sure she hadn't damaged it and then stepped back with relief and simply peered at the dresser.
"Wow," she said finally. She was definitely stronger. A slow smile curved her lips. Now she just had to test speed. Turning abruptly, she headed out of the room and jogged downstairs.
Dante and Tomasso were at the kitchen table, eating again. Each had a double chocolate cake before them, a whole cake each. Really, those two had appetites that were scary. There was no sign of the groceries they'd bought, so either they'd tossed the bags straight into the pantry without unpacking them, or they'd used that super speed she was about to test.
"Have you seen Justin?" she asked, slowing as she crossed to the terrace doors.
"I think he's in the garage looking for a basket," Dante answered, and then frowned. "Or upstairs fetching a blanket."
Holly bit her lip, but didn't stop. She needed to thank him for the flowers, and explain that he should never do that again. But she didn't really want to wait for him. Besides, she wouldn't be long.
"Well, I'll find him when I get back then," she said aloud and added, "I'm just going for a jog on the beach. Be back soon."
Both men grunted, their mouths full of cake.
Shaking her head, Holly stepped outside and pulled the door closed, then headed around the pool to the gate in the hedges. A moment later, she was crossing the lawn to the beach. Once there, she looked first one way and then the other up the beach, chose right and burst into a run.
Increased speed they'd said? Dear God, she thought as the world whizzed by. This was almost superman speed. Okay, the world wasn't a complete blur, but it was blurring. She was definitely moving faster than mortally possible. Scary fast, in fact, she thought and put the brakes on. That's when she figured out just how fast she was going. Instead of coming to a graceful stop, she skidded briefly and then went ass over teakettle, landing flat on her back with a thud.
Lying still for a moment, Holly quickly took inventory to see if she'd hurt anything. The answer was no. Nothing hurt but her pride, and even that wasn't suffering much. It wasn't like anyone was around to see. Besides, she was too busy being amazed at just how fast she could move now to worry about anything else.
"Wow," she breathed, staring up at the darkening sky, and then she smiled. "I rock."
The words made her laugh slightly, which made her realize that she wasn't even out of breath, which just impressed her more. Gym had not been a part of the homeschooling James's mom had given them. Not that Holly had minded. She'd never been the athletic sort. She was more the bookish type, but then she hadn't had access to television in those tents they'd lived in while she was growing up. Now she loved movies, action adventures especially, with horrors and comedies tying as second favorites.
Realizing she was lying in the sand, something she wasn't too keen on, Holly got quickly to her feet, brushed herself down and then turned to head back the way she'd come. She'd run a lot farther than she'd realized, but while she could have run back just as quickly as she'd run out, she didn't bother. Walking back would give her the chance to think about what she was going to say to Justin. Manners had been drummed into her as she'd grown up, and those manners suggested she should thank him for the flowers. On the other hand, she was married. He shouldn't be giving her flowers. And she shouldn't be accepting them.
Sighing, Holly brushed the hair back from her face and tried to think what she should say to him. "Thank you for the thought, Justin. But I really can't accept your flowers. I'm married."
That was nice and simple and to the point. She also wouldn't be thanking him for the actual flowers themselves, which, honestly, she didn't really appreciate at all. She had definitely gained a serious aversion to them, it seemed. She hadn't been joking when she'd asked if someone had died on seeing them. That had been her first thought . . . which was kind of sad, Holly acknowledged. She was only going to work at the cemetery for another . . . well, actually, she wasn't even sure if she'd be going back once she had finished her training. It seemed a shame to let less than two weeks working at the place affect her view of flowers for the rest of her life.
Perhaps she just needed to think of them differently, she considered and then raised her eyebrows when she noted that someone was on the beach in front of Jackie and Vincent's house.
Justin, she realized. Why was he laying out a blanket? The sun was setting. Besides, she didn't think vampires were likely to be sun worshippers so he couldn't be interested in sunbathing. Although, she wouldn't mind seeing that; Justin in a bathing suit, his chest bare, his muscular legs--
Holly slowed as her wandering thoughts brought guilt crashing down over her. Married, she reminded herself. No lusting after other men . . . even if they were handsome, built, sweet as pie and amazing kissers. That last thought caused a sigh to slip between her lips. Justin was an amazing kisser. Parts of her started tingling just at the memory, parts that had no business tingling for anyone but her husband.
As distressing as it was for Holly to admit, James had never made her tingle like that. James's kisses were more . . . well, she hated to say it, but the best description she could come up with was almost avuncular. They were affectionate and . . . tepid? She winced even as she admitted that.
But marriage wasn't all about hot, sweaty sex, she assured herself. She and James had more than that. They had a common past, friendship, and affection. They had history . . . and the same dream for the future. That was more likely to last, she was sure. Justin was like a shooting star, burning bright before fizzing out as all such heated passion must . . . while James was like the moon, always there, giving off a soft, steady glow. She just had to keep that in the forefront of her mind while she was here, Holly determined. It would help keep her head straight and prevent her giving in to the temptation Justin was quickly becoming. Avoiding him, or at least avoiding being alone with him would help too, she decided.
"Hi."
Holly stopped walking with surprise as that word drew her from her thoughts. While she'd been thinking, her feet had carried her across the distance between them and brought her to the edge of the blanket he sat on in the sand. So much for avoiding him, she thought with mild self-disgust. Sucking in a deep breath, she raised her shoulders determinedly, and opened her mouth, intending to respond to his greeting and then continue on to the house.
"Sit," Justin said before she could do anything. He patted the blanket next to a covered basket that sat in front of him. "I thought it would be nice to have a picnic."
"Oh . . . er . . ." Holly shifted and glanced from Justin to the basket and finally toward the house, her head moving slowly back and forth, before she said, "I don't think--"
"I need to tell you our laws and rules as part of your training," Justin interrupted.
Holly stilled briefly, feeling somewhat trapped, but then said, "Can't we do that in the house?"
"It's just a picnic, Holly," he said solemnly. "What are you afraid of?"
She suspected it wouldn't be a good thing to tell him that she was afraid of herself and her response to him, so avoided answering the question by using truth as a shield. "After spending the first eighteen years of my life digging sand out of crevices and spots it should never be, including my food, I'm not really keen on picnics on the beach."
Oh." He looked stunned at this news, and then glanced at the blanket he sat on. After a moment, he grabbed the basket and stood. "Right. I should have thought."
He looked so disappointed that Holly felt another wave of guilt roll over her. As with the flowers and last night's meal, he'd probably gone to a lot of trouble preparing this picnic. The problem was she didn't want him to expend effort on her. Still, she didn't like hurting anyone's feelings and he looked hurt just then. Mouth tightening, Holly bent and grabbed a corner of the blanket as he stepped off.
"There's no reason you should have thought of that," she said with a shrug as she straightened, lifting the blanket off the ground as she did.
Justin didn't com
ment, merely murmuring thank you as she quickly folded the blanket and laid it over her arm. But as they started to walk back up the lawn toward the gate in the hedges, he said pensively, "It sounds like you didn't really enjoy following your parents around on their digs."
"There were some good points, I guess," she said slowly.
"But?" he prompted when she fell silent.
Holly shrugged and admitted, "Well, there were a lot of things I didn't have growing up that it would have been nice to have."
"Like?" he asked, sounding sincerely interested.
Holly smiled crookedly and quickly listed off, "Television, wifi, cell phones, the mall . . . friends. Female friends," she added quickly. "I mean, of course, James was my friend."
"Of course," he said tightly.
Sighing, she stopped walking and when he did as well, turned to face him. "The flowers were a nice thought, but--"
"You're married," Justin said quietly for her.
She nodded. "I know you think I'm a possible life mate, Justin. But I am married, and I take my vows seriously. I'd appreciate it if you just got on with my training so that I can go home and continue my life with my husband."
Rather than respond, he turned and continued walking again. After a moment, Holly followed, trailing him back to the house and into the kitchen. It was empty now. Apparently Dante and Tomasso had finished their cake and, judging by the muffled sounds coming from the front of the house, were back in the living room watching another action movie. That or they were having a very quiet shoot out. She doubted real explosions and gunfire would sound so muted.
"There's fried chicken and potato salad in the basket," Justin said, setting it on the table as she closed the door. "Help yourself."
"Aren't you having any?" she asked with surprise when he started out of the kitchen.
"No," was all he said.
Holly frowned after him as he slipped out of the room, letting the door swing closed behind him. Then she set the blanket over a chair, opened the basket and began transferring the food it held to the refrigerator. She wasn't really hungry. She should be, it had been hours since she'd eaten, but she just wasn't.