Serah turned to face Matthias. Even though his eyes were dark, they sparked. Despite her inner, practical self telling her to beware, she felt at ease. Emotions conflicted with each other. Wasn’t that what the Infernati were good at? Messing with people’s minds?
From all those fantasies he’d been putting in hers, maybe he wasn’t as good as he claimed. She yanked her hand from his.
“How do I know I can fully trust you?”
Matthias’s face grew stony and his body tensed. His onyx gaze continued to penetrate her mind. Serah shivered. Matthias’s facade softened slightly. “I already told you, Serah. If you can’t trust me, trust that I will do whatever is necessary to fulfill my mission.”
Serah nodded. His response eased her stress—slightly.
Chapter 24
Matthias wished he could just sink into the sofa. He didn’t blame her for her lack of trust. It was quite obvious she had a knack for judging people. It was only a matter of time before she would remember everything. If only he could keep his hands off her. Each touch, each kiss brought her closer to the memories. Then again, maybe it was better if she knew.
It would make this mission a hell of a lot easier.
“I think we should try to get more information on Daniel,” Rafael said, breaking the awkward silence.
Matthias grumbled. “I’ve spent the entire morning researching American Chef and Daniel Blackburn. Nothing. Not even any parking tickets. No credit report either.”
“He is a star, you know,” Lucia said with a grin. “Maybe Daniel Blackburn isn’t his real name.”
“There were no court documents, either, sealed or unsealed.” Matthias rested his elbows on his knees and grabbed his temples. God, he hated complications. And celebrities with stage names.
Serah shrugged. “Still doesn’t mean he’s a demon or working for them. He could just be really private.”
Private, his ass. “If he’s really private, he sure has a weird way of showing it. And I Googled ‘I went to school with Daniel Blackburn’ and nothing came up either.”
“Huh?” How the hell did a several-centuries-old demon know the ins and outs of Internet searches?
“There’s always someone who wants recognition, in any crowd.”
She couldn’t disagree with that. “I was referring to your super-mad computer skills, actually.”
“In my previous line of work, computer skills were a necessary evil.” Sadly, evil wasn’t always a pun either. He’d done some evil things in his life. He didn’t deserve someone as pure as Serah.
Rafael cracked his knuckles. “We need to keep a close watch on Daniel. I can set up surveillance. I have some phantoms that owe me a favor or two.”
Serah snorted in laughter. Matthias loved her laugh. He’d miss it when his mission was done and she never wanted to see him again. “Phantoms? Seriously? I would have thought ghosts would be demons too.”
“Ghosts and phantoms are spirits that never made it to judgment. They need guidance to be led to heaven, hell, or limbo.” Matthias turned to Rafael. “How soon can you have them in place?”
“About an hour, two at the most.”
“Excellent. I can stay here and monitor things as well.” Matthias drew his gaze to Lucia. “What about you? What do you plan to do, Lucia?”
“Lucy, damn it. I’m staying here. I don’t give a crap what Daniel or his reclusive producer has to say about it.”
“Speaking of producers, has anyone researched her?” Rafe pulled out his BlackBerry and punched some buttons.
“Not yet. I only have her name. Sally Lohman.” Matthias had been just about to enter her name into the search when Edie invaded his space earlier. “I’ll do it once we’re done here.”
“I’ll do it,” Lucy chimed in. “You need to focus on Serah.”
Matthias stifled his chuckle. If he focused on her any more than he already did, he was done for. “I will stand guard. I, too, do not give a damn what anyone has to say about it.”
“I’ll be back in two hours,” Rafe said. “Hopefully Nigel and Rupert are still at their usual haunt.”
Serah rolled her eyes. “Ghosts have weird names.”
“They are over two hundred years old.”
“Thank God I wasn’t born then.” She covered her mouth, a wide blush filling her cheeks. “No offense.”
She was so adorable when she blushed. So pure. Matthias steeled himself. She was too pure for the likes of him. “None taken.”
“None here, either. I’m used to Serah’s idiosyncrasies—Ouch! Sorry.”
Lucy removed her tennis-shoe clad foot from Rafe’s. “Don’t even say that hurt.”
“You keep getting stronger, and I won’t know what to do with you.” Rafe swept Lucy into his arms and gave her a searing kiss.
“Oh, I think you know full-well what you’d do.” She gave him a playful smack on his arm.
Matthias tried to control his frown. If only he could have such a relationship. So open and free. But he didn’t wish his baggage on his worst enemy. He scraped his fingers through his head and angled his gaze to the ceiling.
“Your excessive use of PDA is making Matt here jealous.” Serah crossed her legs and gave a sneaky smirk.
“I don’t see any portable digital assistants here.” Matthias drew his brows together, consternation filling his face.
Serah blew out a breath and shook her head. “Public displays of affection. Jeez. How can you be so knowledgeable about computers and technology, but not common terms used by humans?”
How could she read him so well? Frustration replaced his consternation. “Talking and sending messages in codes is silly. I prefer to spell out words in their entirety.”
“OMG! I N-O!” Lucy said with a wide grin.
Matthias groaned. Serah shook her head in her hands. They had more in common than he thought.
“Well, now that we’ve cleared the air, I better go hunt down those ghosts.” Rafe stood and stretched out his legs. “I think I’ll take that sofa next time.”
Matthias extended his legs, putting his arms behind his head. Human furniture wasn’t made for demons obviously. “Unfortunately, it’s no more comfortable here.”
Serah crossed her arms, a challenging expression clouding her face. “Are you telling me I should special-order my furniture from now on?”
“Just a friendly suggestion,” Rafe said. “But I’ve really got to go. See you all later.”
Serah grabbed her arms and huddled tight. Matthias would have offered her his jacket if he had one. “Something tells me I should have brought my coat. This chef jacket just doesn’t cut it when you all decide to use my office as a portal.”
“It only lasts a minute or two. Besides, it’s Michigan. Aren’t you used to the snow by now?”
“Just because I’m used to snow, doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“Amen to that,” Lucy said with a chuckle.
Rafael nodded. “Good point.” He closed his eyes and held his arms up high. “Bundle up. I’m heading out. Time to head on over to Kirby Road.”
“Kirby Road?” Lucy shuddered. “Poor ghosts.”
“Yeah, you’d think spirits with such dignified names as Rupert and Nigel would choose a more stately area to haunt.”
“They hang out at the homeless shelter,” Rafe explained. “Even though they’re ghosts, they still find ways to volunteer their time.”
“Charity is charity, whether someone can see you or not, right?” Serah smiled. “I wonder if they were there when I was serving soup last weekend.”
Rafe shrugged. “Maybe they were.”
With that, Rafael closed his eyes and raised his arms high. “Portals of limbo and hell. Take me to the corner of Plainview Boulevard and Kirby Road.”
With that the winds began to swirl and kick up around them. Icy gusts wailed and whistled as the temperature in the room dropped.
Sleet and snow pummeled Serah’s face as the winds churned around them. Her curls whipped a
nd whirled around her face. She shielded her face in a futile attempt to keep away from the snow’s violent flurry. If only he could take her in his arms to keep her warm.
Who was to say he shouldn’t? After all, it was his mission to protect her. He pushed himself through the ice and snow. He’d keep her warm. She could beat the hell out of him after the frost and ice dissipated.
He reached out and grabbed Serah. Cradling her tight to his body, he crouched over her, his back taking the wind instead of hers. Oddly enough, she didn’t resist. She relaxed in his embrace and burrowed closer. It took every fiber of restraint to stop his fingers from tangling his fingers through her sable curls. Damn, how he wanted to.
The winds dissipated. Ice and snow evaporated into a mist around them. Serah sighed softly against his chest, her hands gripping the collar of his shirt. Was she ever going to let go? Hopefully not any time soon.
“So, umm, it’s safe now, you know?”
Lucy’s words hit him in the face like a bucket full of icy water. Serah jumped back and let go of his shirt. Brushing snow from her hair, she shook her head. “Even a single Peragrans is bad. Lucy, you lied. How do you handle all that snow?”
“You get used to it.” She tapped her foot on the ground. “Everything evaporates in a matter of minutes.”
Matthias reached for Serah’s hand. “I’m sorry. You looked cold. I’m here for your protection, including a snowstorm in your office.”
“I appreciate it. Really, I do. Thanks, Matthias.” Shivering, she brushed a curl from her cheek. “God, that was cold.”
“As Lucy said, you’ll get used to it.”
“God, I hope so. And I pray you don’t have to do that very much while you’re here.”
At least they were making conversation. It was a start. And a nice way to at least try and break the ice again.
“If I need to—as you call it—poof. I’ll make sure to do it privately.”
Lucy smiled. “What a gentleman.”
“I do try.”
Serah smirked. “You still need a little more work, but I do see promise.”
Well, it was something of a compliment. He’d take it. “Thank you, I think.”
“You’re welcome.” Serah leaned against the desk and drummed her fingers on its glossy surface. “So did you want to look up furniture while I finish up the tiramisu with Daniel?”
“I can’t protect you from here.”
“I know, but I’d prefer to discuss this with Daniel first.”
He clenched his jaw. It wasn’t safe. She’d be vulnerable. “I need to protect you. What if he tries something?”
“Lucy’s here, silly. Trust me, she’s good. She’s saved my ass several times already.”
“How good.”
Lucy blew out a mirthful snort. “This good.”
With that, she jumped in the air. In a matter of a second, she flipped backward. Balancing on her fingertips, she leapt back up on her feet. To punctuate her threat, she kicked out her leg, her tennis shoe two centimeters from his nose.
Both eyebrows arched up. He’d heard she had excellent martial arts skills. He just didn’t know how good. “Amazing.”
Serah grinned. “Tell me about it. Lucy could kick Jean-Claude Van Damme’s ass.”
Lucy shrugged. “I don’t like to brag, but it’d be a decent fight.”
Modesty was not something he’d expect from a succubus. Then again she was part-human. Her soul was still intact. His, however, was long gone.
Serah’s voice broke his thoughts. “Well?”
“Well what?”
“Want to look at furniture for a bit?”
“Why would I want to do that?” Matthias asked.
“Well, if you’re going to be here for a while, you should be comfortable, at least.” Serah offered him a friendly smile. A genuine smile, not fake. His heart rose. “I was planning on redecorating soon anyway.”
“I don’t want to inconvenience you.”
Serah shook her head. “No inconvenience at all. Look, I know we don’t see eye to eye on some things, but I can see you have good intentions, whatever they may be.”
“Well. I just…”
“It’s no bother, really.”
“I mean—ahh…” Matthias froze. What was he doing? He had to remain strong, in control. Bumbling like a buffoon didn’t help him any. Did she truly care about his comfort or was she just trying to keep the peace?
Serah crossed her arms, her lips started to curve downward. Oh God, he hated when she frowned.
“Is there any particular style that interests you?”
“Not really.” She picked up some magazines from the desk and thumbed through them. “Here are some catalogs I got in the mail. You can try searching online too.”
“Sounds good.”
“One thing.” She waved her finger at him.
“What?”
“Stay away from IKEA.”
Lucy and Serah both snickered. “I don’t think they’re built to handle demons of your size.”
“Cheaper isn’t necessarily better,” Serah added. “But they do make some nice stuff—for normal people.”
Matthias nodded. “Ahh. I don’t want to break your furniture the moment I sit on it.” He set the catalogs down on the table. “You know I could just build you some sturdier furniture.”
Why did he just offer her that? He wasn’t going to stay here long enough to even attempt such a feat. Although the thought wasn’t all together unpleasant.
He didn’t plan for the mission to last more than a few days. Until Serah accepted her powers and learned how to use them. He needed an in-and-out mission like he was used to. Get the job done, leave, and never look back. But could he forget? And keeping himself from looking back wouldn’t be that easy either.
“That would take too long. Unless your carpentry skills were supersized when you decided to go demon.”
Matthias’s heart sunk. There was no decision for him. He’d been robbed of his life and his soul. He clenched his fists, fingers digging into the magazines he still held. “Sometimes things get decided for you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Never mind.” He turned away to glance out the window. He couldn’t let her see his pain. He’d gone so long keeping it hidden. “You and Lucy go. I’ll stay here and look at these catalogs.” He gripped the windowsill tight. Please, just go away. Before he did something he would regret.
“Are you sure? Did I say something to upset you?” He felt her standing behind him. He inhaled sharply. “I’m fine.”
She reached out and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I might not know you that well, but I can see something’s bothering you. Please?”
He jerked his body straight. “I said I was fine,” he barked out.
She yanked her hand away. “Fine. Lucy, let’s go.”
He kept his back to her. He couldn’t turn around. She would hate him. It was better this way.
The sound of footfalls echoed in the room, followed by the slamming of the door. No, he’d never have anything with Serah like the relationship Rafael and Lucy had.
He only had himself to blame.
Chapter 25
“Unbelievable!” Serah grumbled. “See what I mean? He’s got some serious mixed signals brewing in that big head of his.” She threw her hands up in the air, her frustration raging inside.
Lucy shrugged. “He seems conflicted, really. To be honest, you should probably keep your distance.” Shaking her head, she snickered. “Well, as much as you can, considering the situation.”
“I think I’m just going to handle this like business-as-usual, with a few extra spectators.”
Lucy grinned, that’s the spirit. “Did I smell tiramisu when I came in earlier?”
“Yeah, you did.” She adjusted her chef’s jacket and headed toward the kitchen. “Daniel wants to do a bit on the origins of tiramisu. He’s doing research right now. That should keep him busy for a couple hours.”<
br />
“What is its origin?”
Serah smirked. “No one really knows for sure. Various experts have different stories. But I know this. It tastes damn good.”
“You are bad, you know that?”
“Yep.” Serah grinned, giving her friend a friendly punch to the shoulder.
“So who is this lovely lady?” Daniel’s smooth voice echoed in her ear.
She spun around. Daniel stood there, a stack of paper and books in his arms. “Daniel, I wasn’t expecting you back so soon. This is my best friend, and reluctant guinea pig, Lucy Gregory.”
Daniel nodded. “Nice to meet you, Lucy. I’d shake your hand or hug you, but my hands are little full right now.”
Serah’s eyes popped. “You’ve been busy, haven’t you?”
“Look at all this information I found! I hope you don’t mind that I used so much paper, but I don’t have a printer at my hotel.”
Serah shook her head. “No problem. I’ve got plenty of paper to go around.” No one person could acquire so much information in a matter of an hour.
“How’d you get all this information so quickly?”
“My assistant emailed me some links. God I love having someone to help me.”
“Trust me, I’d never be able to do this job without Edie, so I know what you mean.” She glanced at her friend. “Lucy knows too, right?”
“Without my two guys and Kalli, my shop would fall apart.” Lucy couldn’t help the smirk.
“Literally,” Serah added under her breath, audible only to Lucy.
Lucy grumbled and waved her fist in mock frustration.
“I had the mother of all pipe bursts last year. Without them, my shop would have been closed for good.”
“Praise be for that, huh?” Daniel shuffled the papers and books in his arms.
“Do you need any help with those?”
Daniel shook his head. “I can manage. I got this far with them. I also took a quick trip to the bookstore, if that’s okay.”
“That’s fine. I had to discuss the arrangements with Matthias, Lucy and Rafe anyway. I’ll talk about it with you when your hands aren’t so full.”
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