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Theo narrowed his eyes as he helped prop up the wall Daniel leaned against. The sultry sounds of a Christmas crooner coming from the overhead speakers played in the background. It was a crazy juxtaposition from the thumping bass of hours before. “Fine. Good, but not happy.”
Daniel shrugged. “Work. Boss wants me to help him out tomorrow—tonight now. I might not get to see you.”
“Ah…” Theo’s lips twitched, his sky-blue eyes sparkling. “Work is why I’m here, though.”
“How could you—” Daniel cut himself off and pointed upwards. It was time for him to come clean with the angel. Maybe he’d get some answers. “Right. Of course,Godknows.”
Theo straightened, staring at Daniel. Shock and disbelief radiated like a laser from the angel’s bright eyes. “Hedoes, but how do you?”
“I saw you, but before I tell you how, please, answer this first: how are you going to help me with my work? Did God send you to take out Troy? Is he a demon like March was?”
Theo thunked the wall as he fell against it, gazing up at the ceiling. The way he looked almost out of it, like he was having an internal dialogue, made Daniel wonder if he was talking to the big guy upstairs. Did God seriously send an angel to help him and not know that Daniel knew who Theo was? Talk about misdirection, but at least now he understood why Theo was trying to keep that part of himself hidden.
With a sigh, Theo turned to him. “Yes and yes. Adonai sent me and my brethren to deal with Troy. His true name is Troian, and he is a high-level demon, but… let’s just say it’s not the only reason I’m here.” Theo gestured for them to walk and started down the corridor, away from the flashing lights and bass-beating music.
Daniel fell into step beside him. “What do you mean?” At Theo’s silence, Daniel latched onto Theo’s arm and jerked him to a stop. “What other reason could God have for sending you to help me?”
Theo moved closer, raising one hand slowly to trail the back of his fingertips from Daniel’s temple down, running lightly over the shadow of stubble on his cheek. His gaze burned bright as he stared into Daniel’s eyes.
The angel wet his lips, leaving them with a glossy shine before he whispered, “You are for me.”
Daniel took a step back. “What?”
Theo smiled softly. “Couples seem to form after He sends one of His angels here to help…”
Daniel shook his head, freezing when he made the connection. Theo and him? Nope. Never gonna happen. The black stain on his soul marred him too much. He pulled Theo to stop, forcing those behind them to flow around them, amid much “Really?” “Seriously?” and “Idiots,” and pressed a fingertip into Theo’s chest. “Don’t tease me.”
Theo surrounded Daniel’s hand with his, pushing it away from his body, but holding it secured in his grasp. Heat traveled up Daniel’s arm, warming him from the outside in.
“Come on,” Theo said, pulling him along the faux parquet-paneled walkway towards the little kiosks of food and drinks and boutique shops of the casino proper. There were always a few that stayed open twenty-four/seven. “I have it on good authority that hot chocolate does wonderful things for your soul.”
Daniel snorted. “God said that?”
Theo laughed, tugging on Daniel’s arm so he was forced to step closer and look up at the handsome face of the Nordic angel. “No, my friends Gabriel and Judah. Gabriel swears it’s how he earned Ari’s heart. It was the first human food Ari had ever had, and hot chocolate was the first drink Judah prepared for Locke when he brought him in from the brutally cold weather.”
“Ah,” Daniel said, for lack of a better response. Hot chocolate certainly wouldn’t have been his choice of drink to have while getting to know someone. He was a beer guy, maybe a cocktail here and there, but angels were probably teetotalers or purists who drank nothing but water.
Theo gestured for him to sit at a tiny two-seater, twin stools tucked under a postage stamp pedestal table. He sat and watched Theo order their drinks and a couple of pastries, his mouth watering at the size of the frosted cinnamon bun. He hadn’t treated himself to something sweet in a long while. Punishing himself for bad behavior. Of course, if he was a good boy, he’d probably weigh a heck of a lot more.
Lips licked in anticipation, but it wasn’t until he looked at Theo that he caught the angel staring at him. Daniel leered, and Theo responded by sliding his tongue along his upper lip in cruel temptation.
Seriously?Theo was flirting with him. Flirting! Confusion was too small a concept for what was going on in his brain. Why him? Why him and Theo? God must be playing a joke on him. He’d wait until Daniel fell for the big guy and then have the rug yanked out from under him. Yeah, that was it. He’d fall in love or lust, and then Theo would leave, leaving him with a broken heart.
Nope. Not gonna happen.
“What’s with the face?” Theo asked, carefully setting the plates of pastries down before placing a short steaming paper cup of hot chocolate in front of him, complete with whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder.
Daniel wrapped his hands around the to-go cup and leaned over it, taking a deep inhale of decadence. The heat seeped into his hands but didn’t go further, no matter that he wished it would.
“Nothing. Just thinking,” Daniel deflected. Itwaswhat he did best.
The corners of Theo’s mouth dropped low. He sat, back stiff, head turned away from Daniel, his gaze roaming over the casino patrons walking past.
“Listen, I just don’t get it, alright? Why?”
Theo shifted his sky-blue regard back to Daniel. “Why what?”
“Why me? Why me for you? I’m a bad man. I’m not the one for someone like you.”
