“What’s on your mind, sweetheart?”
His question brought me out of my thoughts. He was holding out my jacket for me, waiting patiently for my attention.
“Can you love?” I blurted out, and his eyes widened. It was times like these I needed a filter for my mouth. “You don’t have to answer that. Sorry.”
He chuckled and slid my jacket onto my shoulders but didn’t let go, as he held on to my collar, gathering me closer. “I do believe I can. Like I said, my human side is very weak.” His smile made him appear to be in his mid-twenties rather than the early thirties I had guessed before. He was adorable and yet so charming and confident.
“Love isn’t a weakness.” I had no idea why I was arguing the point. I couldn’t care less about love. Maybe part of me didn’t want to leave, so I was stretching out my time with him. MOG help me but I was actually starting to like the half-breed.
He tugged lightly at my collar. “It can turn a man to mush. Make him do things he wouldn’t normally do.”
I froze as his lips came within an inch of mine. The little voice inside my head was screaming at me. Run, Abby! Sadly, my love-deprived body had other ideas. I stayed put.
He closed his eyes and inhaled. “I’ve been strong enough to stay away from you for five years. But now here you are again. Your scent, your sensual voice, your delicate body, your lips.” He opened his eyes again, only lifting them enough to take in the body part in mention. “Would it be unspeakable if I were to kiss you before another five years passes?”
“Kiss?” His words were still lingering in my mind, trying to find a place to settle, when one of us moved―possibly me―closing the distance.
And he kissed me.
His lips were warm and gentle as they molded into mine. I maintained control. I had to. I couldn’t make the same mistake twice. A simple kiss was one thing but...
“Mmm.”
He sighed, allowing his hypnotizing scent to sweep over my cheeks. I breathed him in and wanted more. My addiction was more powerful than my will. I couldn’t deny that. Nevertheless, it was just one kiss. Then I would stop. Really, I would.
Seeking the taste of his mouth, I lifted up onto my tiptoes and parted my lips to provoke a deeper connection. Simeon didn’t hesitate to grant me my wish as he slid his delicious tongue into my mouth.
A moan slipped out from deep inside me, and he drew me closer. One of his arms went around my waist while the other gripped my bottom. He lifted my body to his and pressed me against the door. I felt his abundant erection in his jeans tighten against my stomach.
My hands strayed, deceiving me, sliding up under his shirt, and roving over the lean muscles in his back. A part of me knew I should stop and push him away. He was a half-breed...but so human and so very good.
“Wrap your legs around me,” he said, only breaking away from my lips for a second.
I did as he asked. How quickly a simple kiss could escalate, I thought. But I didn’t care. Not at this moment when my body was encompassed in his warmth and aroma. I wanted more, not less.
He broke the kiss, and my legs tightened when I saw the hunger in his eyes.
“Can I take you to my bed, Abigail?”
I opened my mouth to answer but stopped when I felt a relentless pounding against the door behind me.
“Abby, I know you’re in there.” Judd’s muffled yell came from the other side. “Get out here, now.”
Oh, crap. What timing. Stunned, I wiggled out of Simeon’s grasp. He allowed me to the floor but didn’t release his embrace.
“I thought you didn’t have a boyfriend.” He grinned and arched an inquiring eyebrow.
“Judd’s just a friend.”
More pounding. This was the equivalent of a cold shower, for sure. Who the heck did Judd think he was following me here?
Reluctantly, I eased away from the warmth of Simeon’s body. “I have to go,” I whispered and zipped up my jacket.
“I’d like you to stay. I’ll tell him to leave.”
“No.” Heck no! “I’m sorry. I’ll get in trouble if I stay.” Actually, I didn’t know what would happen. As far as I knew, no Angel ever dared to spend the night with the enemy. No Angel ever wanted to. Not until this very moment. I shook the nonsense out of my head. “Besides, Judd’s a stubborn ass. He’ll never leave without me.”
“But he’s not your boyfriend?”
“Not even a little bit.” I looked up into Simeon’s questioning eyes. “And I’m seriously considering the friendship status right about now.”
“Abby, I can hear your voice,” Judd yelled again. “What the hell’s going on in there? Open the goddamn door before I break it down.”
I reached for the doorknob, but Simeon’s hand covered mine. Then I felt his lips brush against my ear.
“Call me tomorrow,” he said in his low yet commanding voice.
What could I possibly say? There was a lunatic outside, yelling at the top of his lungs, probably waking the neighbors. I felt like a teenager past curfew, and I was mortified beyond words.
When I didn’t answer, Simeon lifted his hand away, letting me go. I didn’t look back as I stepped into the nippy air and shut the door behind me.
Judd was bundled in a black leather jacket and scarf. His nose was pink from the cold. And his expression was livid as he glared at my well-kissed lips. “You made out with him, didn’t you? What are you thinking, Abby?”
I rolled my eyes and headed toward my car. “You’re not my keeper, Judd. You didn’t need to come all the way over here in the middle of the night to check on me.”
“The hell I didn’t.” He followed at my heels. “Did you do it again? Did you screw the half-breed?”
“No, and if I did, it wouldn’t be any of your business.” Just a few more feet to the VW, that was all I had to get away from Judd and his big mouth.
“None of my business, huh?” He grabbed my hand and swung me around to face him. “What am I then? The shit at the bottom of your shoe?”
“What?”
“I stuck by you through your first foul-up with this slime ball. I defended you against all the name-calling. I even punched Felix in his fat gut when he said you were easy.”
“You did?” I had no idea. That jerk Felix. He was the Angel who took my virginity in the backseat of his Buick and then never asked me out again. How dare he call me easy .
Judd dropped my hand and clenched his fists in front of him. “I’d fucking do it again too, but not if you keep this shit up, Abby. I’ve no clue what your obsession is with this fucker. All I know is you’d better knock it off. I won’t stand by and let you ruin yourself for his sick benefit.”
“He’s not like that.” For some reason, I felt the need to defend Simeon. To tell the world he wasn’t that bad. “He helped me find one of my attackers.” I clutched onto the paper in my pocket and pulled it out for Judd to see. It was the only thing keeping me from bursting out in tears from shame and humiliation. That and the fact that Simeon wasn’t a slimeball. I knew better now but I was pretty sure I’d never convince Judd otherwise.
He grabbed the paper from my hand and looked it over. “What did you have to do to get this?”
I snatched it away and stuffed it back into my pocket. “Nothing.” Except having to answer a few personal questions, but Judd didn’t need to know that.
“Right.” He shook his head. “Get in your car and drive straight home. I’ll follow you.”
“Do what you want,” I snapped. “I was going home anyway.”
Lois’ office was pitch-black except for the glow emanating from the computer monitor. Judd had insisted we look up Cesar Knight in the Demon Control database right away, but the early morning crew had taken over the office. This was the only other choice.
I’d cheerfully agreed. I was just as eager to get these animals. The sooner the better.
I peered over Judd’s shoulder as he typed in the name and hit enter. The computer whirred and searched through all the tho
usands of files. Demon Control never archived anything.
“It’s not finding anything, Abby.”
“It’s not done yet, Judd.” So impatient.
I’d tried to stay mad at him for dragging me out of Simeon’s house, but after hearing that he’d slugged Felix on my behalf, I softened. Judd really was the best friend a girl could have. How could I stay angry?
He tapped his foot on the ground and cracked his knuckles. “Still nothing.”
Now, I began to worry. I pushed Judd over and made him share the chair with me. Together, we gaped at the screen as it finished its search.
There were zero matches for Cesar Knight. He wasn’t in the system.
My heart sank.
“Huh. The half-breed gave you some bogus info, babe. Hope you didn’t give up too much for this.”
I ignored Judd’s smirk. “Our system’s outdated, you know. Maybe he has an alias.”
“Or maybe Keller’s screwing with you.”
“He wouldn’t do that.”
“For the love of...” Judd shot off the chair and started pacing the small dark room. “He’s a demon, Abby. He would do it, and he’d enjoy it. The dirtbag has an Angel lusting after him. If you don’t think he’d use that to his advantage, you’re more naïve than I realized. I wouldn’t be surprised if the filthy half-breed was behind the attacks.”
“I’m not lusting after―” I stopped before I turned pink from lying. “I’m done talking to you. There’s a logical explanation for this, and I’ll get it from Simeon tomorrow.”
“No you won’t. You’re staying the hell away from him.”
I stood, perched my hands on my hips, and glared into the whites of Judd’s eyes. “I’ve lived most of my life without a father. What makes you think I want one now?”
“Father? I am anything but a father figure to you―” With a look of irritation, he rubbed his temples. “Do me a favor. No wait, do yourself a favor and take Pauline or somebody with you next time you see him, okay? I don’t trust him to keep his hands off you, and it appears you aren’t protesting.” He brought his hands to cup my cheeks. “Forget about your reputation as an Angel. Forget about any rules Demon Control might have against fornicating with the enemy. Think about me instead and how I won’t be able to look you in the eyes anymore if you sleep with him again. And I really like looking into your eyes, Abby. Do you understand that?”
“Yes,” I whispered. I completely understood. The ultimatum was set. I’d lose Judd if I lost control with Simeon. As far as I was concerned, my choice was as palpable as the man before me was.
Chapter Ten
Simeon,
Avoiding me is not an option. If you believe you are above my power, you are naïvely mistaken. It is imperative that we speak.
Give my courier a time and an isolated location where we can meet or I’ll find another way.
~SSS
The sound of the phone ringing woke me with a start. Fuzzy brained, I flung off my comforter and checked the alarm clock for the time. I blinked to clear my vision and then noticed it was only nine forty-five a.m. Since I hadn’t gotten to bed until past four a.m., and then I’d tossed and turned for another hour or so, I was definitely going to bawl out whoever was daring to disturb my sleep.
I picked up the phone, which was lying on my mattress next to me. I’d fallen asleep while debating whether to call Simeon and ask him for an explanation about why Cesar Knight wasn’t in the Demon Control database. He should’ve been there. How else could the demon have had a thumbprint on his chest? I remembered it clearly. Cesar’s shirt had been unbuttoned, and I’d seen the imprint. Only an Angel had the authority to put it there. And dang it, how else could an Angel have found him if he weren’t in the database?
There had to be some logical explanation, but part of me was afraid to find out for sure. What if Simeon had led me astray by giving me false information? I shook the thought out of my head for the hundredth time and answered the phone.
“This better not be Judd.”
“Abigail?” Pauline’s angelic voice made me cringe. “This is Pauline. Were you expecting Judd?” The cutsie way she said his name made me want to upchuck my late-night taco run into nearest trashcan.
“No,” I said with an unintended growl. I cleared my throat and started again. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”
“I’m sorry if I woke you. Um, MOG wanted me to set up an appointment for you. She’d like to see you before your shift begins.”
“Are you the receptionist again?” My hopes rose. I didn’t have anything against Pauline, not really, but she wasn’t exactly a great help out on the streets.
“No. MOG came to my room this morning to tell me.” Pauline’s voice dropped a notch. “I’m a little worried.”
“Worried about MOG?” My interest was piqued.
She sighed into the phone. “I shouldn’t say anything else. You’ll see what I mean. How about two? Is that okay?”
“Sure.” I hung up and dropped back onto the mattress, growing paranoid. What if MOG had viewed my little make out session with Simeon? What if Angels, Inc. finally came to their senses and realized I wasn’t meant to be an Angel? Tramps didn’t deserve to have Angel status, and there was no way I could deny that I was one now. Sure, I hadn’t slept with him but if Judd hadn’t shown up and stopped me... Boy, was I pathetic.
I was going to be punished with a life of humanity, I could feel it in my bones. I’d have to leave Judd and Eli and go find refuge on my sister’s couch in Phoenix. What else could I do? I had no skills. I hadn’t been educated in a human school. I’d be useless as a human.
Useless!
The manila folder on my dresser yanked me out of my pity party. Simeon’s extended file—I’d forgotten all about it.
Deciding not to worry about my fate as an Angel until after my meeting with MOG, I pulled the folder into my lap and opened it up. There had to be something in it to either credit or discredit the man who’d made me forget who I was with just one kiss. With all my heart, I wanted to believe he was decent and good. I had to believe he was trying to help me, to help Angels, Inc. But I knew I had to expect the worst.
He was a demon, after all.
I skimmed past all the things I already knew—his age, occupation, past strikes and deportations. He’d only had two just like he’d said. At least he hadn’t lied about that.
Then I got to the good stuff. His known family. His human mother’s name was Rose Keller. Simeon had lived with her up until his eighteenth birthday. I continued to read, but there wasn’t any more information about her or his other human relatives. Odd. I wondered if she was still alive. If Simeon had been on the earth for sixty-nine years then surely there was a possibility. And there had been an elderly woman in that picture on his desktop.
I read on. His father, a full demon―
“What’s that?” Judd’s voice made me jump. He was standing, arms crossed, with my apartment door wide open.
“Dang it, Judd. What the heck is wrong with you lately?” I gathered the papers and stuffed them into a dresser drawer. “You don’t knock anymore?”
I turned around in time to see a glint of guilt pass over his blue eyes.
“Sorry,” he muttered and closed the door behind him. His hair and clothes were more wrinkled than usual, and it looked like he’d gotten less sleep than I had.
He walked the small distance to my bed and sat, rubbing a hand over his unshaven face. The only other time Judd had been anywhere near my bed was when he was whacking a spider off the headboard with his shoe. I hate spiders. He had been doing me a favor. Now, I didn’t know what he was doing.
I watched him from the corner of my eye as he fell back onto the mattress and groaned.
“You okay?” I swiveled to face him.
He really was a nice-looking guy, I couldn’t help but notice. Pauline wasn’t wrong to have a crush on him. He had strong, masculine features. And his scruffy and disheveled look only added to the s
ex appeal. A bad boy as an Angel—who would’ve thought it? If ever he decided to choose one woman, instead of the many women he’d sifted through during his early twenties, I was sure he’d make her happy.
I knew it wouldn’t be me though. We were friends and nothing else. He’d made that clear six years ago when he hadn’t asked me out on a second date. Then again, I don’t recall him ever going on more than a date or two with any one woman in particular. He’d played the dating field like a pro, only taking a hiatus in the last couple of years. I’d assumed he’d run out of prospects. His perpetual excuse was he was exhausted with hearing women talk about marriage. It wasn’t in him to be tied down, he always said, and a little sexual gratification wasn’t worth all the nagging an Angel could churn out.
So it seemed that was why he’d never made a move on me, or I on him. Well, other than he might not find me as attractive as the other Angels. I always thought he wasn’t interested, as was the case with the other men I’d dated in the past. I was too different.
Which made Judd’s next move incredibly confusing. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to lie down next to him. I went along with it and rested my head on his chest. After all, we’d cuddled on the couch many times while watching a movie or a ballgame. This wasn’t unlike that. Other than, well, we were on a bed.
He sighed and gently raked his fingers through my hair. “I’m sorry I’ve been such an ass lately.” His voice was low and comforting, and his touch felt amazing. “It’s just that this whole deal has me so worked up. I’m worried that more Angels are going to be harmed, and I’m worried you’re falling into some sort of trap with this half-breed. And I can’t do a damn thing about any of it.”
“I’m not falling into anything―”
“I know, Abby.” He kissed the top of my head. “You’re smarter than that. I get it. But you can’t deny you’re attracted to him for whatever reason.”
I kept my mouth clamped shut, not refuting or affirming the claim.
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