Valerius was buttoning the last button on his shirt as he came down the stairs, looking for Tabitha. She was standing with her back to him.
He paused on the stairs to admire her there. She was leaning over the table to give him one nice view of her derriere. A small smile played at the edges of his lips as he remembered what that rear had looked like last night naked against him as she danced in her room.
He hardened instantly.
Getting a little hold on his treacherous body, he walked into the room and frowned as he saw a large white box on Tabitha's kitchen table. It smelled good, but...
"What is that?" he asked.
"Pizza," she said, turning to face him.
He scowled in revulsion.
"Oh, c'mon," she said irritably. "It's Italian."
"It's pizza."
"Have you ever had pizza?"
"No."
"Then sit down and hush while I get us some wine. You'll like it, I promise. It was handmade by an Italian named Bubba."
Valerius arched a doubtful brow at her words. "There are no Italians named Bubba."
"Sure there are," she said saucily. "It's more Italian than Valerius is. At least Bubba's name actually ends with a vowel."
Valerius opened his mouth to contradict her, then stopped. There was no reasoning with Tabitha when she was in this saucy mood. "Are you testy because you didn't get enough sleep or do you wish for me to leave?"
"I didn't get enough sleep and if you know what's good for you, you'll sit down and eat." She headed to the kitchen.
Valerius didn't listen. He went into the kitchen, picked her up, and tossed her over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her tone angry.
He sat her down in a chair and braced his hands on its arms so that she was pinned there. "Good evening, Tabitha. I'm fine tonight. How are you?"
"Irritated at you."
"I'm sorry to hear that," he said, lifting one hand up to caress her cheek. "I woke up to the smell of you on my skin and I have to say that it put me in a rather good mood that I don't want you to destroy."
Tabitha melted at those words and the tender look on his face. Not to mention that the fresh, clean scent of his skin could undo even the worst mood imaginable. His lips were so close to hers that she could already taste them.
And those dark eyes...
They were beguiling.
"You really know how to be aggravating, don't you?" she asked him. She forced her ire aside and offered him a smile. "Okay, I'll play nice." She pulled his head to hers so that she could kiss him.
She was just getting into that kiss when her phone rang. Cursing at the ill timing, she got up to answer it.
It was Amanda. Again.
Tabitha wasn't really paying attention to her as her sister rambled on about Marissa and Kyrian and another dream she'd had.
At least not until she mentioned Desiderius and her.
"What?" she said, forcing herself not to watch Valerius who was poking at the pizza as if it were a UFO.