to the remiges, or flight feathers at the end of a wing, absorbed in her examination. “So you try to keep off the radar, for want of a better phrase?”
“Pretty much.” God, the woman had no idea what she was doing to him. This time he couldn’t stop the shudder of pleasure as she moved to the other wing. “The key to survival is to lay low and keep my corner of the world clear of all problems.”
“Problems like the geist?”
“And other things.”
“Like the dead guy with glowing red eyes in Stern Grove?”
That startled him enough to glance back at her, only to find her face kissably close. “That was no dead guy. That was some weird demon wearing the face of a dead guy that slipped through my fingers. How do you know about that?”
Her slow smile was so alluring he had to look away before he pounced on her. “I guess you keep forgetting what I do for a living.”
Ha. As if he could ever forget a damn thing about her. “Just as long as you don’t forget what I have to do to stay alive. I hide in the shadows, and even wear a mask in the hope that I won’t be seen by an uncaring deity who wants me dead.”
“I think you’re fooling yourself if you believe you’re not known to the heavens,” she said after so long a pause he’d thought she wasn’t going to answer. “I’m not exactly religious, and I’m certainly no expert, but I do know you’re hard to miss.”
Zeke nearly smiled at the unintended compliment. “Heaven’s wrath wants all Nephilim dead. All of them. We’re abominations.”
“Don’t say that. Think of all the people you’ve helped. Think of how you’ve saved me.”
“I’ve only done that so San Francisco never pops up on any celestial radar as a problem requiring the attention of the heavenly host. I’m no hero. I’m nothing more than a self-serving coward looking out for number one.”
“Now who’s being an asshat?” Before Zeke could brace himself, she pulled him backward by the shoulders to tumble him off the low balcony wall. A grunt escaped him when he landed flat on his back, the mask tumbling from his grip. To his surprise, her bare foot came to plant itself right over his heart as she jammed her hands on her hips. The breath left his lungs, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the fall, or from the fact that this new position allowed him to see she wasn’t wearing any underwear beneath the T-shirt. “You’ve been so busy telling yourself what a mistake you are that you’ve started to buy into that load of crap. But I’m not going to help you enjoy your pity party, Zeke. There are no mistakes, not like this. You’re meant to be the way you are, and whether you like it or not, you’re a good man who does all he can to make his corner of the world a better place.”
Before she could take her foot off his chest and stalk away, he caught it by the ankle. Her skin was baby soft, the bones so small and delicate he felt brutish in comparison. Taking great care not to upend her balance, he ran a fingertip along the arch of her foot and smiled when he surprised a breathless laugh out of her.
Oh, yeah. A ticklish woman was worth her weight in diamonds.
“Keeping the world safe isn’t all I can do, you know.” He smiled, and wondered if it looked as predatory as it felt. “I do have other talents.”
Her eyes widened, then darkened with a sultry seduction that made him want to beg her for mercy. “Could you expand on that?”
“Trust me, I already have.” At last giving in to temptation, Zeke brought her toes to his mouth and ran his tongue along the sensitive pads while his gaze lingered on the glimpse of dark curls under the T-shirt. He’d always loved the view from this balcony, but never more so than now. “Tell me, Kendall. Have you ever thought about having sex with a winged man?”
A shaky breath whispered out of her, and she smiled when he took her toes into his mouth. “You’re slow on the uptake, flyboy. That’s all I’ve been
“Pretty much.” God, the woman had no idea what she was doing to him. This time he couldn’t stop the shudder of pleasure as she moved to the other wing. “The key to survival is to lay low and keep my corner of the world clear of all problems.”
“Problems like the geist?”
“And other things.”
“Like the dead guy with glowing red eyes in Stern Grove?”
That startled him enough to glance back at her, only to find her face kissably close. “That was no dead guy. That was some weird demon wearing the face of a dead guy that slipped through my fingers. How do you know about that?”
Her slow smile was so alluring he had to look away before he pounced on her. “I guess you keep forgetting what I do for a living.”
Ha. As if he could ever forget a damn thing about her. “Just as long as you don’t forget what I have to do to stay alive. I hide in the shadows, and even wear a mask in the hope that I won’t be seen by an uncaring deity who wants me dead.”
“I think you’re fooling yourself if you believe you’re not known to the heavens,” she said after so long a pause he’d thought she wasn’t going to answer. “I’m not exactly religious, and I’m certainly no expert, but I do know you’re hard to miss.”
Zeke nearly smiled at the unintended compliment. “Heaven’s wrath wants all Nephilim dead. All of them. We’re abominations.”
“Don’t say that. Think of all the people you’ve helped. Think of how you’ve saved me.”
“I’ve only done that so San Francisco never pops up on any celestial radar as a problem requiring the attention of the heavenly host. I’m no hero. I’m nothing more than a self-serving coward looking out for number one.”
“Now who’s being an asshat?” Before Zeke could brace himself, she pulled him backward by the shoulders to tumble him off the low balcony wall. A grunt escaped him when he landed flat on his back, the mask tumbling from his grip. To his surprise, her bare foot came to plant itself right over his heart as she jammed her hands on her hips. The breath left his lungs, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the fall, or from the fact that this new position allowed him to see she wasn’t wearing any underwear beneath the T-shirt. “You’ve been so busy telling yourself what a mistake you are that you’ve started to buy into that load of crap. But I’m not going to help you enjoy your pity party, Zeke. There are no mistakes, not like this. You’re meant to be the way you are, and whether you like it or not, you’re a good man who does all he can to make his corner of the world a better place.”
Before she could take her foot off his chest and stalk away, he caught it by the ankle. Her skin was baby soft, the bones so small and delicate he felt brutish in comparison. Taking great care not to upend her balance, he ran a fingertip along the arch of her foot and smiled when he surprised a breathless laugh out of her.
Oh, yeah. A ticklish woman was worth her weight in diamonds.
“Keeping the world safe isn’t all I can do, you know.” He smiled, and wondered if it looked as predatory as it felt. “I do have other talents.”
Her eyes widened, then darkened with a sultry seduction that made him want to beg her for mercy. “Could you expand on that?”
“Trust me, I already have.” At last giving in to temptation, Zeke brought her toes to his mouth and ran his tongue along the sensitive pads while his gaze lingered on the glimpse of dark curls under the T-shirt. He’d always loved the view from this balcony, but never more so than now. “Tell me, Kendall. Have you ever thought about having sex with a winged man?”
A shaky breath whispered out of her, and she smiled when he took her toes into his mouth. “You’re slow on the uptake, flyboy. That’s all I’ve been
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