The storm seemed to be letting up by the time I got to my place, but it was still pouring. I parked the car under the little carport in front of my apartment and went inside. It was cold and dark inside, so I snapped on some lights and went to my bedroom to get out of my wet clothes. What a weird night it had been!
I tossed my wet shirt on the floor and looked at myself in my dresser mirror. I turned around and looked at my naked back and sighed. I shook my head and pulled open a drawer. I found a long flannel nightgown I usually wore in the winter, but I was so cold that the warmth of it sounded wonderful. I peeled off my wet jeans and pulled the nightgown over my head. I slipped off my soaked socks and gathered up all my wet clothes and tossed them at the hamper. I went to the bathroom to get a towel for my wet hair. Lightning lit the bathroom window up and I yelped and hid my face in my towel as the thunder rolled. When it subsided I sighed and looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. I was such a baby.
The memory of Rogue's strong protective arms around me warmed me through and through, making my flannel nightgown seem almost too hot. I closed my eyes and thought back to those wonderful few moments. So that was what it was like to be held. A strange tingle radiated from my middle down toward my thighs as I thought of Rogue's dark chocolate eyes and the way his drink had rested against his lips.
I shivered and shook my head. I wrapped the towel around my wet hair and went to my fridge. I got a glass of milk and made myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They were my favorite! I ate it fast right there at the kitchen counter and headed to bed. It was already late and I was tired. Who knew how much sleep I'd get with the storm outside. I didn't want to go to my bedroom. Instead I went to the living room and flopped down on the couch. I pulled a fuzzy blanket down off the back of it and plumped one of the throw pillows under my neck. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but the rain outside kept waking me up when a gust of wind would pelt the windows. I pulled the blanket up over my head and tried to think happy thoughts but nothing was coming. Rogue's face flashed across my mind again. That had been a really weird experience, but it was so nice.
I fell asleep, my last thought of Rogue's strong arms around my back.
CHAPTER ONE
Two
Three weeks had passed and I didn't see Rogue again. For several days after our first meeting, every time the bar door opened late I expected it to be him and it wasn't. It was always some college kids or a regular. I was beginning to think I'd made him up, but a one night after a big party left Pedro made a crack about no one leaving a big tip for me like Rogue had, and I shushed him and glanced over at Jenny. She was on her phone and didn't hear what Pedro had said. I glared at him. Pedro just grinned and went back to the kitchen.
So I hadn't made him up, but he hadn't been back. Maybe he'd just been passing through and I'd never see him again. And so what if I never did? People came in here all the time and I never saw them again.
Him, though, I wanted to see again. I didn't know why. Every night I saw his big brown eyes when I closed mine. I felt his strong arms around me. I felt safe and warm whenever I thought of him.
A poke on my arm brought me back to reality. I looked around to see Jenny holding a rag out to me.
"Earth to Em! Wake up! Let's get this place shut down and go home. I'm so looking forward to tonight! The start of a whole week off! We should remodel more often. Of course, that would be bad for the bank account, but I can't say I'm not ready for a little vacay. What have you got planned for your time off?"
I shrugged. "Sleep mostly." When I slept, I saw Rogue. "Then probably some cleaning. My apartment is horrible. You know what a horrible housekeeper I am. Maybe do a little shopping. I could use a few more outfits. Classes start at the U in a few weeks."
"Sounds like a plan. I'm going to do the same thing, except the cleaning part. Sleep and shopping sound wonderful, though! How many classes you taking this semester?" she asked.
"4. Maybe 5 if the Tues/Thurs theology class isn't full," I answered.
"What's your major again?" she asked.
"Religious Studies," I said, smiling.
Jenny shook her head at me. "I don't get you, Ems. You don't even go to church, yet you're making a career out of studying God."
"Gods," I corrected. "I study religion. Just because I study it doesn't mean I believe any of it. Besides, I'm focusing on a specific area of religions, remember."
"Right. Angels. I forgot. Anything new for the collection recently?" she asked.
I shook my head. "Not yet. The glass ornament you got me for the tree at Christmas was the latest. Maybe I'll find something out shopping this week."
"Good luck with that!" she said and turned back to wipe the bar down.
I joined her and we got the place cleaned in no time. Pedro helped us stack the chairs and carry them in the back and move all the tables to one side and cover them with a drop cloth. The painters were coming first thing in the morning and we'd been given specific instructions to have things ready for them.
"Well, goodnight!" Jenny called to both me and Pedro as we all headed out of the bar and locked up behind us. She got in her car and left. Before I went to my car, Pedro pulled me back by my arm.
"Hey," he said. "Why'd you shush me in there about the guy who left you a big tip? What, you didn't tell Jenny about him?"
I bit my bottom lip and shook my head guiltily.
Pedro grinned. "You've got a thing for him."
"I do not!" I protested, my cheeks flushing. "I don't even know him! And I haven't seen him again!"
"Yeah, whatever. You've got a thing for the Mystery Man and you don't want Jenny to know. I gotcha. You could have just said something!" he laughed.
"Well, now you know, so just drop it!" I ordered, blushing even more.
"If I see him, I'll tell him you're looking for him!" Pedro teased, and danced out of my way when I made a grab for his middle.
He took off running in the direction of his other job and I sighed and shook my head. I went to my car and headed back home.
#
The following day I woke up to bright and cheerful sunshine earlier than usual. For a second I almost panicked because I thought I'd be late for work, then I remembered I was off for the whole week while they remodeled. I had no classes and nothing to do but whatever I wanted.
That was a problem for me. I wasn't good with free time. I laid there looking up at the ceiling above my bed wondering what to do with myself. My stomach growled. I sighed and sat up. I stretched and took a deep morning breath as I got out of bed and headed for the shower.
I stayed in the shower until the hot water ran cold. I loved standing in the shower, the water cascading over my bare skin. I only got out when I absolutely had to. I dried off and put on some clothes, letting my wet hair dry naturally. I went into the kitchen and made myself a toasted English muffin slathered with peanut butter and jelly. I took it and a big glass of milk to my breakfast bar and ate it as I glanced through a catalog that had come in the mail the other day. Nothing in it was interesting. I finished my breakfast and put the dishes in the sink to do later. I got my purse and headed out to the mall to do the shopping I told Jenny I was going to do.
I spent time browsing through stores. I picked up a few new outfits and got lunch at the food court. Just as I was about to leave, I noticed a new frozen yogurt place had opened on the end of the food court and the ad on the metal stand next to it looked so good I shrugged my shoulders and got in line to order a cone.
I walked back to my car and tossed my bags in the back seat before I walked to the park across from the mall. It was a nice, big park with a fountain in the middle. I liked to walk in it sometimes, but usually before work when the sun was going down. Going there during the day would be different. Besides, it was hot and my frozen yogurt cone was melting. I licked a drip cascading down the side of it as I walked toward the park.
There was a cement path that meandered around the mowed lawns and landscaped flowerbeds. I s
at down on a bench beneath a gorgeous tree in front of the fountain and watched families and people walk by. There weren't that many people, but-
Omigod. Was that...? It couldn't be. But there was no mistaking it. Tall, dark haired, wearing a tight black tshirt that showed off his muscular chest and arms. It was Rogue. My mouth went dry. What was he doing here? My eyes finally registered the fact that he was holding a leash. I followed it down to...what kind of dog was that? My brow furrowed as I squinted to see.
It wasn't a dog! It was a PIG! On a leash! Wearing a harness! Who had a pig on a leash? I couldn't help myself. I got up and went toward him.
He looked toward me. His dark chocolate eyes met mine. I stopped where I was. How could someone's eyes do that? I bit my bottom lip and took another step toward him. I swallowed hard and took another step. He didn't move. When I got close enough, I smiled.
"Hi," I said.
"Hi," he said back.
"I've, uh, never seen a pig on a leash before," I said lamely. I blushed and looked down at the pig. "What's his name?"
"Her," he said. "And her name is Muffin."
I opened my mouth to say something, but no words would come out, so I shut it again and nodded.
"She's a pot-bellied pig," he continued. "She belonged to my wife."
He was married? That figures.
"Belonged? What happened to your wife?" I blurted, still awestruck by the pig on a leash held by the most gorgeous man I'd ever laid eyes on.
"She left almost a year ago," he said, matter-of-factly.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Will she be back soon?" I asked.
He just looked at me with raised eyebrows. "She left. As in, she left me."
I shook my head. "I don't understand."
"You told me you don't have a boyfriend or girlfriend. When you did-" he said.
"I've never had one," I interrupted.
He looked surprised. "Never? You've never been left?"
I shook my head.
"You've never been...well...with anyone?" he asked.
"You mean intimacy? No," I said.
"Never?" he asked incredulously.
I shook my head again and shrugged. "What's so surprising about that?" I asked.
"Well, you're...what? At least 21 to work in a bar. Never had a boyfriend, or girlfriend, or been intimate with anyone. How did you manage to get through puberty without dating? Experimenting? You're pretty enough. Too pretty to still be a virgin," he said.
I blushed and looked at the ground. Muffin the pig was sniffing my shoes.
"Let's just say I had something of a sheltered upbringing," I said, embarrassed. "And I don't exactly know what to do. With, you know...people."
"Surely there are a hundred guys who want to teach you," he said. "Why don't you take one of them up on their interest? You must get hit on all the time at work."
I nodded my head. "Yeah, but like I said, I don't exactly know what to do. People kinda scare me." I looked up at him. "But I'm not scared of you."
He snorted and rolled his eyes. "You should be."
He began to walk away. Muffin trailed along after him obediently, just like a dog.
"Wait-" I called after him.
He turned on his heel and glared at me. "Stay away from me!" he growled.
I started, shocked, and stopped in my tracks. I watched as he disappeared into a grove of trees along a path that led to the parking lot on the other side of the park.
Now what had that been about? He seemed so...nice. I shrugged and shook my head. At least I knew he was still around town.
I went back to my car and drove home. I put my new clothes in the laundry and took a load to the laundry room in my complex. I thought about Rogue and his weird behavior as I did my laundry.
Why did he say should I be afraid of him? What did he mean when he said his wife left him? Left him to do what? Why? Who would leave a guy who looked like that? I know if I was with him, I'd never go anywhere!
I left my laundry to wash and went back to my apartment and flipped open my laptop. I went to Google and typed in WIFE LEFT ME and stared at the search results.
So...he wasn't married anymore? Or was he? He hadn't been wearing a wedding ring, but to be honest I didn't really pay that much attention. Still, the way he said it and him taking care of Muffin the pig made me think that when he said his wife left him, he was divorced and not...what did Google call it? A windower? A man whose wife had died.
I closed the laptop even more confused. If she didn't die, why would she leave him? And why did he say I should be scared of him? Maybe that's why his wife left. Because she got scared. But what was it about him that scared her?
I may not have much of anything from my dad left, but one thing I did have was a good sense of character, and Rogue didn't scare me a bit.
All he did was make me want to be close to him. Now that was a new and unusual feeling for me. Most people didn't even register to me. Him, though? My god. I'd never felt anything like what he did to my insides, and I really, really wanted to feel it again.
I opened my laptop again and typed the name "Stevain Rogers" and the name of my town into Google.
CHAPTER TWO
Three
I sat in front of my computer, stunned. He was a professor? He taught at the U? Well, was going to. The website said he was going to be teaching the exact theology class I was hoping to get into. Stevain Rogers was a Ph.D in Divinity. He was replacing Professor Edmunds starting this fall.
I closed the laptop again. What was I going to do? He said to stay away from him, but I needed that class. If I got into it, I'd be staring at him every Tuesday and Thursday for 16 weeks! I could sit in the back and keep my head down, I suppose. Yeah, right. There's no way I'd be able to keep from staring at him.
A thought crossed my mind. What was a Doctor of Divinity doing in a bar on a stormy night drinking hard liquor? The man literally had a degree in God. It wasn't exactly something a faithful man would be doing. Maybe he was embarrassed.
Somehow I didn't think that was it.
#
I'd like to say I'd forgotten about Rogue as the weeks went by, but I didn't. In fact, I thought of him more often. I'd gotten that Tues/Thurs class I wanted. Sure enough, ROGERS was listed by the class listed on my schedule. There was a strange feeling inside me. I didn't understand it. I was really happy that I got into the class, but as the days past I found myself not wanting to go. Was this what it meant to be nervous? Was I afraid? Of what?
Journey's Wheel In The Sky came on the jukebox. I couldn't help but close my eyes and sway my hips behind the bar. No one was in the place. It was nearly closing time. Even Pedro had gone home. He was finished for the night and the place was empty, so I said I'd take care of closing.
"Classic rock fan?"
My eyes flew open and I turned around, startled. Oh God, it was him! My stomach did a funny little flip and my mouth suddenly went dry. He smiled and gestured at me. "Don't let me interrupt."
"Uh..." My face felt hot. "I...uh...I don't really have a choice. Murray hasn't updated the jukebox since the 80s, so it's all big hair bands and ballads."
"Really?" He went over to the jukebox and peered at the titles. He pulled a handful of change out of his pocket and fed the machine a few, then pressed a couple buttons. Journey's song finished and the opening strains of I Won't Forget You by Poison came on. He turned and held his hand out.
I just looked at him. "What?"
"Come here."
I set my rag down on the bar and came around it. "Is something wrong with the jukebox?"
He shook his head and reached for my hand. He smiled and pulled me close. He put our hands on his chest and wrapped his other arm around my back and began to sway.
"Oh!" I exclaimed. "Um...." I wasn't sure what to do with my arm, so I just rested it on his, my hand cupping his shoulder. I looked up at him. His smile widened.
"A little different than dancing by yourself, isn't it?" he asked.
All I could do was nod. My God, how did I not notice how good he smelled before. Better than fresh baked cookies. We moved slowly as the song played. His hand at the small of my back seemed to burn through my shirt. My hand wrapped in his resting on his chest would have been trembling if he hadn't been holding it in his. All of a sudden he relaxed his arms and gave me a little push away from him, his hand still holding mine. I tripped over my own feet and nearly fell over them, but his hands were there keeping me upright as he lifted his arm for me to slide back under. Now my back was against his chest. His hand was still wrapped around mine at our shoulders. His other arm wrapped around my waist. My eyes widened as I felt his entire body pressed against mine. It felt like fire. Before I could get used to the feeling, he spun me again and I was back against his chest. He looked up at him. He laughed softly.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"I...."
"It's said that dancing is just the vertical expression of horizontal desires," he said. "But I'm not sure that applies if you're dancing by yourself. Or maybe it does."
"Hor...horizontal...d-desires?" I managed to stammer. Oh God, his thigh pressed between mine and was...doing something...below my waist. My legs felt like they wouldn't hold me up much longer.
The all-too-familiar opening piano notes of Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart filled the empty space.
"Do you ever sing along with the song, angel?"
I flinched. "What did you call me?"
"Angel. Why?"
"I have a name." He spun me again and held me tight against him.
"I know your name. It's on my class roster. Emmaluna Serafina," he whispered in my ear. "God's Angel of the Moonlight. Unless I'm mistaken and there's another Emmaluna in this town." He spun me around again and smiled at me. "And I'm very rarely mistaken."
Rogue's Angel (Rogue Series) Page 2