Seduced and Enchanted (11 page)

He didn’t answer right away, just stared at her until finally she put her hands on her hips and prepared to interrogate him. “Rio…”

With a sigh, he sat up, reaching for his jeans and pulling them on, not bothering with his boxers. Since he was naked under them, she held her breath for a second as he dragged up the zipper.

“Rosie…” He imitated her pose and attitude, which made it impossible to hold on to her anger. Then he turned serious. “This explanation is a little more…involved than the others.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “You mean more involved than learning how to control this magic that has somehow taken over my body? More involved than learning there are men like Sal in the world? More involved than—”

“Okay, okay.” He held up his hands like a traffic cop, grinning a little. “I’m sorry.

You’re doing great, dealing with all of it. But this is a little different.”

“Different how?”

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, tugging on the ends before releasing it.

“Different in that it involves our…relationship.”

Relationship?
He thought they had a relationship? Rosie tried to squash the flare of happiness that erupted in her chest at his use of the word. Yes, she wanted them to have 82

Seduced and Enchanted

a relationship. She’d fallen for him the second she’d seen him and although she couldn’t—wouldn’t—put her feelings into words just yet, she knew Rio already meant more to her than any man ever had. Still, they’d only met yesterday and relationships didn’t work like that, did they?

For all she knew, Rio might tell her he was going to leave her with Sal to wait for her godmothers’ return. But then he’d practically instructed Lora, Vivian and Fanny to get lost and that he’d take care of her.

Unable to bear the suspense any longer, Rosie said, “Just spit it out, Rio.”

Hands stuffed in his pockets, arms tight with tension, he said, “I’m pretty sure the reason the spell broke when we were together was because we’re soul mates.”

She blinked. “Did you just say…soul mates?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

Rosie might be more than a little bit of a hopeful romantic but she was also pragmatic enough to know that most men did not believe in love at first sight or soul mates. Still, Rio didn’t look like he was kidding. On the contrary, his expression was completely serious, not a hint of a smile in sight.

“And by that you mean…”

He stared straight into her eyes. “That we’re meant to be together. I believe we were blood-bound in a former life.”

Her eyes widened until she could feel her forehead scrunching. “Former life?

Blood-bound?”

He nodded solemnly. “Yes. In a former life. I believe if we look, we’ll find a mark on your hand or on your body, some mark you’ve always had, that you thought was a birthmark or a blemish. That will prove it.”

Her head spun from information overload. “What does blood-bound mean?”

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He paused again and his mouth twisted, as if he wasn’t quite sure how she was going to take what he had to say. “It’s a ritual, a magical ritual that binds our souls together throughout all eternity, ensuring that we find each other in every life.”

Whoa.
That sounded…permanent. “And how does this happen?”

“We exchange blood during sex.”

Her mouth opened then closed then opened again. She didn’t have a clue what to say to that one.

Rio’s expression never changed. Actually it was curiously blank. Rosie had no idea what he was thinking. Was he happy about this? Was he pissed off that he’d been trapped by a past self into believing he should spend the rest of his life with her? Did he want to run fast and far and never look back?

Maybe he was wrong. Maybe there was no proof. “So where would this mark be?”

“Well, it could be on your hands, your chest or…you might not have a mark at all.”

She frowned, her brain at a dead stop. “Why not?”

“If you’d have been a virgin when we first made love, I could’ve cut myself and our blood would have mingled when—”

She held up her hand, blushing irrationally. “Got it.”

Now he smiled, the blasted man. “That’s considered the most preferable way.”

She snorted. “Yeah, I bet it is for the guy.”

“Ah Rosie, what man wouldn’t want to be his true love’s first and only?” His tone was completely sincere.

Well, when he put it that way, she couldn’t hold on to her sarcasm. “So do you have a mark?”

He didn’t speak right away and the pause made her heart beat heavily in her chest.

Then he lifted his right hand, palm up. She wasn’t close enough to really see what he wanted to show her, so she had to move toward him. “What am I looking at?”

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With his other hand, he pulled her flush against his body. Her arms went around his waist automatically, her hands spread across his back, her fingers kneading his firm warm skin. The man’s body had her hooked like an addict on crack. Even though she still tingled from their last go-round, she wanted him. Again.

Focus, Rosalia. This is important.

If what he was saying was true, Rio was destined to be hers. Forever. Wasn’t that what she’d dreamed of since she was a little girl? The man of her dreams who swept her off her feet?

Rosie looked back at the hand he still held out for her, searching for whatever it was he wanted her to see.

Rio’s hands weren’t huge but they were strong, hands that could make her scream with desire. “What am I supposed to be looking at?”

His right palm was lined, just like every other palm she’d ever seen. Except…there was one line that wasn’t like the rest. One line ran counter to all the others, from his pinky to his thumb.

“I noticed it when I was thirteen and I was playing some stupid game with my brother Teo. He looked at my hand and laughed. He said, ‘Kid, you’re screwed. Women are more trouble than they’re worth.’”

He shook his head, still staring at that line. “Of course Teo, being Teo, wouldn’t tell me what the hell it meant, so I had to ask my dad. He took one look and called for my mom. The rest of the males in my family aren’t as enlightened as I am.” He smiled at her and it did wild and wonderful things to her insides.

She held up her left hand and looked at her palm. No out-of-place line.

“Rio, I don’t have a line.” He wasn’t her mate. Worse, she wasn’t his. The thought hit her like a ton of bricks. “I’m not—”

He placed his fingers over her lips, his gaze holding hers. “Yes, you are. I know it. I knew it the first moment I saw you. I just didn’t realize what I was feeling.”

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“But how can you be sure?”

Rio saw fear in Rosie’s eyes and he hated it. He wasn’t handling this well.

His brothers would be all over his ass. He had a reputation for handling women, charming them. Mostly charming them out of their clothes. But this was
his
woman. He didn’t want her to be upset, not about this, not about anything.

“Because I’ve never been more positive in my life. Pull your shorts down, hon. Let me check something.”

Her eyebrows rose and the corners of her mouth lifted just a little. “I think you’ve checked that already.”

Wiggling his eyebrows made her smile spread. “Now who’s got their mind on sex?

I want to check if your mark’s on your hips or your back.”

Twisting her body in a way that made her breasts thrust out and lust pound through his veins, she pulled her shorts off her right hip.

Her lips pulled into a frown until he said, “Try the other hip, hon.”

She turned, doing that lust-inducing twist again. “Oh my God, Rio, look. I never even noticed that before.”

Rio had no doubt she was his. Nonetheless he released a silent sigh of relief.

Leaning forward, he pressed his hand against the mark of her skin. It was tiny, just a small straight line, so very pale against her skin.

Wearing a big grin, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly.

“Guess we’re stuck with each other for a while, huh?” she whispered.

Not just for a while. Forever. But he didn’t want to press that point just yet. His arms came around her waist and he pulled her even closer. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

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When they emerged from the basement, they ran upstairs to take a quick shower before getting dressed and heading back to the kitchen and Sal, who was waiting for them.

“All right, you two.” Sal pulled the cork out of a bottle of Merlot and poured them each a glass. “Try to contain yourselves for a little while. We’ve got stuff to discuss.”

Rosie sighed, knowing she couldn’t continue using sex to keep her mind off everything else. It would be nice though…

“So, Rio,” Sal picked up his glass, “I think I know who you should take Rosie to see about her powers.”

Rio picked up his glass and swirled the ruby red liquid. “Yeah, I know who you’re going to suggest. I thought the same thing. This is going to make her decade, you know that, right? First Nino then Cam, now me.”

Rosie knew those names. They were Rio’s older brothers. So who was the “she”?

“Are you talking about your mother?”

Rio pulled a face, not meeting her gaze, but Sal laughed before he said, “Yeah, Tana’s gonna love you.”

She couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic and she should be worried. Maybe Rio’s mother wouldn’t like her. Maybe his parents wouldn’t be thrilled with a
salvanelli
in the family.

“Rio?”

He must have heard the question in her voice, because he smiled reassuringly. “You don’t have a thing to worry about. I grew up listening to my mom mope about how she was never going to have grandchildren. During the past year, both Cam and Nino 87

Stephanie Julian

found their mates. Mom’s ecstatic because she figures she’s going to get grandchildren soon. That you’re
Fata
is just a bonus. Believe me, she’s gonna love you.”

Rosie wrinkled her nose, staring at her hand tracing patterns on the table. “Or is she going to think I’m a slut? I mean, last night I picked up a guy in a bar and slept with him. Today I have magical powers and a soul mate.”

“Hey.” Rio grabbed her hand and squeezed, hard enough to get her attention.

“You’re not a slut, Rosalia. You and I, we’re meant to be together. Whatever we do is meant to be. Anyone says differently and I’ll make them eat their words.”

His expression was dead serious and the weepy feeling she’d had earlier returned, making her eyes well again. “So when do I get to meet the folks?”

Rio looked at Sal. “What do you think?”

Sal took a sip of wine before he answered. “I think we should shift her around a few times, try to draw the
bergoia
out into the open but keep Rosie one step ahead until we can get rid of it. Then she can go see your parents.”

Rio groaned. “Shit, Sal, you want me to subject her to my brothers, don’t you?”

Sal shrugged. “They’re the only ones I’d trust at the moment, kid.”

Rosie shook her head. “Now you want me to impose on even more strangers? Isn’t there somewhere safe we can hide—alone—until the
bergoia
makes a move?”

Rio rubbed his thumb along her hand, the motion making her hand tingle. “As much as I appreciate the sentiment, hon, I trust my brothers even more than I trust myself to keep you safe. And they’re going to want to meet you.”

Rio had obviously already made up his mind and she trusted his judgment. She was about to give her go-ahead when she remembered something. She sighed. “What about my godmothers? They said they would be back before nightfall. They’ll be worried if I’m not here.”

“I’ll give them an update as soon as they get back,” Sal said. “Let them know where you are. They’ll know it’s the right thing to do.”

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Rosie gave that another moment’s thought then sighed again and said, “So when do we leave?”

Rio’s smile was instant and completely comforting. She would have gone anywhere with him. “Just let me call Cam and let him know we’re coming.”

She expected him to reach for a cell phone but instead he got up and lifted the receiver on the antique-looking black phone on the counter next to the refrigerator. He turned the rotary dial a few times and waited.

She’d never seen anyone use a phone like this. She’d noticed it before but had thought it was just for show.

“Hey, Phil,” Rio said, “can you connect me to Cam? Thanks.”

An operator too. It wasn’t the strangest thing she’d experienced today but it was just one more piece of a new world she’d never known existed. She wanted to know who he was talking to and why he had to use that old phone to do it.

When she was a child, her aunts had always said she never let a minute go by without a question. She’d been an inquisitive little girl, which was why they’d introduced her to the library.

As she watched, Rio seemed to be mentally gearing himself up. Then he suddenly straightened. “Hey, Cam. You up for visitors tonight?”

She vaguely heard a deep male voice on the other end of the phone.

“Ah, yeah, I’m bringing someone you’re going to want to meet.” A pause. “
Baciami
il culo
, Cam. We’ll be there in a few minutes… No, Cam, it’s nothing like that.” Another pause. “Just…be presentable.”

Rio hung up the phone and smiled at her. “Let’s go for your first ride, babe.”

Rosie frowned. “Ride?”

* * * * *

Rio had laid out the particulars and now Rosie looked terrified.

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“We’re going to do
what
?”

He took her hand and held her gaze. “Sal’s going to transport us to my brother’s house. He’s going to use a spell to move our bodies from here to there in just a few seconds.”

Her eyes widened even further. “Like a transporter on
Star Trek
?”

“Kind of like that, yeah,” Rio said. “Babe, it’s going to be fine. My brother does it to me all the time.”