Or might disappear again.
While she was driving him, she was going to get him to talk to her. She was going to find out where he had gone and why he was suddenly drinking. She was going to ease the weight on his shoulders just as he had done for her so many times in the past.
Closing time was only twenty minutes away, but it would be at least another hour before she had finished cleaning up, counting the takings and getting everything ready for tomorrow.
She glanced back at Lukas and debated making him a coffee to help him sober up.
He rested his arm on the counter and used it as a pillow, his eyes closing again. Sleep would probably help him as much as caffeine. He had looked tired before he had started drinking, worn down and in need of a good night’s rest.
She turned towards the rows of bottles and optics and turned off the sound system, so only the chatter of the other patrons filled the pub. Hopefully the hum of voices wouldn’t disturb Lukas.
Annelie flinched when Andy called for last orders, his voice loud enough to wake the neighbourhood, and scowled at him. He gave her a blank look. She jerked her chin towards Lukas where he was sleeping, and Andy’s dark eyebrows lifted as his gaze shifted to him and then a mischievous smile lit his face as he looked back at her.
“He sleeping over?” Andy parked his hip against the bar near her as she served a customer.
“I’m taking him home.” She shot Andy a look when he grinned at her. “It’s not like that. I’m just going to drive him home and drop him off.”
He didn’t look as if he believed her.
“Just serve the customers.” She shoved him playfully in his chest and he winked and went to work.
Her gaze crept back to Lukas, heart fluttering in her throat as she thought about driving him home and the way he had held her hand, had played with her fingers and had looked at her with a wicked edge to his eyes, a flare of desire that echoed inside her.
Did he want her, or was it just the booze talking?
She barely noticed the pub emptying, was too swept up in her thoughts to say goodbye to everyone as she got a head start on cleaning up.
“I’m out.” Andy tossed his towel down at the other end of the bar. “You be good now.”
Annelie ignored that. “Night.”
He moved out from behind the bar, grabbed his coat and stopped behind Lukas.
She scowled at Andy when he clutched his hands together in front of his chest, twisted back and forth at the waist and fluttered his eyelashes as if he was swooning over Lukas.
“Get out of here before I fire your arse.” She lifted her own towel, scrunched it up in her hand and threatened to throw it at him.
He grinned, turned on his heel and strode towards the door. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”
She shook her head. There wasn’t much Andy wouldn’t do.
The door closed and she shifted her focus to Lukas where he leaned over the bar, sound asleep. Her pulse thrummed, steadily picking up pace as she gazed at him and grew aware of the fact she was alone with him now.
Damn, he was gorgeous even when he was drunk, drew her to him like no other man had before him.
She shook herself out of her reverie, tied her long red hair back into a ponytail and wiped the bar down, doing her best not to disturb Lukas and trying to avoid looking at him.
It didn’t work.
She found herself stood by him, looking down at his face, watching him sleep. A need poured through her, swirled and gained strength, until she couldn’t resist it. She hesitated and then, with her heart in her mouth, brushed the tangled strands of his fair hair from his forehead.
His firm lips parted and he murmured something.
She smiled and brushed his skin again, lightly so he wouldn’t wake, but enough contact to make her feel a little giddy.
When had she fallen for him?
It had come on so slowly over the past three years that she hadn’t realised she had those sorts of feelings for Lukas until he had gone away, and then she had been worried that he wasn’t coming back.
But here he was again, at her bar in the same stool he always occupied, bringing light into her life and her heart in that way only he could, making the days without him disappear.
A smile tugged at her lips. She had never been happier to see him.
Even if he was asleep.
He stirred and blinked slowly, as though trying to wake himself.
Annelie didn’t take her hand back. She was feeling brave tonight, a little courageous and bold, willing to take a risk and see what happened.
“How are you feeling?” She combed her fingers through his hair.
Lukas frowned, his green eyes fixed on the distance, and then groaned. She took that as a negative answer.
“No better yet?” Her gaze followed her fingers as she stroked them down the curve of his left ear.
He nodded, moving her hand with him, and a smile touched his lips and then faded again when he closed his eyes.
“I’m almost done. I’ll have you home soon.” She went to walk away.
He caught her wrist so fast that it startled her, his grip firm as he sat up, and looked at her with such earnest eyes that her heart beat harder and a rush of nerves surged through her.
“I ever tell you that you’re pretty?” Those words, spoken in a low husky voice, rocked her to her core.
Her pulse raced and her throat turned dry. She shook her head and he reached out with his other hand and ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek, his caress light but setting her nerve-endings aflame and sending a hot shiver over her skin. Her lips parted as she searched his eyes, trying to see if he knew what he was saying, and whether he believed she was pretty.
There was nothing but honesty and warmth in them.
They sparkled with it, looking brighter now even though the lights were lower, entrancing her. “Your beauty puts angels to shame.”
Annelie tried to convince herself that it was the drink talking but failed dismally.
She had worked in the pub since she was in her early twenties, almost ten years ago, and had run it since her parents had retired early. She had enough experience to spot levels of inebriation.
Lukas’s eyes were sharper and his words weren’t slurred. He wasn’t drunk anymore.
He was definitely still tipsy, but that excuse didn’t hold with her heart.
It believed him.
He really did think that she was beautiful.
She blushed. It burned her cheeks before she could get the better of herself. She worked at a bar. She was used to men telling her that she was beautiful at the end of the night, but the way Lukas said it, the fact that it was him, made her believe him.
“You really are.” His hand slipped from her cheek to her jaw and he grazed his fingers along the curve of it. He smiled and her heart thudded. He was beautiful. She had never seen a man like him, with such deep green eyes and a smile that could make her heart pound and body tremble. “Beautiful.”
“Hush.” She took his hand away from her face and held it a moment. “Quit making me blush, Lukas.”
His smile held. “I love the way you say my name. Say it again.”
Annelie rolled her eyes. “Lukas.”
“Not like that.” He drew his hand towards him, luring her with it, until she was close to him. She stared down into his eyes, her mind racing forwards to contemplate things it shouldn’t be. He wasn’t going to kiss her. Even if he was looking more sober now, she couldn’t let things go down that avenue. His eyes fell to her lips and then lifted to meet hers again. “Say it like you mean it. Like you said it just then.”
Annelie looked deep into his eyes, lost in them and the way the flecks of pale gold seemed to shift and move against their emerald backdrop, and blinked slowly.
Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Lukas.”
“Mmm, that’s more like it.” He pulled her closer and tilted his head.
Her gaze dropped to his mouth, heart hamm
ering against her ribs and blood thundering as a need to kiss him bolted through her, lighting her up inside, making her sway towards him.
Just one kiss.
Fallen Angel (Her Angel: Bound Warriors paranormal romance series book 2)
Cast out of Heaven for a crime he didn’t commit, Lukas has spent the past three years in the mortal world searching for a way to prove his innocence and slowly falling for a beautiful human female. When his wings are stripped from him, he seeks solace in the bottom of a bottle but ends up finding it in her arms.
Annelie fell for Lukas the moment he walked into her bar and she fell hard. The tall, sensual blond sets her heart on fire with his otherworldly green eyes and wicked smile. He’s seriously out of her league, but when he kisses her, seizing her chance and Lukas with both hands seems like a great idea… until morning rolls around and she discovers he’s not the man she thought he was—he’s an angel.
Lukas will stop at nothing to prove both his innocence and his love for Annelie, but when he discovers who framed him and she ends up caught in the crossfire, will he be strong enough to protect her? And can Annelie vanquish her doubts and fears to claim the heart of her fallen angel?
Sign up to my mailing list to be first to know when this book is released: hhttp://ml.felicityheaton.com/mailinglist
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author who writes passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons!
If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter, Larissa Ione and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.
If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, her best-selling Her Angel romance series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm romance series or any of her stand alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try her Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series. Or if you like hot-blooded alpha heroes who will let nothing stand in the way of them claiming their destined woman then try her Eternal Mates series. It’s packed with sexy heroes in a world populated by elves, vampires, fae, demons, shifters, and more. If sexy Greek gods with incredible powers battling to save our world and their home in the Underworld are more your thing, then be sure to step into the world of Guardians of Hades.
To see her other novels, visit: http://www.felicityheaton.com
Or sign up to Felicity's mailing list to learn about new titles, be eligible for special subscriber-only giveaways, and read exclusive content: http://ml.felicityheaton.com/mailinglist
If you have enjoyed this story, please take a moment to contact the author at [email protected] or to post a review of the book online
Follow the author on:
Her Mailing List – http://ml.felicityheaton.com/mailinglist
Her blog – http://www.felicityheaton.com/blog/
Twitter – http://twitter.com/felicityheaton
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/felicityheaton
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/felicityheaton/
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/felicityheaton
PARANORMAL ROMANCE BOOKS BY FELICITY HEATON
Stories in the Her Angel: Bound Warriors romance series
Book 1: Dark Angel
Book 2: Fallen Angel (coming soon)
Book 3: Warrior Angel (coming soon)
Book 4: Bound Angel (coming soon)
Stories in the Cougar Creek Mates romance series
Book 1: Claimed by her Cougar
Book 2: Captured by her Cougar
Book 3: Courted by her Cougar
Book 4: Craved by her Cougar
Stories in the Eternal Mates romance series
Book 1: Kissed by a Dark Prince
Book 2: Claimed by a Demon King
Book 3: Tempted by a Rogue Prince
Book 4: Hunted by a Jaguar
Book 5: Craved by an Alpha
Book 6: Bitten by a Hellcat
Book 7: Taken by a Dragon
Book 8: Marked by an Assassin
Book 9: Possessed by a Dark Warrior
Book 10: Awakened by a Demoness
Book 11: Haunted by the King of Death
Book 12: Turned by a Tiger
Book 13: Tamed by a Tiger
Book 14: Treasured by a Tiger
Book 15: Unchained by a Forbidden Love
Stories in the Guardians of Hades romance series
Book 1: Ares
Book 2: Valen
Book 3: Esher
Stories in the Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series
Book 1: Covet
Book 2: Crave
Book 3: Seduce
Book 4: Enslave
Book 5: Bewitch
Book 6: Unleash
Stories in the Vampires Realm romance series
Book 1: Prophecy: Child of Light
Book 2: Prophecy: Caelestis & Aurorea
Book 3: Prophecy: Dark Moon Rising
Book 3.1: Spellbound
Book 3.5: Reunion
Book 4: Seventh Circle
Book 5: Winter's Kiss
Book 6: Hunter's Moon
Book 7: Masquerade
Book 8: Hunger
Books 1-3 are also available in one anthology ebook: Prophecy Trilogy
Stories in the In Heat romance series
Book 1: In Heat
Book 2: In Heat: Mating Call
Stand alone paranormal romance books
Blood and Snow
Love Immortal
Ascension
Forbidden Blood
Heart of Darkness
Vampire for Christmas
COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2018 Felicity Heaton
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
The right of Felicity Heaton to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First printed November 2018
Second Edition. Originally published as Her Dark Angel in August 2010.
Layout and design by Felicity Heaton
All characters in this publication are purely fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Cover by Felicity Heaton
Dark Angel Page 14