Jerod turned to face her and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “All he wanted in life was food for his family every day, a home for his family, and for his father to die.”
“What?”
The ocean seemed to swallow up her surprised shout. What kind of
sweet
boy wished to murder someone? Jerod shrugged but didn’t answer until they began to walk along the water’s edge.
“His father was abusive. Made the little boy’s mother cry. Beat his sister until her bones broke. He was more than justified.”
Viola shuddered and tried to fathom living with that kind of abuse. Maybe the boy was justified. Even though she’d had a crappy relationship with her mother, she’d never 94
wish her dead. Mind you, her mother never beat her senseless, only ignored her while she drank.
“What did you do?” She wanted to cringe at her own morbid curiosity.
“Granted his wish, of course.”
She couldn’t believe it. Viola looked up at him, praying he wasn’t serious. “Just like that you killed a man?”
“No. Remember I said we genies live by a strict code. I cannot interfere directly when I grant a wish. I simply arranged for his father to be conscripted by the army. The rest happened of its own accord.”
“He was killed in battle,” she said as she shook her head.
Somehow the difference felt like semantics. Viola was happy when he changed the subject.
“Another master of mine, a woman, was trapped in a loveless relationship. She met another man and wanted to be with him. Her wishes were…interesting.”
“How so?” Despite the voice in the back of her head telling her this would end badly, Viola had to know.
“She wished to be with her one true love. Her second wish was to be free to be with him for the rest of her life, regardless of the consequences. She was arrogant. Beautiful, but arrogant. I granted her wish and she was swept away by her lover.” That didn’t sound too bad. “What was her name?”
“Helen. You may have heard of her.” Jerod smiled.
He then began to laugh when she realized who he was talking about.
“Helen
of Troy
?”
“She did very well for herself, don’t you think?”
No way
. “Wait, you only told me her first two wishes. What was her third?”
“To get her out of this mess.” Jerod winked at her.
Viola couldn’t help it, she started to giggle. Maybe she shouldn’t have had that third glass of wine.
“What?”
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“God, I hope I didn’t start an international incident because of my wish.”
“Not with your first wish,” Jerod rubbed his thumb over her finger. “But you still have two more wishes with which to wreak havoc.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
And that had been the other thing on her mind over supper. What to do about her other wishes? With the full moon shining down on the water, casting silver ripples over the waves, she knew she couldn’t put it off much longer.
She’d never considered herself to be a selfish person. Now was the time to prove it.
She stopped and faced the open water. Listening to the waves crashing on the shore reminded her of home. It reminded her that her life, despite some imperfections, was good. The water washed over her bare feet and everything felt right with her decision.
“About my wishes. Jerod, I’d like to make my second wish if I could.”
“Of course, Mistress.”
She smiled up at him. “You sounded very official there.” He smiled back. “Wish granting is a very serious business.”
“Don’t I know it.”
She took a deep breath, and carefully worded her second wish. “I wish for my friend Beth to win this month’s millionaire charity draw.”
“Are you sure?” He gave her hand a squeeze.
“Positive. Jerod, please.”
He dramatically raised his hand, closed his eyes, and snapped his finger. “Granted.” Viola let out a big whoop and kicked at an incoming wave, sending spray shooting up into the breeze which splashed her face. She laughed as she wiped the salt water away, feeling more alive and very thankful. When she turned to look at Jerod, she couldn’t read his expression.
“What?”
“You wished for your friend to get rich? Why?” Her legs began to protest loudly, certainly not appreciating her burst of enthusiasm.
She made her way over to dry sand and sat down.
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“Every year, Beth buys a ticket. It’s a four-million-dollar prize, half of which goes to the ticket holder and the other half to their charity of choice. Beth has been a member of Habitat for Humanity for years.”
It then seemed to dawn on him. “The old resort.”
“Once I tell Beth about Tropics Haven, she’ll make sure the money goes into repairs and will save their home. God, she’ll be thrilled to be able to do it. Will probably get all dramatic and make an anonymous donation.”
Jerod joined her. He didn’t sit so much as float cross-legged down to the ground, and proceeded to ask her the one thing she didn’t have an answer for yet.
“That leaves only one wish. Do you know what you want it to be?”
“I don’t know,” she said and rested her chin against her knees. “I don’t have to make up my mind yet, do I?”
Jerod smiled as he reached out and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “Of course not.”
The crashing waves filled the lull in their conversation. The memory of standing out on the waves the first day they’d met was still strong. He’d shown her two things she would never experience again—the sea and the sky. But sitting here quietly on the beach would be the memory she’d cherish the most.
“I should get you back to your room. Your legs are very sore and you should rest.” She cocked her head to look at him.
“I thought I was hiding it okay.” She frowned when another cramp hit her calf muscle. “Why did I agree to walk down here again?” He shrugged. “I did try to suggest we go back to your room, but I’ve learned you do your own thing, despite what others suggest. If you’d wanted to say no, you would have.”
Do I?
She’d never considered herself to be overly assertive when it came to what she wanted. She usually took the backseat to others’ needs. It had worked for her most of her life. Maybe this was another change she had to thank Jerod for.
“I wanted to be here with you,” she said the words and realized there wasn’t anyone else she’d rather be with.
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A tingle of arousal shimmered through her body. Jerod was everything she’d ever fantasized about in a man. So what if he would disappear after her third wish? She wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship on this vacation anyway. All she was looking for was a way to get laid and Jerod went well beyond her modest requirements. She’d just have to ignore the yelling of her heart and everything would be fine.
If only she could get rid of his pants.
Jerod’s gaze searched her face.
God, I wish I knew what he was thinking right now.
Maybe he’s comparing me to his previous masters
. She smiled nervously. Hard to compete with Helen of Troy.
In that moment Jerod swayed toward her and she thought for a split second he was going to kiss her. His eyes shone in the moonlight, glowing crystal blue. The heat from his body pulled at her, beckoning her closer. The air around them simmered with electricity that tickled her skin. She could almost feel what he was thinking.
He rose onto his knees and slid one arm under her legs and one arm behind her back.
As if she weighed only an ounce, he lifted her into his arms. Viola sucked in a startled gasp as her arms flew around his neck for balance.
“What are you doing?”
“I need to get you back. You won’t be able to move in the morning if I make you walk anymore.”
“What, we’re not going to poof back there?” she asked, more than a bit surprised.
“I thought you might enjoy taking the long way.” If it meant she got to keep her body pressed hard against his, then hell yeah! Her body reacted to the close intimacy. The dampness between her legs grew and her breasts ached to be touched. He was so strong, more so than any man she’d ever met before, which would stand to reason as he was a genie.
“Sometimes I forget who you are,” she whispered against his shoulder.
“Sometimes I forget who you are too.”
“And what am I?”
He tightened his grip on her for a fraction of a second before relaxing again. “You 98
are my mistress. I must grant your wishes.”
“You don’t seem very happy about that.” She fingered the collar of his shirt, her fingertips caressing the light sprinkling of hair underneath.
His mouth brushed the top of her head and she heard him breathe in deep.
“On the contrary. You’re the most…stimulating master I’ve ever had. That’s why I think you might be ready for lesson four.”
Viola’s mouth dried and she found she couldn’t talk. It was just as well he carried her the rest of the way to the resort in silence. Instead of walking into the front of the building like they normally did, Jerod carried her around to the back. When they stood directly underneath her window, he looked down at her.
“Hold on.”
She barely had a chance to tighten her grip when he began to rise up into the air, floating higher and higher. The landscape began to spread out, leaving a breathtaking view of the ocean, the lights of the hotel reflecting off the dark waves. Music and laughter fill the air, surrounding them, making Viola feel more than a little lightheaded.
They kept going up until she thought they would float away. Instead, they reached her terrace. He adjusted her in his arms, pulling her closer to his chest so she could revel in the contrast between his body heat and the cool ocean breeze.
“This is the second most beautiful sight in the world,” he said, a note of awe in his voice.
After a moment, he turned around and gently set her on the balcony, making sure she was safely down before he joined her by walking through the metal bars of the railing.
The doors to her bedroom opened on their own, allowing them access to the room.
Walking in, Viola noticed the candles magically appear as they had the night before.
One by one, their wicks ignited, bringing the room to life with a soft glow. Viola watched Jerod walk around the room, lost in thought. When he stopped, his eyes locked on hers.
“This is the most important of our lessons. I am going to show you exactly what Bill desires in a woman. Are you ready for that?”
Yes!
Her mind raced through the possibilities of what lesson six entailed. She 99
suddenly found it hard to breathe and she had to fight her body’s restlessness. Her hands weren’t the only part of her body that grew damp. She was ready for this.
No, I’m not!
Her heart pounded in her chest so hard she thought she was going to die.
She waited, watching him, needing to somehow magically know that this was the right thing to do. Because as much as she wanted to delude herself, she couldn’t. This night had nothing to do with Bill and everything to do with wanting, needing Jerod.
God, when did things get so damned complicated?
“Viola?” he asked softly, his voice tinted with a note of concern.
“Yes?”
“Do you trust me?”
For the first time since she’d met him, Jerod didn’t sound confident. Maybe he wasn’t sure what she would say. There was something humbling in knowing that he wasn’t omnipotent. Not that he had to worry, because it was an easy answer for her.
“Of course I do. You promised you would never hurt me. Remember?” He nodded, a slow smile crossing his lips. “And I meant it. The first thing we need to do then is help your sore legs.”
“My…Bill would be concerned about my legs?”
With great sincerity, Jerod nodded. He pushed the sleeves of his shirt up, exposing more of his beautiful, tanned skin. The muscles in his forearms flexed as he moved, catching and holding her attention for a moment before she returned her gaze to his eyes.
“
Bill
would be very concerned. In fact he would want to help by personally giving them a massage.”
Jerod snapped his fingers and a large, cushioned table appeared in the middle of the room. Along the side, there was a wooden sideboard that held an assortment of colored bottles. With another snap, Viola was naked, wrapped only in a terry-cloth bathrobe. She squeaked her surprise, but clamped a hand over her mouth. She really had to stop doing that.
“Bill would do that, eh?”
He chuckled. “Call it creative license. Your massage awaits, Mistress.” He waved his 100
hand in a flourish over the table, before offering it up to her.
Viola couldn’t stop the blush that now warmed her face.
Wimp!
She’d been lusting after Jerod a few minutes ago. This was it! Her chance to let loose and prove she was as sexy in real life as she was in her fantasy world. Screw the fact that he wasn’t a real man.