“Here. Now.”
“Yessss.” This was happening. Finally. They would be together, and they would belong to each other, and they would stop worrying about what could go wrong—even though they weren’t supposed to be worrying about anything.
“Uh, that’s going to be a bit of a problem,” another male said.
Growling, Koldo swung his head toward the door. Nicola followed his lead. A grinning Axel stood next to another male of equal strength. This one had black hair and blazing green eyes that utterly contrasted with his lips, which were set in an ice-cold line.
“Zacharel,” Koldo said, nodding his head in stiff deference. To Nicola, he added quietly, “He always looks that way. Fear not.”
Nicola’s legs dropped to the floor. Her heart was hammering, but the beat was now steady, strong. Her clothes were in place, nothing disheveled, and yet she felt as though she were a teenager caught with her pants down.
The new guy looked her over. “You’re thriving. That’s good.”
“You know me?” she asked, surprised and confused. She’d never met this man. He wasn’t the type of guy a girl would ever forget. No, he was the type of guy a girl dreamed about for the rest of her life—either sighing dreamily or sobbing with fear.
“I noticed a certain warrior’s interest in you, and made it my business to learn everything possible.” That glorious jade gaze slid to Koldo before she could comment. Not that she knew what to say. “Your presence has been requested in the heavens.”
A tense pause slid into a long, uncomfortable silence before Koldo gave another nod.
Axel and Zacharel walked away, leaving her alone with her warrior.
“I must go,” he said.
She reached up and cupped his cheeks, the soft hair on his jaw tickling her skin. “I understand. Just make sure you hurry home. I’ll still be here, and we can pick up where we left off.”
He leaned down, placed a soft kiss against her lips. “You’ve just guaranteed I’ll return at the soonest possible moment. And don’t worry about evil invaders. Axel ensured other Sent Ones can come and go, but no one else can get through my cloud.”
A second later, he vanished, startling Nicola. Then he reappeared, a look of wonder on his face.
“I flashed,” he said.
“I know. I just watched you.” He hadn’t lost the ability, after all.
“But I did it twice. Not just now, but before, to catch you when you fell off the treadmill. I was too consumed with what we were doing to realize I had done it until I appeared in the heavens.”
His lips lifted in a slow, sensual smile, revealing perfect white teeth, lighting his entire face. She could only stare in amazement, her head practically spinning, her limbs definitely shaking.
“I can protect you,” he said.
“I knew that, too.”
“I’m not helpless.”
Hoping to tease him, she said, “Are we playing the Obvious Game? If so, guess what. I can run on a treadmill. I can wear my hair in a ponytail. I’m a girl.”
Laughing, he placed another kiss on her mouth. And then, for the second time that day, he flashed away. This time, she reeled. That laugh...it had been rusty, but hearty. Ragged, but gorgeous.
Would she ever get used to his magnetism?
Nicola snagged a glass of water before heading into her sister’s bedroom, where she found Laila pacing. Still.
“You didn’t come to the workout room,” she said.
“Sorry, sorry,” Laila replied. “I lost track of time.”
Nicola opened her mouth to respond—but caught sight of two little monkey faces peeking over Laila’s shoulders. They spotted Nicola and grinned smugly.
She strode forward, but they ducked down. Laila seemed to have no idea. Nicola walked a circle around her, searching, but there was no longer any sign of the creatures.
A sense of urgency hit her. “Pick something to do, La La. Anything at all. I’ll do it with you. The constant anxiety has to end now.”
“I just... I need to think.”
“About what?”
“Everything! We’re so weak, Nicola. Both of us.”
“I’m stronger every day, and you could be, too. I mean, we’re on the winning team. We have warriors fighting for us. We have the power and protection of the Most High.”
“You say that, but....” Laila scrubbed at her face. “What if He doesn’t respond next time?”
“He will.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I just know it, deep inside.” Somehow, Nicola maneuvered her sister into the bed and tucked the covers around her. “If you won’t do something with me, I want you to rest and give your mind a break. And if you insist on thinking about anything, think about everything I’ve said. It’s the truth.”
“All right.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” Laila closed her eyes, and Nicola stroked her face the way their mother used to do to them. At first, her sister’s expression was pinched, her body restless, unable to settle. But as one minute drifted into another, she settled down. When her breathing finally evened out, Nicola stood and strode to her own room.
She showered and dressed in a pink tee and jeans, wanting to look her best when Koldo returned—and give him a few new pieces of clothing to rip off her. But she waited...and waited...and he never showed up.
After a while, the rays of sunlight seeping from the windows lulled her into the backyard. The air was warm, perfect and scented with wildflowers, citrus and pine. She breathed deeply, savoring.
Bang. Bang.
A muffled female voice rang out. Frowning, Nicola hurried to the little shack Koldo and Axel had built. There were no windows, and seemed to be no doorway.
“Help me. Please.”
There was the voice again, clearer this time—coming from inside the shack. Her tone was...pure. Strong. Enough to give Nicola chills. It was a purity she recognized, since both Axel and the one named Zacharel possessed it.
Was this female a Sent One? The lover Nicola had been so certain Koldo didn’t have?
“Who are you?” she called, palpating the walls for any kind of seam.
“Help me. Please! Let me out.”
Why had Koldo placed the woman in the shack? He wasn’t a cruel man. Was he?
Nicola stilled, her mind whirling. He was a man who had never hurt her—had even beat the man who had. He was a man who had despaired over the fact that he might not be able to protect her. He was a man who made her feel safe in his arms.