Seriously. She was being absurd. Who in their right mind would be watching her? And why?
Shaking off the paranoia, Penelope made her way to the front register, stood patiently while the fuchsia-haired young woman chomping gum rang up her groceries. After swiping her debit card and sliding it back in her wallet, Penelope slipped the two plastic bags on her arm and headed for the doors.
The sun was even higher in the sky, another scorcher of a day well underway.
“Good morning,” someone said on their way into the store.
“Morning,” she called back, smiling to herself.
Itwasa good morning. A really good morning. She’d had breakfast with a fascinating man and said man had asked her out again. Maybe she should consider making him a meal. Perhaps tonight. He could come over for dinner. Did Obsidian like lasagna?
Of course, she had to nix the idea because she didn’t have his phone number. Shame.
As she stepped off the sidewalk and into the crosswalk, Penelope heard the sound of an engine being gunned. She glanced out at the parking lot, looking for the idiot who was making so much noise, and that was the very reason she didn’t notice the vehicle in question was plowing toward her at a high rate of speed.
She looked over just as she expected to feel impact.
As the air in her lungs slammed to a halt, her feet left the ground. Penelope was launched through the air, but the car wasn’t the culprit. Pain didn’t erupt from her body. There was no impact with the asphalt. Instead, she was set on her feet a couple of yards away.
She spun around to see who her savior had been, but there was no one. The car peeled out of the lot on the other side while she was left standing alone, her groceries dangling from her arm.
What the hell had just happened?
Chapter Five
OBSIDIANWOKETOTHESOUNDOFMUSICblasting through the house. The Red Hot Chili Peppers from this morning had been replaced by Kendrick Lamar, who was ordering the bitch to sit down, be humble. Not surprising considering Gryffyth’s eclectic taste in tunes.
While the thick drapes were still covering the windows, Obsidian knew that the sun was finally going down. Since it was the height of summer, the nights were quite a bit shorter than he would’ve liked, but he’d learned to deal a long time ago.
With a groan, Obsidian forced himself out of bed, stretched, then took a moment to let his senses flare out, seeking hisamsouelot. Penelope was asleep, tucked safely in her bed, deep in a dream. It was tempting to slip into her REM event, interact with her there, but he refrained. While dream walking had its perks, he would rather take the opportunity to interact on a more personal level, when she was aware of him on every level.
After a quick pit stop in the bathroom, he pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, socks, boots, then headed down to the kitchen. Asmia and Acadia were fluttering around, the Fae cooking up a meal for the eight of them. Not quite the same as the meals prepared by theheurospback at their mansion in Darkness, Colorado, but for the time being, it would suffice.
“Where’s Reidar?” Obsidian asked, hoping someone could give him an answer, because he was ready to get the night underway, and an update from theladearewould get the ball rolling.
“He’ll be down shortly,” Acadia replied, offering a sweet smile.
Alden joined them, a smile on the male’s face when he caught sight of Acadia. Being that the Fae had feasted on Alden’s emotions last night, he looked downright happy. Then again, Obsidian suspected the two of them had done more than provide sustenance.
“Will you be needing me tonight?” the male asked, his question directed at Obsidian.
“No. Penelope’s not working tonight so we won’t be going to the hotel.”
Alden nodded as he opened the refrigerator, retrieved the jug of orange juice.
Before Obsidian could say anything more, his cell phone rang. Seeing that it was Stygian, he hit the button to answer, then stepped out on the back patio for some privacy.
“What’s up, brother?” he greeted the male, unable to stop the smile on his face.
“I heard the good news. Congratulations,” the gruff voice said through the phone.
“Don’t go getting ahead of yourself yet. I just met her.”
“And? How’d that go?”
“Better than I expected, honestly.”
Not one to wax poetic, Obsidian didn’t go into the details of his interactions with Penelope, though he was already looking forward to the next opportunity. He knew there wasn’t a chance he could go a single night without seeing her, so he was already forming his plan to show up at her apartment.
