Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 109033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Sensing the weight of someone’s attention, Naomi looked to the side and saw a glowering waitress standing at the bar. “Is she glaring at you or me?”
Ella sighed. “Both, I expect. She tried to befriend me, but only because she wants to get in Luka’s pants. He turned her down and told her to stay away from me. Also, he’s now in your pants. Draya doesn’t like any of that.” The redhead flipped a hand. “Just ignore her. She isn’t important.”
“Here you are,” said a gravelly, panty-dropping voice.
Naomi looked to see Luka almost on her. That easily, slivers of excitement rushed through her blood. Her system had quite simply come to associate him with mind-blowing pleasure. God, he had such sexual power over her body that it almost hurt.
Reaching her, he skimmed his fingertips up her bare arm and planted a soft kiss on her mouth. “You’re late.”
“Habit.”
“I’ve noticed,” he said, his hand clamping on her hip, heavy and blatantly possessive.
Guys had often touched her with possession—being a siren brought that trait out in them. But with Luka, it was more intense. Yet not creepy. Her demon had come to like it.
“Aw, you guys are cute,” said Ella.
He frowned at his anchor. “I thought you’d left.”
“I wanted to talk to Naomi a little first. I was just telling her how tight-lipped you are regarding her.” She pouted. “It’s not fair.”
He shot her a look of mild exasperation. “Go home to your daughter and what’s-his-name.”
The redhead sighed. “I really wish you’d stop pretending you don’t like Viper.”
“It’s no pretense, I assure you.”
“Right,” Ella drawled, all skepticism. “See ya later, Naomi. You both have a good night.” She jogged down the steps and headed for the exit.
Naomi turned her attention back to Luka, almost sucking in a breath as he pinned her with a look so scorching it gave her goosebumps.
He leaned in and inhaled deeply. “You smell good.”
“I try.”
“You look good, too.”
“Good enough to eat, if you catch my meaning?”
A slow, predatory smile curved his lips. “That’ll come later, when we’re alone in my office. For now, I need to be visible. There’s a big fight happening in the basement. Issues are far less likely to crop up if members know I’m around.”
“Issues like men so riled up from watching and betting on fights that they turn mean when they lose?”
“Something like that.” Luka placed a hand on her back and guided her to an L-shaped sofa. A waitress appeared and took their orders before melting away just as fast. “How did your day go?”
“Fine.”
“You have a tendency to overwhelm me with details,” he deadpanned.
“There’s nothing interesting to say, really. I woke. Ate breakfast.” Painted a while. “Did some grocery shopping. Had lunch. Chilled out some. Ate dinner. Picked my mom up from work. Shopped a little with Tobe. Went home. Showered. Dressed. Dragged my ass here.”
“Konstantin mentioned that your anchor got into an argument at your mom’s store.”
Freaking Chatty Cathy. “That was the guy who hired the PI. Your conversation with Daniel Phillips definitely did the trick, because he quit, so the client came straight to Tobe. It was no big scene, and he left pretty quickly. By the way, your anchor just invited me to go on a girls’ night out with her and a bunch of females that includes Khloë and Harper Wallis.”
“When and where?”
Naomi loved how he asked that with only curiosity. Her previous bed buddies and boyfriends hadn’t liked her going out with friends; had wanted to keep an eye on her every moment, filled with a jealousy-induced paranoia that she’d betray them if left unwatched. They’d complained and made silly passive-aggressive comments. Luka didn’t do any of that, and he was never upset if she had plans.
“The Xpress bar in the Underground next Saturday,” she replied.
“I’ll pick you up afterwards.”
“Will you?”
“It makes sense, don’t you think? You won’t have the other girls to catch a ride with. Their mates collect them for the same reason I want to collect you: you’ll be plastered, and I want to be sure you get home safely.”
“To my home or your home?”
“Either works for me.” Luka didn’t care so long as he got to ensure she was safe. “Be warned that Ella may do her best to adopt you; make you her new best friend. You might find it an overwhelming experience.” His psi-mate was a very strong personality. But then so was Naomi, though she possessed a quiet strength.
“So I won’t have to worry about anchor-based jealousy?”
“No, Ella is very happy with Viper.” Almost sickeningly happy, really.
“Was it hard for you when she took a mate?”
“In a sense. My issue was never that she committed to somebody—I wanted that for her. My issue was that she committed to Viper.”
“You have something against fallen angels?”
Luka paused. The question had sounded idle, but he felt like his answer was somehow important. “No. I had something against my anchor being involved with someone who’s rumored to be a very dangerous fallen archangel. And relationships between demons and fallen celestials aren’t always known to end well. Things became slightly strained between us, but I came to realize that—in his way—he is good for her.”