Risse’s brain ran through her past suitors as she absent-mindedly combed her brother’s hair, but no one stood out as a missed love. She sighed. It was depressing to dwell on it. She just had to hope that, when her prince did come, he wouldn’t let her get away. She swallowed her self pity and plastered on a happy smile.
“There, now you look perfect.” Charisse pinched Zeph’s cheeks and hopped up, handing him a tube of Chapstick. “Don’t forget to keep your lips moist so they’ll be soft and kissable for tonight!”
Zeph blushed, and Charisse gave him a mischievous wink. “That color looks good on you.”
His thoughts drifted to his plans for that evening. He’d spent every day of the last two years with Eve by his side — one year finishing high school and devoting every spare minute to studying Celestia history, then one year traveling with Dominion to every Celestia congregation in the Eastern territory, facing the same embarrassing round of introductions over and over again. Eve had been amazing through it all.
She was fascinated by the Celestia history and culture, soaking up every detail with enthusiasm, and she’d charmed every congregation they’d visited with her graciousness and beauty. God knows she’d charmed him. Every day he’d fallen more in love with her intelligence and kindness. He was the double Divisa, but she was definitely the Celestia queen.
Tonight would be the first night he’d spend with her in his bed. In his mind, he understood the importance and significance of waiting till marriage, but his teenage body had been in agony every moment of the last two years. He was prepared to wait even longer since they were both only 19, but Dominion had encouraged them to go ahead and get married.
“You know you’re meant to be together, so what’s the sense in waiting?” he had said. “You may be young, but I’m old. I could croak any time!”
Eve’s mother had been a little hesitant but, surprisingly, her father had not. Zeph supposed it was because Day knew him well enough to trust him with his daughter, and he also knew how hard it was for a guy to wait patiently for the woman that he loved.
Tonight, all Zeph’s fantasies would finally come true. They were leaving tomorrow for a Caribbean cruise, but tonight they were staying at a luxury hotel where a king-size bed and an ensuite Jacuzzi were waiting for them. But first they had to survive the ceremony, the reception, and a thousand well-meaning Celestia vying for their chance to congratulate the bride and groom.
Zeph wished he could fast forward through all the pomp and circumstance and get straight to the part where he and Eve could finally be alone, but he knew how important this day was to everyone else. It still seemed strange to him that a guy who spent most of his life avoiding public attention was destined to be the next Dominion.
He still blamed Dominion Connan for that particular personality trait. If Dominion hadn’t kept him in the dark about his gifting and destiny all those years, Zeph might not have had such low self-confidence to overcome. Dominion claimed it would have compromised his own authority if everyone knew who the next Dominion was going to be, but Zeph thought he could’ve at least told him a little more than he did. Instead, he’d left him to assume that he was the only Celestia alive who hadn’t received a gift.
He loved Dominion Connan, he really did, even more now that he’d gotten to know him so well over the last couple of years. Dominion was brilliant and funny and had an amazing heart for the people. But Zeph still got a little peeved when he thought about how Dominion had deluded him all those years.
“It’s time to go, Zeph. Are you done daydreaming about your honeymoon?” Charisse’s voice jolted him out of his fantasy, and another blush colored his cheeks.
Zeph nodded and followed his sister down to the kitchen where his family was waiting. His parents were pacing the floor, his mother nervously wiping the counters and his father tugging at his too-snug tie. “I’m driving separately; you guys didn’t have to wait for me.”
Faith rushed to his side and placed an arm around his waist and another on his chest. “Of course we did, sweetheart! It’s the last day we have together, the last day you’ll live under our roof—”
“And eat all our food…” Geoffrey grumbled.
Faith threw her husband a disapproving look. “The last day you’ll be our little boy. Tomorrow you’ll be a man, a husband, and we won’t be the most important people in your life anymore. Eve will take over that spot.”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Faith. I’m sure you’ll still have plenty of opportunities to mother him. He’ll probably call you tomorrow from the airport, asking you to bring him something he forgot. You did pack that passport, didn’t you?” Geoff quirked an eyebrow at his son.
Zeph nodded and stared at his father. He’d never seen that look in his eyes before. From the corner of his eye, he saw his mother nod encouragingly.
Geoff sighed and wrapped his arm around Zeph’s shoulder, pulling him in for an awkward hug. “I’m proud of you, Son,” Geoffrey whispered, and a lump swelled in Zeph’s chest and lodged itself in the middle of his throat. Tears beaded in the corner of his eyes, and he blinked them away rapidly. “I’m sorry if I didn’t always show it.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Zeph returned his father’s squeeze before quickly pulling away to wipe his eyes.
“Let’s go before you’re late to your own wedding,” Geoffrey replied, straightening his jacket and smoothing his hair.
The sanctuary was festooned with miles of tulle and ribbon and enormous bouquets of pink and white roses. Zeph figured Annabelle Sera, the local Celestia florist, must have had a hand in all that. Everyone in the community was pitching in, excited for the wedding of the Dominion Futura.
Zeph’s popularity had blossomed after Dominion Connan’s announcement. All of a sudden, people who’d never even spoken to him wanted to get to know him and impress the upcoming Dominion. He was glad his friends hadn’t gone gaga over his impending promotion and instead still treated him like one of the guys.
“You’ll always be my Zeph, just more popular,” Maddock had murmured in his best teen dreamboat voice, and Risse had laughed till milk came out her nose, amused by the Twilight reference. She teased Maddock for a good month after that, asking him things like whether he was Team Jacob or Edward.
Zeph headed to the vestry to wait with the rest of the wedding party — Maddock, Cheydan, Charisse, and Eve’s maid of honor, Tara — for their cue to enter the sanctuary. Maddock offered him a Xanax to calm his nerves, but Zeph declined, surprised he wasn’t too nervous about the day’s events.
A year’s worth of public introductions in front of dozens of different congregations had dulled his fear of being the center of attention. And there was nothing to be nervous about when it came to Eve. Marrying her was the one thing he was absolutely sure about. He couldn’t wait to tie himself to her forever, to know that she was eternally his.
When the music started, Zeph entered the sanctuary and took his spot at the front of the church while Maddock and Cheydan escorted the bridesmaids down the aisle. Zeph held his breath as he waited for the doors to open one last time.
Finally, his bride appeared, her father by her side, both sporting identical smiles of pure happiness. Zeph understood now why the bride always marched so slowly down the aisle. It was to give the groom a moment to appreciate how beautiful she was, to sear the memory of this moment in the deepest recesses of his mind.
At Zeph’s request, her gorgeous hair was left down — soft titian curls tumbling around the smooth, pale skin of her bare shoulders. Charisse told him the dress had a sweetheart neckline, and Zeph had no idea what that meant, but it was perfect. The sparkly, heart-shaped bodice emphasized Eve’s feminine shape and made him want to peek inside the little cutout nestled between her breasts. The full, satin skirt swayed hypnotically around her legs as she glided slowly down the aisle, and Zeph’s eyes roamed up and down in awe and appreciation.
When she reached the end of the aisle and Amadeus placed her arm in Zeph’s, Zeph’s heart threatene
d to burst from his tuxedo, the tiny, white shirt buttons straining under the intensity of his emotions.
Amadeus took his seat in the front row, next to his wife, Julie. His own wedding had only been a few months ago, so he vividly remembered the feelings threatening to melt Zeph into a whimpering pool of romantic sentiment.
Dominion’s words were a blur as Zeph stared into Eve’s eyes, marveling at the joy and happiness reflected there. How could she possibly be as ecstatic about marrying him as he was about her? He couldn’t understand it, but it was obvious when he looked in her eyes.
The vows they took were as old as time, but Celestia took them much more seriously than humans usually did. When they said, “til death do us part,” Zeph knew he would love her till the day he died. With their first kiss as husband and wife, their souls were bound together, and Zeph felt his powers doubling as they joined together into one — one mind, one soul, one body. At that moment, he had no doubt that he and Eve could lead their people for the next hundred years.
“Can you feel it?” he whispered, his lips gently brushing the swirls of her ear.
Her soft, sweet breath tickled his cheek. “It’s amazing! I never knew it would be like this!”
“Me neither.”
Eve wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in for one more kiss before the rest of the world invaded their little miracle. “You know, there’s more than one meaning for the name Zephaniah. It doesn’t just mean ‘the Lord has concealed,’ it also means ‘protected,’ and ‘treasured by God’. You’re more special than you’ll ever know, Zephaniah, and I’m so proud to be married to you.”
“You know the meaning of the name Eve, don’t you?” Their lips were so close, Zeph’s breath mingled with hers. “It means ‘brings to life’. That’s what you did for me, Eve. You breathed life into me. I was an empty shell until I met you, but loving you has given me life. You are my life now, and together our life is going to be amazing.”
“I love you, Zephaniah.”
“I love you, too, my beautiful bride.”
To be continued in…
She's half angel; he's a total jerk. They just might be perfect for each other.
A cruel prank earns Jake a community service assignment, so why does Charisse feel like she's the one who's been sentenced?
As a half angel and a beauty-blogging viral sensation, Charisse’s motto is, “Kindness is the best beauty product of all.” But when she's forced to work with the biggest jerk on the planet, even Risse’s supernatural powers are pressed to the limit.
Jake is wealthy, gorgeous, and popular — the guy that every girl wants and every guy wants to be, but he hides his pain and loneliness behind a bad-boy facade and pushes everyone away. Until he meets Charisse — the one girl who’s not impressed by him, and the only girl he desperately wants.
When a devastating secret is revealed, Jake’s rebels against everyone who cares about him. Burned by his betrayal, the last thing Risse wants to do is help him, but her angelic duty demands she give her all. She knows it will take a miracle to save him from himself, but is she willing to sacrifice herself to give him one?
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THE BLOGGER VS THE BAD BOY
CHAPTER 1
“You’re not going to die on my watch, Dominion,” Charisse whispered to herself as she paced the halls of the nursing home, checking on each of her patients briefly before returning to Dominion Connan’s side.
She was only a volunteer, not a real nurse or even a CNA, but she’d quickly fallen in love with the quirky group of elderly residents and spent most of her free time here, using her special gift of kindness to bring a touch of happiness to the often sad and lonely people who spent most of their days trapped in their beds.
Risse wiped a cool wash cloth across the Dominion’s forehead and adjusted his blankets before collecting his empty water pitcher.
“Fill that thing with Mountain Dew, whydoncha? I could use the energy boost.” Dominion’s voice was a hoarse crackle.
Charisse’s lips curved in a smile she couldn’t quite hide. Unlike her brother, Zeph, who was close friends with him, she’d never spent much time with the Dominion before; she only knew him as the leader of the Celestia Divisa — a wise, dignified, and highly-respected authority who performed all the important Celestia ceremonies. She’d only learned of his impish side since he’d entered the nursing facility a week ago.
“I’m surprised you didn’t ask for something stronger!”
“Hmm, that might be even better…”
Charisse chuckled and carried his pitcher down the hall towards the kitchen where her nose told her Chef Maggie was preparing a meal that was low sodium, low cholesterol, high fiber, and completely unappetizing. Charisse felt so sorry for the residents, she had taken to sneaking them mini candy bars. Today she’d brought a bag of fun-size Snickers.
The voice of Nancy Hariden, director of Sunnybrook Retirement Community, echoed from the kitchen. “You’ll be responsible for delivering meal trays to and from the residents’ rooms and cleaning up afterwards. Oh, and filling the water pitchers,” Nancy added, spotting Risse coming into the kitchen.
The guy beside Nancy glanced appreciatively at Risse and nodded. Risse quirked an eyebrow, taking in the designer jeans and cocky attitude. She tipped her chin in greeting and offered a small smile.
“Risse, this is Jake Henley. He’s going to be helping us out for a while. Risse is one of our newest volunteers, and one of the residents’ favorites.” Nancy gave an approving smile.
Risse held out a hand, and Jake glanced lazily at it before sliding his own hand from his back pocket. “Sup?” he said, his gaze drifting down her body.
“Nice to meet you.” Risse smiled, fighting her desire to sneer instead. Didn’t this guy have any manners?
“Reese like Reese Witherspoon?”
It was a common mistake, so why was it so irritating when he made it? “No, like Cyd Charisse.”
Jake wrinkled his nose and raised an eyebrow. “Who’s that?”
“The actress and dancer — Singin’ in the Rain, Brigadoon…”
“Sorry, I don’t do chick flicks.” Jake smirked and curled his lip.
Risse resisted the urge to roll her eyes and waved her water pitcher instead, pushing her way past him. “I need to get back to Domin… I mean, Mr. Uriel. He’s thirsty.”
Jake nodded, watching her backside as she walked away. “See you around, Shuh-reeessse.” He drew out the last syllable like a hissing snake.
Charisse shuddered and wondered if she could change her schedule to avoid working the same shift as him.
“If you have any questions, just ask Charisse. She knows everything there is to know about Sunnybrook. In fact, how about giving him a tour for me, Risse? I have a new resident checking in shortly that I need to attend to. I’m sure you can show Jake everything he needs to know.”
Risse cringed but swallowed her dismay before turning back with an almost-genuine smile. Her special gift was kindness, wasn’t it? Surely she could spare some for this ill-mannered, sleaze bag, low life… She interrupted herself as soon as she realized she was definitely not thinking kind thoughts.
“Sure. I’d be happy to. Just let me fill this pitcher and we’ll be on our way.”
“I’ll leave you here then. Come to my office before you check out, Jake.” Nancy nodded at them and walked away, her low heels clicking rapidly down the hallway.
“Thanks for rescuing me from the boss lady, babe. You’re a lot nicer to look at anyway.”
Risse ignored his comment and resumed filling her water pitcher. When the water started spilling over the top she knew she couldn’t stall any longer. Sighing, she turned and marched out of the kitchen, tossing the words “follow me” over her shoulder.
“Sunnybrook has two wings,” she explained, heading back down the hall toward Dominion Connan. “The West wing is for the residents who need the most care — the invalids, the Alzheimer’s and dementia patien
ts, and the end-stagers. The residents in the East wing can still do a lot of their own care.”
“So you’re taking me to see the crazies first, eh?”
Risse stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. “This isn’t a mental institution; they’re not crazy. They’re just old, or sick, or they’ve lost their memory. They just need a little more care, a little more kindness.” She spat the words at him.
Jake held up his hands in defense. “No offense, babe. I didn’t mean anything.”
Risse narrowed her eyes and glared. “And please don’t call me babe.”
“Sorry! Chillax already.” Jake smirked, and Risse flipped her long, blonde ponytail over her shoulder and huffed away. Jake rushed to catch up to her.
“I take it you’re really attached to these old fogies since you’re so sensitive about ‘em.”
Risse closed her eyes and forced herself to speak politely. “Yes, I care a lot about them. They’re good people who just need extra patience and kindness. Attributes I’m not sure you have to offer. So why exactly are you here, anyway?”
Jake shrugged. “Community service requirement.”
“Maybe you should find something that involves a little less community.”
“No can do, darlin’, it’s this or the big house, and I’m far too pretty for that,” he said with a wink.
Risse raised an eyebrow in a silent question.
“I’m not, like, a criminal or anything. I just got in trouble for a prank. It was nothing, really. Totally harmless, or, it was supposed to be, anyway.” Jake flashed a killer smile, and Risse could see why this guy thought he was invincible. His clothes and shoes were expensive, so Risse guessed he was wealthy, and with his devilishly handsome face he’d probably been favored all his life.
They had reached Dominion Connan’s room, but Risse wanted to hear the rest of the story so she lingered in the hallway.
“What kind of prank?”
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Date with Destiny Collection: Angel Romance Series: Books 1 - 4 Page 13
