“No. I…I don’t. Need a doctor, I mean.”
Not that kind of doctor, anyway. A shrink? A stay in a nice, padded cell for an undetermined amount of time? That’s debatable.
“You almost passed out.” The man brushes a lock of hair away from my forehead. I lean into the touch before I can stop myself. “My name is Gabriel. And you are?”
“Willow. Willow Saunders.Dr.Willow Saunders. I have a Ph.D. in Mythology and the Occult.” Shit. I’m babbling now. Why can’t I stop myself?
Because he’s hot as fuck.
I need to get out of here. Between his addicting voice and those mesmerizing eyes, he must have a girlfriend. And I’m not looking for anything. Not now. Not when I’m terrified I’m losing my mind.
“Anyway, what happened—almost passing out—is kind of par for the course with me,” I say and scramble off his lap. Thank God I don’t have another episode this time.
He frowns. “Par…for the course? I do not know this phrase.”
Is this guy for real?
“It means…this happens a lot. I have a medical condition. It’s not life-threatening,” I add when he tenses. “But if I get up too fast, my blood pressure drops and I can get dizzy. Thank you. For catching me. But…I need to go.”
I run for the back door, but stop and look over my shoulder before I escape into the early evening air. Gabriel stands in the center of the aisle, staring back at me. His full lips curve into a gentle smile. In his arms, I could breathe again. If only I could have stayed there a little longer. Maybe I wouldn’t feel like my entire life were spinning out of control.
Gabriel
The desire to chase after Dr. Willow Saunders surprises me. As does the ache in my cock. I have not had sex in centuries, and I’d forgotten what it was like toneed.
In the celestial realm, such things are simply…not done. I have walked among among humans five times in my existence, and lastfuckedin the early 1800s. I enjoyed the acts, but once I left this realm, I no longer felt the same urges.
When Willow Saunders tumbled into my arms, all of those desires—and more—came flooding back. Her curves fit against me perfectly. I can still feel her soft blond locks slipping through my fingers.
“Enough,” I say quietly. It is time for me to leave San Francisco. I had thought to call Azrael to meet me here so I could talk to him about coffee and pizza. But now, I think it would be best if I moved on.
I slip through the heavy wood doors and glance up and down the street. Dr. Willow Saunders is gone, and while I will treasure the memory of having her in my arms, I have many more memories to make before I return to the celestial realm.
New York is waiting.
FOUR
Willow
My whisper glides between the stacks, her fingers trailing over the spines of the theoretical physics books. She smiles at me, then dartsthroughthe bookshelf. For a brief moment, ink blurs before my eyes.
She’s running now. Chemistry. Calculus. Italian. Renaissance Art. The French Revolution.
Standing, I fight against the dizziness. Is this another POTS episode? Seeing through my whisper’s eyes? Or both? I brace my hands on my thighs and drop my head toward my knees. My heart pounds hard enough to feel it in my temples, and a roaring sound fills my ears.
I hit the ground, the pain in my ass jarring me out of my whisper’s head. As if she’s mad at me, she flickers back through the shelves with such force, one of the physics books tumbles to the ground.
Holy shit. She’s…not just a ghost anymore.
One finger jabs me in the chest. It’s not exactly solid. More like...theideaof a jab than an actual poke. But in the weeks she’sbeen with me, she’s never managed to affect the physical world. Until now.
“Go away!” I shout.
Five students halfway across the library stare at me. Anton rushes over to me, disapproval pinching his dark brows together. My whisper is gone.
“Willow, what the hell?” he hisses.
“Sorry.” I accept the hand he offers to help me to my feet. “There was…uh…a wasp. I’m allergic.”
