“Well, I’m glad it did,” he says, a smile slowly gracing his lips. He reaches up, wiping at the space just under my right eye with his thumb. “Now I have a face to put to the beautiful voice that’s been guiding me all these years. And, hey—now I know I wasn’t completely crazy. So, bonus.” He chuckles softly, dropping his hand to the side of my cheek.
My lips curve upward, and I lean into his touch.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to know what your touch felt like,” I say, sighing.
“There’s nothing against this—us—now, is there? I mean, no law keeping us apart in this place?” he asks, stroking my cheek with his thumb.
“I don’t know… But this is all wrong. I should be helping you find a way out. I couldn’t keep you here knowing you should be—”
Liam moves his thumb from my cheek to my lips as he clamps them shut.
“Eva, I don’t know about you, but where I come from, we don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. We have an opportunity here, and I intend on not wasting it. Is that okay with you?” he says, releasing my lips from his touch.
“But—”
“Woman, if you say, ‘but’ one more time…” he laughs.
I bite down on my lip and look up at him from under my eyebrows.
His dark hair is tousled in its usual way and I reach up, running my right hand through it. Closing his eyes, he sighs contently and my insides flutter. Dropping my hand, I take a step back from him in the hopes it will clear my head.
“Liam, your entire existence, I have been here to guide and protect you. It’s been my sacred duty and purpose. It’s hard to let that go,” I say, releasing the tension from my shoulders.
“And while I appreciate that, I am here to tell you—this is a second chance. Don’t you think it’s odd? Both of us being sent here. I mean, if this isn’t a new beginning for us, I don’t know what is. Do you… are you not happy about this?” he says, pulling his eyebrows in. The corners of his lips tug downward and even without being able to hear his thoughts, I know his old programming is still at play.
Taking a step back toward him, I slide my hands into his and pull them toward me.
“I am extremely happy about you—you have no idea. I couldn’t have dreamed up a more wonderful outcome. I’m just dubious about what it means for you. I accepted my fate. I don’t want yours to be in jeopardy simply because of me.”
“I don’t know what any of this means for my future, but I’m willing to see where it leads. And hey, on the upside, if I’m already dead, I should have plenty of time to let things unfold. Plus, I don’t need a Guardian anymore,” he says.
“Maybe that’s true. But I’m not sure. Are you?” I say, smiling half-heartedly.
“Come on, sit. Let’s just get acquainted. You know, properly. Is that okay?” he asks, sweeping his hand out toward the campfire.
Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, I nod. “Okay, I’d like that.”
“Excellent,” he says, beaming.
Walking over to the campfire, he clears a spot on the ground beside it and sits down. Looking up at me, he pats the space beside him. “Your seat awaits, milady.”
Chuckling softly, I close my eyes and tip my head. A strange tingling in the pit of my stomach doesn’t want to go away.
Can this be real?
My lips curve upward and I take his offering, crossing my legs as I sit down beside him.
“I like your dress,” Liam says. “It suits you.”
I glance down at the soft, flowing fabric. It’s not at all something I would ordinarily wear—and a far divergence from my Guardian-gifted leather armor. If I were to pick an outfit, it’s definitely not something I would have chosen for myself.
“You pictured me?” I say, surprise blossoming in my tone as I glance back up.
“Well, I mean… yeah, of course,” he says. “Especially after everything back at the house…”
I was so focused on his protection, and then tracking down the incubus, I hadn’t picked up on his imaginings. I should have been thinking about his bigger picture—the things he was meant to accomplish in this lifetime.
“Really?”
“Yeah, but I guess I pictured you in jeans with a nice v-neck top,” he laughs.
“For your Guardian Angel? Seems a bit impractical when fighting the forces of darkness,” I say, smirking. “Where would I put my knives or sword? Then again, I don’t even know how I was put in this. I can’t ever remember a time when a dress would have been useful in a fight.”
“It’s not what you’d normally wear?” Liam asks.
“Not even close. But my Guardian attire was stripped from me and I arrived here in this,” I say, pressing my lips together in a thin line.
“Well, I like it,” he says.
I smile softly. “Is this another type of outfit you could have imagined on me?”
“In all honesty, clothes are not really my area of expertise. I guess, I was just so focused on your voice it never really occurred to me what you’d wear. But I have to say, you’re more beautiful than my imagination could ever have conjured up. It’s how I know I’m not dreaming.”
Blood rushes to my cheeks, and I lift my hand to cover one side.
“And she blushes,” he grins triumphantly.
My lips slide into a slight smirk as I eye him closely.
He watches my every movement and after a moment says, “How did you find me? Did you hear my thoughts, or…?”
I shake my head. “Now that we’re in Purgatory, I can’t hear you at all. I think all of my angelic power has been stripped from me, too.”
His eyebrows tug in. “Then how?”
I point at the fire pit. “I followed the smoke.”
His eyes sparkle with recognition and he nods. “Yeah, everything has been bizarre since I got here. I guess my Boy Scout days kicked in, because at least I knew how I should set up camp. Smarter move than originally anticipated.” His cheeks turn into golf-ball-size lumps as he smiles at me.
I’ve seen this smile only once in a while over the years, but it’s his genuine, totally happy one. I grin back, casting my gaze from him, back out to the smoldering ash. I shift my legs forward and bite my lip.
“Have you—what have you come across in terms of things to be aware of? Have you seen any demons?” I ask, trying to keep centered.
Instead, my traitorous heart continues to thrum loudly in my ears. He’s so close… If I wanted to, I could lean forward and kiss those beautiful lips of his.
Gods, do I want to kiss him.
As if noticing my derailment of thoughts, Liam quirks an eyebrow.
“What?” I ask defensively.
“You’re the type of person who changes the subject when you’re uncomfortable, aren’t you?”
“I’m not a person,” I say, raising my eyebrows knowingly.
He snickers. “Ha! Okay, fair point. Okay, well, look. I need to tell you something.”
“Uh oh,” I say, narrowing my gaze as I return it to him.
He scratches the end of his nose and shifts a bit closer.
“It’s nothing bad, promise. It’s just—” he begins, sighing softly. “Eva, I remember what you said to me before I… well, before I died. Your confession about how you feel about me—it’s got me thinking.”
“Okay?” I say, eyeing him nervously.
“Eva, I don’t want to waste time. I don’t want to fill the void and play coy here. Your words, the way you made me feel when you were only a voice in my head—it touched me in a way no-one else ever has. I’ve wanted that for a long, long time and well, I…” He bends forward, his eyes tipping down and focusing on my lips.
As if pulled together by magnetic compulsion, I match his movement, closing the space between us. My breath hitches in my throat and I close my eyes, waiting.
Suddenly, a voice over my right shoulder calls out, “Ah, lover boy’s here, too. Got anything more to eat around here?”
Chapter 10
Letting out a squeal, my eyes pop open and I twist around. Liam pushes back as well, the alarm on his face matching my own. Right behind us sits the incubus.
“What are you doing here?” I sputter, shifting to my knees and pushing up to a stand. “I told you to get lost.” My fingers grip tightly, balling into fists at my side.
Liam’s gaze flits from me to the incubus and back again. “You know this guy?” he finally says.
“This is no guy. This is the incubus who tried to attack you when you were vulnerable,” I say, glaring at him. “He’s the one who made a mess of everything.”
The incubus’ eyes widen, and he pushes himself up to a stand. “Geez, is that any way to treat the guy who tried to save this bag of flesh for you?” He jabs his index finger in Liam’s direction.
“What’s he talking about?” Liam says, returning his gaze to me.
The incubus thrusts his hand out in offering to Liam. “Forget what little miss goodie says. I’m not so bad, truly. Glad to see some version of you made it through that gory mess back on Earth. Name’s Jake, by the way.”
Liam stares down at the incubus’ hand and back to me with a quizzical expression.
I shake my head. “Don’t touch him. I don’t know if—”
Jake rolls his eyes. “I’m pretty magically dysfunctional these days. I suspect you are, too.”
Liam’s nostrils flare and he puts his hands beside his head. “What is going on here? I’m so confused.”
“He used to be an incubus—that’s a certain kind of demon,” I explain, raising a hand to the sky. “Touching him would have some pretty serious consequences in the real world.”
“Okay? And what about what he said? About trying to save me?” he asks, his lips pressing into a thin line.
“I—when you were dying, I asked him to help me save you,” I say, chewing on the side of my lip. “I didn’t know what else to do. It didn’t work, though.”
“How would he be able to save me if you couldn’t?” Liam asks, refusing to look back at the incubus.
“I’m right here, you know?” Jake says, snorting a burst of air out his nose.
“Okay, you explain, then,” Liam agrees, turning to face him.
“When I was on Earth, I had the power to return life force. Sometimes bring people back from the dead, but you were already claimed by something higher up the food chain than I am. Obviously,” the incubus says, adjusting the collar on his button-down and straightening its seams.
“I’m really confused. I thought angels and demons hated each other. You—didn’t you fight him off?” Liam asks, jabbing a thumb in the demon’s direction.
“Yes,” I say, nodding. “But I didn’t have a choice. Do you remember me asking you to call him back? You were dying, Liam. I was out of options. I’d do it all over again.”
Liam’s eyes narrow, but he nods. “Yeah, I think maybe I do…”
“And lookie where that phenomenal decision landed us. I was pulled from a perfectly good orgy to be banished here,” Jake says indignantly. “Depending on your point of view, it may or may not be lucky for you the powers that be thought to grab me some clothes before they shipped me off. Now we’re all screwed. And not the good kind.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, ignoring the first half of his tirade.
“Well, I don’t know if you’ve looked around lately, what with all the sucking face you were about to do—but we’re in Purgatory here, friends. We’re powerless and deserted in the middle of nowhere,” he says, splaying his hands out wide and dancing his fingers. He takes a step forward, wrapping his arms around both of our necks as he pulls us in closer. “But it’s okay. At least we have each other.”
“Uh—yeah, I don’t think…” I begin, squeezing my way out from under his arm. “I think you should go find your own little corner of nowhere like you were supposed to do.”
“Why? Not ready for a threesome?” he chuckles, winking and blowing me a kiss. “Don’t worry, I’d be gentle.”
My mouth pops open, and a squeal of surprise escapes my lips. Instantly, my face flushes. I’ve never been with one man, let alone two. The idea of it, regardless of how flippant, sends a traitorous electricity shooting through my abdomen.
The incubus edges nearer, a cocky, lopsided grin sliding across his lips. His turquoise eyes flash mischievously as he bends in closer. “Did that get you in the feels? I bet it did, didn’t it?”
Blinking back in surprise, I shake my head. “Of course not, you lunatic. The only thing I want from you is to see you gone.”
His shoulders shrink back slightly. “Pity. I never got to finish and I’m totally jonesing for a continuation.”
“Annnyway,” Liam says, scratching at the top of his head. His cheeks flame brightly. “I think you should do what the lady asks and move on out. We’re really perfectly happy here on our own.”
“I bet you are,” Jake sniggers, pulling his shoulders back. “Must be nice to be banished with your source of utter infatuation who’s so ready to bone you. I, on the other hand, am stuck with the two wankers who pulled me from a good time. Doesn’t nearly have the same ring to it. And no offense, but I’m as mortal as the two of you now. I don’t have my powers to lean back on and I sure as hell ain’t gonna go far away from the one entity in the vicinity who knows how to fight.”
“I don’t have any—” Liam begins.
“Not you, dufus. Her,” Jake says, flicking his pointer finger in my direction and shooting Liam a look of indignance.
Liam’s eyebrows flick up and he drops his gaze to the ground, shaking his head. “Oh, yeah—right.”
“You can’t stay here,” I say, jutting my chin out. “Don’t make me chase you off again.”
“Seriously, Guardian. Where am I meant to go?” Jake says, splaying his hands out.
“I quite honestly don’t care, demon,” I say, blinking slowly.
“Harsh, man. Real harsh,” he says, shaking his head. “I thought you were supposed to be the protector or some shit.”
“Not of demons,” I say, scrunching my face. “What have you been smoking?”
“Oh, it was some really good—”
“It was a rhetorical question,” I say, covering my face.
Liam chuckles beside me and I shoot him a quick glance. His eyes sparkle with a level of excitement and happiness I haven’t seen in years, and I can’t help but soften at the sight.
“Look, how about this. I’ll just go over there and hang out. You know, far enough away to give you some, er, privacy and whatnot. But close enough if you hear me scream, you can come running,” Jake says, raising his arms and doing jazz hands. “I mean, it’s not like I had any special talents for killing creatures and I highly doubt a good shag would alter their course of action, if you know what I mean.”
“How about, if I hear you scream, demon, I’ll just smile internally because I won’t have to kill you myself,” I say, tipping my head to the side and smiling sweetly.
Jake lowers his eyebrows.
“Okay, you heard the lady. I think it’s time for you to be on your merry way,” Liam says, grabbing hold of Jake’s arm and ushering him away from where we all stand.
Jake puts his heels down like a petulant child. “Come on guys. I won’t be within peeping Tom distance, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Just pick a direction and keep walking,” Liam says, pushing him past the small fire pit and pointing into the trees.
“Can I at least have a little—” Jake begins, reaching out for the charred remains of whatever Liam had been cooking.
“Go—” we both yell in unison.
“All right, all right. Geez, you don’t have to be so rude about it,” Jake says, frowning. “Some way to treat the guy who tried to—” He stumbles away, tripping over a rock as he heads off through the dense brush until I can no longer make out his stylish jeans and button-down shirt.
Liam finally turns
back to me and raises an eyebrow. “Well, all right. That was…”
“Irritating?” I finish. “Unexpected?”
“Definitely,” he says, nodding. “This whole being dead thing… it’s actually much more eye-opening than being alive ever was.”
I laugh softly, my eyebrows flicking up in acknowledgement. “I can imagine. It’s not until veils are lifted that we can see the bigger picture as it exists. Even I wasn’t at the pay grade to see it all.” I return to my recently vacated seat on the grass and sit back down. Liam’s face softens, and a semi-grin graces his lips.
Without another word, he casts a last glance over his shoulder and walks back to me. Resuming his seat, he sits cross-legged facing me and places his hands in his lap.
“So…” he says.
“So,” I nod.
For a moment, the two of us sit at an impasse, staring at each other and waiting to see if the other will make a move. Liam’s tongue skates between his lips and for a moment, I’m mesmerized by the movement. I reach a hand out and run my fingertips over them.
“Do you remember when you were twelve and you got into a fight with the kid down the block?” I ask, noticing the hint of a scar on his upper lip.
His eyebrows flick upward and he nods. “Yeah, I do. He was a jackass and punched me in the lip.”
I grin. “That was the dumbest move he could have done, too.”
“Right? It was basically permission for me to break his nose,” he laughs.
“Which you did, as I recall,” I say, throwing him a knowing look.
“Indeed I did,” he says, tipping his head happily.
“I was rooting for you then. And I may have whispered in your ear that day,” I say.
“You did? Were you trying to stop me?” he asks, his eyes wide.
“Hell no. I told you to punch him back,” I laugh. “He was a jerk and needed to be taught a lesson.”
Liam chuckles, grabbing hold of my outstretched hand and placing it between his hands in his lap.
“Isn’t it strange how you can still have a scar you received on a different plane of existence?” I say, thinking.
Playing With Fire Page 86