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“Again, you lie.”
Briar threw Izzy an annoyed look. “After the stuff he said, we should be encouraging her to stay away from him.”
“Well I would, but I don’t think she wants to,” Izzy told her. “And considering how often he stares at Inaya, I also don’t think he’ll stay away from her.”
I frowned, biting into my nacho. “He said ‘one taste.’ That was all he wanted.”
Izzy nodded. “But he took two just now, didn’t he? So think about that.”
Chapter Three
Holding a cup of coffee the next day, I walked into my grandmother’s cozy living room. She moved in with me when I bought the mansion five years ago, but she’d wanted her own living space for two reasons. Firstly, the building was so big that the rooms were too spaced apart for her liking, and she wasn’t a fan of all the stairs. Secondly, she felt that my having my grandmother living with me would put off any men I met—something I couldn’t give two shits about, but she’d refused to live here with me unless she had her own space.
As such, I’d had a chunk of the mansion’s first level converted into what she liked to call her ‘granny wing.’ She had a living area, kitchen, dining area, bedroom, kick-ass bathroom, and a conservatory. I usually managed to coax her out of the wing for meal times so we could eat together, but not always. So I’d sometimes eat at her table.
I’d only taken two steps into the living room when Judy’s two dogs hurried over for their usual strokes. Goose, a black-and-white mastiff/wolfhound was soft as a brush and unbelievably sweet. Chubs, a sharp-eyed beagle, was still as excitable as he had been as a pup. He also had a small-dog complex, but we didn’t talk about that.
Both dogs were devoted to my grandmother, who sat in her plush recliner watching TV while absently stroking a calico. Sushi was one of five cats.
With all her pets, Judy was never lonely when I went on tour. Still, my friends paid her visits to check on her for me while I was away. They even sometimes took her out if she allowed it. I was freaking lucky to have them.
I gave Judy a bright smile. “Morning, Grams.”
Her thin mouth curved, deepening the wrinkles around her heart-shaped jowly face. “Late night?”
“Is that your way of telling me I look like crap?”
“No, it’s just that it’s noon, darlin’, and you wished me a good morning.”
I glanced at the wall clock that hung above the fire mantel. Huh. So it was. “I worked on some lyrics when I got home, so I didn’t get to bed until late.”
My mind had been a whirl of chaos after what happened at the Vault. At one point, those chaotic thoughts had abruptly morphed into lyrics. I’dhadto scribble them down or I’d never have slept—they would have hounded me.
Disappointment clouded those eyes that were the same Nordic-blue shade as mine but had dulled slightly with age. “You came home alone, then? That’s a shame.”
Snorting, I sat on the plush sofa. “You know, most grandmothers wouldn’t find it disappointing that their granddaughter didn’t bring random guys home for sex.”
“I don’t see anything wrong with two adults enjoying each other for a single night.” She patted the dove-gray hair she’d neatly pulled back into a bun. “I would have gotten my sexual groove on like that if I’d been part of your generation.”
Oh, I didn’t doubt it. The woman was not only a charmer but possessed no shame.
“You know, Viera down the street has a great-nephew your age. He’s quite a spiffy young man. Not to mention single.” She paused as Chubs tried leaping onto her lap, earning himself a bitch-slap from Sushi. “He told me that he loves your music, and he hinted at meeting you.”
I rolled my stiff neck. “Look, I realize that you’re Cupid incarnate, but it would really be great if you dropped your new hobby of trying to set me up with people.”
Her brow furrowed. “What else am I supposed to do?”
“Mind your own business, maybe.”
“I would if you were at least getting laid regularly.”
“Grams.” I looked down at Goose, who’d rested his chin on my thigh, and I gave his head a stroke. “Pain in the ass, isn’t she?”
Judy huffed. “Is it so wrong that I want you to be happy? You’re a young, beautiful, amazing woman. It’s tragic that you’re unattached.”
“I don’t need a man to be happy,” I said before taking a swig of my coffee.
“But orgasms do bring a little light into a woman’s life.”
