Chapter 9 #2
He gave me a sneaky glance. “I don’t grab you and fly away with you any time I want, because that would be all the time. You’re so cute. I just want to pinch your cheeks.”
I scowled, but I kind of wanted to pinch his cheeks too. “Whatever. Be quiet. I’m watching the sunset. Unless flying me back in the dark is a problem.”
Vesper landed, shook his mane and pranced a bit, like he was showing off. Such a shockingly glorious creature.
Richard shook his head and lounged back so he could look at the sky more fully. “Not a problem. I bring a glowing ball of gas with me everywhere Vesper goes.” He nodded at the sky. “It’s an okay sunset, but I’ve seen better.”
I smacked his chest. “You have not. It’s the best sunset because you’re sharing it with your good friend.
Seriously, who says that other things are better?
When you’re with someone, you notice the beauty of the moment instead of comparing it with something else in the past. Now is always better than then because now can be experienced with someone while then is petrified wood caught in the forest of your memories.
” If he didn’t understand these basic things, he’d never be able to find his true purpose with another angel.
I could see why he hadn’t yet. His personality needed so much work.
He studied me intently with those warm blue eyes.
“I wasn’t saying that for your benefit, but for Vesper’s.
If he’s going to steal you away, at the very least he can drop you where the sunset is absolutely prime.
Of course being with my pastel princess makes this sunset the loveliest I’ve ever experienced, but that’s mostly because I’m looking at you, and not the sky. ”
Maybe he didn’t need as much work as I thought.
That was the kind of thing you said when you were flirting, and it gave me all kinds of goosebumps.
Of course sweet things from the angel were not to be trusted.
I frowned at Vesper then at Richard. “I highly doubt he brought me here to see the sunset.”
He nudged me. “That’s because you don’t know Vesper. He’s lovely in the evening rays, but even more stunning in the moonlight. You’ve been flattering him, I can tell, and that makes him even more egotistical than he already is. Did he pose for you?” He shook his head, tsking.
Vesper made a rude-sounding whinny and turned his back on us with a glorious flip of his mane.
I started giggling as I looked between the horse and the man. “So he’s exactly like you?”
His dimple appeared while his eyes twinkled. “Exactly. Only I can bake, and he can’t.”
That reminded me of the strawberry cupcake that had tasted so heavenly.
Also that he’d probably told me he was SunRae to stop me from being romantic about him, but here we were, watching a sunset together.
What was more romantic than that? And he’d said something sweet and flirty which I absolutely could not take like that.
I cleared my throat because the sky was beautiful, but not nearly as enchanting as the person sitting next to me, warm, strong, and absolutely delicious. I subtly scooted slightly away from him.
“So…how long have you had Vesper?” I asked, looking at the visibly insulted horse instead of the man beside me.
“He’s had me for what, two decades? It feels like forever.”
The horse looked over his shoulder at Richard and blew a raspberry before returning to his injured pose.
I elbowed Richard. “Now you’ve hurt his feelings.”
“He dropped you out of the sky. I’m still irritated about it.
He sent me an image of you on his back, so I came, but if I’d been slower…
” He scowled hard at the horse before he turned to me.
“He would have caught you. But he played this whole game just to drive me crazy when he knows I’m already crazy.
Believe me, if you weren’t here, distracting me with your charm and beauty, I’d be having serious words with the horse. ”
Vesper swished his tail dismissively.
“My charm and beauty, hm? You should save the flattery for your angel girlfriend.”
He made this choking sound while his big eyes bulged. “My what?”
I batted my lashes at him. “Your angel girlfriend. What? You don’t have one?
I’m so surprised because you’re so handsome, powerful, and good at defeating evil.
Hallie was telling me how ideal you were.
Speaking of Hallie, isn’t she just lovely?
You should ask her on a date. I’m sure she’d be delighted. ”
His face was getting more squinched up the longer I talked. When I finished he shook his head and shuddered, shaking off my words. “No.”
“What do you mean no? Hallie’s such a nice angel!”
“I don’t like nice angels. Also, nice isn’t exactly the term people use for my breed. Angels are scary, particularly ones who want to marry me.” He leaned over to whisper, “They mostly want me for my angel blood. They’re like vampires without any of the fun.”
He was so close and smelled so good, I was tempted to sink my fangs in his neck and drink his sweet elixir, particularly if he thought it was fun. I pushed him away instead. “Stop it. Your blood is distracting enough without you talking about it.”
He squinted at me, his hair turning all shades of gold while the sky above him went to purples and red.
It really was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
He was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, and framed by the sunset?
It made me wish I could paint so I could capture this moment forever.
He shrugged. “I don’t mind if you drink me. I like getting blood sucked. It’s absolutely relaxing. And it might be good to give your usual donor a break, let him build up his platelets and whatnot.”
I shook my head. “We aren’t talking about blood, we’re enjoying the sunset. If you want to talk about something, you can tell me why you’re so scared of angel females who might want to marry you. Don’t you think you’d be happier if you were fulfilling your second purpose?”
He gave me a squint as he leaned back. “What do you know about angelic purpose? Also, how honest do you want me to be? I can be honest, brutally so, but you did mention something about manners, and the two don’t really jive.”
I inhaled deeply of the quickly cooling air and stared up at the glorious sky.
Did I want him to be honest, or did I want him to spare my feelings?
My feelings were tangling around, utterly mixed up knowing that the beautiful yet vile angel was my beloved SunRae best friend forever.
And he was gorgeous, and he liked being blood sucked, and he had the most delicious blood in the world, and he felt absolutely no desire.
My feelings needed to be pruned before they messed up my first real-life friendship.
“Be completely honest. Why did you tell me you were SunRae today?” I didn’t look at him, but I braced myself, preparing for the pain of having him say that he didn’t want to be romantic with me, and didn’t want me to think about romance with him.
He shrugged. “So I could bake for you. I figured if I didn’t tell you, you’d figure it out the next time I baked something.
You’re much better to bake for than Vesper.
In all honesty, he’d rather nibble on fresh grass than eat my baked goods, but seeing you eat my cupcake was absolutely validating. You loved it.” He sounded so smug.
I turned to frown at him. “You didn’t tell me so that I’d be angry at you for lying and then I’d be less romantically interested in you?” I almost bit my tongue once the words were out.
He raised his brows, smile quizzical. “You’re romantically interested in me? Well, I am incredibly gorgeous. And I have a horse.”
Vesper made another rude sound.
I elbowed him. “I’m not, but Pearly White keeps saying that I am, just because I was watching you bake. Everyone else was…” I shuddered.
He nodded, eyes luminous. “I know they were. Or weren’t. Baked salad? And yet that was the most edible thing there. You poor, poor, poor thing. I’d rather be poisoned than eat another werewolf beef cake.”
“Same.” I grabbed his arm. “Except don’t be poisoned again, okay?”
He covered my hand with his and grinned.
“Okay. Also, I have no problem with you being romantically involved with me, but everyone could see that you aren’t, because you voted me off the show.
In spite of me saving your life. That’s very clear messaging.
Although maybe you will be now that you know I’m SunRae and bake adorable mini cakes.
And then if I bake for you all the time…
No, I don’t see how you could help but fall desperately in love with me.
Other than my personality issues.” His smile turned devious.
“You should be romantic about me. Then I can use you as the reason I’m not interested in getting married for duty.
Angels don’t understand why duty wouldn’t be a good enough reason for me to do something.
After all, I’m the one with the most angelic blood.
I must also be compelled by my duty above my heart. ”
I squinted at him. “You don’t mind if I fall in love with you? But wouldn’t that make our friendship awkward?”
He looked truly puzzled. “How? Oh! Desire! I forget that people have that. Would it be awkward for you? You don’t seem to be terribly motivated by desire, or you’d be more interested in the incubus. He’s very handsome.”
“So handsome! But one of my best friends in the lab is a succubus, so I don’t take any of that appeal seriously. It’s not real.”
“Interesting.” He moved closer, eyes intent. “So, you’ve been exposed to these kinds of feelings, lust and so forth in its full potency? What’s it like?”
I blinked at the angel and slowly smiled while the colors shifted and began to fade from the sky. He was so adorably na?ve, even more than I was. “You want me to explain lust to you? I’ll have to do research and write you a long essay on the topic.”