by Мишель Роуэн
But maybe her mind was playing tricks on her. She was so disoriented and congested that she couldn’t be certain her eyes weren’t deceiving her. She swallowed hard and coughed again, realizing that she couldn’t even feel her nose for how plugged up it was.
“That man wanted to kill me.” She frowned and looked over at the mugger, still out like a light. Humans made no sense at all. Fascinating creatures—sometimes—but completely incomprehensible.
“Your ankle is broken.” The stranger’s gaze had lowered and he was studying her foot.
She grimaced, the pain was intense. “Yeah, I guess I’d better make a quick trip to the hospital.
Just my luck. And here I thought I was going to get some sleep tonight for my big day tomorrow.”
Maybe one of those nice doctors from the TV show ER might be available, she thought absently.
He looked directly at her then. His eyes were light. In the darkness she couldn’t tell which color, but she felt almost hypnotized as he held her gaze. He smiled and a weird sensation came over her. Woozy. Uncertain. Awkward.
Incredibly attracted to a man she’s never seen before.
She shook her head to clear it. Weird.
“Let me take a look at it for you,” he said.
Val shook her head. “Really, that’s not necessary.” But he’d already sunk to his knees and pulled up the right leg of her track pants, and was now running a warm hand down her calf.
“Oh, well, okay then. If you insist.”
Had she shaved her legs recently? She couldn’t remember. She thought so. She’d tried out that depilatory lotion stuff. According to the packaging, it was supposed to last longer than just shaving. She was finding human maintenance to be extremely time-consuming, and in the case of the lotion—a bit goopy.
You didn’t have to shave your legs in Heaven. Hair-free. All the time. If you wanted to be, that is. She frowned. Maybe she should add that tidbit to her notebook in case she forgot. She patted her pocket to feel the reassuring outline. Still there.
The cold wind touched her face and she was surprised that it didn’t bother her. She looked up at the clear dark sky, at all the stars above, and wondered if anyone from Heaven was watching her right now. And, if so, what were they thinking?
All these thoughts helped distract her from the touch of the stranger’s warm fingers as he probed her ankle. If she hadn’t felt so uncomfortable with her current position, pressed up against a cold brick wall with an unfamiliar handsome man caressing her foot, she probably wouldn’t have needed to distract herself. But there it was. She sniffed and felt in her pockets for a Kleenex, but came up empty. She probably should have bought more when she was at the drugstore.
After a moment she attempted to clear her throat. “How’s it going down there?” Her words came out a little croaky.
“Just another moment. Almost got it.”
“Almost got what?” Then she gasped and braced herself against the wall. “What are you doing?”
A warmth was spreading across the top of her foot and around her broken ankle. He’d slipped off her running shoe and had one hand on either side of her foot, raising it slightly off the ground. But it didn’t hurt. Not at all. In fact it felt really good, all warm and tingly. Too good, in fact. She knew she shouldn’t feel this good with some unknown man in a dark alley.
The stranger finally rose to his feet.
Val tried to smile at him and felt her cheeks twitch nervously. “Okay, well, that was . . . um . .
. interesting. I think I need to leave now.”
“Try the ankle.”
“What?”
He smiled at her. “Your ankle. Try to put your weight on it.”
She did, tentatively. When that didn’t hurt she put all her weight on it. Then she hopped up and down on it. It didn’t feel broken or even slightly sprained anymore. She stopped hopping.
And glanced at him with a small frown.
“How did you do that?”
His smile widened. “Do you feel better?”
Her frown deepened. “Yes.”
“Then, you’re welcome.”
“I didn’t say thank you.”
“You’re still welcome.”
She glanced at the unconscious thug on the ground and her eyes narrowed. “How did you managed to launch him way over there, anyhow? Who are you, Batman or something?”
The handsome stranger’s smile held. “No, Valerie, I’m not Batman. Unless you’d like me to be, of course. I’m sure I could scare up a cowl and cape if I needed to.”
She tried to swallow the nervous lump forming in her throat. “How do you know my name?”
You will know a Tempter Demon when you see one.
A flame flickered to life in his hand. He held a lighter and with it he lit the cigarette he’d removed from his jacket’s inner pocket. Val watched the tip of the cigarette glow red, a flickering glow that lingered in the stranger’s eyes longer that it should have. “I know all about you, Valerie. Sorry it’s taken me so long to show up. I was . . . unavoidably detained.
Have you been waiting for me?”
Tempter Demons are assigned to lure fallen ones to Hell for an eternity of torturous servitude.
She racked her brain. What else did the scroll say?
Eat regularly. Three meals a day is standard for human sustenance.
That wasn’t going to be very helpful.
She pressed her hands together to stop them from shaking. And she’d thought having to deal with a mugger was the worst thing that could happen to her that night?
The demon smoked his cigarette and waited patiently for her to find her voice again. But her voice had gone on vacation. Somewhere warm, with palm trees.
Just one more day, she thought miserably. I only need one more day. Why did he have to show up now?
Of course he was attractive. All Tempters were. In Heaven she’d heard all sorts of tales about demons from the other angels. She’d listened with distracted amusement, never thinking she’d ever have to personally face one. Otherwise, she might have paid more attention to what was said. Taken some notes, maybe. But, she knew Tempters had to be tempting. After all, it was their job, wasn’t it?
How could she have been so out of it not to see this coming? Was she that sick?
TEMPTER DEMONS ARE VERY DANGEROUS. Their methods are underhanded and almost impossible to resist.
“Take it back,” she finally said, her voice weak but present and accounted for.
“Take what back?”
“What you just did to my ankle.”
He took another drag of his cigarette, then flicked it against the wall. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“I know what you are. I don’t want to owe you anything. Take it back. Make it broken again.
Please.”
He smiled and tried to meet her eyes. But her eyes were shy—they weren’t prepared to meet anyone tonight. Or maybe ever again.
“What I did was a favor for you. I expect nothing in return. Is it so wrong that I don’t want to see you hurt?”
Val managed to laugh at that. Just a little. It came out sounding jerky and pathetic. “Right.”
“My name is Nathaniel.” He took a step closer to her.
She took a step back and felt the brick wall, cold and unyielding behind her. “I’m happy for you. Leave me alone.”
The demon pulled something out of his pocket. A cell phone. He flipped the lid open, pressed a few buttons, and looked at the display screen.
“According to this, your last name is Grace.” He looked up from the phone and those dangerous eyes of his tried to catch her in their weirdly hypnotic gaze. “Valerie Grace is a very beautiful name.”
“I’m going to leave now. Don’t try to stop me.”
He frowned, creasing that handsome face into a semi-serious expression and cocked his head to one side. “But we have so much to talk about.”
“No, we don’t.” She tried to keep the fear that filled her
chest from showing in her words.
“Yes, we most certainly do.”
“No,” she managed to put more emphasis on it this time. “We really don’t.” Her head ached, and she was overcome with exhaustion. She attempted to walk past him but he moved to block her escape.
“You don’t belong here, Valerie.”
“You’re absolutely right. I don’t. That’s why I’m going back.”
“To Heaven?” A grin appeared on his perfect lips. “Are you, now? And how are you going to manage that, little angel?”
Is he mocking me? she thought with a sudden jab of disdain.
“Because this is all a mistake, that’s how. And I’m going to fix it. So you may as well not waste your time with me.”
“A mistake, huh?” His grin widened. “Are you so sure about that?”
“Positive. I didn’t do anything wrong.” Her throat hurt as she said it. Her memories had grown so faulty that she was no longer positive that was one hundred percent true. However, he didn’t have to know that, did he?
“If you haven’t done anything wrong than you needn’t be afraid of me.”
“I’m not afraid.” She jumped as he took another step closer to her. “I’m not.”
“In fact, I can make things so much better. Just listen to what I have to offer and perhaps you won’t need to spend another two months in a frozen wasteland like this.”
She crossed her arms. “What part of ‘I’m going back to Heaven’ didn’t you understand?
Besides, I hear Niagara Falls is beautiful in the springtime. Lots of tulips and happy tourists.
Not that I’m going to be here to witness it, that is.”
She had to get out of there. From what she remembered about Tempters, they preyed on the weaknesses and insecurities of the newly fallen—loneliness, fear, naïvité. And, she had a very long and detailed list of human weaknesses that he could poke at, right at the top of which seemed to be her immediate need for a Kleenex.
“I can give you beauty for all eternity,” he said. “You’ll never be cold or alone, or want for anything ever again.”
“Right now I want to be cold and alone. Please, just go away.” Her voice caught on some unexpected emotion and she forced herself to keep from crying. She swallowed hard.
His brow furrowed and he took a step back at her expression. And as suddenly as his change of mood came on it disappeared, replaced by a confident, drop-dead sexy grin curling up one side of his full lips as he shook his head.
“I can’t leave you alone, Valerie.”
Don’t look at him, she told herself.
She wondered what had taken him so long to show up. It would have made more sense for a
Tempter to arrive early, while the fallen were still fresh and gullible. But she’d had two months to adjust to the unpleasantness of being human, albeit kicking and screaming, so there was no way he was going to tempt her.
No way.
Do not let your guard down when confronted by a tempter or you will regret it. Big time.
Then she made the mistake of fully looking into his eyes. Grayish blue, that was the color.
He’d moved fully into the light of the lone street lamp so she could see him a bit better.
Grayish-blue eyes framed with thick, dark lashes. Chiseled cheekbones led down to full lips.
A square jaw with the slightest indication of a cleft. He looked like an angel, but she knew he was just the opposite. The balance. The flip side. And he was trouble.
He reached forward and stroked his fingertips along her cheek. She didn’t try to move away and it wasn’t just because she was pressed up against the hard wall. His touch left behind a warmth that made her entire body tingle, much as her foot had, but this time it seemed more . .
. more something. He traced a finger along her bottom lip, probably feeling the remnants of the Chap Stick she’d applied before leaving her safe motel room to go on her fateful trip to the drugstore.
She couldn’t stop staring into his eyes, and noticed her head was starting to feel fuzzy.
Just the head cold, she told herself. Ignore it. Ignore him. Push him away right now.
But she didn’t. As she looked into his eyes she began to wonder if maybe he was right. What if they didn’t take her back? What if she was stuck in this awful place? And not just Niagara
Falls—the earthly realm in general. Full of its sickness, disappointment, pain, and misery.
Maybe there was a better way. And if this beautiful stranger was by her side, then how bad could it possibly be?
No, what was she thinking? She didn’t honestly believe that, did she? Was he using some kind of demon mojo on her? Maybe it worked like a few cocktails, loosening her inhibitions so she’d agree to something she wouldn’t normally. And, if so . . . that was totally cheating.
“Just say the word, Valerie.” His lips were only a few inches from hers. He moved to push the long, light blond hair out of her eyes and tuck it behind her ear that he then whispered into. “I can take you away from all of this.”
Hmmm. The word. What was the word again?
He’s a demon! her brain hollered. And he’s cheating. Demon mojo, remember? Ignore what he’s saying. Get away from him right now!
Abracadabra? Hocus-pocus, maybe? No, that was two words. What word was Nathaniel talking about?
Then it came to her. She knew what the word was. The only word that truly counted. And she could say it. So easily. So very easily.
Y-E-S.
“Say it.” His voice was warm, open, soothing, and oh-so-tempting, as he leaned back to look at her. “And I will make all your troubles disappear.”
She nodded slowly, trying to breathe him in through her stuffed nose. But as she opened her mouth to speak the word that would make it all better, to stop her pain and loneliness and suffering once and for all, she felt something rising inside of her—from deep within.
Deep inside her nostrils, that is.
Oh no, she thought. But it was too late.
She sneezed all over him.
Chapter Three
The expression on the demon’s handsome face turned from romantic perfection to sheer disgust. He stepped back, wiping his face furiously with his sleeve.
Valerie wiped her nose on her own sleeve, feeling embarrassed.
“I have a cold,” she explained.
He glared at her. “That is disgusting.”
“Tell me about it.”
“You sneezed on me.”
She considered apologizing but decided against it. “Yes, I did.”
“You could have warned me.”
She shrugged. “It just came on. I didn’t expect it. I’m sick. I sneeze. That’s what humans do.”
“It’s disgusting.”
“You said that already. Allow me not to bother you with my disgusting germs any more this evening.” She turned to leave. “I think we’re finished here.”
He reached out to grab her shoulder. “We’re not finished. Far from it.”
Val shrugged his hand off her. “Oh we’re finished, alright.”
“You would choose life as a human—illness and discomfort, slaving away at a job you hate?”
She scowled at him, “I don’t hate my job. Much.”
He looked down at his cell phone and pressed a couple of buttons. “Let me tell you a little bit about yourself, Valerie Grace. You work and live at the Paradise Inn here in Niagara. You earn a very small salary in return for your free lodging. You consider very few people your friends, and you haven’t shared your secret with anyone.” He looked down at her. “No one to trust? Or no one you think would believe you?”
She didn’t reply. He made her newly human life sound pathetic. Too bad it was all true.
“You try your best to be a good person, doing good deeds for whomever will let you, helping little old ladies cross the street and such.” He laughed. “Good deeds, huh? Do you think they”—he pointed up—“care what you do anymore? After they�
��ve abandoned you? Turned their backs on your fate? But I’m here now. I can help you.”
“I’m doing just fine on my own, thanks so much.”
He was regaining his composure after the sneeze incident, slowly but surely, and he flashed her one of his wooze-inducing smiles. “You were just about to say yes to me only a moment ago.”
She paused. Unfortunately he was right about that. Her sneeze must have been divine intervention, interrupting what would have been a terrible mistake she would have regretted for the rest of eternity. At least she’d like to think of it as divine intervention. But sometimes a sneeze was just a sneeze.
“That was a moment ago. Ancient history. Go away.”
His smile vanished. “Stubborn girl. Why are you making this more difficult than it has to be?”
“I’m not a girl.”
“No.” His gaze tracked down her body again and she suddenly felt naked in front of him.
“Definitely not a girl. A grown woman. What must it be like to be suddenly thrust into the form of a beautiful woman with needs and desires such as you’ve never known before? It has to be very difficult for you.” He breathed the last few words against the side of her face, a warm touch in the cold night.
She shuffled away from him. “I get free cable. Don’t worry about me, I’m managing just fine.
I don’t care what your stupid phone says.”
The mugger groaned from the other side of the alley and pushed at the ground in an attempt to get up. Nathaniel grinned at Val, then closed the distance between him and the mugger in a step to grab him around the throat, lurching him to his semiconscious feet.
“And what of this pathetic creature? Would you have been doing just fine if I hadn’t stopped him? What nasty things do you think he had planned for you, Valerie?”
“Dude!” The mugger blinked his eyes rapidly as Nathaniel increased the pressure on his windpipe. “What . . . are you . . . doing?”
“It would be better for everyone if I take care of this matter permanently,” Nathaniel said.
“Make sure that he never tries to hurt you ever again. Consider it a gift, just like the ankle.”