Nathan shook his head, brow furrowing. “I’m in a bit of a hurry. If you could just see she gets that, I’d appreciate it.”
He left before I could say anything else. Didn’t leave his number, didn’t try to flirt with me. Now there was a guy who made me suspicious. I took a moment before the lunch rush hit to step into the kitchen and inspect the letter. There weren’t any traces of magic on it, but one could never be too careful.
I opened it. The more I read, the hotter the room got. It was more than just a phone number for a good time. He was asking her out to dinner. A date to “discuss her future.” Who the hell did that musclehead think he was?
If I’d been thinking clearly, I would’ve asked him into the back and interrogated him, found out who he was, what his interest was in Lexi, if he had any information on her family. No, my first instinct had been her protection. And maybe mine. He hadn’t responded to me at all, except maybe with distaste.
The letter burst into flames in my hand. Despite the clear reading I got on his soul, he was a red flag. I shoved my paranoia down and swept the ash and smoke away with a wave of my hand before it found the sprinklers. Seconds later, Lexi bounced in, greeting me with a peck on the cheek.
I growled and spun her into the wall, stealing her lips. She gave a startled squeak but melted against me. Her hands tugged my hair, lightly at first, then more insistently until I drew back.
“I’m not complaining, but what was that all about?” Her sexy smile tilted up further on one side, a playful expression. “Did I get another phone number today? Are you feeling possessive?”
Was I? No, there was definitely something off about that Nathan guy.
“Maybe a little,” I replied. Okay, so it wasn’t entirely a lie. It just wasn’t for the reason she suspected. I was protecting her from a potentially dangerous stranger.
No need to look deeper than that, Lu.
I pulled her close, leaning to whisper in her ear. “I might feel better about it if we went to dinner tonight.”
And there it was again. The tense smile, averted eyes, the distance. She’d been refusing my date offers ever since Salem. Her excuses made my skin itch, but I’d been letting it slide because I knew she was afraid of the third date. She wasn’t cursed, but if what she said was true, I couldn’t blame her for being paranoid. If I could get more out of her—family history or even details of the failed dates—maybe I could find the answer.
And what? Rush in on my fucking white horse and my shining armor and save her?
“Sam, I want to, but—”
“But you think I’ll run.” I lifted my hand between us, bringing a small flame to life in my palm. “I’d like to think I’m a little different. Give me a chance to prove it.”
She shook her head, but the smile was promising. “Just, please be patient with me. I’ll get there. I just need time.”
It wasn’t like we’d stopped having sex, so I wasn’t sure why I was pressing the issue, but I agreed to drop it for now. I gave her a short nod, another swift kiss, then went up front to deal with the asshole who was yelling for service at the top of his lungs. There may have been a touch of Hellfire in my eyes when I stepped out of the back, because the guy tripped all over himself to run out the door before I could get his order.
I regained my composure before the next customer stepped up, and mine and Lexi’s routine synced. The lunch shift ran smoothly with no more signs of suspicious blonde characters. A couple hours before closing, the door chimed and I glanced back to see a small crowd entering. And I meant that literally. A group of kids between the ages of six and ten followed on the heels of an aging brunette.
Fuck.
“Janet, how are you?” I rang up the next customer, trying to show her how busy I was so she wouldn’t stay long.
She fiddled with the gold cross pendant around her neck and smiled. “We’re wonderful, thanks to you and Lexi.”
As if summoned, Lexi popped her head out of the kitchen. “Janet? What are you guys doing here?”
The munchkins started up with cheers, shouting Lexi’s name gleefully. She came out and gave them high fives, much to the amusement of the onlooking customers. Janet’s gap-toothed grin lit up the room. Her soul was a bright one, only slightly tarnished by the geography test she’d cheated on in high school and the occasional impure thought. A rare human, and working next door to Satan himself.
“Since Mr. Rivers refuses to let us pay for his generous daily food donations, I wanted to bring some of the kids by to say thanks.”
Whispers erupted from my regulars and I groaned internally, maintaining my charming external demeanor. All the kids shouted their thanks in jarring discordance. One particularly brave girl ran past Lexi and around the counter to hug my leg.
“Ms. Janet says you’re an angel,” she said, her tiny face peering up at me. “Is that true?”
Interesting choice of words, Janet.
My internal groan devolved into internal yelling. I patted her on the head uncomfortably, but it was Lexi that answered. Nine Hells, I was grateful for her sometimes.
“He is, but we’re not supposed to tell anyone,” she replied, holding a finger up to her lips. “If the other angels knew he was here, they’d take him back, and then he wouldn’t be able to bring snacks anymore.”
Traitor.
