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Lead them on? They re the ones coming on to me! Natalie bit her lip and
glanced over her shoulder, not wanting either Nico or David to hear this
conversation.
But you re letting them. Nona shook her head. Nico Bui has a short
fuse, granddaughter. Don t push him too far.
His fuse didn t feel too short to me. Natalie clamped a hand over her
mouth at the unexpected words.
Natalie Marie Pasqua! Nona admonished her, but Natalie saw the gleam
of humor in her eyes. After a second, Nona even smiled. He is a good-
looking devil, isn t he?
Nona! Natalie laughed. She d never heard her grandmother utter
anything sexual in her entire life. Listen to you.
They giggled, and Nona took her hands. A serious expression replaced the
happier, carefree one. Promise me, you will decide wisely.
Natalie sighed. I m not choosing a husband, Nona. I m just -- She waved
her hand. -- having a little fun.
That s how people get hurt.
We re all adults. I think we all know how to handle a no strings
attached kind of relationship. Natalie tried to laugh, but the effort sounded
weak. David just got divorced less than a year ago, and I just broke up with
Rudy. We don t want anything serious right now.
What about Nico? He looked serious to me when he had his hands all
over you today. Nona sniffed and scooped coffee into the old percolator.
He s always ... liked you.
You mean he s always liked to torment me. Natalie sat cups on the tray.
I know how to handle Nico.
That s what I m afraid of.
Natalie leaned against the counter and listened to the old coffee pot perk.
The smell of rich coffee filled the room. Does he have a girlfriend?
Nico? Nona waved a hand. Women are all over him like they were in
school.
Oh.
But they are not like you.
Oh? How s that?
They are cheap; you are not.
Natalie snorted. Meaning, I m dull and boring. She could hear Rudy s
last cutting remarks, as he walked out of their apartment with a bleached-
blond bimbo bitch on his arm. Story of my life.
You are not.
It s okay. Even Nico called me a brainiac.
That was years ago and he was jealous.
Jealous? He was being his usual obnoxious self.
You had given another boy a Valentine. What did you give him?
Nothing. Natalie watched Nona finish arranging the coffee tray with
dessert cakes. She frowned and thought about his confession in the kitchen.
Guilt pulled at her heart for not realizing earlier how she felt about Nico. I
never gave him anything. Ever.
Well, maybe this Valentine s you will be a little nicer to him. Nona
picked up the tray and headed for the dining room.
Yeah, but with any luck, it won t be some silly card he gets from me.
Natalie smiled and followed. The image of a dark hand offering two pieces
of candy came to mind. The image intensified when she went through the
swinging doors to find the two men sitting smug in their chairs, looking at
her. One, light and sweet; the other, dark and bitter.
Hey, guys, ready for something sweet?
David grinned and his blue eyes sparkled. Nico raised that imperious black
eyebrow over narrowed eyes. The sight of both men, so opposite, but so
right, made her heart flip-flop. Maybe she d give them both something on
Valentine s Day.
Chapter Three
Natalie tiptoed into the living room. Flashlight ready, she angled the beam
toward the bookcase. One step and she stubbed her toe on the side chair. It
took all her willpower not to scream Shit! at the same time she fumbled to
keep a grip on the flashlight. She swallowed hard against the shooting pain
from her big toe and managed to hobble the rest of the way across the room.
James Bond, I m not. She leaned one hand against the wall and let out a
sigh of relief. So far, so good if Nona hadn t been awakened by her midnight
meanderings. Carefully, she scanned the bookcase for Nona s old journal
full of gypsy spells. Nona would tan her butt if she ever learned she d been
using this family gem for years. Coming from a long line of gypsies had its
advantages.
Ah, there. Covered with dust and sitting back from the rest of the books on
the shelf, she found the little journal she d been hunting. She pulled it free
and blew a thick layer of dust from its jacket. Nona must not use it anymore.
Natalie limped over to the sofa. Curling her legs beneath her, she turned
the pages, using the dim light from the flashlight to find the spell she wanted
-- If you are undecided between two admirers, magick can help ...
Well, she hoped so, because she had a dilemma. She had enjoyed the
attentions of both men, but she needed to know which one she really wanted.
Natalie bit her lip. She d always pursued David, but deep down she d always
wanted Nico. She flipped the pages. Maybe a spell existed that would help
her keep them both. Now, that would be an interesting scenario. She stopped
her perusing and stared into the darkness. Her eyebrow rose, and she
covered her mouth on the giggle that threatened to give her away.
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