Protected in Darkness (Misplaced Halos, 1)

by Nicole Edwards

  The coldness he’d felt in her absence last night was nonexistent because he was with her. Though she hadn’t mentioned it, Obsidian had to wonder if she’d felt it, too. It was brought on by distance, and as things progressed, the more time they spent together, the more insistent it would become when they were apart. It was the Fates’ way of ensuring two souls destined to be together remained together.

  Had it not been for the fact she was hesitant to move forward at his pace, Obsidian would’ve taken her back to the house, gotten her into his bed, and kept her there for days. Only, there was so much more she needed to know before he could do that. Revealing to this female that he was not human was going to require finesse, and right now, he wasn’t sure he could muster any up.

  Obsidian drifted in and out of sleep, rousing only to ensure Penelope was still beside him before nodding off again. The minutes turned into hours as the sun blazed high in the sky. His skin prickled as it always did when the sun sank beyond the horizon, signaling it was safe for him to go outside once again.

  Penelope stirred, peering around the darkened room. She yawned, stretched. “How long did I sleep?”

  He peered at the clock. “Roughly eight hours.”

  She snuggled back up to him. “Good thing I don’t have to work tonight. Did you sleep?”

  “A little.”

  “What are you thinking about?” she murmured, shifting against him, her soft hand sliding over his stomach, causing every muscle in his body to harden.

  “You.”

  He could feel her smile against his chest.

  “Me? And what thoughts are going through that handsome head of yours?”

  “That I like the way I feel when I’m with you.”

  “I know the feeling. It’s… You don’t think this is weird?”

  He turned his head, tried to look down at her. “What?”

  “I mean, we just met.”

  “You make it sound like that’s a problem.”

  “Isn’t it?” Her hand disappeared as she moved her hair out of the way. “For all you know, I could be some harlot seeking a sugar daddy.”

  “Are you?”

  Her hand returned to his stomach, his cock twitching in response.

  “No. It’s definitely not money I’m after.”

  “So what are you after?”

  Penelope laughed. “Honestly, I don’t know. It’s not that I’m timid or anything. I just… I don’t want to move too fast. Ruin what might be a good thing.”

  “So, I don’t have to worry about a jealous ex wanting to challenge me to a duel?”

  “Not sure what man would be up for that challenge.” She giggled. “And no, I haven’t had a boyfriend in… Well, the truth is, I’ve never had a boyfriend. Not anything that lasted more than a couple of days, anyway. And that was back in high school.”

  “Why not?” he prompted, curious.

  “Good question. I don’t know, really. I’ve tried dating, but it’s so tedious. Like I said, it’s not easy to be around people for too long. And a guy I’m interested in … not exactly romantic when I can feel their intentions, know what they’re after.”

  “And me?”

  “Maybe that’s what’s throwing me off. I can’t read you. I think it scares me.”

  “Ever think that maybe we’re exactly where we’re meant to be?”

  Penelope’s head rose slightly. “No. I’m not sure I believe in fate or karma or the universe’s plan.”

  “But you have a fascination with the supernatural?”

  She chuckled. “Touché.”

  Her head lifted, and even in the pitch-black room, he could see her clearly. His eyesight allowed him to see better in the dark than in the light, hence the reason he was sensitive to the artificial light.

  “I should be running for my life,” she said softly.

  Shifting so that he was facing her more fully, Obsidian met her eyes in the darkened room. “Why?”

  She stared at him, seemingly entranced by his eyes. “I don’t know. It’s just … I’ve never felt anything like this before.”

  “Anything like what?”

  “This connection, like I’ve known you my entire life. Or from a past life, maybe.” Her hand moved to his cheek. “And then … I can sense something different about you. Not just your eyes. It feels surreal, Obsidian. Like my mind’s playing tricks on me. Like it’s not real.”

  “Trust me, ayreme, it’s real,” he assured her, leaning forward, dropping a soft kiss on her mouth.

  His hunger for her was all-consuming, and with every kiss, every touch, Obsidian wanted one more, and then another. He couldn’t resist her, didn’t want to. The way her soft lips moved against his, those sweet mewls sounding in her throat, they spurred him on, made him want to—

  Forcing himself out of his thoughts, he shifted away from her.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “For what?”

  “For coming on so strong.”

  Obsidian laughed. “I assure you, that’s not the problem, Penelope.”

  “Then what is?”

  Turning toward her, he cupped her face in his palm and sealed his mouth to hers. He let her taste his hunger, his need. This female rocked him to his very core, evoked emotions he’d never felt before.

  He pulled back, met her eyes. “I want you, Penelope. I can’t deny it. I won’t.”

  His hand wandered to her thigh, slowly inching upward, cupping her naked hip as he pulled her close.

  “But I’m not pushing for anything. I’m here because I want to be here. With you. Even if it’s only to hold you while you sleep.”

  “Sleep is the last thing on my mind right now.”

  Before he could put space between their bodies, she reached for his neck, pulled him back down to her. Obsidian shifted closer, one knee settling between her thighs, hands flat on the mattress, braced beside her head.

  “I like feeling you against me, Obsidian. Everywhere. It’s all I can think about.”

  The sexy rasp of her voice had his cock harder than steel.

  He crushed his mouth to hers, inhaling her soft, sweet moans, loving the way she moved beneath him, as though trying to become one. Her ragged gasps were so loud in his ears, her tongue persistent in response to his. His cock, hard and throbbing, pressed intimately against his zipper, eager to get closer to her. He wanted nothing more than to strip Penelope right here, to lose himself in her for all of eternity.

  Except, he knew the pain of separation would be unbearable once that happened, and until he knew she would be with him, Obsidian wasn’t willing to do that to her.

  This time, when he pulled back, he stared down into her face, brushed her hair back. There was no way to tell her that he already loved her. She wouldn’t believe him since their introduction had been only recently, and for some reason, she was stuck on the timing of their intimacy.

  Didn’t make it any less true.

  “How about we make a deal,” he offered.

  She smiled. “What kind of deal?”

  “We don’t think too hard on the what or the how and simply see where this goes. At its natural pace.”

  “Natural pace. I like the sound of that.”

  “Good.” This time, Obsidian forced himself to get up, to put a safe distance between them. “Why don’t you do your thing and I’ll order us something for dinner.”

  “Would you mind if I shower?”

  “Not at all.”

  Her eyes roamed his face, as though she was considering her options. When her gaze locked with his once more, she nodded.

  As for what decision she’d come to, he hoped he would soon find out.

  Chapter Nine

  PENELOPE WAS BEING SILLY.

  When Obsidian slipped out of the room, she remained where she was for a minute, staring after him. His scent wafted up from the T-shirt she wore and the pillow he’d slept on, surrounding her, comforting her.

  She was acting like a virginal teenager, and hon
estly, she was far from it. Okay, maybe not far from it. No, she hadn’t been with a lot of men in her life, but she’d never shied away from sex. The few times she’d been intimate with a man, she’d been in it wholeheartedly. No regrets other than she wished she’d been with someone she was more compatible with.

  She’d always prided herself on being an independent woman, one who could make sound, logical decisions, especially when it came to sleeping with someone. Yet when it came to Obsidian, getting down and dirty was the only thing on her mind. When they were together, Penelope felt this overwhelming sensuality that confused her. She believed in love, sure, had a strong desire for the opposite sex. But she’d always expected a meaningful relationship to be a slow build, something that took weeks, maybe months, before the peak was even remotely visible.

  Reality had smacked her right in the face.

  Or perhaps she simply hadn’t met a man who could rock her world the way Obsidian could. Time didn’t dictate emotions and certainly not sexual desire. She had that in spades, and now that she was alone with Obsidian, she wanted to explore it.

  And yes, she had a million questions. Like how and why his eyes glowed like that. The way the silver shifted and swirled, like mercury being melted, the embers glowing from beneath. It was unnatural, and yet she wasn’t scared of it. Merely curious.

  Hell, she was more panicked at her physical reaction to Obsidian than she was that he could be something supernatural.

  “And Dad said my degree was useless.” Penelope snorted as she made her way to the bathroom.

  After stripping out of Obsidian’s T-shirt, she stood beneath the hot water, running her hands through her hair to wet it.

  A sound coming from the other room had her pausing. Was that the door closing? No way was room service that fast.

  Which could only mean one thing.

  Obsidian had left.

  Suddenly, a coldness seeped into her bones, an ache forming in her chest. A terrible sadness overtook her.

  Oh, crap. Maybe someone was here. Someone who’d recently experienced a tremendous loss. The maid, maybe? In a matter of seconds, her empathy had shifted to DEFCON 1. If they were hurting, it would make sense that she would, too.

  She pressed her fist to her chest, attempting to massage the ache. It didn’t help.

  It couldn’t be her empathic abilities, could it? She’d never experienced it that way. Sure, she’d felt emotions in abundance while in the presence of someone, but she’d never experienced it when she wasn’t in the same room. She couldn’t imagine a sense of loss this overwhelming would simply linger in the air, hitting her from all angles. Certainly not this extreme.

  A sob tore from her throat, the ache building. Penelope felt empty, as though she was missing a part of herself. As though the most important thing in her life had been ripped from her arms, never to return. A tear trickled down her cheek, followed by another until the dam broke and her breath hitched between sobs.

  What the hell was going on?

  The bathroom door opened, but Penelope didn’t turn, keeping her head beneath the spray.

  “There’s someone in here,” she yelled, fearing the maid hadn’t heard the water running.

  “It’s just me,” the deep voice bellowed.

  She spun around to see Obsidian standing in the bathroom. Although ridiculously sexy, he looked a little worse for wear. Granted, his eyes told a different story entirely. They glittered with desire and approval as they trailed over her.

  Suddenly, every ounce of the loss she’d felt was gone. Vanished in an instant. Completely erased as though it had never been there.

  Perhaps insanity was the diagnosis.

  “How did—”

  Obsidian stood tall, held up his hand, his features relaxing. “Don’t ask questions.”

  “Kinda hard since a second ago I was on the verge of an emotional breakdown and now I’m—”

  “Naked,” he said, as though reminding her of the fact.

  “Right.” A smile pulled at her mouth as her arm came up to cover her bare breasts. “I’m naked.”

  He exhaled, then slowly turned around. “Perhaps I’ll stay right here while you finish up.”

  A war ignited within her. Modesty had her wanting to order him to leave, but self-preservation won out, the need to feel the peace his presence brought far more powerful than worrying he’d turn around and see all her naked parts. Again.

  Rather than boot him out of the room, Penelope focused on her shower. Shampoo, conditioner, shave, body wash—utilizing all the freebies the hotel provided. All while the sexiest man to ever live stood with his back to her, giving her as much privacy as he could while the two of them were confined to this small space.

  Satisfied she’d done her due diligence, Penelope shut off the water, squeezed the excess water from her hair.

  She turned to find Obsidian holding out a towel, his back still to her.

  Quite the gentleman.

  Taking it, she wrapped it around her and stepped out of the shower stall, not caring that she was dripping water all over the floor. “About that whole crying jag you walked in on…” She tapped him on the shoulder. “I’m decent now.”

  He chuckled, turning as he leaned against the bathroom counter, those thick arms crossing over his chest. “You were rather decent before.”

  Giving in to his innuendo would’ve been easy considering how hot the man made her, but there were more pressing things they needed to deal with.

  “What happened?” she asked, knowing somehow that he had the answer. “Is someone here?”

  “No.”

  “I thought you left.”

  “I know.”

  Penelope frowned. “How’d you know that?”

  “I just did.” Those silver eyes churned, peering into hers.

  “So that whole crying thing … it was because I thought you abandoned me?” Penelope shook her head because that was ludicrous. “No way. I’m not that type of girl. I don’t get all hung up—”

  Obsidian placed two fingers over her lips, effectively silencing her.

  Frowning, she took a step back. “I felt… Obsidian, when I thought you left, I felt—”

  “I know.” He cupped her face. “I felt it, too. And I want to give you all the answers, but … right now … please don’t.”

  There was a plea in his tone that she couldn’t ignore. Almost as if giving her the answers would break him somehow.

  And oddly, the discomfort she’d felt seemed minuscule in comparison to how she would feel if she hurt him.

  “Okay,” she acknowledged. “I won’t ask.” Penelope held his gaze. “Yet.”

  His touch slipped away when he strolled across the room, stepped into the enormous closet. He returned a moment later with a fluffy white robe. When he neared, he held it out for her.

  “Turn around.”

  She did, and he helped her into the robe, settling it on her shoulders. The towel fell to the floor as she reached to secure the robe, but Penelope was barely able to cover her naked breasts before Obsidian took over, turning her to face him once more. She stared at his beautiful face as he cinched the belt around her waist, securing it so that she was completely covered.

  “Can you at least tell me if I’m right about—”

  Obsidian leaned forward, kissed her lightly on the lips. “Hold the questions for a little while longer.”

  Since it was pointless to argue, Penelope retrieved the towel from the floor, blotted the moisture from her hair while Obsidian walked out, giving her privacy.

  She considered that for a moment. He wasn’t right there with her, but the painful loss she’d felt earlier didn’t return. So did that mean it had something to do with her being certain he was here?

  With a sigh, she shrugged it off. She did not want to think about it because it actually sounded crazy. What could possibly make someone feel that sort of pain when they were apart from someone else? It defied logic. Reason.

  She wiped away the st
eam from the mirror and stared back at her reflection.

  Hmm.

  Penelope flipped on the faucet, grabbed a toothbrush and toothpaste from the small wooden box sitting on the counter, then hurried to brush her teeth. When she finished, she snagged the hair dryer on the shelf below, plugged it in. Another fifteen minutes passed. By the time she was done, she felt better, though she didn’t have any makeup handy.

  “This’ll have to do,” she told her reflection. “He’ll either take me or leave me, right?”

  Her reflection nodded, smiled.

  When Penelope stepped out of the bathroom a few minutes later, she got a whiff of food coming from the living room.

  “Good evening, Miss Calazans,” the butler greeted. “We weren’t certain whether you preferred breakfast or dinner for your evening meal, so we prepared a little of both. Steak and eggs. I hope it’s to your liking.”

  “It’s perfect,” she replied, her stomach rumbling as she padded barefoot through the seating area.

  The patio doors were opened wide, and she caught a glimpse of Obsidian standing near the wall surrounding the outdoor space, forearms resting on the railing, staring at the city moving below.

  She paused to look at him.

  The man stole her breath. She was fascinated by every single part of him. His tremendous height, impressive breadth. He was masculinity personified. Everything about him alluded to danger, a man who took no shit from anyone, didn’t care what others thought because he was secure in his own skin.

  He didn’t turn when she joined him, but the butler appeared at her side, passing over a glass of…

  “It’s orange juice. If you’d prefer, I could add champagne.”

  “It’s fine, thank you.”

  When he disappeared inside once again, Penelope moved toward Obsidian. “It’s not often you get to have dinner overlooking the strip.”

  Obsidian nodded, cutting his gaze her way. “That’s true.”

  “Certainly not on a patio as grand as this one.” She paused to look out at the strip. “But we seem to be making it a habit.”

  He stood tall, moved to stand behind her. Penelope leaned back against him when his hands settled on her shoulders. She would’ve been content to remain just like that for the rest of the night. Just the two of them. Alone.