Page 34 of Once Upon a Curse for True Love
Andromeda’s mouth went dry.Her brain, usually quick with comebacks, provided nothing but static.She was suddenly, intensely aware of everything about him—the stubble darkening his jaw, the flecks of gold in his eyes, and the scent of his cologne mingled with the smells of the restaurant.
“I’m not in the habit of kissing cops,” she managed finally, her voice a breathless whisper.
Donatello’s lips curved into that maddening half-smile.“Yeah?’Cause I’m not in the habit of asking twice.”
The heat rolling off him wasn’t metaphorical—she could taste it on her tongue, smell it on the back of her nose.He was too much.Too tall.Too intense.Too handsome.She should step back, make a sarcastic comment to break the spell, remind them both the reasons this was a terrible idea.But her body refused to cooperate with her better judgment.
“Well,” she murmured, “what are you waiting for, a written invitation?”
Her heart threatened to thump right out of her chest as he leaned in, his eyes darker than ever.His lips were less than an inch from hers—
The door to her house flew open with a sudden thud that made them both jump apart like guilty teenagers.Sarah Michelle appeared on the porch with an overnight bag slung over her shoulder, ready for a night at her boyfriend’s.
She blinked at the scene before her, then released a colorful stream of magical curse words that would have made a goblin blush.
“Sorry,” she said after an excruciating pause.“I thought you were Lorcan.I heard a noise and…” she trailed off, looking uncomfortable.“I’m… I’ll go back inside.”
Sarah Michelle went back inside, the echo of her absence somehow louder than her presence.
Donatello backed away slowly, his attention fixed on Andromeda’s lips for a knee-weakening moment before traveling up to meet her eyes.“Another night, criminal,” he drawled.“But you’ll be the one asking.”
Andromeda wanted to shove that cocky remark back down his throat, but she was too breathless to form a proper retort.She watched, flustered and frustrated, as he sauntered to his car with that infuriating swagger that made his already fine ass even more appealing.
Before he got in, he waved at her with a smug grin so self-assured she wanted to shout something rude after him.But her voice was still trapped somewhere in her chest, along with her racing heart and unfulfilled desire.
She stood on the porch until his taillights had disappeared down the street—the cool night air doing nothing to calm the heat that had built under her skin.She pressed a hand against her burning cheeks.
Hex it all.If Sarah Michelle hadn’t interrupted, they’d be making out right now.And Andromeda was sure Donatello Malatesta would’ve delivered on that swagger and proven himself a fantastic kisser.
But he was gone now, and what awaited her inside the house would be much less pleasant.An interrogation?A pep talk?Probably both.
Andromeda shoved open her front door, not ready to face the welcoming committee of two familiars and one very interested roommate.
“Well, well, well,” Sarah Michelle promptly sing-songed from where she was perched on the arm of the couch, her overnight bag now resting by her feet.Her dark bob framed a face alight with unholy fascination.“Please tell me I didn’t interrupt you playing tonsil hockey with Malatesta.”
Quill bristled with such indignation that his quills stood at perfect right angles to his tiny body.“Preposterous!My witch would never engage in such inappropriate fraternization with her legal supervisor.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Nox countered, slinking around Sarah Michelle’s ankles.“The look on her face says she’d fraternize him right into next week.”
Andromeda closed the door with an exasperated bang as if the loud noise could shut them up.“Don’t you have better things to do than analyze my social life?”
“Not really, no,” Sarah Michelle replied cheerfully, sliding on the couch properly and patting the spot on her left.“Were you about to kiss Malatesta?Did you want to?When did this happen?I thought you hated his guts.”
“I do,” Andromeda protested as she flopped down next to her roommate.She grabbed a throw pillow and hugged it to her chest.“I hate his cocky smirk and his stupid perfect hair—even when it’s purple—and his annoying habit of looking at me like he can see straight through my bullshit.”
“So that’s a yes on wanting to kiss him,” Sarah Michelle translated.
Andromeda groaned, hiding her face in the pillow.“I plead temporary insanity, residual comfort-food euphoria.He fed me Chinese food, Shelly.You know how I get around good dumplings.”
“Orgasmic,” Sarah Michelle supplied helpfully.“But that doesn’t explain the kiss on our porch.”
“We didn’t kiss.”
Nox, who had jumped onto the coffee table, snickered.“Then why did you two jump apart like scalded cats when we opened the door?Were you comparing dental work?”
“Andromeda,” Quill began in his most prim voice, “might I remind you that engaging in romantic entanglements with the very individual overseeing your community service could constitute a conflict of interest?Not to mention, the man arrested you.He kicked in our door.He—”
“Yes, Quill, I’m aware,” Andromeda cut him off.“I was there.”
