Like a zombie, she dragged herself to her room and pulled back her down comforter. She lay down, turned off her side table lamp, and closed her eyes. Though her body pulsated with an unfamiliar energy, she was just too tired to deal with it. Maybe in the morning things would make more sense. As she drifted off to sleep, an ice-blue-eyed stranger filled her thoughts, and she smiled.
Yes, he would be a perfect stranger to meet. If only he existed.
Chapter 5
Shade pulled his bike up to the curb at the park and turned it off, the vibrations still rumbling through his body. He loved his bike. It was like flying, just on wheels. He always felt so confined in a car, but with his bike, he felt free—like with his wings.
He took off his helmet and shook out his shoulder-length black hair. He’d almost tied it back but decided against it. The long locks could hide his face better if he were truly seeking out answers and didn’t want to be remembered; people would remember the hair and not his face.
A human woman bumped into his side and smiled coyly. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she purred.
Shade didn’t bother with a reply. He gave her a curt nod and lifted his gaze to look behind her in a dismissal. With an obvious pout, she huffed away. Good. He wasn’t here to placate the feelings of a woman who didn’t interest him. No, he was here for Lily. The file had said she liked to play dominos in the park on Saturday afternoons, and he wasn’t going to waste an opportunity to meet the wide-eyed beauty.
He adjusted himself as his cock rose to attention just at the thought of her. He’d only seen her through the paned glass, yet he wanted her. He liked the way her average height held such delicious not-so-average curves. Those damn sexy hips of hers begged his hands to grip them as he rammed into her body bent over any surface he could find.
Shade groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was so not the time to be thinking these thoughts. He’d seen the woman exactly once and didn’t know a thing about her that he hadn’t read from a file.
Oh, and the fact that she held the evidence that could destroy him and his brethren.
She couldn’t be the woman for him, but he could still look. He just had to make sure he could still function.
A slight gust of cool air whipped through his hair, and he shook his head, thankful for the breeze that cleared his thoughts. He had a job to do, and that job didn’t consist of fantasizing about a woman with big green eyes.
Since the freak storm the night before, the weather had cleared up to be a pleasantly warm day with a cool breeze to temper the heat. It was the perfect day to find Lily and gather any information he could. He hated that he had to resort to smiling and flirting to get what he wanted, but it might be the only way.
He walked through the park, his black boots making little sound on the concrete. He passed children playing on swing-sets, their mothers and fathers looking on in loving fashion, and, in some cases, boredom. He passed couples walking hand in hand, talking about their days and futures. Shade ignored the slight pain in his chest at the thought. He’d lost his happily-ever-after years ago and didn’t need another.
He was only here for the woman, not for a trip down memory lane.
Shade continued through the park until he reached the tables and benches that ran along the opposite side of the park, where he stopped in his tracks.
There she was.
Lily sat on a bench alone, her legs pulled up, and her arms wrapped around her knees. A box of dominos lay on the table in front of her, unopened. She rested her pale cheek on her knees, and he could feel the tension riding through her from where he stood.
What had happened to her in the day since he’d last seen her?
She looked as if she were ready to burst at the seams with energy, yet looked jittery and exhausted at the same time. It didn’t make any sense.
Where was her friend, this Jamie that Ambrose had said she met with to play Lily’s favorite game—dominos—weekly?
Something was off, but he couldn’t tell what from where he stood. She looked so lonely. Shade wanted to run to her and wrap his arms around her, never letting her go. He barely refrained from doing just that, but he couldn’t just let her sit there alone with such a forlorn look on her face. He had been planning on making this just a reconnaissance trip, but plans had changed.
Taking a deep breath, he walked toward her. She looked up when he purposely used heavy steps to alert her of his presence. Her green eyes caught his with alarm. Her dark brown bangs shifted and covered her eyes and he had to fight the urge to brush them away from her face.
She shook her head, moving her bangs back into place, and opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
Out of nowhere, energy swirled around them, sweeping though his body, and he almost had to sit down with the rush of adrenaline in his system. From the look in her eyes, he was glad she was already sitting down.
What the hell is that?
Shade cleared his throat and smiled. He heard an intake of breath, and she blinked rapidly. “Hello,” he rasped. His body pulsated with energy, and he felt a connection snap into place with her. Damn, what was going on?
“Hello,” he repeated. “I’m Shade.” He held out his hand, and she awkwardly accepted. The feel of her soft hand in his calloused one almost made him come in his jeans.
“Hi,” she said hesitantly. “I’m Lily. Can I help you with something?”
Shade smiled again. Oh, she could help him with something, but he didn’t want to look like a lecher.
“I saw you without a partner and wondered if you wanted someone to play with.”
“Oh.” The blush that rose on her cheeks looked damned sexy. “Sure, I guess. My friend was supposed to meet me, but wasn’t feeling too well. I had almost decided to leave and call it a day and now here you are.”
Shade gestured to the seat across from her, and she gave a nod. He sat down and spread the dominos in front of them. They each picked their seven tiles and slid the rest to the side.
“I’m sorry to hear your friend is sick. Do you usually come here on Saturdays?”
Oh, great. Could he have sounded more like a stalker? Well, technically he was. Sort of, but it was for a job and it didn’t count. Much.
Lily’s eyes widened, and Shade backtracked. “Sorry, don’t answer that.” He gave a small laugh. “I was just trying to make small talk. Apparently, I’m not very good at it.”
Lily smiled, and her face lit up. “No, it’s okay. I come here most weekends to play with my friend, Jamie, or with anyone who wants to show up.”
Shade had the highest doubles, sixes, and placed the tile in the center. Lily blew her bangs out of her face, chose a tile, and placed it perpendicular to his.
“When did you start playing dominos?” Shade asked then placed a tile on hers.
Lily cocked her head, considering her next move. “When I was younger, it was the only game my grandfather would play. We used to play for hours, and he never let me win. After many losses and hits to my pride, I finally beat him.” She gave a wistful smile. “I loved playing with him.”
“Past tense?” Shade didn’t know why he was pressuring her on her past; he needed to know her present for his job, but for some odd reason, he wanted—no, needed—to know more about her past, present, and future.
“He passed away a few years ago.” Lily didn’t look up and played another tile.
“I’m sorry.” He hated to see the sadness emanating from her face and posture. Why did he have to ask such a personal question?
Lily looked up and gave him a smile. “It’s okay. It was a long time ago.” She picked up a tile from the boneyard and placed it on their board.
“I’m sorry for bringing it up anyway. Tell me about yourself.” He trailed his finger along the side of the cool tile before making his move.
“I’m quite boring, I promise you.”
“Tell me something anyway.” He needed to know more about her. Anything. That bothered him to no end. She might ha
ve pretty green eyes and a body that made him drool, but he didn’t need to be thinking about who she was beyond his physical attraction to her. He was most likely going to have to hurt her in the end, if and when she found out the truth. He didn’t want to make it any worse than it was for her.
And for him.
“Well, I’m a lab tech.” She gave a sardonic smile. “See? Not that interesting.”
If only she knew how interesting that part of her was to him.
“You sound as if you don’t like it.”
She shrugged and blew her bangs out of her face before straightening one of his tiles. He raised a brow at that, and she blushed.
“Sorry, I’m a tad OCD according to my friends.”
He smiled and shook his head. “It’s okay, really.”
She huffed out a breath and placed another tile. “I don’t hate my job, exactly. It’s just not that big of a deal.” She gave a triumphant smile. “And, I win.”
Shade looked into her eyes and groaned. Damn, she was sexy when she looked so confident.
“Indeed you did. Congratulations, Lily.” Now for the part that could hurt them both. “How about I buy you a cup of coffee as your winnings?”
Lily looked taken aback, but Shade didn’t budge. He needed to know exactly what she knew about this dust. Breaking into her lab and stealing it would do nothing if the dye had already been cast.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. In fact, I don’t even know you, so I can’t, but thank you.”
She gathered the tiles quickly and started to stand up, but Shade touched her wrist. A jolt of electricity ricocheted through his arm and they both gasped. She jumped, knocking a few tiles back on the table. His erection pressed against the zipper of his jeans and he groaned, but he didn’t let go. Lily’s breathing quickened, and her pupils dilated. Her strawberry scent wrapped around him like velvet, intoxicating him.
Shade took a deep breath, the strawberry scent increasing, and he released her slowly, one finger at a time. Her chest rose and fell slowly, her breasts straining against her buttoned blouse.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” He picked up the fallen pieces as she stared at him. “I know you don’t know me, but I want to get to know you more.” Shade felt the strike against his soul at the truth of the statement that could hurt her. “Please, let me buy you a cup of coffee. It will be in public, and you can leave at any time. What do you say?”
Shade held his breath waiting for her answer.
“Okay,” she said tentatively. “I can do that.”
Relief spread through him. “I’m glad to hear it. Where would you like to go? I’m not from here, so you tell me.”
Lily furrowed her brows. “You’re not from here?”
Damn it. Way to show her she was safe with him. “I’m in town on business.”
“Oh, I guess we can talk more about that when we get coffee.”
“Of course.”
“Well, my favorite place is a few miles away, but I walked here. So, let me get my car and we can meet there.”
He didn’t want her to leave him, and a sweet idea made him harder. “I have a better idea. My bike is just across the park. Let me drive you.” He could already feel her soft curves pressed against his back, and he held back a groan.
“Bike?” She gulped.
Shade lifted a side of his mouth in a grin. “I have a Harley Fat Boy, custom made. I always bring it with me when I go on trips.” His pride and joy. “I even have an extra helmet in my saddle bags just in case. What do you say?”
Lily swiped her hand through her bangs and bit her lip.
“It’ll be an adventure. If you absolutely hate it, I’ll make sure I call you a cab to take you home once we finish our coffee.”
She looked like she steeled herself while straightening her shoulders. “Okay, I can do that.”
Elated, Shade held out his hand to guide her around the table. Her small palm fit perfectly in his calloused hand. A little too perfectly, but Shade couldn’t stop and think about that. He released her hand as soon as she made it around the table, careful not to encroach on her space. He could already tell she was a bit skittish; there was no need to scare her away.
She walked by his side, her head down, watching her own steps. Shade bit back a smile as he watched her carefully step over all the cracks.
“Careful not to break your mother’s back?” Dear God. Was he trying to drive her away?
She stumbled, tripped, and he moved, catching her. Her soft curves fell against his chest, and he held her a bit tighter before releasing her and setting her on her feet.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I’m such a klutz. I didn’t mean to fall on you.”
“You’re fine, Lily. I shouldn’t have made that crack about…well…the cracks.”
Lily burst out in a musical laughter, and Shade chuckled.
“I’m a little, well, a lot, OCD. I hate stepping on cracks and grates on top of storm drains. Well, the storm drain part comes from that Stephen King book. I was an idiot and read part of it before bed when I was little. I hate clowns.” She shuddered, and Shade held himself back from holding her.
“Clowns freak me out, too.” Little did, but the freaks in white paint and red noses? Yeah, those scared the crap out of him. He may be a thousand year old angel, but he was still up on pop culture. Especially because he loved to immerse himself in it.
“Shh!” She grabbed his arm and looked around. “Don’t say the ‘C’ word. They can hear you. Okay, I might have said it before, but don’t say it twice. It just makes it worse.” She smiled, and he threw his head back and laughed.
“I think I like you, Lily.”
She sobered, tilted her head, and looked right into his eyes. “I think I like you too, Shade.”
Damn, this was going to hurt when he deceived her. Guilt ate at him.
“Then let’s get coffee and talk some more.” He smiled, ignoring the pang in his heart.
“I’d like that.”
Just then, her cell phone rang, and she frowned. “Sorry, let me get that. It could be one of my friends.” She backed away from him and pulled her phone out of her purse.
Lily rocked from foot to foot, her jeans hugging her ass, and Shade swallowed. Damn. His back itched where he kept his wings hidden and he forced them to stay put. This would not be a good time to act like a juvenile and let his wings burst out of his skin just because he got an erection. Talk about embarrassing.
“Glenn,” Lily said into her phone, “this is my day off. Why do I need to be in there today?”
Shade eavesdropped and didn’t hide it. He needed to know what was going on at her work.
She turned around, sighed, and blew her bangs from her face. “Fine. I’ll be here in a bit. I need to go get my car. No, I don’t need you to pick me up. I’m fine.” She hung up without a goodbye and scowled.
“Is everything all right?”
“No. I’m going to have to take a rain check on coffee. That was my boss. Apparently, there is something important going on at the lab, and I need to head into work. Sorry.”
Was it his dust taking her away from him? Damn.
“I understand.” He pulled out his phone and smiled. “Why don’t you give me your number and I’ll call you so you have mine? That way, when you have time, we can get that cup of coffee. Maybe tonight?”
She smiled and rattled off her number. He called her immediately and she silenced it on her phone. “I don’t know about tonight. I already have plans with my friends, but maybe tomorrow?”
“Okay. Coffee?”
“Sure. Oh, wait, I have to work all day and then I promised my friends I’d meet them at Dante’s Circle to get a drink and help clean up.”
“Clean up?”
She shifted uncomfortably, and Shade tilted his head. “There was a storm last night, as you probably know, and it did some damage.”
“What kind of damage?”
“The bar was broken up a bit, and i
t looked like a tornado had gone through.”
“Where you there?” His pulse quickened.
“Yeah, but, I’m fine.”
Oh, God. Had she been hurt? Shade ran his gaze over her to check for injuries, but he didn’t see anything.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Shade, I’m fine. Really, but I can’t make it for coffee tomorrow either.”
He needed to see her sooner rather than later. Yes, for the job, but mostly because he just needed to see her.
“How about I come and meet you at Dante’s Circle?”
Her eyes widened slightly. “Okay. Do you know where it is?”
It wasn’t that large of a town and couldn’t be that hard to find. “I’m sure I can find it. Is nine okay?”
“Nine is perfect. Well…” She bit her lip, and Shade wanted to bite the juicy flesh with her. “I guess I need to be going before Glenn freaks out. I’ll see you tomorrow. It was nice to meet you.”
“It was nice to meet you, too, Lily.”
He took her hand and kissed her knuckles, the warm flesh pressing against his lips sending shivers down his spine and making his wings ache. Along with other things.
He released her hand and smiled. “Until then, Lily.”
“Uh…” Lily blinked. “Yes. See you then.”
She walked away toward where he assumed her apartment was, stepping on cracks along the way. Apparently, her concentration was on something else. Nice.
“Yes, Lily, until then,” he whispered on the wind. Until then.
Chapter 6
Dear God, that man was sexier than David Beckham scoring a game-winning goal in the heat and then tearing off his shirt. Yeah. That hot. Lily gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white.
She had a date with Shade. Okay, maybe not a date, more of a get-to-know-you drink at a bar in which they wouldn’t be alone, but it still counted. Right? If she really thought about it, their drink would be their second date since they’d just played dominos in the park. But, Lily didn’t count that. She wasn’t that lucky.
A_Taste_of_Decadence_ARE Page 63