Heavenly Desire

by J. L. Sheppard

  When she moved to Paris, dating anyone was out of the question. Mostly because she refused to put herself in such a vulnerable position again.

  “What do you want me to do? Go up to him and ask him for his number? I mean…I haven’t been on a date in years, and I’m hardly the type to do that.”

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying when he approaches you, give him a chance. Don’t disregard him like you do everyone else.”

  “I—” The denial died on her lips as the timer went off. She dashed toward the oven to remove several pastries.

  Without a second thought to their conversation, Ashley went about her day avoiding crossing the threshold separating the kitchen from the customer area. Whenever she needed anything brought outside, she called on Brenda or Augusto. She simply didn’t want to catch sight of the handsome stranger.

  Despite her charade over the last four days, she had thought about him often, too often for her liking. One look at him and she knew he was the type of man a woman could get lost in. She didn’t want to be that woman. It would only end in heartbreak, and she was still reeling from the last.

  She knew all this, but it was no use. Her mind continued to drift as if some unknown force pulled her thoughts astray. She couldn’t blame herself really. He was striking, tall and lean with broad shoulders and those deep-set sapphire-blue eyes. His hair was as black as night often disheveled in an eye-catching way she was sure only he could pull off.

  By the time her boss called around noon to ask her to work another double, she hesitated remembering what Brenda had told her then reluctantly agreed. After that, her day drifted by quickly. Before she knew it, it was time to close. She bid farewell to the evening staffers, Patricia and Andres. When they left, she locked the door behind them, made sure all the kitchen appliances were off then headed toward the employee entrance in the back of the bakery. She grabbed her bag and pulled on her raincoat.

  As she opened the door leading outside, she braced herself for the cold and rain then stepped out. Through the thickness of her raincoat, the crisp cool air struck her as the rain pelted against her. She locked the door, then twisted the knob to double check it was locked properly and turned quickly, bumping into the expanse of a chest. Her gaze slid up, staring at a man wearing a hood draped over part of his face.

  “Well, well,” he said with a thick accent then pulled out a knife. She immediately took several steps backwards hitting the door behind her. “Give me your purse.” His tone snide.

  Her heart rate spiked, her heart pounded against her ribs at an alarming rate. She intended to give in to his demands, but fear coursing through her froze her.

  The would-be thief grabbed the front of her coat and pulled her toward him, bringing the knife close to her face.

  “Please, I—” she said, placing her hand against the man’s chest.

  He flew backward, and he landed on his rear several feet away. Her gaze then drifted toward another figure standing beside her.

  Her jaw went slack, a small gasp escaped her, recognizing him, the dark-haired stranger who’d infiltrated her thoughts.

  He was soaked, wearing a thin sweater and jeans. His dark hair was plastered to his face. Pushing his hair aside, his piercing blue eyes settled on her, unnerving her. Up close, his features were lean and masculine with a pronounced chin and high cheekbones.

  God, he’s handsome, she thought despite her predicament.

  “Wait here,” he said then closed the distance between himself and the robber.

  “Who the hell are you?” the man asked as he stood.

  “No one,” he replied with a cool calm she envied.

  For several moments, he eyed the man without uttering a word, then the robber fled. He turned and calmly strode to her as if nothing had occurred.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, concern expressed on his handsome face.

  Shocked, scared and relieved, she couldn’t speak instead she nodded.

  “Let’s get out of the rain.”

  He grabbed her hand and nudged her forward. Sparks of heat shot up and down her arm making her flinch, but she didn’t release him. As startling as the touch had been, it soothed her.

  He led her toward the main road, slowed his steps and strolled beside her without releasing her hand then he faced her.

  “Are you sure you are okay?”

  She still couldn’t find the words to say so she just nodded, avoiding his gaze. They walked for several minutes, past the Westminster Abbey as the wind and rain thickened. Her masochistic mind replayed the terror she’d experienced moments before.

  She spared a glance in his direction as he led her into a pub. He released her hand and halted at the entrance to help her remove her coat. He folded it over his arm then grabbed her hand again. The touch rekindled the sparks of heat she’d sensed before making her shiver.

  “Cold?” he asked then released her hand. With her coat still draped over his forearm, he ran his palms up and down her arms, warming every inch of her.

  Me, cold? Surely, not as cold as he is, she thought.

  Her rescuer was drenched. Droplets of water cascaded down the sides of his face, buckets dripped from his sweater.

  He steered her toward the bar ordering them two pints of Guinness. He paid, grabbed the glasses and led her toward the front of the pub where he placed her coat over the back of a chair then pulled it out for her to sit. She watched as he sat across from her and placed the beer in front of her.

  “Are you positive you are okay? You haven’t said a word, and you look a little pale.”

  She reached for the beer and took two long gulps. “I’m fine,” she said finally finding her voice.

  Her gaze met his, and she was startled anew by the intensity of his blue eyes. She forced herself to look away from them and focused on his features. His thick brows were drawn in concern. He had a strong jaw and cheekbones and a small cleft in his chin. Definitely, striking and disarming.

  “I’m…thank you,” she blurted.

  “There’s no need to thank me,” he said shrugging as if he’d done nothing significant.

  “I—” She paused losing track of what she wanted to say then she took another long sip of beer. “What did you tell him? I mean… Why did he just leave?”

  “I didn’t say anything. My presence scared him away. Men like that only prey on the weak and feeble,” he said, his tone held an edge of disgust.

  “So I’m weak and feeble?” she asked partially insulted.

  “No, but you are a woman, and you are what…five-foot-three or four? He would have never expected…” His eyes scanned her face seemingly analyzing her perplexed expression.

  “That you would show up and save the day?” she asked, anger simmering at his insult.

  His eyes sparked with humor, and he smiled.

  Her heart momentarily stopped beating. She couldn’t breathe because her heart lodged in her throat. He could stop traffic with that damned smile.

  “That was not what I was going to say… You are a woman and very thin. He saw you and took his chance.”

  She’d heard enough. She refused to be insulted by a man even with looks and a smile like his. Her eyes narrowing, she rose to her feet and grabbed her coat. “I think I’m done here. Thanks for saving a weak, feeble and thin woman from a thief.”

  His eyes widened, and he stood, “No, no. I didn’t mean it like that. I meant…I meant…” He sounded worried, but she was too insulted to care until he uttered, “You are a very beautiful woman.”

  She stopped dead in her tracks. Beautiful? Never had she been called beautiful. Curious to see if he looked as worried and sincere as he sounded, she turned toward him. His brows were ceased, an expression of concern marring those handsome features. It touched her, softening her anger.

  “You are,” he said more adamantly. “You are beautiful, and it’s not just the way you look. It’s other…stuff, too. I didn’t mean to say you are too thin or…”

  She drape
d her coat over the back of the chair and sat.

  He sighed, then joined her. “Let’s start over then?”

  “My name is Ashley.”

  “I’m Clyde.” He paused then blurted, “I love those puff pastries you make.”

  She laughed aloud then hid her face with her hands. “I know. You’ve been coming in twice a day for the last four days and ordered the same thing.”

  “So you’ve noticed?” he grinned.

  “Everyone has noticed. The staff has bets on how much longer you’ll keep it up.” She took another sip of beer.

  Feeling a sinus headache coming on, she removed the band holding her hair up and ran her fingers through it. When she turned her attention to him again, his gaze was glued to her, staring at her, intently scanning every inch of her face as if he wanted to memorize it. That look from any other man would’ve had her gunning for the exit, but she wasn’t scared, not with him. To some degree, she felt she could trust the stranger sitting across from her—that thought unnerved her. Why him and why now? A bad case of hero worship, she supposed.

  He didn’t utter a word but continued to stare. She had the sudden instinct he was reading her, that he could see right through her and knew who she was better than she knew herself.

  “What?”

  He shook his head, “Nothing. It’s just been a long time since I’ve enjoyed someone’s company.”

  On cue, she blushed. “I don’t believe that. I don’t think that’s even possible. I mean—”

  “It’s true,” he interrupted. “Trust me. It’s been a while. I don’t have a lot of friends.”

  “Well, neither do I. I moved here from Paris about two months ago. I haven’t really had the chance to go out.”

  “Because of your long hours?”

  “Yeah, and honestly, who wants to go out in all this rain?”

  He chuckled. The sound was masculine yet soft. She felt it resonate inside her chest.

  “That’s true, but it is not that bad.”

  “Maybe not to you, but it’s depressing to me. I love blue, cloudless sunny days.”

  “Why did you move here then?”

  She shrugged as she took a sip of her beer finishing it. “I had several offers, but I didn’t want to go back to the States and every other offer was from a foreign country where English isn’t the primary language. Language isn’t my strong suit.”

  “So you haven’t met anyone here…in London?”

  She shook her head then said, “Besides the people I work with, no.”

  “Would you like another beer?”

  “No, thanks. I never drink, so I’m a cheap drunk. Another one of those, and I probably won’t be able to find my way back home.”

  “Is that so?” he asked, lifting a brow.

  She laughed loudly, and just as moments before his stare deepened. Self-conscious, she stilled, heat rising up her cheeks.

  “Aren’t you cold?” she asked. “You’re soaked.”

  He glanced at himself, confirming her words. “I am soaked but not cold.”

  “I should head home. I have an early morning,” she said then stood and collected her coat and purse.

  Quickly, he followed, “I’ll accompany you, if you don’t mind.”

  She hesitated, considering his offer. He’d saved her from a thief, but she knew it was foolish to trust him. She didn’t know him, and if she agreed he’d know where she lived. Although had he intended to hurt her, why would he have saved her?

  Ashley was about to refuse then her eyes met his again. She read the concern she’d glimpse before in his sapphire eyes. For some odd reason, one she couldn’t put into words and was too tired to examine, she accepted his offer.

  Chapter 3

  In the rain, Clyde and Ashley walked side by side for several blocks until they reached the red and blue underground logo signaling they had made it to the tube. It was packed. They squeezed themselves in. In doing so, Ashley tripped over a bag placed on the floor. He grabbed her waist and wrapped his arm around her back to steady her. The heat of her body permeated his skin as he pulled her closer. He clenched his jaw to hold back a groan.

  “Uh…sorry,” she mumbled, turning to face him then smiled. “If you keep saving me, I may need to keep you around,” she whispered in jest.

  With her body pressed up against his, he pondered the thought. He hadn’t been able to take his gaze off her all night.

  Over the past four days, he’d watched her every move, primarily because it was his job. But he thought about her constantly and when he thought about her, he didn’t just think about keeping her safe. He thought about what she would look like in a dress with her hair spilling around her, how it would feel to lace his fingers through it or how it would feel to hold her close as he was now. He thought about her smile or how she always managed to get flour on her face. It wasn’t exactly part of his job or what he was instructed to do, but he couldn’t help it.

  In two thousand years, he had never met a woman whose laughter could light up a dark pub, highlighting her features as everything else, all surroundings and distractions, faded away.

  There was something about her that captivated him, enticing him away from all else and lured him toward her. And the more he gazed at her, the more he felt a twinge of something he couldn’t quite describe, an unknown surge that bubbled inside him from the first moment he’d caught sight of her, and it wouldn’t release him.

  He didn’t mind watching her work or talk or laugh. No, he didn’t mind guarding her at all.

  Her brows drew together seemingly speculating his thoughts. He said exactly what was on his mind.

  “I would not mind that at all.”

  Her eyes widened, then she looked away from him. She attempted to put some distance between them, but his arm, firmly wrapped around her waist, held her still. He didn’t want to let her go. He wanted to enjoy the warmth of her body against his. It would be a fleeting moment until their stop, but he wouldn’t relinquish her until then. There was nowhere to go anyway. They were surrounded by too many people heading home from work or heading out for the night.

  Once the tube doors slid open on her stop, Marble Arch, he released her waist and grabbed her hand, feeling the tingling sensation shoot up his arm again. He wondered briefly why he’d never felt it when he’d grabbed Jenna’s hand, then disregarded the thought as he pulled Ashley forward and away from the crowd.

  He paused and faced her. “Which way?” he asked because he couldn’t let on he already knew.

  She led him up the stairs and then north. Once they reached the streets, she let out a breath. Perhaps relieved it was no longer raining. They walked in silence toward her flat.

  He wanted to say something, anything but couldn’t find the words. He was still undecided on how or when to tell her who he was and why he had come to find her. Even today, he had felt it was too soon to introduce himself, but fate irrevocably stepped in.

  In hindsight, she hadn’t needed him. She’d used her power although she hadn’t realized it. Still, he had no other choice but to intervene. She was entrusted to him. He was her protector for however long the Lords decided.

  As they’d walked into the pub, he battled with the thought of what could’ve happened if he hadn’t been there. His chest tightened as an odd and inexplicable ache enveloped him.

  The ache doubled when he realized she had met her fated mate, the man she was destined to spend eternity with, the man created for her. Elementals, like herself, didn’t acquire their powers over the elements until they met their fated mates although they possessed other abilities before then: superior senses and strength and the ability to heal rapidly.

  Discovering she’d met the man fated for her had been a blow, triggering an emotion in him he could only describe as jealousy. Along with the ache he’d already held in his chest, the jealousy had nearly incapacitated him. He couldn’t comprehend how he—an angel—was capable of such a negative emotion for a woman who wasn’t his and never would
be.

  For months, he had fought to rid himself of emotions and earthbound mannerisms, trying to rid himself of the bond he shared with Jenna. Subconsciously, he realized he would never stop caring for Jenna but fought constantly to do so anyway, withdrawing from her life more and more and spending more and more time in heaven.

  He fought twice as hard to push away the jealousy as soon as it arose, yet still it lingered inside him despite his attempts to bury the thought as well as the emotion.

  Odd thing was Ashley didn’t know the identity of her mate. She’d said she hadn’t met anyone since she’d moved to London. None of the people she worked with were immortals, which begged the questions: Who was he? When had they met? Why wasn’t he with her, and why hadn’t he told her?

  Immortal men instantly recognized their fated mates, a cosmic gift destiny granted, their other halves. The instinct to protect was ingrained in them and overpowered every emotion, every action and every thought.

  Jade Ashley had her powers, yet since he’d been watching her, he hadn’t seen another immortal near her. It confounded him. He couldn’t understand who would voluntarily stay away from Ashley because she was simply breathtaking.

  As they neared her flat, she stopped and turned to face him. “Thank you, Clyde, for everything.”

  “There is no need to thank me, Ashley. It was my pleasure,” he said and reluctantly released her hand.

  She walked down several steps toward her door, placed the key in the lock and turned it. Opening her door, she turned and glanced in his direction. He could tell her mind swirled with thoughts and was overcome with the need to know what they were.

  “Bye,” she said then slipped inside.

  “Bye,” he whispered as she closed the door behind her. He knew she had heard him.

  Jade Ashley is beautifully delicate and mild-tempered and lovely. And she had no idea of the power she held inside.