A Genie's Love (The Djinn Series) Read Free

miscalculation from yesterday. I’m still recovering. Truly didn’t intend any rudeness. I’m still a little out of it.”
    The sincerity in his voice heated her face. Lord knows she understood how jacked up magic could be. She’d been there enough times to know better. “Sorry for snapping. I sometimes have jerkish tendencies. Truce?” She held out her hand again.
    And again, it wasn’t taken.
    “Seriously?”
    Before she finished giving him a piece of her mind, Tig swooped in between them and threw her over his shoulder. “How about a nice family breakfast? I think we can all use something to eat.”
    From her sack of potatoes position, she had a clear, if bobbing, view of the handsome boor.  The man’s face tightened, but he bit his lip in something that registered remorse. Okay. Heavy remorse.
    Something else was at play here. Tig was a standup brother-in-law and wouldn’t let even the hint of a slight pass if ill will were intended.
    Maybe the brother had a phobia about touching.  Maybe something worse. A curse? Between problems, human and Magical, she ran down a list of what this sad looking man might suffer from. She was back to feeling like a douche and tried for an upside down half-smile.
    One he kinda, sorta returned as he followed them down the hallway.
    Tig abandoned her in the kitchen to help Dinah with the plates. Her sister waved, but went right back to her husband, whispering and looking over his shoulder. Whatever . She’d grown used to it and slid into a seat at the table. Faruq took the one opposite and grinned into his coffee. “I can have jerkish tendencies too.”
    “Runs in the family, then?”
    “As beauty runs in yours.”
    “Aren’t you the flirt?” He wasn’t naturally smooth, but she enjoyed watching him try. As if he heard her thoughts, the smile dropped, he grabbed two sugars from the bowl and went back to staring at his coffee. Could the man simply be shy? Hmmm, that was annoying, but curable. “So, Faruq, Tig is a kakillion years old. What about you?”
    “A kakillion and one, I suppose. If we’re being precise. How was the milk?”
    “That was you? Nicely done. I’d high five you, but you’d probably leave me hanging.”
    “I suppose I deserve that.  Maybe I’ll make it up to you with a milkshake next time.”
    “I’ll take it. You know, you’re cute when you smile. You should do it more often.”
    She didn’t quite get the response she hoped for. Faruq coughed and reached once more for the sugar. She shoved the canister out of the way before he put himself in a coma. Compliments were a no, then.  Dinah and Tig brought stacks of piping hot meats and gooey confections to the table, cutting off a final attempt at common conversation.
    Dinah passed around the butter. “Faruq’s staying here for a while. We’re so excited to have him.”
    “I hope I’m not imposing too much.”
    “You don’t impose,” Tig said, squeezing his hand over his older brother’s. She watched a sad look jump from one man to the other and it left her even more confused. Why did Tig need to comfort him? What on earth was she missing?
    She’d never ask. While she hadn’t experienced trauma in her life, there were things her sister and Tig never discussed. They had a look between them and Cassia saw it right now at this table.  She flittered out of the conversation and shoved another slice of pancake into her mouth.
    “Right, Cassia?”
    “Hmmm?”
    Dinah’s eyebrows jerked toward Faruq. “I said, that it might be fun for you to take him out on one of your runs. It’ll be a good way for him to see the city.”
    A quick glance to Faruq’s slate blank face didn’t reveal his thoughts on the issue. She aimed for the most noncommittal grunt she could muster and took her half-full plate to the sink, before setting on another pot of coffee.
    Every so often, she’d turn to find him staring at her, before quickly looking away. Maybe he hadn’t flirted at all and was only being