He wasn’t sure what to say. Grant hadn’t been ready for Nevan to confirm what Danielle had told him. “Umm…one of my lab assistants discovered his swipe card was missing when he came to work this morning. I assume that’s how the vandals got in.”
Nevan was quiet for another moment, just studying him. “You’re in for a rude awakening if you hang out with Danielle long enough.” The detective pulled out a notebook. “What’s the man’s name and address? I’ll go and talk to him. You’re right—one of the criminals who broke in here probably used the swipe card. Locked doors and security systems wouldn’t keep the other out. Just keep that in mind.”
Grant pulled the information for Nevan out of a pile on the table. He watched the detective fold the paper, then tuck it in his suit pocket. “What do you have against Danielle, Detective?”
Nevan shrugged again before moving aimlessly around the lab. “Nothing except that her kind causes trouble wherever they go. She’s been good so far, but I don’t trust her not to start something.”
“Her kind?” Grant turned on his stool to keep his eyes on Nevan.
“She’s a fallen angel.” The announcement didn’t seem ridiculous coming from the stern detective’s mouth.
Grant laughed. “A fallen angel? Like one of those who rebelled against God?”
“Yeah, one of those angels.” Nevan held a hand over one of the ropes of gold they’d found in Peru. A frown flitted over his face along with a hint of sadness.
“That’s just a legend to explain why evil exists. It’s to give people excuses to explain away their own bad behavior. You know, ‘the Devil made me do it’ sort of thing.” He fought the urge to cringe when Nevan turned a cruel smile his way.
“I can see why Lucifer thought he was better than us. We bury our heads in the sand when things aren’t the way we think they should be. We deny anything that doesn’t make sense to us. Trust me, Doctor, fallen angels exist and they’ve lived in the world far longer than any civilization of man. They are the superior beings on Earth and we should be happy that the Father hasn’t allowed them free rein to do with us as they want.”
“But—”
“You can think I’m crazy if you want. It makes no difference to me. I’ve seen the truth and it hasn’t set me free. It’s chained me to a world populated by things no normal human should have to see. Other people’s belief in my sanity doesn’t matter to me. I’ll find the person who broke your pots. Danielle will find the fallen who wants the skeleton you’re hiding in the vault.”
“What?” Grant looked up to see Nevan standing in front of the vault, hand pressed tightly to the door. He wanted to order the detective away from it, but he knew Nevan wouldn’t listen. “How did you know?”
“I can feel the spirit that belonged to the skeleton. It’s calling to me and if Danielle had gotten closer to the vault, she would have felt it as well.” Nevan pulled away to look at Grant with glowing eyes. “I want to see it.”
His tone brooked no argument. Sighing, he opened the vault, then pulled out a stainless steel, sheet-covered cart. He lifted the sheet to reveal a pile of bones. A grunt was the only reaction Nevan gave while holding his hand over the skull, his face pale.
“Shit, is this all of it?” Nevan gestured for him to put it away.
“No, there’s still one more crate coming. It got lost in the trip up here.” Grant grimaced at Nevan’s disbelieving look. “I know. I should have made sure all the crates got on the planes at each connection or I should have flown them back here myself.”
“I can’t believe you let these bones out of your sight. Do you know what kind of trouble could ensue if the wrong people got hold of them?” Nevan shuddered.
“I’m still not sure they’re real, so it doesn’t matter. I have enough here to test and authenticate.”
“Not real? Do you really think someone took the time to make this skeleton and hide it in your dig site just for shits and giggles?” Nevan headed toward the lab door.
“Have you ever heard of a species of men with wings before, Detective?” Grant asked.
“Yes, angels. You need to talk to Danielle, then get this taken care of. Things are a lot more complicated than you think.” With that ambiguous parting shot, Nevan disappeared out of the door.
* * * *
“Talk to Danielle. Everyone is conspiring to make sure I talk to her, but it isn’t talking I want to do with her,” Grant muttered to himself as he sat at the bar. He had headed there after locking up at the museum. He knew it was stupid, but he was feeling cranky and several stiff drinks might help. He slammed back his shot of whiskey and gestured to the bartender for another.
“What would you like to do with her?” someone asked from beside him.
He turned to see a man take the stool next to him and order a whiskey as well. The stranger was dressed in a tailored three-piece suit. The coat and vest were unbuttoned and the silk tie had been loosened. The man’s dark hair gleamed in the low light of the bar. Grant had never seen a man more beautiful. It sounded weird, but that was the only way he could describe him.
“My name is Meical.” The man held out his hand.
Grant shook it, trying to rid himself of the feeling that the man knew all his secret thoughts and desires. “I’m Grant.”
“I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on your ramblings. I was just wondering what you wanted to do to this Danielle if it isn’t talking.” Meical gripped his shot glass and winked like he knew what Grant was thinking.
“It doesn’t involve that, that’s for sure. See, the thing is, I’m just not sure I like her. I know my body wants her. It has from the moment I saw her, but there’s something about her that makes me uneasy. It’s like she knows everything there is to know about me and I don’t know a thing about her.” Grant listened to his mouth run, wondering why he was telling a stranger all this shit.
“I’m less of a stranger than you think, Grant. So this Danielle is a woman of mystery, huh? Do you think she’s going to murder you or something like that?” Meical ordered another shot.
“No. I’m not physically scared of her.” Grant met Meical’s intriguing silver gaze.
“Then why are you scared of her? She won’t hurt you. Heck, she can’t hurt you. It’s against promises she made herself long ago.”
“Do you know Danielle?” Grant looked around the bar. The other patrons were going about their business, but it was like he and Meical were in a bubble and no noise or people intruded.
“I might, but tell me why you’re scared of her.”
Shrugging, he said, “I guess I’m afraid I might fall in love with her.”
“Why is that bad?” Meical frowned.
“Because she could break my heart and I don’t want that to happen.” Scrubbing his face with his hands, Grant couldn’t believe he was turning into such a sap.
“A broken heart is a terrible thing for a man to suffer.” There was knowledge and deep understanding in the melodic voice. Meical reached out to tap the bar next to Grant’s hand, drawing his gaze back to Meical’s face. “But not being willing to risk getting that heart broken is the worst thing to happen to a man.”
Shaking his head, he protested, “I don’t think so. I had my heart broken once already. I don’t plan on going through that pain again. Besides, the lady might be crazy.”
“Crazy? What makes you say that?” A puzzled look came then quickly went on the man’s face.
“She thinks she has powers and the detective I talked to thinks she’s a fallen angel. Of course, he thinks he can see ghosts, spirits and demons so maybe listening to him isn’t the best thing to do.”
Those silver eyes studied him for a second. “Does it really matter what she might think? She’s a beautiful woman. I mean, if you aren’t scared of her, then why not see where your interest in her runs?”
“Because I might regret what happens.”
“True, but don’t you think you might regret never knowing what might have been? I’ve learned th
at living with regret is hard, but having regret about not loving is worse. Don’t let fear blind you to the chance of a lifetime. Who knows? She might just be your soul mate.”
Turning to flag down the bartender and pay his tab, he said, “Soul mate? Man, where are you from?” He turned back to find Meical was gone. If it wasn’t for the empty whiskey glass on the bar next to him, Meical might not have even been there.
As he walked out of the bar, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Danielle’s number. Maybe it was the liquid courage or maybe it was Meical’s words about regret, but he was going to do something about his attraction. If it all blew up in his face tomorrow, at least he’d have tonight.
* * * *
Danielle hung up the phone and stared at it for a minute.
What would possess Grant to come see her if he couldn’t stand her? After their conversation earlier in his office, she figured he’d think she was crazy. Maybe crazy women turn him on. That thought made her laugh.
When she had gotten home, she had literally hit her head on the wall. What had she been thinking? Admittedly she was only taking advantage of an urge he’d already had, but to take over his mind and have him almost kiss her? Thank God she had come to her senses before he did. Kissing her would have pushed him over the edge, she imagined.
The phone rang at the same time as the doorbell. After grabbing the cordless phone, she went to answer the door.
“Hello,” she said while opening the door to allow Grant in.
Nevan’s harsh, “Largent here,” drowned Grant’s greeting out.
She waved Grant in as she acknowledged the detective. “Nevan, to what do I owe this dubious honor?”
Grant stiffened, glaring at the phone. She couldn’t help but smile. Nevan had that effect on a lot of people. Covering the phone, she told Grant, “Why don’t you make us some drinks? The liquor and glasses are in the living room.”
Turning away, she uncovered the receiver to hear Nevan ask, “Who’s there with you?”
She laughed. “It’s none of your business.”
“Tell Dr Carson he had better tell you the truth or I will,” Nevan ordered.
Danielle couldn’t stop the twinge of jealousy racing through her. “I’m not going to make him tell me anything. He told you—that should be enough.”
“Not remotely. What he’s got in his vault is a time bomb waiting to explode and I don’t want it going off in my jurisdiction.” The detective’s annoyance was obvious.
“Then you better work your magic, Detective Largent. I’m staying out of it until I’m asked.” After hanging up, Danielle tossed the phone onto the counter. Rubbing her neck for a second, she wondered why everyone was looking to her to solve whatever the problem was. Hell, she didn’t even know what was wrong.
“Are you done chatting with our friendly detective?” Grant asked as she made her way into the living room where he sat.
“Yes,” she said, sitting next to him on the couch, then took the drink he handed her. “Thank you.”
Nodding, he looked around the room. “You have some very nice antiques. I noticed that great sketch of an angel in your hallway. It looks pretty old.”
“Of course, it’s what I do. Each piece is the perfect example of its style and the period it was created in. Each was chosen for the story that came with it.” Danielle was in love with everything in her house.
“What kind of stories?” Grant visibly relaxed, leaning back into the cushions before turning to face her.
There was no way she was going to tell him the true stories. The stories of how she had each piece made by the greatest craftsmen of their time. How she remembered sitting at the Colonial roll top desk listening to the cannons and guns of the Revolutionary War. Grant would never believe that Michelangelo had sculpted the statue of the young Greek boy on her end table or that the sketch hanging in her entryway was a Da Vinci, drawn for her by the master himself.
He’d never understand the importance of the beat-up trunk in her bedroom. She tried to imagine what he would do if she told him she had hidden a runaway slave in it during the Civil War. Each piece was a chapter of her life and told her story throughout the centuries.
“Stories of the families that used to own them.” Maybe if his mind were open to the possibility of a supernatural world existing, she would have told him.
“Do you ever imagine what they might have been like?” He studied his glass.
Danielle didn’t have to imagine. She knew. “Yeah, it’s hard not to. Some of these pieces are hundreds of years old. Think of what they saw. Do you try to create the world and people that made your artifacts?”
“Sure, who wouldn’t? It’s hard to hold a pot in your hand and not wonder who made it.” He sipped his whiskey.
“Grant, why are you here?” She didn’t want to destroy the truce they seemed to have, but she couldn’t help being curious.
Taking a deep breath, Grant set his glass down then reached for hers. She didn’t argue, letting him take it. Her pulse jumped when he ran his callused fingertips over her cheek. She touched her tongue to her lips and licked his finger instead. Grant gasped. Opening her mouth, Danielle sucked his finger in and tasted the salt of his sweat and a little spice. Biting gently, she teased him with her tongue.
Groaning, Grant jerked his finger from her mouth before pulling her to him. Their lips met in a bruising kiss and she melted into him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Danielle’s mind yelled at her to think about what she was doing. Her body just begged her to keep doing it. She decided to listen to her body tonight and worry about the consequences in the morning.
They slid their tongues against each other. She ran her fingers through his dark hair. When they pulled away to get a breath, she found herself lying back on the couch. Grant was braced over her with his hips settled between her thighs. He rocked, grinding his erection against her mound. Feeling his hardness, she thrust her hips up to meet him.
She put her hands on his chest and pushed. “Off.”
The look of surprise on his face made her giggle.
“Our clothes. I want us naked,” she begged.
“Right. Naked is good.” Grant jumped to his feet then stripped.
She found buttons and zippers. Her clothes flew off and landed in a heap with his. She had a feeling their first time wasn’t going to be slow and gentle. They had been denying their attraction to each other for so long that now the dam had burst, the lust was like a flash flood washing over them with a crash.
Grant pulled her nipple into his warm mouth, causing her to cry out. He combed his fingers through the curls covering her mound. She couldn’t believe how wet she was already—of course, she was always wet when Grant was around.
Danielle arched off the couch when Grant found her clit, tugging, rubbing and tapping it until she begged.
“Please, Grant,” she pleaded. Danielle wanted his cock buried as deep as possible inside her.
A chuckle vibrated against her nipple as he slid a finger down to her wet entrance. She urged him on with the tilt of her hips. Just the tip of one finger slid inside and she moaned. He pulled it out to run it up and down the sides of her pussy without touching her clit. He kept teasing her until she was wriggling beneath him. Then he pulled away from her breasts and her pussy.
Staring down at her, he grinned. “What do you want, Danielle?”
She wasn’t sure she could talk, but if he didn’t fuck her soon, she was going to kill him. “Fuck me, Grant. Quit teasing.”
“I don’t have protection with me. I wasn’t planning on coming here.”
Danielle shook her head. “You don’t need it.”
“Are you sure?” He didn’t look convinced.
“Yes. It’s taken care of.” She gripped his hips.
“All right.”
She almost came when he took his shaft in his hand to run the head over her clit. He pushed into her, and she spread her legs as far as she could.
; Thrusting deep into her, he leaned over and whispered, “I’ve dreamed of you spread like this, taking my cock hard and fast.”
When he was in, she wrapped her legs around his waist and said, “Let’s give you what you want.”
He took her hard. The sounds of their flesh slapping together blended with their moans. He cupped her ass, bringing her hips up at an angle so his cock rubbed against her sweet spot with each thrust and retreat. Pleasure built and she knew she would be coming soon. Grant’s climax would hit as well, she could tell from the way he lost his rhythm.
One more quick thrust exploded her world. Pleasure shot through her, trying to short-circuit her brain. She cried out as he jerked once and filled her with heat. Some small part of her mind was still working and she gathered the power their mutual orgasms released. Danielle didn’t normally do that when she had sex—since she wasn’t an Enforcer or an unrepentant, she didn’t use up her supply of power very often, but something was telling her she was going to need a large store to deal with what was coming.
Panting, Grant collapsed on her. She ran her hands up and down his back, soothing him. He laid his head on her breast and she sighed. It had been a long time since she had shared space with a man she really liked. Her heart wanted to keep him right where he was, but she knew it wasn’t the most comfortable place to sleep. When his breathing deepened, she shifted slightly to keep him awake.
“Grant, don’t fall asleep yet. Let’s get to the bedroom. You can sleep there.”
“Oh, okay.” His voice was low and satisfied.
A smile broke on her face and smugness reigned for a moment. She had put that satisfaction there. He heaved himself off the couch before reaching down to help her up. Admiring the lean, hard lines of the man standing over her, she took his hand, letting him lift her. She pushed against him, then wrapped her arms around his neck. Pressing her lips to his, Danielle thanked Grant silently.
They made their way to her bedroom then crawled under her blankets. Soon he was sleeping and she lay staring at him. She had a feeling the regrets would arrive tomorrow. She couldn’t help being happy that he had come to her place. Now she knew what he tasted and felt like. It was a taste she could easily get addicted to.
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