I pushed myself up from the bench, shaking off the lingering discomfort.“Come on,” I said, my tone brisk.“I have to get to work.If you’re coming with, try not to make a spectacle of yourself.”
“I’ll be discreet,” he said.
“Yeah, right,” I muttered.
* * *
Rathiel definitely wasnotdiscreet.
From the second we stepped into the coffee shop, it was clear he didn’t blend in.Heads turned, conversations paused, and the usual hum of morning chatter dulled to a low murmur as every set of eyes in the place zeroed in on him.Most were regulars who rarely glanced up from their laptops, but today, they seemed to forget about their devices and instead openly stared at Rathiel.Even Mr.Grayson, an elderly gentleman who always sat by the window engrossed in his newspaper, peeked over the top of it to get a better look.
Frowning, I turned and studied Rathiel.
Okay, yeah, he was drop-dead gorgeous in a way that should absolutely be illegal.He might be the biggest pain in my ass, but even I could admit he was breathtaking.
Thankfully, Rathiel didn’t seem to notice the attention—or if he did, he certainly didn’t care.He strode through the shop with a confidence that bordered on arrogance, his presence commanding attention whether he wanted it or not.
I, on the other hand, just wanted to pretend like everything was perfectly normal.I ducked behind the counter and tossed my purse into my locker in the back room before quickly tying on my apron.But when I stepped back through the door, Rathiel was still the center of attention.
Jazz abandoned her task of refilling the pastries and sidled up next to me, her eyes wide with curiosity.“Hi,” she whispered, barely containing her excitement.“Who the heck is that guy?He came in yesterday asking about you.So, who is he, and why’s he here?”
I tried to keep my tone casual as I grabbed a rag and started wiping down the counter.“That’s Rathiel.He’s…my cousin.”I hated the lie as it rolled off my tongue, and from the twisted grimace on Rathiel’s face, so did he.But it was the easiest way to explain his presence without delving into anything remotely close to the truth.
Jazz blinked.“Cousin?”Then she shot me an appraising look.“Well, isn’t your family tree rife with good genes.”Then she grinned.“Cousin means he’s open season then, hey?He looks like he stepped straight out of a magazine.Is he a model or something?”
I snorted, imagining him on the cover of theHellhounds and Demonic Horsesmagazine.“He’s just visiting.Don’t get attached.He’ll be leaving soon.”
Jazz gave me a look that said she absolutely planned on attaching herself to him, in any way possible.“Visiting, huh?Well, I hope he comes in often while he’s in town.He’s definitely good for business.”
I rolled my eyes with a smile.“You’re hopeless.”
“I’m just saying, a little eye candy never hurt anyone,” Jazz said, grinning as she finally picked up a tray of croissants to restock the display.“And speaking of eye candy, how did your date with Jack go?I’ve been dying to hear the details.”
I busied myself with the coffee machine, more to avoid meeting Jazz’s curious gaze than anything.“It was…nice,” I said, keeping my voice as nonchalant as possible.
Jazz wasn’t having it.“Nice?That’s all I get?Come on, Lil, spill.Did you have fun?Did he kiss you?Are you seeing him again?”
My cheeks warmed, and I was grateful for the distraction of the steaming milk in front of me.“Yes, I had fun.Yes, he kissed my cheek.And yes, I’m seeing him again.”
Jazz practically squealed, nearly dropping the tray she was holding.“Ah, that’s awesome!I’d hoped you two would hit it off.But what about Mr.Broody over there?”She jerked her thumb in Rathiel’s direction, her eyes twinkling with mischief.“You sure he’s just a cousin?Because that man looks at you like he wants to eat you alive.”
I nearly choked on the steam.“What?No, Jazz.It’s not like that.He’s just…protective.”
“Protective, huh?”Jazz waggled her eyebrows, clearly enjoying this way too much.“Well, if you say so.But just so you know, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t mind being ‘protected’ by someone like him.”
I glanced over at Rathiel, who now sat by the closest window, his intense gaze fixed on something outside.As though sensing my attention, he turned his head, and our gazes met.I bit the inside of my lip and found my thoughts drifting back to the conversation we’d had outside the coffee shop, and the way he’d looked at me.There was something about him I couldn’t ignore.But thanks to the lingering pain in my head, I wasn’t able to dive into that topic.
Everything about him confused me.Last night, I’d been ready to roast his wings over an open fire.Today, though… Yeah, I was still pissed, but somehow the anger had lost its bite.As Lucifer’s daughter, I tended to stray more toward vengeance and punishment than forgiveness.But with Rathiel?For some reason, it didn’t stick.Maybe I was just exhausted.Holding onto fury took a lot more energy than I had to give right now.
“Lily,” Jazz’s voice cut through my thoughts, and I blinked, realizing I’d been staring at Rathiel again.“You okay?You seem a little…distracted.”
I shook my head, forcing a smile.“Yeah, I’m fine.Just a lot on my mind, I guess.”
She grinned, then threw me a wink.“I bet.Hard to think when you’ve gotthathanging around.”
When I didn’t respond, Jazz gave me a playful nudge with her elbow, drawing my attention back to her.“Are you sure you’re fine?”
I glanced back at Rathiel, who watched me like a hawk.But this time, there was something different in his expression.The intensity was still there, but something almost tender softened it.My breath caught, and I quickly looked away, feeling a rush of heat creep up my neck.
