he wasn’t about to admit it. “No. Now, if you don’t mind, much as I’m enjoying our conversation, I really need to find this Jenny person.”
“What for?”
He bit back a sigh. “Because I need to talk to her.”
“About?”
It might have taken him longer than it should have, but Felipe finally clued in. “You’re Jenny, aren’t you?”
“Maybe.”
“Don’t maybe me. Are you or aren’t you?”
“I am. So now that you know, will you answer why you want me?”
I want you because you’ve got incredible lips, fascinating hair , and a mouth that really needs a set of lips, my lips actually, to stop the never-ending questions. He instead settled on, “I’m supposed to bring you back to the inner circle of Hell to meet with Lucifer.”
He expected a few reactions —an adamant no, maybe more questions, possibly even tears begging him not to take her. What he got was laughter, a laughter that vibrated every one of his nerves, a laughter that had his inner feline rolling onto its back in ecstasy, purring, and an urge to drop to his knees and kiss the perfect, chuckling lips.
I’m bewitched!
Chapter Five
Of all the things she expected the handsome stranger to say, his wanting to escort her to meet with Lucifer wasn’t on the list.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to let me in on the joke because I don’t get it,” he said, interrupting her mirth with a grouchy query.
“Sorry. It’s just you’re the first person to ever come looking for me, which in and of itself is, well, kind of amazing. And then you tell me you want to take me to visit the Lord of the Pit.” She shrugged. “I’m not even sure why that’s funny . It just is. I mean, are you sure he said Jenny? There have got to be a lot of Jennys. What makes you think I’m the one?”
“Are there any other Jennys on the island?”
“No.”
“Then you’re the one.”
Stranger and stranger, just like him. But that she could solve. “Who are you?”
“Felipe.”
“That doesn’t tell me much.”
A wicked arch of one brow went well with the tilt of his lips. “Are we exchanging life histories? Fine. Here’s mine in a nutshell. Orphaned as a cub, I was taken in by a kind witch who raised me as her beloved pet until I got old enough to get a job, find a place of my own, and move out. I enjoy getting drunk with my friends, wenching, getting into catfights and antagonizing hellhounds. In my spare time, I do work for Lucifer, usually because I need to do something to get back in his good graces. I’m not much one for rules.”
The more he spoke, the rounder her eyes surely grew. His story sounded fine except for one sticky part. “Beloved pet?” What woman would treat a child like that ?
He chuckled. “Before you go getting the wrong idea, I guess I should mention I’m a shapeshifter. A hellcat to be precise.”
“A cat? Really? Can I see?” She’d not gotten many chances to interact with animals given most of them died before she’d finished saying, ‘Aren’t you just the cutest thing.’
“ Maybe later. We really should get moving if we don’t want our boatman to sail away on the next tide without us.”
“I’d worry more about my aunts adding him to their collection. Pickings have been slim lately. The Bermuda Triangle hasn’t been sending as many ships this way as in the past. Apparently, the mortal realm sailors are getting better at avoiding it.” The aunts had spoken a lot recently of either getting the interdimensional rip moved or having a new one created. They’d yet to progress past the talking stage since the creation of new tears in reality was costly and difficult.
“Then we should hurry.”
“You expect me to rush off with you on the basis of your word without talking first to my aunts or packing anything?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, I kind of hoped.” He shot her an engaging smile , and she almost found herself saying yes.
She frowned instead. “You say Lucifer sent you. He’s the one in