Darkness Rising (Dark Angels 2)

“Hey, just because I bat for the other team doesn’t mean I’m incapable of appreciating a good male form. Azriel is all that and more.”

“Yeah,” I said wryly. “The more being extremely dangerous, and only here for one reason.”

She shrugged. “Which doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the show while he’s around. Did anything happen that I need to know about?”

It took me a moment to realize she was talking about the café. “Nope. We were running around like mad, though. We might have to think about hiring more people if this keeps up.”

“Can’t be sad about that,” she said, and headed up to the changing room. I rubbed the oil into my poor feet. And then, feeling decidedly better, I counted the shift’s take. Once I’d taken it up to the safe, I clocked out, changed into jeans, a sexy purple shirt, and more sensible shoes, then headed off.

The night was cool and fresh, and filled with music and the delicious aroma of wolves having fun. I paused on the sidewalk, looking a little wistfully toward the Blue Moon. There was a line out front. Even if I was tempted, I wasn’t going to stand there for an hour or so to get in. Not after such a busy shift, and not when I was a member at Franklin’s, which didn’t have Jak Talbott—the wolf who’d used our relationship to get close to Mom and write an in-depth but somewhat fictitious story about her life—as one of their regular clients. Mom had sued the paper and him—and had won an out-of-court settlement as well as a retraction—but some mud always sticks.

I glanced at my watch and cursed softly. Given my one o’clock appointment, I really didn’t have time to go enjoy myself at any club. Maybe another night. Of course, it would be better if Lucian got back to Melbourne. Maybe I needed to give him a call, just to remind him what he was missing out on.

The thought brought a smile to my lips. I grabbed my phone and said his name as I made my way around to the secure parking lot the café shared with several other business.

As the old gates screeched open, Lucian came online and a sigh escaped me. If ever there was a man who was perfectly formed in every way imaginable, then he was it. His face was truly beautiful, though he could never be considered effeminate—there was simply too much strength, too much … manliness. Which was odd, because he wasn’t a man, but an Aedh, an energy being. His hair was golden and his eyes were the most glorious jade green. They were also so full of power that, even through the phone’s screen, it was almost impossible to look at them without flinching.

He had the look of an angel and in the past—before his golden wings had been torn off—he probably would have been mistaken for one. Because even though reapers were the true soul guides, it was the Aedh who had given rise to the angels seen in so many myths.

“Risa,” he said, his deep voice reverberating with pleasure. “I was just thinking about you.”

I grinned. “I hope you’re alone. If not, your partner might be a bit miffed to hear that.”

He laughed. “I am—unfortunately—quite alone. Yourself?”

“The same.” I gave my sigh a wistful edge. “Which is unfortunate, as you said, because I happen to be horny as hell.”

Something very primal sparked in the recesses of his eyes. “And is it your intent to torture me with this news?”

I laughed. “Totally. Either you get your butt back here, or I shall have to seek release elsewhere.”

“It is lucky, then, that I’m currently waiting to board a plane, and that I’ll be back in Melbourne by six tomorrow morning.”

I made a tsking sound. “I’m not sure that’s soon enough.”

“But if you pick me up at the airport, we could both get our ease sooner rather than later.”

“If you send me the flight details, I just might.”

He smiled, and it was a hungry thing. Heat curled through my belly, and it was difficult not to hum in pleasure. “How’s the trip been otherwise?”

“Business is always boring,” he said, “but the client is an important one, so I do what I must.”

Lucian was a financial adviser—a fairly high-profile and wealthy one, from what I could see, even though he tended to play that down. “I take it this client didn’t have any pretty secretaries?”

“Not a one,” he said solemnly, though his bright eyes danced with mirth. “I had to fill my time making good on promises.”

“Hmm,” I said. “To whom?”

“To you, lovely lady.”

“Me?” I said, surprised. “What promises have you made to me?”

“Well, I did say I’d attempt to see what I could uncover about your father. While I’ve had no luck there, I managed to discover whom the Razan known as Handberry was supposed to meet the night he was killed by the soul stealer.”

I frowned. I couldn’t actually remember mentioning Handberry to Lucian, but given everything that had happened over the past weeks, it wasn’t out of the question that I’d simply forgotten I’d done it.

Either that, or he’d gleaned the knowledge from my mind during one of our many lovemaking sessions. That was always the risk with our relationship, but not one I was overly concerned with. After all, there weren’t that many questions he could ask that I wouldn’t answer.