Six weeks after Suzanne signed the contract for the network cooking show, she filmed her first episode. She prepared sticky hot ribs with a celebration theme, and after they wrapped, the crew had eaten what she’d cooked. What followed had been a wild party she and Declan hadn’t escaped from until well after midnight.
They were going to be late.
She flashed them to her apartment, where they spent about half their time lately. Declan’s bachelor pad was adequate, but they needed to find a bigger place, and she liked the giant kitchen in her high-rise flat. Besides, it seemed like one of her brothers or sisters was always popping in, and her apartment had become an unofficial headquarters for leading the hunt to find Cipher.
So far...they’d found nothing. Flail had disappeared completely, leaving no leads, and Cipher, if he was still alive, hadn’t shown his face anywhere, either. One thing was certain, though; they would never give up looking.
The moment they materialized in the living room, she rushed to the computer in the office, dragging Declan with her.
“He’s going to be pissed that he had to wait,” she muttered as she woke the screen, and sure enough, her father was trying to connect with her via Skype.
This was not the way she’d wanted Azagoth to meet Declan for the first time. Why the hell couldn’t the Memitim Council make an exception to the rule that Primori couldn’t enter Shoul-gra? They’d given permission to Hawkyn’s mate, Aurora, after all.
Hawkyn had tried to explain that his situation was different because Aurora wasn’t Primori; the baby inside her was. Still, he was attempting to have the rule abolished. Aurora’s skills as a Wytch and a massage therapist would be useful in Sheoul-gra, and being able to bring the baby to work would not only be great for them, but it would help ensure the child would stay safe. After all, what safer environment for a Primori than a realm full of Memitim?
“Hello, Father,” she said as his face filled the screen. “I hope you didn’t have to wait too long.” She tugged Declan down beside her so he was in the frame. “This is Declan.”
Declan nodded. “Mr…Reaper.”
Azagoth grunted. “So you’re the human who stole my daughter from me.”
“I didn’t steal her from you, sir.” Declan wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her tight against his big chest. “She’ll always be your daughter. I’m just here to worship her.”
Her heart pounded against her rib cage so forcefully she was sure her father could hear it.
She was positively gooey with love, but her father wasn’t as enamored. “Suzanne is special to me,” Azagoth said, his deep voice scraping gravel. “So worship her well and remember that my reach extends beyond my realm’s borders.”
Declan inclined his head respectfully. “Understood.”
“Suzanne.” Her father’s expression softened when he looked at her. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
She nodded. “I’m volunteering to mentor one of the new arrivals. A thirteen-year-old.”
The teen, a half-sister, had been orphaned recently in a civil war and was living in a refugee camp. Hopefully, learning she had another family and a new shot at life would help ease some of the pain, but Suzanne knew firsthand how long the pain of losing loved ones could last.
“Good,” Azagoth said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Grinning, she said good-bye. That was the first time he’d sounded like he was looking forward to their “dailies.” She wondered if he was lonely. Lilliana hadn’t returned to him yet, and he had to be desperate for her.
“See?” she said to Declan. “That wasn’t so bad.”
“For you, maybe. I thought he was going to reach through the screen and strangle me.” He let out a sigh of relief and beelined straight for the kitchen. “I’m going to get a beer or ten. Want anything?”
“No,” she said, taking a seat on one of the barstools at the island. “I just want to watch you.”
He shot her a sly grin as he bent to grab a sparkling water from the fridge. “Yeah? Then what?”
“Then I’m going to peel off all your clothes and take advantage of you. Maybe in the shower.” She reached up and unbuttoned the first two buttons on her blouse. “Or right here.”
Straightening, he set the bottle on the counter. “I don’t think I’m thirsty anymore.”
“No?”
“No.” His eyes darkened and his voice went low. “Now I’m hungry.”
“You’re insatiable,” she purred. “I love it. I love you.”
He came around the island and gripped her thighs, spreading them with gentle pressure. His mouth came down on hers as he stepped between her legs, his erection pressing into her core through their pants.
“I love you too, Suzanne. Every day I thank Fate that you were my guardian angel.”
Every day she did the same. But the truth wasn’t quite that simple. She’d been assigned to protect him, but in the end, it was he who had saved her life. It was he who had allowed her to break away from a life path she would have hated. It was he who had helped her to fulfill the dreams she’d had since the first time she’d baked cookies with her grandma.
So yes, she’d been assigned to keep him safe, but in the end, it was he who was the real guardian. He was, truly, her guardian angel.
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