Maybe it had something to do with the adrenaline high or maybe it was just something about the way he held me tight, but my heart beat crazy fast and I completely forgot where we were. We were both breathing hard by the time the kiss came to a close and he looked just as shaken as I felt by what he’d done.
“Glad you’re okay,” he said finally, fingers untangling from my hair.
“Yeah,” I nodded, releasing the tight grip I had on his shirt. A little dazed, I jumped back guiltily as Oriana approached. “Um, are you alright, Oriana? Raum won’t bother you any more, I made sure of it.” Sure my face was beet red from how hot under the collar I felt, I tried to look at anything but Parker until I got my hormones in check. “Oriana?” I asked again when she didn’t reply. Maybe she was more traumatized by Raum’s appearance than I’d thought?
“Can we stop for ice cream on the way home?”
* * *
“You’re absolutely sure this Raum guy has given up?” Matty wrapped his arms around Oriana’s delicate shoulders in a protective embrace. We’d decided to have an impromptu debriefing at my apartment including Daphne, who Parker’d been on the phone with when I got back to the club. Nelo was out for the night, something he’d started to do with growing regularity, exploring our small corner of the world under the cover of darkness.
“There’s always a chance he’s got something else up his sleeve, but he’d be stupid to do it. I think we’re good though, he knows what I can do to him,” I replied, relishing the memory of the fear on his face.
“Do you really think you could do that banishing thing?” Daphne asked, and I shrugged.
“I have no idea, but it scared the crap out of Raum.”
“I still think you should have killed him when you had the chance,” Parker said more to himself than anyone else. He’d been uncharacteristically quiet since the kiss, and I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. Did he regret it? Would he push to take our friendship to the next level? Did I want him to? Forcibly, I turned my thoughts back to the conversation at hand.
“Maybe, but it might come in handy to have a demon lord in my back pocket some day. For the time being at least, I think we’re in the clear.”
Matt looked relieved, and I hoped I wasn’t proven wrong. “Great, then we can go home and get some rest.” He kissed Oriana on the cheek and she turned to him, her face alight with excitement.
“Matty, I have the most wonderful news!”
“What’s that?”
“I am no longer bound to serve at Eden!”
It took him a moment to figure out what she meant before his eyes narrowed at me and Parker. “It wasn’t working out, Matty,” I said hastily while Parker nodded beside me.
“On an epic scale.”
“What are we supposed to do now?” My brother scowled, and I couldn’t blame him. Oriana was as sweet as the day was long, but definitely a handful.
“Why doesn’t she get a job at that witchy store?” Daphne suggested brightly. “You know, the one where I found that crystal unicorn.”
“I love unicorns!” Oriana clapped her hands in delight and Parker leaned over to whisper in my ear.
“She’ll definitely fit into that crowd better.”
The warm flutter of breath by my ear sent a frisson of awareness through me that I don’t think would have been there even the day before, and I struggled to keep my face from showing anything as I pointed out the obvious. “We don’t even know if they’re hiring.”
“You could find out though, you’re friends with those witches,” Matty reminded me.
“I’d say Parker’s more friendly with them than I am.” I raised a brow at Parker and he put his hands up.
“Never listen to gossip.”
“It’s not gossip, you dated Luz for weeks.”
“In my distant and jaded past.”
“Not so distant,” I reminded him and Daphne interrupted to offer her help.
“I’ll make some calls around tomorrow. Don’t worry, Oriana, I’m sure we can find you something that’s more up your alley.”
“I would prefer not to work in an alley,” Oriana replied earnestly. “I find them dank and depressing.”
“Right,” I nodded. “Well, you two should head on home. Like Matty said, it’s getting late.”
“But we can still hang out and catch up, right?” Daphne surprised me by asking and I gave her a warm smile. I’d missed our time together.
“Of course, for as long as you want.”
“I guess maybe I should…” Parker hesitated, waiting for me to fill in the blank about whether he should stay or go.
“I’ll walk you out,” I offered, not that it was particularly hard to find the front door. “Hey Daph, why don’t you put on the kettle?”
At the door Parker lingered, leaning against the doorframe. “You don’t want me to stick around?”
Seeing as how there was a serious disconnect on what I wanted to do with what I
should
do, I decided to pass on the offer. “I have some catching up to do with Daphne, but I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
There was more he wanted to say, I could tell, but all he came up with was, “So… we’re good then.”
“Yeah, it’s fine.”
His eyes dropped to my lips and I thought he might try to kiss me again. “You’re sure.”
“I’m sure, we’re… good.”
Too good maybe
.
“Good.”
“G’nite, Parker.” I leaned up to kiss his cheek and he turned into it, catching my lips instead for a brief kiss. “Sneak,” I chastised him lightly as I pulled away.
“See you tomorrow, darlin’,” he grinned, light on his feet as he headed for the stairs.
I was still smiling like a goober when I rejoined Daphne in the kitchen. She already had the mugs out and the cocoa mix poured.
“What’s going on with you and Parker?”
“What do you mean?” I hedged, not quite sure how to answer the question until I understood the context.
“You kept watching each other when the other one wasn’t looking. It was like a dysfunctional tennis match.”
“We were? Huh,” I replied, stirring my cocoa when she poured the hot water.
“Huh? That’s all you have to say? Now I
know
there’s something going on,” she grinned, her face coming alight like the Daphne I remembered. “Go on then, spill.”
“Things between us have been a little… I don’t know, different ever since he proposed.”
“Different bad?”
“No, not bad… just different. No, I take it back, they were still pretty normal right after he proposed. It was after I spent the night at his place.”
“Come again?” Her eyes widened, the spoon falling out of her hand with a clatter.
“Not like that,” I laughed, filling her in on all the details. Once I started talking, I realized I’d been holding back a lot since her problems with Sam hit supernova.
“Wow.” She set down her empty mug after I finished. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this stuff before?”
“Well, you know, you were busy with Sam for a long time and now you’re going through your own stuff. I didn’t want to add to your load of problems.”
“And I didn’t even notice any of this going on around me,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m sorry I got so caught up in my own life that I wasn’t there for you, Mercy. I want to know when the big stuff happens in your life, especially now.” I knew she meant since Sam was gone.
We’ve all done it. Been completely wrapped up in a guy and totally blown off friends and family until it ended, and then suddenly you become the most attentive friend ever. I didn’t blame her for wanting to fill the void Sam left behind and I didn’t begrudge her the time she’d had with him. I probably would have blown her off a time or two when Adam was around, if I’d been able to get him to stick around for longer than five minutes.
“It’s alright, you have your own life. I don’t expect you to drop everything every time something crazy happens in my life. How are you holding up?” I changed the subject, because I could see her starting to go down a shame spiral for leaving me in the lurch.
“I never realized how much time I spend alone in my apartment, you know?” Daphne let out a long sigh. “Like… I didn’t used to be this lonely before I met Sam, so why does it feel like I spend so many hours of the day missing him?”
“I know exactly what you mean. After Adam left it felt like the nights got twice as long.”
“But not anymore?”
Interesting question.
“It’s getting easier. I still miss him, but the longer he’s gone…” I shook my head. “How can I love a man who keeps abandoning me?” Didn’t I deserve better than that?
“But he only left to protect you.”
“And they still sent the Angel of Death to kill me. Sounds like a pretty stupid plan if you ask me. If he really wanted to keep me safe, he would have stuck around. Or at least shown up after I killed Raziel.” Remiel had to have filled him in on that little tidbit when he gave up his protection detail.
“I can’t believe Raziel came after you like that. You know, I thought Sam was being melodramaculous when he left, but now…”
“Now you can see it’s the real deal,” I nodded grimly.
“What are you going to do if they send someone else after you?”
“I can’t worry about that right now. All I can do is worry about this little one.”
“Then you’re not freaked out about the baby anymore?”
“Of course I am.” My hand settled protectively over my growing belly. “But I’m getting used to the idea. Listen, I signed up for a child birthing class on Monday nights, you want to come with me?”
“Sure, that sounds like fun, what time?”
Her definition of fun and mine differed greatly, but I was glad to have her on board. We talked about the time and location and descended into gossip about movies we’d seen; all that meaningless stuff that means so much in a friendship.
“Do you think he’ll ever come back?” Daphne asked out of the blue as we cleared the dishes into the kitchen.
“Sam?”
“Yeah.”
I wanted to say something to take away that hurt puppy look from her face, but at the same time, I couldn’t give her false reason to hope. “I think he loves you, but no, I don’t think he will.”
“That’s what I thought too.”
“Face it, Daph, maybe we’re not destined to be with angels, Fallen or otherwise. There’s probably a good reason why it’s forbidden, but damned if I can figure out why.”
“It’s a stupid rule,” she frowned, setting her mug in the sink and I couldn’t help but agree. “Does that mean you’re going to give Parker a chance?”
I looked down to where Adam’s ring still sat on my finger. “I don’t know.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Thanks for doing this, Parker, especially on such short notice.” I smiled as we left the car in the community center parking lot.
“No big deal, I’m happy to do it,” he brushed off my thanks, two fluffy pillows in hand. Daphne had made it to the first two child birthing classes with me, but got called in to work unexpectedly the final night when partners were recommended.
“Are you sure it’s okay, you leaving the club like this?”
“It’s fine. I do take nights off, you know.”
“Yeah, but usually I’m there to keep an eye on things,” I reminded him.
“Oh, so now you think you’re indispensible to me, do you?”
“Aren’t I?” I batted my eyelashes at him playfully.
Parker pulled the glass door open for me. “Get inside before I recover my good sense and kick you to the curb.”
“Hey, you don’t need to come with me if you don’t want to.”
“I want to, now scoot.” He swatted me on the behind with one of the pillows and I darted inside. We were running late and all the other couples were already there, sitting next to each other, chatting amiably.
“Oh, you brought your fiancé this time! Welcome, I’m Kitty.” The instructor greeted us and I flashed Parker a look. “And you are?”
“Parker. Glad to be here, Kitty.” Parker returned her grin, clasping her offered hand.
“Have a seat, kids, we’re about to start.”
We took a seat in the corner of the room, facing the monitor set up in the middle of the room to show us the miracle of birth. The movie was dated and grainy, and definitely didn’t sugar coat the process at all.
“That is disgusting,” Parker whispered, leaning close.
“What, the blood? It’s not worse than anything in a sci-fi movie.” I didn’t figure him for the squeamish type.
“No, that part’s tame. I’m talking about all the hair. Haven’t any of these people heard of personal landscaping?”
I suppressed a smile. “It was the seventies, everybody looked like that back then. I would have thought you’d remember.”
“I’m not
that
much older than you,” Parker muttered, a disgruntled pout on his face.
“Of course not, Grandpa.” I patted his knee with a condescending smile.
After the movie, we retrieved a yoga mat from a pile in the corner of the room and spread out. “Get comfy on the mats now, mommies in front with daddies supporting from behind,” Kitty instructed.
“Kinky,” Parker murmured, and I stepped on his foot accidentally on purpose.
“We’re going to practice some massage techniques to relieve low back pain during labor. Now, there’s no real wrong way to do this. You’ll want to apply firm pressure, yes, like that.” Kitty circulated through the room helping couples figure out what to do. I began to see the need for partners for the class.
“Do I have permission to touch you above the ankle?” Parker asked politely.
“You do,” I nodded, tensing a little when I first felt his hands on me, but very quickly I relaxed under his care.
“How does that feel, darlin’?” he asked, scooting closer to change the angle and I suppressed a groan of pleasure.
“That feels wonderful. Where did you learn to do that?”
“I dated a girl in massage school. She needed me as a guinea pig to practice on, I picked up a few tips. You like?”
“I like…” I nodded, enjoying the feel of his strong hands spreading warmth and relaxation.
“Let her know you’re there for her.” Kitty continued her coaching.
“I’m here for you,” Parker parroted, and I caught the hint of a smirk in my peripheral vision.