type.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Mitch frowned. “And what type is that?”
“You’re a magnet for the gorgeous, outgoing, fun types.” She rolled her eyes. “My basic nightmare.”
“And who says you aren’t all the above?” Mitch cupped her cheek in his hand. “Excluding the nightmare, of course.”
“Be real. I know my limitations.” She stared down at her bare unpolished toenails. Her father had pretty much nailed it. She wasn’t beautiful. She wasn’t even merely pretty. And who wanted to go out with a woman who dealt with dusty bones and old relics?
“As far as I’m concerned, someone’s fed you a line of bullshit.” Mitch tipped her chin until her gaze met his. “You could be beautiful, if only you’d see it in yourself.” He touched his hand to her loose hair. “I like your hair down. You should wear it this way more often.”
For a long moment, Edie considered Mitch’s words. If only he was right. But wishing to be beautiful wasn’t going to solve her larger-than-life problem next door.
“Mitch, he kissed me. Now what do I do with him?’”
“Kiss him back.” Mitch tapped her nose and smiled.
“I did!” Edie clapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes widened. “I kissed him back.” Her vision clouded again and she staggered backward to collapse on the couch. “I don’t even know this man.”
“Yet he’s in your apartment and he’s naked?” Mitch sat in the chair beside the couch. “Interesting. And all this time I thought you had a terminal case of virginity.” He whacked her on the back, chuckling. “Edie, my girl, there’s hope for you yet.”
“This isn’t a joke.” Edie sat forward and placed a hand on Mitch’s knee. “And there’s more. The man can smoke in and out of the bottle, and he has to grant my wishes.”
“Whoa!” Mitch raised his hands. “Wait a minute. What’s this about bottles and wishes?”
“That’s just it. He kissed me, not because he liked me but because I wished it.” Edie chewed on her lip. “Harry has to do everything I wish because he touched the stone, and I happened to be the lucky girl that woke him from the bottle.”
Leaning forward he rested a hand on her shoulder and stared into her eyes. “Edie, are you on drugs? ‘Cause if you are, I want some of what you’re having.”
With a huffy sigh, she shoved his hand aside. “I’ve botched this. Let me start from the beginning. You’re never gonna believe it anyway.”
Fifteen minutes later, Mitch’s eyebrows had settled into a deep frown. “You really believe this, don’t you?”
“I didn’t want to, but I can’t deny what I saw.”
“And he’s in your apartment, as we speak?”
“Yes. Or at least I hope he is.” Edie sprang from the couch and strode toward the door. “I need to get back in case he decides to take off with the stone.” She spun around. “Oh yeah, and I need some clothes for him. He can’t go around naked all the time. All that skin is too distracting and I can’t think.”
“Now that’s something I can relate to.” Mitch clapped his hands together. “I’ll get the clothes, but I’m coming over with you.”
“Good. If it’s all the same to you, I’ll wait.” Armed with backup, Edie would be only slightly more prepared to face Harry.
Mitch ducked into his bedroom and returned with a handful of assorted items. “I don’t know what’ll fit, so I brought a selection of loose-fitting and tailored items. Let’s go meet your genie.”
Chapter Four
“Thank God you’re back.” Harry met Edie at the door grasping her hands in his. “I thought you’d left the country or something, you took so long.”
A blond-haired man stepped up behind her. “You must be Harry.” He held out his hand, but his eyes were narrowed as if checking Harry out. “Name’s Mitch.”
At a definite disadvantage, being covered only in a towel, Harry accepted the hand. “Harrington Taylor the Third.”
When Mitch’s grip
Crossing his arms over his chest, Mitch frowned. “And what type is that?”
“You’re a magnet for the gorgeous, outgoing, fun types.” She rolled her eyes. “My basic nightmare.”
“And who says you aren’t all the above?” Mitch cupped her cheek in his hand. “Excluding the nightmare, of course.”
“Be real. I know my limitations.” She stared down at her bare unpolished toenails. Her father had pretty much nailed it. She wasn’t beautiful. She wasn’t even merely pretty. And who wanted to go out with a woman who dealt with dusty bones and old relics?
“As far as I’m concerned, someone’s fed you a line of bullshit.” Mitch tipped her chin until her gaze met his. “You could be beautiful, if only you’d see it in yourself.” He touched his hand to her loose hair. “I like your hair down. You should wear it this way more often.”
For a long moment, Edie considered Mitch’s words. If only he was right. But wishing to be beautiful wasn’t going to solve her larger-than-life problem next door.
“Mitch, he kissed me. Now what do I do with him?’”
“Kiss him back.” Mitch tapped her nose and smiled.
“I did!” Edie clapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes widened. “I kissed him back.” Her vision clouded again and she staggered backward to collapse on the couch. “I don’t even know this man.”
“Yet he’s in your apartment and he’s naked?” Mitch sat in the chair beside the couch. “Interesting. And all this time I thought you had a terminal case of virginity.” He whacked her on the back, chuckling. “Edie, my girl, there’s hope for you yet.”
“This isn’t a joke.” Edie sat forward and placed a hand on Mitch’s knee. “And there’s more. The man can smoke in and out of the bottle, and he has to grant my wishes.”
“Whoa!” Mitch raised his hands. “Wait a minute. What’s this about bottles and wishes?”
“That’s just it. He kissed me, not because he liked me but because I wished it.” Edie chewed on her lip. “Harry has to do everything I wish because he touched the stone, and I happened to be the lucky girl that woke him from the bottle.”
Leaning forward he rested a hand on her shoulder and stared into her eyes. “Edie, are you on drugs? ‘Cause if you are, I want some of what you’re having.”
With a huffy sigh, she shoved his hand aside. “I’ve botched this. Let me start from the beginning. You’re never gonna believe it anyway.”
Fifteen minutes later, Mitch’s eyebrows had settled into a deep frown. “You really believe this, don’t you?”
“I didn’t want to, but I can’t deny what I saw.”
“And he’s in your apartment, as we speak?”
“Yes. Or at least I hope he is.” Edie sprang from the couch and strode toward the door. “I need to get back in case he decides to take off with the stone.” She spun around. “Oh yeah, and I need some clothes for him. He can’t go around naked all the time. All that skin is too distracting and I can’t think.”
“Now that’s something I can relate to.” Mitch clapped his hands together. “I’ll get the clothes, but I’m coming over with you.”
“Good. If it’s all the same to you, I’ll wait.” Armed with backup, Edie would be only slightly more prepared to face Harry.
Mitch ducked into his bedroom and returned with a handful of assorted items. “I don’t know what’ll fit, so I brought a selection of loose-fitting and tailored items. Let’s go meet your genie.”
Chapter Four
“Thank God you’re back.” Harry met Edie at the door grasping her hands in his. “I thought you’d left the country or something, you took so long.”
A blond-haired man stepped up behind her. “You must be Harry.” He held out his hand, but his eyes were narrowed as if checking Harry out. “Name’s Mitch.”
At a definite disadvantage, being covered only in a towel, Harry accepted the hand. “Harrington Taylor the Third.”
When Mitch’s grip
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