January was a brutal month in New York. Chapped skin and frozen toes threatened everyone, even gargoyles and demons. The city had endured three days of snow, sleet, and freezing rain, a lethal combination. Yet the streets were filled with people who had to get somewhere. Thankfully, I wasn't one of them. Although, now that I was living in a penthouse sixty floors high with frosty windows as my only connection to the outside world, I was going a little nuts.
Vincent, my solid-as-granite husband with the heart of gold, had done what he could to entertain me, but I was getting sore down-under, and his collection of board games totaled two; Scrabble and Monopoly, and they only served to start a shouting match between Vincent and his brother, Colin.
Thankfully, it was Friday night, and despite the snow piled on the balcony railing, my best friend, Sylvie, was braving the weather to see me. Currently, she was traversing the subway system with her gollum escorts, Colin and Rizzo. They were also in charge of the pizza delivery, and Rizzo suggested we polish off the champagne leftover from the wedding. Sure, my days of champagne were over, but I wasn't opposed to a party.
After an indulgent post-sex shower, wherein Vincent treated me to a shampoo and loofah scrub, I stood wrapped in a towel assessing my wardrobe, and things did not look good. I was Mrs. Valentino now, wife of Manhattan's most talked about entrepreneur and former playboy, yet my closet still said Reese Kentwell living on a freelancer's budget.
I was due to start my new job at Mega Manhattan Magazine on Monday, which meant I had two days to buy proper work clothes. I blamed that week-long honeymoon in Sydney for my procrastination, and all I had to show for it was a fading sunburn and a new bikini. Not helpful in the New York arctic.
My cellphone rang from the bed, and I glanced at the screen. When I saw Mom's name, my heart skipped a beat. She never called on Fridays.
"Hi, Mom. What's up?"
"Hi, Reese. Your dad and I are fine. I know you weren't expecting my call."
"Can you blame me? You strayed from the pattern."
She chuckled. A good sign, and I exhaled as I walked back to stare at my closet. "I called to see if you and Vincent would like to attend the auction I'm organizing tomorrow night. Two tickets just came available. Frankly, I was surprised not to see Vincent's name on the guest list."
"I don't think auctions are his thing. You've seen his apartment. He takes minimalist to a new level."
"But the rest of his family isn't. I saw some lovely pieces in Wren's home when your father and I were there for the wedding. I think it would be worth the trip. There are a lot of exceptional items to be auctioned. Original artwork and photographs. An Egyptian puzzle cube that's said to date back to the pharaohs. Of course, I understand if you two can't attend. The weather has been beastly, but we should get a reprieve by tomorrow."
I pulled a black blouse from a hanger, scowled at it, then tossed it on the bed. "Actually, I've been itching for a reason to get out of the apartment. Maybe we can get Scooby to fly us down. I'll talk to Vincent tonight."
"Let me know soon. These tickets are highly coveted."
"No problem."
Mom hesitated, which put me on alert. She must have had a million things to do before the auction, but she let the silence drag on. That could only mean one thing. She was preparing to bring up a topic I'd been trying to avoid.
"So, no word about...you know? Grandchildren?"
I rolled my eyes dramatically, which, of course, she couldn't see. Then I glanced through the open bathroom door. That's where I had stashed the pregnancy test Amelia picked up for me right after the wedding. "No, Mom. I'll let you know if your suspicions are confirmed."
"When? I can't stop thinking about it and it's starting to affect my work."
"My condition has nothing to do with your productivity. That's all on you. I'll find out when I'm ready to find out."
Her long exhale told me she was disappointed with my answer, but everybody was getting the same one. "I'm sorry, Reese. I understand your reticence. Babies are a life changer."
"Thanks for understanding." And for vocalizing my panic. "I'll let you know about the tickets within the hour."
"Okay. I love you."
"Love you too, Mom."
Grateful to have something to look forward to, I happily ignored my mom's reminder that I could be knocked up. Sure, I'd been throwing caution to the wind, having mad, unprotected sex with Vincent, but I was relying on the information he gave me about the difficulties gollums faced in the procreation department. It was all about the strength of the bond, and I'd somehow convinced myself it would be years before our bond was strong enough to result in babies. Now, here I was, three months into our relationship, and I was contemplating the reality that I could be a mother.
I pulled on a pair of comfy jeans, sliding my hands over my belly as I zipped them up. I had no doubts Vincent would be an amazing father, and I knew he loved me, but there was still so much we had to discover about each other. Before I knew it, my hand had traveled up to my neck, where my fingers fluttered across the traces of a bite Vincent gave me in the throes of passion. I knew he didn't mean to hurt me, but sometimes his impulses got the better of him.
"Reese? Are you alright?"
Vincent's voice started me, and I jerked my hand down to the button of my jeans, hiding my guilt.
"I'm fine. I was just getting dressed before the party started."
"Party? It's just family." He strode toward me, owning the room like he owned everything he set his mind to. As he landed in front of me, he brought along a powerful dose of pheromones, and I stumbled slightly, but his hand was already at my back, holding me tight as he squashed my naked breasts against his black V-neck. "Was it something your mother said?" he asked.
I leveled him in my sights as I battled the seductive effects of his gollum scent and the pull of his commanding gray eyes. "Your Vulcan hearing is going to get you into trouble one day. My mom called to offer us tickets to the auction she's organizing. She thinks there are some pieces your family might be interested in."
"That was thoughtful of her. Do you want to attend?"
"I'll admit, I'm going a little stir crazy in this apartment. I haven't left the penthouse since we got back from Sydney."
He smiled as he feathered his large knuckles across my cheek. "I can't stop thinking about Sydney. That sunburn you suffered has given you a permanent blush. Tell your mother we accept. I'll call Scooby and arrange our ride. Now, what else is on your mind?"
He tugged me toward the bed, but I resisted. "I'm not having a conversation with you like this." I pointed unnecessarily to my bare breasts. "Besides, there's nothing on my mind that can't be put off."
He let me break away from his arms, and I walked to the dresser to locate a bra, feeling his eyes on my back. Had he seen me touch my neck? Was he worried about the danger we faced in the bedroom? Or had he seen me touch my stomach and the potential danger we faced there?
"Reese, I want you to know that I try to meet your expectations every day." His voice came out gentle but without reserve. It was the tone he used a lot with me. "As mundane as it sounds, this is how I've always handled important matters, and you are the most important thing in my life. It's critical that I know when I'm not meeting your expectations. Or...if I'm pushing too hard."
I listened to his speech as I fastened my bra, turning to pluck the blouse off the bed. Only when I started buttoning did I meet his gaze. "Nothing about you is mundane, Vincent, which makes it difficult for me to find fault with you." I reached for his hand and pressed it between my palms. "I know what it feels like to lose you. If anyone wants this relationship to succeed, it's me."
He smiled and it nearly came across as boyish, then his eyes glanced toward the bathroom. "I take it you haven't used the test Amelia bought?"
Damn. He had seen me rub my belly. "No. And it has nothing to do with my feelings for you, if that's what you're thinking. I definitely want to raise children with you, I just wish we had... we had..." A guilty sigh escaped me when I realized what I'd done.
"More time together." The words tore from his mouth like they were made of blades, and he drew me closer to him.
"I'm sorry if that came out wrong, Vincent. I will love our children no matter when they come. I'm just scared. There, I said it. I'm scared of being a crappy mother." I craned my neck up to look full into his face, watching it soften.
"You have every right to be scared. I'm scared, too. Parenthood is the biggest challenge anyone can face. At least, that's what I've been told, and there is no one else I would rather take that challenge with than you."
Vincent took my chin between his fingers and lifted it higher. Then he pressed his lips against mine, and the world fell away as he claimed them. There wasn't much else to equal the pleasure of Vincent's kiss, and I submitted to him for the entirety of his possession. When he pulled away, my heart was in my throat. I wanted to give everything to this man.
"Okay. I'll take the test, but not the one from the drugstore. I'll go to my regular doctor."
"Who do you see?"
"Lynn Brinkley. She's close to my old apartment."
"And how well-versed is she on the reproductive system of gollums?" His mouth tweaked into an innocent grin, but that didn't stop me from defending her.
"Dr. Brinkley never found fault with my female parts before, but your point is well taken. Did you have someone else in mind?"
"Barbara Hardwick is the Valentino's physician. She's in her seventies, but she's still as sharp as a blade. And there's always Lucy. She helped deliver most of the gollums in the city."
"Your grandmother is a midwife?"
"And so is my mother. Every female gollum is trained in midwifery. Gollums need to be self-reliant. Even I could deliver a child if I had to."
The more Vincent talked about delivering babies, the more my world felt like it was spinning off its axis. "I'm not sure I want to spread my legs for my grandmother-in-law, to be honest."
Vincent chuckled. "I'll give you Barbara's number. If you tell them who you are, she'll fit you in during her lunch break on Monday. I can take you if you'd like."
I bit my lip. Was it strange to have my husband accompany me to the gynecologist? "I'm fine with that."
A knock carried from the other room. "That'll be Colin. He told me they were on their way up with precious cargo."
"He better mean Sylvie and not the pizzas." Grabbing a scrunchie, I pulled my wet hair into a messy bun as I followed Vincent out of the room. When he opened the front door, Colin was standing neck-deep in pizza boxes, and Vincent had to back up quickly as Colin ducked down to bring them inside.
"Colin insisted on carrying all of them himself. The show-off." Sylvie shuffled in behind him, toting a full grocery bag. "Rizzo went next door to inform the troops. You still look sun-kissed, girl. I'm so turned on right now." She leaned in and kissed my mouth, sharing the flavor of her juicy-fruit gum.
"Not in front of the children," I joked, licking my lips. "The champagne has been chilling. We can put it on ice if you want to get fancy. I'll handle the tunes."
"Roger that." While Sylvie trotted into the kitchen behind Colin and Vincent, I walked to the lone cabinet relegated to the corner of the living room, hoping to find a bluetooth speaker. I barely knew Vincent's home, and now that it was my home, I needed to start using the resources.
I opened the highly-polished doors, standing there a moment to study the contents. The lower shelves held a collection of CDs, outdated but extensive, plus a high-end stereo system I'd only seen Vincent use once. On the upper shelves, DVDs were lined up in neat rows. Again, they probably didn't get much use now that Netflix had taken over the world. In the center section, I hit pay dirt, a portable bluetooth speaker. It seemed the lonely cabinet served very little purpose.
I relocated the speaker on top of the cabinet, glancing at the baby monitor that occupied the space. The black and white screen gave us a fly-on-the-wall view of my disabled neighbor's activities. Mr. Pearlman was ancient, ornery, and the first friend I'd made when I arrived in Manhattan. According to the camera lens, Mr. Pearlman's home health nurse had left him sleeping in his recliner.
"Someone needs to invite Mr. Pearlman over," I said.
"I'll do it as soon as I get the veggies set-out." Sylvie waved a bag of celery as she chewed on a stalk. "While you're over there, can I make a genre request?"
"Go for it."
"Eighties. I've been having flashbacks to Thursday nights at Club Idol. Remember Bobby Rocket?" Sylvie's blue eyes laughed as she squinted at me.
"I thought we swore never to speak of him again?" I smiled back, wishing she hadn't spoken of him in front of Vincent. Of course, when it came to Sylvie, most things got spilled eventually.
"I'd love to hear about Bobby Rocket," Vincent said, his possessive interest immediately piqued.
"Me too." Colin piled on as he shrugged off his jacket and tossed it over a barstool. "Was this a guy you two knew in college?"
I groaned and shot Sylvie a look that said you bought yourself this one as I queued up my eighties playlist. "Yes. Bobby was infatuated with spaceships."
I pretended that was the end of the story, but Vincent was having none of it, and he caught me in his boss man stare. "Is that the only reason you called him Bobby Rocket?"
"No. We dubbed him that after we both banged him." Sylvie sealed our fate with her crude comment and wily grin, and I purposefully avoided looking at Vincent or Colin as I shook my head at her. "You know there's going to be an inquisition later."
"Will we be tied to a chair?" she said. "That sounds liked fun."
The door opened on Sylvie's joke and Griffin burst into the room, wide-eyed and bushy-haired. "One week until my birthday!" she announced. "The terrible teens."
"I believe it's called the terrible twos, Griffin," Wren said as she followed Griffin in.
"That's for humans. For gollums, it's the terrible teens." Griffin crouched to let the whippets lick her face. "I'm already packing for our trip to London. This is going to be the best birthday ever!"
After her announcement, she glanced up at Vincent to make sure he heard her. He had promised to take her on a haunted tour of London for her birthday, and she was probably expecting him to bail because our lives had been in upheaval for a solid three months.
"I guess I'll have to start packing then," he said. This had Griffin smiling so big, I thought her cheeks might explode.
"That Australian sun really agrees with you, Reese," Wren said as she gave me a hug." How are you feeling? Are you rested from the trip?"
Of course, I knew what she meant with her casual inquiry. She had heard the rumor too. "I'm feeling fine. It looks like Vincent and I will be heading out of town again. There's an auction tomorrow night in DC. My mom is the organizer. In fact, I still need to tell her to hold the tickets for us."
"An auction? Will there be artifacts?" Wren's eyes twinkled with interest as I pulled out my phone and typed a reply to Mom.
"I'm sure there will. She'll probably send me a list once I confirm. Do you like auctions?"
"Yes. I used to attend quite a bit. Supernatural pieces often turn up in the auction circuit, and it's our duty to make sure they find safe homes."
A certain Seal of Solomon came to mind as I nodded my understanding. "I've been to a few, and I've seen some crazy things auctioned off."
"Most of the supernatural objects are unique in some way. Many even require you to solve a riddle or puzzle to unlock their power. It's fun when a new one turns up."
My phone chimed, and I glanced at the return message from Mom. "She sent the list, which should include pictures. Let me download it." I walked to the couch as I got the file open, and a plate of pizza appeared next to me, compliments of Vincent.
"Eat first, search later," he said, perching on the arm of the couch like an eagle guarding his nest.
"Where are the veggies?" I glanced up at him, and without missing a beat, Vincent took off in pursuit of the veggie tray.
When he returned with a plate of celery and cucumber, I was halfway through my pizza as I perused the auction list. "There's a pen nib said to have been used to write the tenth-century edition of Homer's Iliad."
"How the hell can they prove that?" Colin said as he walked into the room balancing two full plates on his arms. "And who wants to own a damn pen nib when we have smartphones?"
"Some people use their money to preserve history," I said as I scrolled. "My dad owns a piece of the Berlin wall. Here's the Egyptian puzzle cube my mom mentioned. It's beautiful." I handed my phone to Wren and her eyes grew round as she studied the intricately engraved gold cube on the screen.
"I know this piece. That is, I've read about it." She continued her assessment as a curious silence fell over the room. "It says here the puzzle dates to twenty-six hundred B.C. It was discovered by one of the first teams to excavate the pyramids. It disappeared for centuries then showed up in the home of a recently deceased scientist."
"The cube of the necromancer?" Charleton came to stand at Wren's shoulder, peering over it at the screen. "From what I know, the cube has a curse attached to it that's lethal to demons."
"They're calling it the Pharaoh's Cube," Wren informed him.
"Of course, they are. What do they know of supernatural artifacts?" Charleton glanced at Vincent, and I picked up on the gleam right away. "It's going to fetch a high price. We'll need to pull our resources if we're to secure it."
Vincent tapped away on his phone as he nodded. "Already on it."