17 RISE AND SHINE #2
He wanted to ask her what happened, but even drugged, he was smart enough to know that now wasn’t the time. But the thought of her being hurt by anyone made him want to start stabbing eyeballs himself.
“It’s done,” Sunshine said a moment later, climbing to her feet. She bent and wiped her bloody hand on one of the demons’ shirts and then pulled a rag from the pouch on her holster to clean under her nails. Raum just wiped his claws on his pants. He was way past trying to be clean.
“I’ve had enough demon blood and ash to last an angel’s lifespan.” She glanced up. “Do you think you can activate the hellgate, or should I try? I studied, but I’m a little rusty.”
“You should practice then.”
She shot him a look. “I figured rescuing you from a dungeon wasn’t the best time to freshen up my skills.”
“No time like the present.”
“Fine.” Replacing the cloth, she went to the hellgate and closed her eyes, holding her hands out like she was feeling around for something in the dark.
“You don’t need to use your hands.”
“It helps me visualize. Now hush.”
His lips curved. He liked snarky Sunshine.
He’d sworn he was done with his fixation on her, but the drug in his system was lowering his inhibitions and making his resistance slip away.
Learning she wasn’t actually planning to kill his brothers had pretty much dismantled his last wall of defense, and now he didn’t know how to keep her at arm’s length.
He watched her concentrating, a line between her brows, her lips pressed together.
She was just so … pretty. Pretty and perfect. Shiny. And he loved shiny stuff. Of all the shit he’d stolen, all the treasure he’d ever collected, he coveted her the most.
Which made no damn sense. That venom had really done a number on him.
Her eyes popped open a moment later. “I think it’s done.”
“You think it’s done?”
The look she gave him was priceless. “Yes, I think , because I’m out of practice and you insisted I do it, so if we end up in China, consider it your fault.”
“All right.”
“Stop smirking at me.” She shook her head, but if he wasn’t mistaken, a hint of a smile played about her mouth. “I never thought that’d be something I’d tell you, Mr. Grumpy. Maybe I should get some more of that venom and give you a daily dose.”
“Har har. Let’s go.”
This time, she couldn’t hold back her grin. “There’s the Raum I know.”
He really hoped she didn’t know how much power that look had over him or he was doomed.
Sunshine didn’t take them to China. In fact, her hellgate dropped them right where she’d intended it to: in the living room of her rental suite, at the very gate they’d used to enter Hell in the first place.
It was night in Montreal, the city lighting up the overcast sky with a hazy glow, and she was glad she’d left a lamp on.
Back again only a few days later … and no closer to getting the book. They were further, in fact, since Murmur now knew they were trying to sneak into his territory. Worse, she’d used both amulets trying to find Raum.
The first had started wearing off after she’d fled Murmur’s tower, and she’d had no choice but to use the second. Something about the succubus queen they’d met made her think she wasn’t likely to help them out a second time.
But Sunshine wasn’t going to dwell on any of that right now.
She was tired of thinking about everything that had transpired in Hell, and presently, she was more concerned with the very stoned, shirtless demon who stumbled out of the gate and would have fallen on his face had she not caught and steadied him.
He gave her a lopsided smile, and that right there was concerning enough. Raum didn’t smile. Well, he rarely did. And each instance where he offered a smile was precious and to be savored. The way he was throwing them around now was almost disturbing. It seemed against the natural order.
Her hand was still on his arm, and she couldn’t help but feel his hard strength and the softness of his skin. Why did Murmur have to take his shirt? It was making everything more difficult.
“Let me heal your head wound,” she said, reaching up to his temple and sending healing energy into him.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t do anything for his state of intoxication.
Angel healing only worked for superficial wounds like lacerations and broken bones.
Toxins in the bloodstream had to be treated the normal way.
She watched as his skin knit back together and exhaled in relief, glad to have her abilities back now that they were out of Hell. She hated the helpless feeling she got when they were blocked.
Raum looked into her eyes the whole time, and she squirmed under the intensity of his attention. She dropped her hand when she finished and tried to pretend she was unaffected by their proximity.
“You’re so pretty, Sunshine,” he slurred. He was in her personal space, but it didn’t feel like an invasion. His eyes were too bright from the venom’s effects, and she tried to remind herself he wouldn’t have said such things under normal circumstances.
It didn’t work. In fact, her cheeks warmed from the compliment, and her body swayed into him as if it had a mind of its own. “And you’re still very intoxicated.”
She turned away and set about removing her cloak and weapons just to give her something to do besides look at him.
“You like me,” he said. “I can tell.”
When she glanced up, he was still giving her that priceless gem of a smile, but it didn’t feel like it counted as much as it would’ve had he been sober. She clung to that conviction as the last tether of resistance.
“You need to sleep off the venom in your system.” Finished with her weapons and cloak, she unlaced her boots and toed them off.
“Not sleeping until I shower. I stink like Hell.”
They both did, in fact. Now that they were back on Earth, she could discern the sulfuric scent emanating from them.
She approached Raum and hefted one heavy arm over her shoulder. “Let’s get you into the shower then.”
He obviously hadn’t figured out yet that she hadn’t retrieved the book—the venom probably made it hard for him to reason clearly. When he did, she knew they were in for an awkward conversation.
She flicked the light on as they entered the bathroom, grimacing when she caught her reflection. Her hair was atrocious, and her face was stained with flecks of demon blood. She guided Raum to slump against the wall and then reached into the shower stall to turn on the water.
“You gonna join me?” The lopsided grin was back.
“Absolutely not. That would be inappropriate.” She swallowed around a throat that had suddenly gone dry.
He wasn’t listening, because he was already halfway through unfastening his pants. When he shoved them down the next second, she gasped and spun around.
“Raum!” Her face was so hot, she feared she might faint. “That is definitely not appropriate!”
She heard him moving around behind her and prayed he was steady enough to get his clothes off on his own. She didn’t know if she would survive it if she had to help him.
“Do they teach you in angel school how not to have fun?” His voice came from inside the shower, echoing around the tile, and she breathed a sigh of relief. And disappointment. No. Relief.
“Yes, we train very thoroughly in the art of being a killjoy,” she drawled. “We are forbidden to smile or laugh. Enjoyment is expressly prohibited.”
“I knew it,” he slurred, and she laughed despite herself.
Something crashed in the shower, and she quickly spun around in alarm. Raum was on the ground, and so were all the shampoo and bodywash bottles from the shelf.
Before she knew what she was doing, she raced into the stall to help him up and make sure he was okay.
She knew he was. He was a demon. Even if he’d fallen and cracked his skull and broken his neck, he would heal and be fine. She knew that. But something about this infuriating man drew protective instincts out of her that she’d never felt before and had no defense against.
She had the sense that she would violently decimate anyone that tried to hurt him, and that alarmed her. The person she was around him didn’t feel like the person she’d been for the last few hundred years.
And the more time she spent with him … the more she didn’t want to be that person anymore.
“You clumsy demon,” she chided. “Are you okay?”
He climbed to unsteady feet but didn’t reply. She kept a hand on his arm to make sure he didn’t fall again. The moment should have been funny, but there was nothing humorous about the way he was looking at her.
The spray pelted her clothing and quickly soaked through the fabric. It seeped into her braid and splashed onto her face. But she was too busy staring into Raum’s eyes to care that she was getting wet. He was very naked, and she ought to have been fleeing. But she didn’t move a muscle.
Something made her feel like she’d been waiting for this for a long time.
“Sunshine …” His voice touched something inside her that he had no business touching. And yet, another part of her thought that only he had business touching her there. No one else.
He reached up. His hand moved slowly, giving her ample time to move back … had she wanted to. When his palm touched her cheek, her eyes closed involuntarily.
What was it about him? How did he have this power over her? Why did she want to surrender so badly?
His thumb ran across her lower lip, and her eyes snapped open, locking with his. His fingers traced back along her jaw and then curled around the base of her braid.
She didn’t move. Didn’t dare breathe. She was a prisoner to the moment, with no desire for freedom.
The hand in her hair tugged her head back, and next thing she knew, their lips collided.