UnGuarded (15 page)

So much for keeping it hidden. “I’m ready to
go,” I said through gritted teeth.

“No way! We just got here. But we can go
somewhere a little more private while we drink these.” He raised
his hands from the bar, a green-colored martini drink in each.

“Forget it! I said I wanted water!” I
whirled up, bound for the exit.

“Well, if you leave,” he shouted, “you can
forget Rhea, and what the hell, you can forget me helping tonight
too!”

That stopped me cold and I swung around,
staring daggers at him. “You wouldn’t! You gave your word!”

He snickered. “Let’s go over here.” Luke
headed off through the sea of dancers. I didn’t follow. I glared at
the back of his body until he disappeared.

I had a choice of either going after him, or
leaving. If I left, I’d be on my own tonight, and then I’d never
beat Limos, or even have the chance to go to Rhea. I wonder how
that whole second chance thing would work if I was a slave to a
demon. Would Raphael be able to get me back? Would the second
chance still be offered? If I didn’t stay, I’d be guaranteeing
Caitlyn’s death, and maybe mine too. I needed Luke’s help.

“Shoot!” I mumbled under my breath as I
closed my eyes, focusing, then started walking in the direction of
Luke’s essence.

The moment I got to the dance floor, a smoke
machine went off and a thick, fumy cloud swallowed me. My eyes shot
open, momentarily losing Luke’s aura. Suddenly a heavyset black
lady collided into me, then danced off, shaking her butt and
bopping her arms. I rolled my eyes and started pushing through the
cluster of dancers. A tall guy with dark hair and tan skin grabbed
my arm, pushing me backwards. His hips swayed side to side, then he
grinded against my thigh. I pulled free, taking several steps back
before hitting something hard that stopped me. Two muscular arms
stretched around me from behind, aggressively pushing me side to
side. I tried to turn around, but the arms tightened, holding me in
place. Instantly, I ducked down into a low squat and slipped away.
As I started to make a run for it, I was intercepted by yet another
set of arms. The smoke kept filling in thicker and thicker,
constricting my ability to catch my breath. I wanted to go
invisible, but there were just too many humans in here. I couldn’t
risk it.

The music roared louder, pulsing inside my
ears. The multicolored strobe lights glistened on the heads of
those closest. I still couldn’t see who held me, and the sea of
people and beings seemed to have doubled in size. The fog was even
thicker, mixing with the musky smell of sweat and alcohol. I’d had
enough of feeling like a caged animal. After jerking my body right,
slipping out of the grasp of who- or whatever held me, another set
of hands lashed out, and I could’ve sworn there were demon claws
protruding from them. I dropped down low and started inching my way
to freedom. After a few heartbeats, someone rammed into me, taking
me down to the floor. My head hit hard, then I rolled over to the
side, the taste of molten copper filling my mouth. Just great! Now
I was bleeding in a club loaded with vampires. All I could see were
feet everywhere, jumping, tapping, and skipping around. I spun back
over and pushed up with my hands, and instantly I was engulfed by
another set of strong arms. I twisted around, trying to push out of
the unwanted embrace, when I noticed a familiar vibe.

Relief rushed through me as I glanced up at
Luke’s face. His features were soft, a slight smile curving his
lips. His hair appeared wet and numerous strands were out of place,
but it actually looked good. Without thinking, I threw my arms
around his neck and hugged him. “Thank goodness it’s you,” I
breathed against his shoulder.

He pulled me close. “You’ve been having fun
without me.” I could feel his nose in my hair, sniffing me. “You’re
bleeding!” he exclaimed.

I inched my lips to his ear. “I bit my
tongue. It’s nothing. It’ll heal. Let’s get off this dance floor.
Please.”

Luke nodded, then guided me toward the back
of the club. We passed the oversized round couches and came to a
few square-shaped private rooms. He gestured left, and as soon as
we entered a room, the music’s volume must’ve decreased at least
ten levels. It reminded me of how you could hear the busy city from
the middle of Central Park, faint and distant. There were two plush
red love seats along the left and back walls. In between them was a
black ottoman with a large red and gold crown stitched in the
center with a chrome tray sitting on top, holding the green martini
drinks.

Luke gestured for me to sit, and I went for
the love seat on the left wall. As I sat down, I noticed a massive
fish aquarium in front of me, taking up the entire right-side wall.
It was illuminated just enough to show the teal and green coral and
the shadows of hundreds of small fish. Luke handed me the martini
as he nestled in next to me.

I took the glass and stared at it. “I told
you I can’t drink this.”

His eyes slanted into a glare. “Well, you
don’t really have a choice now. You smell like blood! If you don’t
want to accidentally get bitten, then you need to wash away the
smell with that drink.”

I returned his glare and replied, “I can
just shift it away.”

“No! Forget using any more of your powers
until later tonight. Just take a few sips. It’s an appletini with
caramel on the rim of the glass. Vivian said you should like
it.”

“Who’s Vivian?” I snapped, and immediately
regretted my tone.

“Your jealousy can only mean one thing,
Angel.”

I looked away and mumbled, “I’m not
jealous.”

I felt a whir of motion, then Luke’s mouth
was next to my cheek. “Yes. You. Are”—his breath a warm chill on my
skin. “Now drink some of that before I drink you.”

I shrugged my shoulders and took a small
sip. My lips puckered at its tartness, but then my tongue was left
with a tangy, sweet aftertaste. The drink reminded me of a green
apple Jolly Rancher, and there was no proof in its flavor that it
contained any alcohol. I took one more tiny sip, then set the
mostly full martini back on the tray.

“That’s better, but I can still smell your
blood,” Luke said, setting down his glass. He studied me a moment,
then added, “You got it on your shirt.” He pointed to an area near
my tank top’s scooped collar.

“I’m probably covered in dirt too. I can’t
believe how rude those people were.”

“You’ve never seen a demon-possessed
human?”

Yes, I had. “That explains their behavior!”
I exclaimed, sitting a little straighter. “No one would let me off
the dance floor. I bet they thought they could use my body as a
host.”

“How? They can do that to an angel?”

“Of course not!” I scoffed. “But none of
them know I’m an angel since my aura is masked. To them”—I gestured
back toward the dance floor—“I look like any other human.”

Luke draped his arm around my shoulders.
“You don’t look like any ole human to me.”

Heat flushed my checks, and my chest
tightened. Why was he affecting me like this? Why were my nerves
racing through my body like mini currents of electricity? I didn’t
know, but the longer I sat tucked under his arm, the more intense I
felt—an inferno building and growing until I’d either explode or
melt away. I swallowed hard and nudged him. “You can’t say things
like that”—my voice breathless as I shimmied out of his
embrace.

He shot me a frustrated look. “Quit acting
like I have the plague. We’re just two friends trying to enjoy
ourselves before we go into a gnarly battle later. We only have
another hour, so ease up! Will you do that for me?”

“Why only another hour? I can orb us—”

“No!” He scooted closer and put his arm back
around me. “No orbing until we leave Earth.
I’m
taking you
back to Virginia Beach.”

“What? You don’t have a—” I realized what he
meant. “You’re offering to carry me to Huron’s?”

He nodded, smiling like a little boy on
Christmas morning.

I’d never traveled that way with Cole; would
it be appropriate to do it with Luke? I’d hate to spark unnecessary
jealousy in Cole once I got him back. But Luke was his friend, and
we were working together to help him. Surely Cole would be okay
with whatever things Luke and I did together to accomplish his safe
return. In my mind I went back and forth with it another minute,
then nodded at Luke.

“Great! It’s settled!” He grabbed his
martini and held up the glass. “Cheers!”

I sat there gaping at him. Then his eyes got
darker and deeper, and I felt my whole body start to tremble. I
tried to turn away but couldn’t move. My breathing quickened and my
heart began pounding against my chest. I could feel him at the edge
of my mind, moving closer and deeper—all the places he shouldn’t
be. There was so much pressure everywhere, threatening to suffocate
me. Fear seized me.

Then, suddenly, he was gone. I was me and he
was him. “Jerk!” I hissed, starting to rise, but his hand was on my
arm pulling me down. “Let. Me. Go!”

“Wait! Let me explain! I didn’t mean to do
that. It’s because of your blood! I swear! Please don’t go.”

I stole a minute to collect myself, then
asked, “What do you mean it’s because of my blood?”

“I never feed without
alluring
my
prey. I couldn’t help it. The way you were looking at me, mixed
with the fresh scent of your blood. Angel, you’re almost
irresistible.”

“It seems like I am completely
irresistible!” I scoffed. “If that happens again—”

“It won’t. But maybe you
should
shift
into another shirt.”

I peered around. There were lots of people
and beings scattered outside our private little oasis, but they all
seemed so distracted, and there was no real good view of Luke and
me from out there anyway, so I shifted into a fresh dressy tank.
Luke’s eyes widened, then he said, “That was efficient.”

“It beats going through that cluster”—I
gestured toward the dance floor—“to find the bathrooms.”

“How do you plan on dancing with me if you
don’t want to go back out there?”

“I’m not dancing with you!”

Luke took my hand and stood up, pulling me
along with him. “We can just do it right here,” he whispered in my
ear, then tugged me away from the sofa and around the ottoman. He
twirled me under his arm, pulling me close against his chest.

“Luke, please! I don’t want to do this!” I
begged, but then he tossed me backward and whirled me around as he
pulled me back to him. “Luke, st—” He spun me again, then dipped me
low. I could feel my hair graze across the ground as he brought me
back up. His hands landed on my hips and he slid me side to side,
mimicking his own movements. Another argument built up on my
tongue, but it was silenced as he twirled me again. His hand
gripped my back, firm and hard, guiding me along with each step. He
pulled me closer, holding me tighter, then released me with a
powerful thrust. I triple-stepped back, losing my balance, but Luke
was already there with both hands on my hips, steadying me. We
swayed back and forth, then he swooped me up in his arms, holding
me like a baby as he twirled around and around. Then he dipped me
again while still holding me steady, secure in his arms. As he
pulled me back up I started laughing uncontrollably, and obviously
it was contagious. Luke burst into laughter and I lost track of
time as he stood there, holding me, both of us giggling so hard my
cheeks started hurting. I gazed up into Luke’s eyes and our
laughter trailed off. His face was closer, but I never saw him
move. He squeezed his arms more firmly around my body. My breathing
sped up, and my chest tightened. Then his lips brushed across mine,
sensual and soft, igniting a fire within me like flames on
gasoline. I couldn’t think straight, my thoughts were a blur; every
part of me wanted Luke—needed to feel him kissing me. There was a
perfect balance of fire and ice, the warmth of my breath and the
soothing chill from his. Without thinking, my arms snaked around
his neck, and my lips pressed harder against his. Something between
a groan and a growl escaped his mouth, then his right hand slid up
into my hair, tugging and pulling, while his other hand kept
holding me under my knees. His tongue slid across my lips, slowly
opening them with each stroke. An inferno of lust clung to my
spine, burned up my neck, and spilled out onto my head. For a brief
moment, we were whirling and spinning, then I was lying on
something firm and squishy, with Luke on top of me and my legs
wrapped tightly around his body. My hands slipped under his shirt,
rubbing all over his back, and as his body pressed closer my
fingernails dug into his skin. Luke growled, deep and guttural,
then breathed, “Angel.”

Suddenly, reality shook my body like an
earthquake, my hunger and need completely silenced by panic and
guilt. “No, we can’t!” I shouted, pulling my hands free of his
shirt, then placing them on his shoulders and pushing as hard as I
could. He barely moved an inch.

His eyes bore down into mine. “Don’t do
this,” he begged, his voice breathless and panting.

I pushed harder, holding his body at arm’s
length. “Luke, we can’t. Please.”

His shoulders slumped back, his face
softened, and then in a flash of motion he was sitting beside me,
my legs draped over his thighs. “Angel, I…”

I sat up in a rush, swinging my legs away
from Luke and shifting my position, careful not to sit too close.
Cole.
What about Cole?
I scolded myself, leaning forward,
burying my face in my hands. How did all of that just happen? How
could I have let it happen? But it felt so good being close to
Luke, filled with so much desire and warmth. It was similar to my
times with Cole, and yet so very different. It was wrong, so very
wrong, but it’d felt so right just moments ago. But it wasn’t, and
I knew it. I raised my head and glanced at Luke. He was watching
me, eyes cautious and sad. “I’m not mad at you,” I said at last,
slumping my shoulders and taking slow, deep breaths. “This was my
fault too. I’m sorry. This can never happen again.”