He reaches over and pulls a thread off the frayed leg. It unravels, slowly winding its way around my thigh and incrementally shortening the already short shorts.
‘What would you do if you had to make a run for it?’ His voice is husky as he stares, mesmerized, at the unraveling thread.
‘I’d grab my shoes and run.’
‘Dressed like this? In front of lawless men?’ His eyes drift up to my midriff.
‘If you’re worried about pervs breaking into the house, it’s not going to make a difference whether I’m in this outfit or in baggy jeans and a sweatshirt. Either they’re decent human beings or they’re not. Their actions are on them.’
‘It’ll be tough for them to take any action while I’m pummeling their faces. Disrespect will not be tolerated.’
I half smile at him. ‘Because you’re all about respect.’
He sighs as if a little disgusted with himself. ‘Lately, I seem to be all about you.’
‘What makes you say that?’ I wish my voice didn’t sound so breathless.
‘I’m sitting on the hard floor outside your door while you take a cozy little nap, aren’t I?’
I slide down the wall to sit beside him on the hallway floor. We sit with our arms almost touching, letting the quiet settle around us.
After a while, I say, ‘I think sleep would do you some good. You can take the bed. I’ll keep watch for a bit.’
‘Not a chance. It’s you who’s at risk, not me.’
‘What is it that you think is going to get me?’ My arm rubs against his when I shift to look at him.
‘The list is endless.’
‘Since when did you become so protective?’
‘Since my enemies have determined that you’re my Daughter of Man.’
I swallow. My throat is dry.
‘They have?’
‘Beliel saw us together at the masquerade. Even with my mask on, Uriel knew it was me on the beach with you.’
‘So am I?’ I whisper. ‘Your Daughter of Man?’ I can almost hear my heart pounding. It beats even harder when I realize that he can probably hear it.
He looks away from me. ‘Some things just can’t be. But neither Uri nor Beliel understand that.’
I let my breath out – slowly, controlled. He might as well have said that I don’t understand it either.
‘So who exactly would be coming after me?’ I ask.
‘Aside from the usual suspects, the entire host of angels saw you with me when I cut the wings off Beliel. They think you’re traveling in the company of a mask-wearing “demon” who cuts wings off “angels.” That’s enough to come after you, if only to find me. Besides, you’re an angel killer now, for which the penalty is an automatic death sentence. You’re quite the popular girl.’
I think about that for a minute. Is there really anything I can do about it? ‘But we all look alike to them, right? How can they even tell us apart? They all look the same to me. They’re all so darned perfect in every way – perfect Olympian bodies, perfectly beautiful faces, even perfect hair. If it wasn’t for you, I’d think that angels were all totally interchangeable.’
‘You mean because I’m beyond perfect?’
‘No. Because you’re so humble.’
‘Humility’s overrated.’
‘So is clear self-assessment, apparently.’
‘Real warriors don’t stand for psychobabble.’
‘Or for rational thinking.’
He glances at my naked legs.
‘No, not that rational, I admit.’ Raffe stands up and puts out a hand to me. ‘Come on. Get some sleep.’
‘Only if you do too.’ I grab his hand, and he pulls me up.
‘Fine. If that will quiet you down.’
We walk into my room, and I crawl onto the bed. I lie down on top of the covers, thinking he’s making sure that I get some sleep. But instead of leaving, he climbs onto the bed beside me.
‘What are you doing?’ I ask.
He lies his cheek on the pillow next to mine and closes his eyes with some relief. ‘Taking a nap.’
‘You’re not going downstairs?’
‘Nope.’
‘What about the settee?’
‘Too uncomfortable.’
‘I thought you said you’ve slept on rocks in the snow.’
‘I have. That’s why I sleep on soft beds whenever I can.’
5
I expect him to lie there full of tension like me, but his breathing quickly turns deep and slow.
He must be exhausted. Even aside from his lack of sleep and being constantly on red alert, he’s still recovering from his wing injuries, both the initial amputation and the surgery. I can’t imagine what he’s going through.
I lie there, trying to sleep beside him.
The scent of rosemary wafts in through the window along with the warm breeze. The buzzing of the bees near the plants below sounds distant and soothing. The buttery sunshine glows through my closed eyelids.
I turn away from the bright window and end up facing Raffe. I can’t help but open my eyes to look at him. His dark lashes lie in a crescent against his cheek. Long and curved, they would be the envy of every girl. The line of his nose is strong and straight. His lips soft and sensual.