Beauty Awakened (Angels of the Dark #2)(60)
Author: Gena Showalter

“Why numbers?” he asked.

“Why not?” she said, because she had no other believable response.

He shrugged, saying, “Fair enough. So did I tell you that I haven’t been on a date in months?”

“But why?” The moment the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake and blushed. “I’m so sorry. That was such a rude question. And I have no room to judge. I haven’t been on a date in years.”

He sipped at his wine, studying her over the rim of the glass. “That’s impossible. Every man at the office is halfway in love with you. And if you had ever shown the slightest bit of interest, they would have been fully in love with you.”

In love with her? There was just no way. “Why would they want…” Another rude question, and one she wouldn’t finish.

“Why would they want you?” Dex asked, completing the sentence for her. He gave another laugh, this one relaxed. “You’re so composed, so quiet, and you’ve been so sad lately. It’s become a compulsion to make you smile. You’re more beautiful every time I look at you, yet you have no idea. And I could go on and on.”

“Thank you,” she replied softly. If she didn’t change the subject she would burst into flames. “So…have you spent any time with Jamila and Sirena?”

He’d been in the process of swallowing another sip of wine and choked. He coughed, beat at his chest.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine, fine,” he wheezed. “Uh, what makes you ask about those two?”

“I was just wondering how they seem to be doing to the rest of the office.”

“Oh, uh, great I think. I…haven’t really cared to find out about them.”

The waiter arrived with the food, set the plates on the table, and Dex released a relieved breath. The sharp scent of the spices hit her, and her stomach twisted with hunger, a voracious appetite demanding attention. Just then, she wished she’d ordered a juicy rib eye rather than a bowl of fettuccine.

“Tell me more about your recovery process,” Laila said—and Blaine did just that.

“They’re sure getting along,” Dex said, again reaching out to pat Nicola’s hand.

The table never shook, and yet his wineglass suddenly tipped over, the dark red liquid quickly spilling over his jacket and pants. Yelping, he jumped up.

“Excuse me,” he gritted out before hurrying to the men’s room.

* * *

“YOU’RE ACTING like a child,” Axel said.

“That’s funny, coming from you,” Koldo replied through clenched teeth.

“You threw alcohol at a puny human male.”

“He’s lucky to still be alive. I could have thrown daggers.”

“Wait. Did you think I was complaining? I was actually cheering.”

They’d stood beside the foursome’s table for the past twenty minutes, watching the couples interact.

Koldo had arrived in a bad mood, and that mood had only grown worse. He’d tracked his father, and it’d been easy to do. Every flash left an imprint in the air that was vacated, and Nox had done a lot of flashing. But the trail had led to Nicola’s house and grown cold, a fact that had enraged Koldo. A rage he wouldn’t allow himself to express. He had a woman under his care now. No longer could he give his temper free rein. What if he scared Nicola? Or inadvertently hurt her?

Axel, who could find anyone, anywhere, had had no luck with the Nefas. So, they’d given up for the time being and come here.

Koldo had nearly dialed her number a thousand times. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked—so beautiful he hadn’t wanted the other male to see her. He wanted to tell her that he was sorry for snapping at her.

He wanted to tell her that her date was a liar and a sex fiend.

Dex was the one Koldo had seen having sex with Sirena right on top of Nicola’s desk, that time he’d visited her office. And now the male was pretending not to know the girl.

With every second that passed, one fact had become stunningly clear. Koldo should have gathered Nicola in his arms and staked a real claim. Another kiss. Only longer. Deeper.

She belongs to me.

And it was time he proved it.

A moment passed. He nodded. Yes, it was indeed time he proved it. Poor Nicola.

He was half-Nefas. He was dangerous. He was disgusting. He was evil. Already his past had risen up to threaten her. He had no wings. He’d never been with a woman, wasn’t sure how to please her in that way and wasn’t sure how he would feel afterward.

She’d had so little joy in her too-short life. Everything she’d ever loved had been stolen from her. If Koldo kept her, romantically speaking, she would be no better off. His time would be divided between her, his mother, his father and ultimately his duties. And what would happen to Nicola if ever he fell from the skies?

Still, that hadn’t stopped him from spreading his essentia all over her little body today, marking her and warning all other males away.

Now there was a radiant, golden sheen to her skin.

Koldo could see it, and he knew Axel could see it. But not Dex. And yet, the human had felt the heat of it when he’d dared to reach out and touch what belonged to Koldo. An action that had nearly gotten him killed. Koldo had snarled and launched forward, determined to remove the human’s head from his body—and would have, if Axel hadn’t tackled him to the ground.

She deserved better than Dex. Better than Koldo. But…she wasn’t going to get it, and that was that. She was getting Koldo. All the other details could be worked out later.

Blood might stain his hands, but he would only ever treat her with tenderness. And she wasn’t like Cornelia and Nox; he’d already realized that. She would never treat him with hatred and cruelty.

She’d made him laugh while he was at his worst. He loved having her in his arms. He loved having her in his lap. He loved talking to her, teaching her, listening to her wit and her observations, simply breathing her in. He loved tasting her, and now wanted all of her.

Why try to find another woman, an imitation, when he had the real thing already? Nicola was the most beautiful creature he’d ever beheld, and he wanted…everything from her. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to see her with her hair flowing down her back. He wanted to hear more stories about her childhood. He wanted to avenge the wrongs done to her.

He just…wanted.

And he would have those things—and more.

One day you’ll want a woman, Nox had said in one of his “teaching” moments. You’ll do anything to have her.