Page 22 of Guarded
I reached across the table to touch his chin. My fingers barely grazed his skin, lingering only long enough to get his eyes to meet mine, but the invisible mark it left behind?
I’d be feeling the burn for days.
“The first time I saw you was the first time I truly understood the difference between angels and demons,” I confessed quietly. “A being as beautiful and precious as you could never exist downstairs.”
Noah scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Please. Have you met Ferenc?”
I smirked at his mention of the former Grim Reaper. I’d only seen him without his hood once—after we’d both left Hell. Down there, he’d never revealed his face to a soul.
Noah was right.Ferenc was undeniably a beautiful man.
But so was he.
“I have, and believe me, he has nothing on you.”
“Your flattery will get you nowhere,” Noah drawled. “Nor will your assumptions. Believe me, I’d be more than capable of surviving Hell.”
I remembered the deep well of power I’d felt emanatingfrom him that day with Gloria. “I’m sure you would, but there’s a quality about you that wouldn’t survive. It doesn’t matter who you are or what kind of strength you have, there’s something about Hell that erodes a part of you. It tarnishes the good in you. You can try and keep yourself whole, but it’s no use. Hell takes part of you and offers no apology.”
I gave him a grim smile. “That’s how I knew you were different. You’re so…whole. I can’t even explain it, but I looked at you and saw someone full of light. I don’t envy you for it. If anything, I’m grateful. Fucking delighted that you’ve not been subjected to the darkness that fills every corner of Hell. Believe me, Noah, no one walks out of there unscathed. It takes and takes and takes, until you’ve got nothing left to give.”
For the first time, interest flared in Noah’s gaze. He pushed his drink to the side and leaned his forearms on the table. Having his full, undivided attention was almost too much. It was like my lungs had doubled in capacity, needing far more oxygen than usual.
A strand of his lilac hair fell across his face as he tilted his head to the side. “Tell me, Jeremiah, what did Hell take from you?”
Chapter 5
Noah
Jeremiah sat back in his seat and pursed his lips. “That’s not an easy question to answer.”
“We have time.”
“Probably about forty-seven minutes of it, right?” He smiled, but the tightness of it told me how much it was bothering him. Somehow, I knew he wouldn’t push me for more though. He’d respect the boundary I’d set and walk out of here when the hour was up.
I didn’t know what it was about Jeremiah’s words that had my guard lowering. Perhaps it was the intrigue. The need to know more.
Or perhaps it’d been the shadows in his eyes as he spoke. The ones that hid truths I was suddenly desperate to reveal.
Inhaling deeply and praying I wasn’t making a mistake, I pointedly unclasped my watch and slid it into my pocket. “No one’s counting now, Jeremiah.”
He brushed his thumb over his lips. “What made you change your mind?”
I shrugged. “Let’s call it curiosity.”
Curiosity and perhaps an acknowledgement that I was being a dick. Sure, Jeremiah had fucked up, but he was trying to make up for it. Was I really behaving any better treating him this way?
No. I really wasn’t.
I’d said he could have an opportunity to plead his case, and I was going to do him the courtesy of listening. That was all.
Sure. Let’s just ignore the fact that you got close to him for less than a minute and almost kissed him.
I scowled internally. That had been bound to happen, even if there weren’t a physical pull in my chest, begging me to get closer to him. Jeremiah was fucking sexy. I didn’t know if he’d intentionally worn a shirt that was too small, but the horny side of me was fucking grateful.
Absandnipple piercings? Just kill me now. Seriously. Being dead was likely the only thing that would stop me falling into bed with him.
Along with half of London, apparently.
