Page 27 of Angels Don’t Date

“It’s been a long time since I’ve really seen the stars,” I murmured.

“Same. I’m usually too busy to soak in the beauty. You’re very beautiful, particularly your laugh.”

I raised my head to give him a look. “Wow. Coming from the gorgeous angel with a horse, that’s really something. Particularly my laugh? Wow.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m trying not to freak you out. Manners are a thing.”

“I thought I asked for brutal honesty.”

He sighed heavily. “Honestly? The stars are nothing compared to you. You smell like peaches and purity while kindness shines from your eyes. Your eyes glow brighter than Vesper or the moon. And your outfits are the cutest things ever. You’re the walking embodiment of adorableness.”

I giggled. “Wow. You’re right. Now I’m completely freaked out. I smell like peaches and purity? I do love peaches. This is so much fun. You really are SunRae.”

“And you are my Pastel Princess. So, which of the contestants do you like best? Will you stop trying to vote me off now that you know we’re best friends forever?”

I elbowed him. “I can’t talk to you about contestants. It’s in the fine print. You’ll just have to see how I vote.”

He grinned at me. “That’s a subtle hint that I’ll be here to see who you vote off. It’s a pity you don’t have more options. Only five possibilities to marry? You should have millions of options and choose the best of them.”

“I don’t think a million men want to marry me.”

He scoffed. “Any man would be a complete fool not to love you.”

I grinned at him. “But I need to find a fool. Only fools fall in love.”

“I thought it was only fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”

“I have evidence that angels fear very little.”

“And they tread all over everything.” He grinned at me and then rolled off the rock, landing lightly and holding out a hand to me. “Fair princess, would you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you home?”

I wrapped my arms around myself when the cold breeze hit me. “How could I resist such manners? You’re using them like you know what they are.”

“Of course I know what they are. I’m not a barbarian. Sadly. I’ve had good manners drilled into me from conception. Before conception, most likely. Can I take you home? It is getting late, and I’ve got to retrieve a pan, and you’ve mentioned needing to get back to drink blood, which is ridiculous because I have perfectly good poisonous blood that you can drink right here.”

I stepped away from him and towards Vesper. I stroked his soft nose while he lipped my fingers. “You’d better keep your blood for emergencies.”

He stepped behind me close enough I could feel his heat, but he didn’t actually touch me. My heart beat faster as he murmured, “I don’t like you having emergencies. No, I really, really hated you being shot in the heart, however much I liked you drinking my blood.”

He sounded almost passionate. I shivered and turned to look up at him. “Yes. Take me home.”

He ran his strong hands over my arms, eyes still dark with anger at the thought of me being shot. “You have all these goosebumps. Flying will be too cold for you. That means we’ll ride Vesper so I can wrap you in my feathers. If you promise not to drop anyone,” he said to his pegasus, voice stern.

Vesper snorted and then lowered a wing, like he was absolutely respectable and not guilty of dropping anyone ever.

Richard snorted and then picked me up and leapt on, spreading his wings until we were astride, and I was sitting across his legs. Then he wrapped his fluffy, soft, golden wings around me and snuggled me deep in his feathers.

I laughed and then Vesper launched off the hill, dipping terrifyingly low before he pulled up and angled around. He wasn’t as fast, and he flew here and there, not in a straight line, like he was enjoying the flight. My face was cold, but the wind didn’t rush like before, and with Richard and his feathers, I enjoyed every second of the magical flight through clouds. Then the moon came out and it was truly glorious.

Vesper played games with the night shadows while I drowned in Richard’s feathers, loving the smell of wild wind mixed with Richard’s sweet, heavenly blood. We flew for ages, but finally, Vesper landed in the clearing I’d napped in, trotted a few steps and then shook his head, whinnying.

“Yes, yes, you finally made it,” Richard said, sounding slightly irritable. “Thank you for not dumping anyone even though you took five times as long as necessary.”

I leaned over Vesper’s neck and hugged him as tight as I could without channeling any vampire. “Thank you for the most beautiful, magical, wonderful ride I’ve ever imagined. You are pure delight. Don’t let Richard tell you differently. You can fly me around all night if you’d like. But you should get back to your barn and rest.”

I slipped off Richard’s lap and landed, smiling up at him. “Thank you for saving me. Again. And thank you for keeping me warm.”

He didn’t follow me down, just stayed there looking like a perfect prince of the night. “You’re much more affectionate with my horse than with me. You sound like we’re at a formal event and you’re about to curtsy.”