On the Hunt

"Sunny?" He gasped the word, sounding gritty like sandpaper. Lifting both hands to his throat, he tried to loosen the chain, but it was no longer around his throat.

"Be still and don't try to talk," she soothed, stroking his hair.

He peered up at her, not understanding what he'd just experienced. He'd have sworn he was in heaven when she appeared in that halo of light. "Am I . . . dead?"

She pressed a tender kiss to his forehead, caressing his cheek. "No, my love. You're going to be fine. You're safe."

He might be safe, at least for now, but Sunny wasn't! There were demons all around; Thrastikas might hurt her. In alarm, he tried to sit up. "You gotta get out of here," he warned hoarsely, but she pushed him back down easily. He caught sight of Thrastikas's crumpled form only a few yards away; his wings and body had been scorched, the chains melted. His once-beady red eyes stared lifelessly, all the hell fire gone from their depths. Sunny had done that; Sunny had used her angelic power to turn his enemy to an ashen heap.

"Sunshine," he whispered hoarsely. "Thank you. I'm sorry . . . so sorry about . . ."

"Shh, just rest, Jamie. Rest." She kissed him softly on the lips, and it was warm, strange.

Different from any other time they'd shared a kiss. So much so that whatever she did caused him to fall fast asleep immediately.

Sunny watched Mason and Evan hoist Jamie's still form into the backseat of Mace's pickup truck.

She'd given him a holy kiss, placing him in a deep, healing trance. Although she'd instantly mended his wounds, the emotional and spiritual trauma of coming so near to death needed to be healed as well, and that took time.

Once Jamie was laid out on the seat, looking peaceful—and so fast asleep that he began snoring loudly—Mace turned to her. "I don't get it." He shook his head. "We were knee-deep in battle with some truly wicked demons, and then . . . they went ghost on us. And where did you come from?" He pointed at Sunny. "You were suddenly here and then all the demons were gone.

And Thrastikas was toast back there. He was scorched against the ground. What's up with that?"

Sunny gave him an evasive smile. "Well, I was worried about Jamie." She turned and peeked at him one more time, wanting to reassure herself that he truly was all right.

"So you came out into the thick of a demon battle? Really, now," Mace continued, popping her on the arm. "I don't believe you. There's got to be more to it than that."

Shay started pushing Mason toward the driver's side. "Leave Sunny be. Isn't it bad enough that she's got to contend with Jamie? She doesn't need you, too."

He stopped in his tracks. "Contend? From where I'm standing, sissy, there's a lot more than that going on between those two."

Shay gave her brother another shove. "Just drive. There's no big conspiracy here."

He was still muttering about vaporized demons and supernatural forces when Shay closed his truck door, giving Sunny a brief and conspiratorial grin. "Thanks, sweetie," Shay said. "I know we allowe you our lives. Or at the very least we owe you Jamie's life. That you cared enough to come out here . . ."

Sunny lifted her finger to her lips dramatically, and whispered, "Shhhh. If he hears, it might go right to his head."

Shay burst out laughing. "Oh, my gosh, you so totally have my brother's number already."

I so totally love your brother already, Sunny nearly blurted in reply, but turned back to her car instead. Her work tonight had only just begun.

Chapter Ten

How long am I supposed to wait? I need to see you, Sunny. Give a guy a break, why don't you? You're killing me here....

Sunny smiled, reading Jamie's latest message on her iPhone. He'd texted her repeatedly during the past three days, and every time Sunny had indicated that it wasn't time yet, but that she definitely wanted to see him. That she had some big news. Something that would give him hope, but she needed time.

She'd been reading and delving into every book on angelic guardians, messengers, and hosts that Shay could shuttle over to Sunny's apartment. And the more she read, the more convinced she became that because of her love for Jamie, she truly could exercise her own free will. That she wouldn't turn dark as a result, not if guided by her faith—and no matter how hard she prayed, she always received the same answer: that she was meant to be with Jamie. Even though it seemed to fly in the face of everything she'd been called to do—and even though it contradicted Kiel's initial chastisement—she knew it was her destiny.

But she'd needed time enough to prove that to herself before telling Jamie such big news.

And he'd just about gone bonkers with the waiting. Patience, she was learning, wasn't high on James Angel's list of virtues.

Still smiling, she texted back, I've been working on something for you. . . . Patience, big guy.

Almost immediately he fired another volley:

Are you saying we can be together? Are you implying you figured out a way? I can't take much more of this. . . .

When she didn't text back right away, her phone began to ring, and she beamed. It was kind of silly, but it felt good to be pursued—and felt more than wonderful for Jamie to be the one doing that pursuing.

She answered the phone and he plunged right in. "I'm all out of patience," he blurted. "Are you home? I'm walking out to my truck right now.... I'm coming to see you."

"Really?" she said demurely. "Right now?"

He was silent for a moment, as if he'd expected her to object or dodge. "You . . . It's okay if I do?" He sounded entirely disbelieving, stunned even.

"Do you like lasagna?"

Another pause, then, "Hell, yeah. Wait, you want to cook for me?"

"James Dixon, you sound so shocked. I'd reckon you were used to dinner invitations from single women." She opened her pantry and began retrieving spices and spaghetti sauce and pasta. "I mean, aren't you supposed to be God's gift to every girl in Savannah?"

"Not anymore. There's only one girl I want, and you know it," he answered very quietly, and then she heard him suck in a breath. As if he were bracing for her rejection, for words she would never say again, the dreaded, We can't be together.

But she wouldn't give him her news over the phone. It had to be done in person, when she could kiss him and hold him for hours afterward.

"Well, good, then," she said lightly, "I'll even have fresh bread for you. See you in a little while."

And with that she hung up the phone before he could cajole her for more information. It was thirty minutes from Isle of Hope to her apartment. She had a lot to accomplish in that very short amount of time.

Jamie took the steps to Sunny's apartment two at a time. He'd driven here at breakneck speed, lucky as hell that he'd not been stopped for a ticket, but he couldn't have slowed down if he'd tried.

She had good news; she had to. Something he wanted to hear. And she knew that there was only one thing that he would count as a happy announcement right now: that they had a future together.

He paced around on her stoop and ran a hand over his hair, trying to neaten it up. He'd been so hell-bent on storming her gates that he'd not even bothered to shave or change into nicer clothes.

He was wearing faded jeans and a frayed green polo, but he didn't even care. He just wanted to be with Sunny, was desperate to hear her say that she'd found a way for them to be a couple.

Before he could ring the bell, Sunny opened the door. She leaned against the doorjamb smiling up at him with a sexy expression in her eyes. "Well," she drawled, "you must've broken the sound barrier with that drive over here, James Angel."

He was speechless. Unlike him, she'd made herself absolutely gorgeous, wearing a sleek pair of black jeans with a black cashmere turtleneck. Her hair was pulled back with a brightly colored silk scarf patterned in purple and red and black. He wanted to take that fabric between his teeth and untie it so he could run his hands all through her light brown curls.

"I . . ." He blushed, staring down at his scuffed boots, feeling stupidly shy now that he was here. "I couldn't get here fast enough, sweetheart. But you already know that."

"What's with gabbing on my front stoop, then? Come here." She grabbed hold of his arm, pulling him inside the apartment.

The moment the door was closed, Sunny was wrapping her arms about his neck, tugging him down for a kiss. Unlike all their previous kisses, this time she was bold, not hesitating for even a heartbeat as she backed him up against her front door. It turned him flat on, Sunny being so direct and aggressive.

It also caused his heart to slam inside his chest. Sunny wouldn't be so eager if . . .

He broke the kiss they'd begun. "Sunny, baby." He gasped. "Are you telling me . . . Can we . . . Is this allowed?" He didn't quite dare hope, even as he'd spent the past days desperately praying and dreaming of this very moment.

She beamed up at him, her almond-shaped eyes alight with fire and passion and . . . love.

Cupping his face between both palms, she blessed him with a radiant smile, one that was lit with just a touch of her supernatural glow. "Yes, Jamie," she whispered, bobbing her head.

"Allowed to be together? To fall in love? To be lovers?" he rushed to ask, clinging to her hips.

"Please tell me I'm understanding this right."

She nodded again, her smile widening. "Yes, my love, I believe we can be all those things."

His vision instantly blurred and he sagged against the door behind him, a heavy, crushing weight instantly lifted off his body and soul. "H-how?" he stammered, bunching her sweater in both hands. It was almost as if he feared she might still fly away, that he might lose her, so he had to hold her tight.

She leaned her cheek against his chest, sighing contentedly. "I finally understood what could be done after Kiel came to me again. That night of the demon fight . . . when I was driving out to stop you."