All for You

by Dana Marie Bell

  She wasn’t in a hospital. There wasn’t a muted beeping sound, or squeaky nurse’s shoes. It wasn’t a hotel, either.

  Suddenly, she remembered where she was, and why.

  For you, my love.

  She shuddered. She’d spent last night in a daze, the date with Seth postponed while she dealt with the emotional fallout of Doug’s return. Now it was Monday, and she had to go to work. They both did.

  Seth had been so sweet to her, holding her when she cried, listening as she ranted. The only thing he’d refused to do was leave her alone.

  She couldn’t stay here. Doug would kill Seth just for smiling at her. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, pushing her hair out of her face. She glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was six thirty in the morning. Hopefully she’d be able to sneak out without Seth seeing her. Maybe she could catch a flight to Abu Dhabi before anyone was the wiser. Who the hell would look for her there?

  “Abby? How do you want your eggs?”

  So much for that idea.

  He sounded sleepy. She opened the door a crack and peeked at him. Seth’s hair was in disarray, as if he hadn’t combed it yet. He needed a shave, and his eyes were hooded with the last bits of sleep. He wore nothing but a pair of red pajama bottoms. He yawned behind his fist.

  He had the nicest chest of any man she’d ever seen, even on TV. Lean and muscular, with a smattering of dark hair and a washboard stomach, it was obvious he put that home gym he had to good use. She had to stifle the urge to run her fingers through those curly hairs to feel the smooth, golden skin beneath. “You have any salsa?” She tried to get her pulse to calm down.

  Well. If she had to stay, at least she had a nice view.

  He blinked. “Yes, I do. I picked some up about a week ago. Is scrambled okay?”

  “Yes, please.” She smiled softly, and shut the door as he turned toward the kitchen. Once she knew he was safely out of the hallway, she dashed for the bathroom. She took care of her morning business, then hurried into a pair of tight black jeans and the only top he’d grabbed, a racer-back tank top she worked out in occasionally that was just this side of tight. She decided to switch to the black T-shirt from the day before instead. She felt decidedly uncomfortable wearing the tank to work. It showed off too much of her body. She bent down and put her black high-top sneakers on. She had on her favorite pair of socks. They were so old, all of the elastic was shot and the black had dulled to a dark gray, but she just couldn’t part with them. She stared at herself in the mirror as she applied her mascara. I look like a vampire, she thought, stifling a grin. Blah, I vant to suck your blood! She made claws of her fingers and raked them at her reflection, trying to appear menacing.

  Oh, yeah. Very scary. She grimaced, then began brushing out her long hair. She might terrify a gerbil.

  By the time she headed downstairs, breakfast was on the table. He’d made scrambled eggs, salsa, cantaloupe, toast, juice and coffee. “Wow. That looks really good.” It smelled terrific, too, and suddenly her stomach growled loud enough to earn a chuckle from Seth.

  “I usually eat cereal and coffee for breakfast, but it’s not every day that I have someone sleep over.”

  “Thanks. I have an egg-white omelet, toast and coffee, so this is something of a treat. I’ll have to be careful at lunch, though. Don’t want to add to the junk in my trunk.” She sat and spooned some eggs and salsa onto her plate. God, she needed coffee, if she was talking about the size of her ass before breakfast.

  She reached for the toast, and Seth handed her grape jelly. “I like your junk.”

  Was it appropriate to tell him she liked his too? Before she could respond, he took a bite of the eggs. She nearly broke into giggles at the look on his face as he tasted scrambled eggs and salsa for the first time. “I’ve never had salsa on my eggs before, though I’d heard about it. The taste is...interesting.” She watched as he spooned more of the egg and salsa mixture into his mouth, the laughter breaking free at his grimace of disgust.

  “It’s an acquired taste.” She ate some of her own eggs with obvious relish, and grinned as he put his fork down and reached for the cantaloupe, leaving the eggs all but untouched on his plate.

  “Sorry, guess I just can’t acquire that particular taste. Think I’ll have mine plain next time.”

  “Do you have a newspaper?”

  “Nope. I don’t read anything depressing first thing in the morning. It sours my stomach.”

  “Ah. You’re one of those people who watch the eleven o’clock news and spoil their sleep?”

  “Nope. I’m one of those people who read it on the Internet at work.”

  “I can’t read at work, or I’d send my customers home with purple Mohawks.”

  He grinned. “Yeah, I could see how that would be career altering for a hairdresser.”

  “What made you decide to be an architect?”

  “I like designing pretty things, but I have no aptitude for so-called real art. I kind of liked the idea of building something that someone could live in, make a home in. A place where people could express their own style, or work with the surrounding beauty of nature.” He shrugged. “It’s hard to explain, but I’ve always wanted to do something like that.”

  “Practical art.” She’d seen houses in magazines that took her breath away, so she could understand his desire.

  He smiled at her slowly, obviously pleased that she got it. “Exactly.” He glanced at his watch. “Speaking of which, we need to start getting ready to go.”

  She cleared the breakfast dishes while he went to get dressed. He came out wearing a gray polo shirt and black pants, his hair combed smooth. He threw on his leather trench coat and picked up his briefcase. “Okay, here’s the deal. I’m dropping you off at work. What time do you get done?”

  “My shift ends at six, but if I have customers waiting, it could be later. I never get out on time.” She put her own coat on and picked up her purse. Abby followed him to the front door, rolling her eyes at his back. She had the feeling her Abu Dhabi plans were about to go up in smoke.

  “Okay. I’ll be at the shop by six.”

  She eyed him dubiously. “I may not be ready to go by then, Seth. You’d have to wait.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It won’t be a problem.” He opened the door for her, and she stepped out. He followed and pulled the door shut behind them.

  “Seth, I’ll be surrounded by people. I’ll be okay. I can call you or Trish as soon as I’m done.” In fact, she’d have an easier time slipping away from Trish.

  He turned, finished with locking his door, and smiled down at her gently. “I’ll be there at six.” There was that determination again, the same one that had her out the door of her home the night before.

  “You’re too stubborn for my good, you know that?” In spite of her annoyance at his high-handed attitude, she felt reassured. She still didn’t understand why she felt so safe with him. She’d known him pre-Doug, and he was friends with her brother—a man who had once threatened the balls of her prom date right on the front porch, in full view of the entire neighborhood, and didn’t she still want to get even with him for that humiliation.

  But something so simple couldn’t lead to the level of trust Seth inspired in her.

  “Abby?”

  She gave in. Seth wasn’t going to back down, and she didn’t really want to visit Abu Dhabi anyway. “Fine. I’ll see you at six.”

  “And you’re to stay in the shop for lunch.”

  “No, I’m not.” She might be giving up her desert paradise, but no way in hell was she giving up her Girlfriend Date. “I’ve been planning on going to lunch with some friends all week, and I’ve been looking forward to it.” The gleam of battle was in his eye. She’d need to head him off, or her lunch date was off for the foreseeable future. “Nancy is going, so I won’t be alone, okay?”

  He seemed to think about it for a moment. “Give me your cell.” She handed it over and watched as he programme
d his number into it, both his own cell and his house. “You call me if anything, and I mean anything, gives you even a twitch of a bad feeling, got it?”

  She saluted. “Aye, aye, sir.” Exasperation warred with amusement. “Anything else I’m to do today, while you’re handing out orders?”

  He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, then squinted up at the blue sky. “I’m sure I can come up with a thing or two by tonight.” She watched his mouth quirk as he suppressed a grin.

  Abby rolled her eyes.

  He chuckled as he grabbed her arm and escorted her out to his car. “I’m serious. I don’t want you alone until we know what’s going on.” He stopped, turning her to face him. All the humor had left his expression. “Promise me.”

  She almost melted at the expression of concern on his face. “Seth, I’ll be fine. Really. I won’t go anywhere alone.”

  He looked unconvinced. “You’ll call me.”

  “I have your cell-phone number.” She’d use it, too, if she thought for even a second that Doug was anywhere near her.

  He leaned in closer, his face inches from her own, and the worry in his gaze morphed into that hot-as-hell determination. “Promise me, Abby.” His voice had dropped, the smoky quality all but taking over, and something shivered inside her. She wanted to hear that tone when he was deep inside—

  No. It was too soon to think about things like that. She swallowed the saliva pooling in her mouth. “I promise.”

  As his lips touched hers, she thought she heard him say, “Good.”

  It hardly qualified as a kiss. Just a touch of his lips to hers. But the feel of his mouth rocked her to her toes. She swayed toward him, desperate to take it deeper, but he lifted his head. She found herself unable to look away from his eyes. They’d turned pure blue, dark and mysterious.

  He didn’t smile. His head lowered, his eyes never leaving hers until they closed at the last possible minute. This kiss rocked her to her toes. She’d never felt anything so powerful in her entire life. This kiss took, demanded, forced her to respond to him, and she loved it. She put her hands on his chest, flexing her fingers, willing to make some demands of her own. He felt so good, so strong.

  He groaned at her touch. His tongue invaded her mouth, exploring, probing. His arms tightened around her, and one of his hands moved to the back of her head and pressed her closer to him. She began her own exploration of his mouth that left her trembling and breathless. She moved her hands up his chest slowly, feeling the softness of the cloth and the hardness of his flesh beneath it, until they met around his neck. He deepened the kiss and she drowned in his scent, his touch, the feel of him under her hands.

  Dear God, he was perfect.

  When he lifted his mouth from hers, they were both breathing hard. A couple of kids cat-calling from the street corner startled them, forced them apart. He grinned, a sexy expression full of promise. “C’mon, or we’ll be late for work.” He helped her into his car, then moved to the driver’s side. He slid behind the wheel and started the car, sliding on his seat belt before putting it in gear. She put her seat belt on, too, and he drove out of the parking lot. Not a word passed between them until he pulled up in front of the doors of Mane Frame.

  “Call me if anything weird happens today. Anything. Got it?”

  “Okay, Seth. I promised, remember?” And she would, too. She had no desire to become the brisket at a psycho’s all-you-can-eat buffet.

  He stared into her eyes, and moved closer to her. She heard him whisper “Good” before he kissed her goodbye. The kiss didn’t last long, but it started her nerve endings tingling all the same. She knew he watched her as she stepped out of the car and all the way into the salon. It didn’t matter that she walked past at least three of her closest friends on her way into the shop. She was grinning like a Cheshire cat, but she couldn’t seem to stop.

  Today was going to be a really good day.

  * * *

  Seth watched as Dante walked into the living room of Gabriel’s home. “Well?”

  “He’s human.” Damien leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees, his hands clasped. It was his classic I’m worried pose, and Seth ground his teeth together. “I haven’t found anything about Finleys in the Archives, on either side of Doug’s family.”

  The Archives held the names of all the angel-born, Neph or Shem. None of them wrote in it. The name would magically appear, but only if the angel-born showed powers. Which meant that—

  “He could be a by-blow.” Gabriel, towering above all of them, paced before the fireplace. His golden hair gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

  Seth grimaced. A by-blow was an angel-born who had no powers but had the ability to pass them on to children. By-blows didn’t always know what they were, unless their parent informed them, and never showed up in the Archives. If Finley were a by-blow and knew what the angel-born were, he could have set things up so that he was working willingly with the Shem.

  A by-blow was able to go places and do things that an angel-born couldn’t, making them a useful resource, as they had no aura to alert either side to their presence. Both sides had been known to employ by-blows, and payment varied from employer to employer. Handing Abby over to Doug for his cooperation would be a small price to pay in the eyes of a Shem.

  When human life meant less to you than ordering a burger at a fast-food restaurant, it was easy to hand off a number one with Diet Coke to a peon who was doing you favors.

  Piercing violet eyes pinned Seth in place. “What have you discovered so far?”

  Abby tastes exquisite. “Abby is beginning to trust me. I’ve got her in my home, where I can keep a close watch on her.” He straightened his shoulders, aware that Gabriel wasn’t going to like the decision he’d come to as he watched Abby enter the salon. “If anything else happens, I’m taking her to Piotr’s estate. It’s the most defensible position I know of.”

  “No. Piotr is still dealing with some things for me and is unavailable. Take her to your parents first. Your father will be able to help you protect her. Only take her to Piotr if your father’s security is breached.” Gabriel turned to Damien, and Seth almost sagged. Sometimes the weight of Gabriel’s gaze was too much to bear. “I want you to find all those associated with Douglas Finley. If he is a by-blow, he’ll have ties to the Shem we’re unaware of. Look into it.”

  “Do they want her for something more than as payment to Finley?” Damien stroked his chin, his eyes gleaming with an otherworldly light.

  Seth stiffened. “No matter what, they won’t get her. Not on my watch.”

  Not ever. The way he’d reacted to the knowledge that she’d been in danger haunted him. His hands had been shaking. He’d been absolutely terrified for her, angry at himself for leaving her alone, even for a second. She’d been vulnerable, and the knowledge damn near killed him.

  All of which led him to only one conclusion. Abby was his.

  Mates of the Nephilim were guarded by all. Fiona might not have known it, but she had been one of the safest women on the planet. If he could get Abby to accept him, she would learn all about Seth’s real work, and who he worked with.

  She’d love Piotr. He was sure of it. Once she got past his scary outer shell, she’d find the warm, loving man Seth was honored to call brother.

  “Did you know that Abby is friends with Piotr’s PA?”

  Seth blinked and turned his gaze back to Damien. Had the Malachi discovered how to read minds? “Excuse me?”

  “Andrea Hancock is one of Abby Marcheson’s best friends.” Damien shot him an innocent expression that Seth wasn’t buying for a moment.

  “You think they’re going to use Abby to get to Ms. Hancock, thus forcing Piotr out into the open?” Gabriel shook his head. Only Gabriel and Seth knew that Piotr was actually the son of the head of the Shemyaza, Ivan Romanov. If the others found out, it wouldn’t matter how many times Piotr had put his neck on the line for them. Both Seth and Gabriel were positiv
e they’d turn on Piotr and drive him out. Gabriel had gone so far as to order Piotr to keep it a secret, an order his brother had reluctantly obeyed. Seth wouldn’t put it past Ivan the Terrible to use an innocent to flush his son out of hiding. “No. Piotr knows how important the mission is. He won’t be used that way, especially for a woman.”

  Seth grimaced. He knew what Gabriel meant, but to Damien and Dante it sounded like the commander was damning Piotr as cold, willing to toss aside human lives for the sake of stopping the Shemyaza. Seth knew better. Piotr would act to save a woman, but only if it was the right woman.

  So far, his brother hadn’t found her.

  “Where is Abby now?” That piercing violet gaze was on him once more, and Seth shivered.

  “She’s at work, surrounded by customers and her coworkers. She’s planning on meeting some of her friends for lunch, but she won’t be alone then either. Nancy, her boss, will be going with her.”

  Gabriel nodded. “Keep me posted.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “So far we have very little to go on. We know the Shem have been in Abby’s home, but they’re using the specter of her ex-boyfriend to force her into, what? Running? Ramping up her fear for a feeding? Something about this doesn’t feel like a normal Shem hunt. I want to know what they’re up to, and why Ms. Marcheson has been targeted. All we have are more questions than answers, and I don’t like it.”

  “Bill’s checking Finley’s old acquaintances and bolt-holes, but because he’s Abby’s brother, he’s not going to get assigned to the case.” Seth shared a glance with Dante.

  Dante grinned back. “I think I can get myself assigned. I went with Bill when he got the call, so she’s already seen me, and the chief won’t think it’s strange if I volunteer to help a friend out. That will make things easier when I have to question her.”

  “Thanks. I’d appreciate that.” Having his brother checking into things would ease Seth’s mind considerably, and Bill knew Dante. Bill would have no trouble with Dante taking over for him.

  “That works on our end.” Gabriel turned to Damien once more. “Find out what you can on Finley and his associates.” Gabriel’s intense gaze landed on Seth. You would never know what he truly was until that penetrating gaze was directed at you. It was all Seth could do not to bow his head. And Seth understood that around them, Gabriel usually had the angelometer dialed to practically zero. “Guard her. Whoever is doing this knows her, is using Doug Finley’s sickness to terrorize her.”