Page 11 of Secrets in the Shadow

Pull yourself together. He’s been following you around and pops into your kitchen, and all you want to do is beg him to bend you over the table?

Cody cleared his throat, managing to sound indignant. “Tell me who you are, buster.”

“Call me your guardian angel, handsome.” He winked. “Or you can call me Raziel.”

Handsome? Now he knew the stranger was full of shit. While Cody didn’t think he was bad-looking, he was a realist and was nowhere even close to this hunk’s league.

“What are you?”

Raziel opened the fridge as if he lived there, retrieving a carton of orange juice. “Thirsty,” he replied simply.

“Hey!” Cody picked up the spatula, ready to…paddle his nicely shaped ass.

Day-am.

“Can I have a glass?” Raziel asked while searching through the cupboards.

“Sure, help yourself,” Cody muttered. Absentmindedly, he picked up a strip off the napkin, crunching on the bacon while watching all those beautiful, bronzed muscles flex with every movement.

“I’m a celestial being who wants some more bacon.” He poured a glass of orange juice, set it on the counter, then drank from the carton. Once again, Cody’s gaze focused on the man’s throat muscles.

Wait…

“Are you saying you’re an angel?”

Large, white, feathery wings shot out from Raziel’s back, knocking over a few things in the small kitchen. The sugar bowl rolled across the counter then took a dive toward the floor.

Holy shit! Fuck, was he supposed to say “holy” when cursing? Was he even supposed to curse? Should he bow or offer Raziel a lifetime’s worth of bacon?

“Guardian angels are a real thing?” He wrinkled his nose. “I thought that was just in movies.”

Raziel spread his arms, the orange juice carton gripped in one hand. “So, what else are you making to eat?”

Cody’s mind was melting, and the angel wanted to eat? “I would tell you if I’d invited you to breakfast.” He was fed up with the angel’s rude manners.

But was still impressed as hell too.

Shit, stop saying biblical curse words.

Raziel stood there studying him, and that was when Cody noticed the angel’s eyes. Just a moment ago they were green. Now… He stepped closer, momentarily forgetting his fears. The irises swirled, and… He moved even closer, nearly on top of the guy. Were those shooting stars?

“You’re awfully close, handsome.” Raziel’s voice had grown huskier, pulling Cody out of his daze. He quickly stepped back, his breath hitching.

“Are you following me because I’m about to die?” He wasn’t ready to die. At only twenty-nine years old, he had his whole life ahead of him!

The angel snorted. “Do I look like a reaper to you?” His wings tucked in, and then he eyed the napkin. “Are you going to share the rest of your bacon?”

Cody simply stared at the guy, his brain short-circuiting under the sheer absurdity of the moment. This was it. He’d officially cracked. A half-naked, bacon-stealing angel with runway-model abs was standing in his kitchen, drinking straight from the orange juice carton like he was never taught any manners.

“That stuff isn’t cheap, you know.” Cody pointed the spatula like it could ward off celestial beings.

Raziel raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed, and took another long sip from the carton before slowly setting it on the counter. “Are you saying I’m needy?” His tone was teasing, but there was a flicker of something—something quiet and guarded—just beneath the surface.

“You’re not needy.” Cody scowled, tossing the spatula into the sink. “You’re just rude.”

Raziel leaned against the fridge, crossing his arms over his chest in that maddeningly casual way of his, those eyes still mesmerizing the hell out of Cody.

Stop using biblical curse words.

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