Jinni's Wish (Kingdom, #4)

“Mmm, I’m hungry,” Paz groaned when her stomach growled.

Todd’s expressive light brown eyes twinkled merrily as he hugged her against his broad chest. A good foot taller than her, with chestnut brown hair, and tanned good looks. Gorgeous and so her type, if it wasn’t for the fact that he was totally off the market.

“On me then,” he said, voice light and carefree. “A treat for my favorite artist…”

Richard gripped Todd’s waist, dark brown eyes glowing merrily, rich mocha skin gleaming shades of bronze beneath the neon glow of the Ferris Wheel. Perpetual black cowlick shading the corner of his left eye. “The only artist you know,” he finished, digging into Todd’s chest.

Todd clamped onto Richard’s hand and kissed the knuckle. A look passing between them made Paz’s knees turn to jelly. What would it feel like to have someone look at her that way? Not that she was old, only twenty-seven, but still, old enough to crave what she’d never known.

There’d been passion, maybe some toe-curling moments with past boyfriends, but nothing that had ever stuck beyond month six. Maybe she was cursed.

But she’d sold all ten of her paintings. She smiled, biting her bottom lip… well on her way toward that maid she’d always dreamed of. So maybe not that cursed.

“Okay, I’m so gonna barf if you guys keep looking at each other like that.”

Todd smirked, patting her head like she was a dog.

So not cool.

She gave him the evil eye. “Not a dog, Todd. Go get me my popcorn,” she clapped her hands, “and make it a large. With butter. Momma’s got a serious hankering from some greasy fat tonight.”

Todd saluted and winked. “Anything for you, baby?”

Richard shrugged. “Trying to watch my carbs. Whatever you have I’ll share.” Then he sighed, a silly mopey I’m-so-incredibly-happy kind of sound and again Paz couldn’t help feeling like the third wheel.

“I love him,” Richard whispered, quietly, like he wasn’t even really saying it to her.

She nodded, tucking his cowlick back. “I know. Aren’t you sure you wouldn’t rather me, yanno, be home and stuff tonight? I mean, this is your one year anniversary. Why in the world would you want me here? Shouldn’t you be bow-chica-wow…”

Richard tugged on the end of her thick black hair.

“Hey, ouch!” Paz slapped his hand away.

“You’re disgusting. And no. He loves you as much as I do. Besides, Madam Pandora’s awaits.”

A cool rush brushed against Paz’s legs. She was wearing thick stockings, and had traded in the killer pumps for a more ankle friendly pair of sparkling black flats, but she probably should have grabbed a thicker jacket.

Even with the sweater underneath, she was starting to shiver.

She grumped. “Why do you want me to go there so bad? What is it anyway?”

Glancing around, Paz frowned. The carnival was definitely as creepy as she’d expected it to be from the sound of the name. Diabolique made her think of the devil. Coming from a strict Catholic upbringing, anything to do with Mr. Red, Bad, and Evil still made her skin get the creepy crawlies.

Not to mention the carnival was just strange looking. Aside from the garish striped tents, and neon lights, the rides were all black. Thick, dark black. Blending into shadow if not for the lights affixed to the rides.

At first she’d had a mini heart attack when they’d bought their tickets, thinking maybe this night wouldn’t suck so hard after all. The man selling them behind the booth had been hot. No scratch that, he was way hotter than hot. Which sounded really lame, but how else could she describe the panty melting smile of his straight white teeth. The artfully arranged blond surfer hair, like liquid gold the way it’d gleamed beneath the light. And his face, oh man… she couldn’t paint something so pretty. High cheekbones and hard square jaw, dimples when he’d grinned.

But then she’d looked at his eyes-- glowing green eyes-- and something inside her had shrunk away from letting him make contact when he’d handed her the change. She’d been pretty sure those hadn’t been contacts.

And what was even weirder about this carnival was that everyone one looked just like him. Well, not just like him. But everyone working here was hot. Uber, smokin’, I’d sell my firstborn to have wild monkey sex with you kind of hot. And they all had strange glowing eyes.

Which seemed to faze Todd and her brother not at all.

“Hello!” Richard snapped his fingers, making her jerk. “Did you hear a word I said?”

She grimaced. “Umm…”

He gripped his forehead. “That’s a no. I said,” he stressed the ‘d’, “that I want you to go because Brody and Luke came here last night and they said they got their fortunes told and it came true.”

Paz snorted. “Oh my gosh, that’s ridiculous. You do know that’s stupid, right? They’re all quacks out here.”