Chapter 16

16

SLOAN

H ow long has it been since I've been able to just sit in the shade under a tree and enjoy the few remaining warm days of autumn? Autumn has always been my favorite season, with how the trees are changing colors and the warm sun with chilly breezes.

The last twenty-four hours have been surreal. From the moment Bones and I had sex, everything has felt so...so perfect. But now, in the cold light of day, the insecurities I'd managed to push down begin to creep in.

I've never been with a man who looked at me the way Bones does. Or made me feel the way Bones does. It's more than the physical attraction between us. That's obvious by the way we're drawn together like magnets. It's more the way he takes care of me. The way he makes me feel safe and protected, like nothing can hurt me.

Except him.

Which is the exact reason why I'm questioning the wisdom of starting anything with him.

"Fuck," I whisper, scrubbing my face. I steal a glance at the food truck where he's waiting for our orders. He'd suggested the bright red food truck for lunch and insisted when I told him I'd never had food from a cart before. I wasn't able to tell him what I wanted and he decided he'd order multiple things and he'd eat whatever I didn't like. He's too good to be true.

My heart pumps as anxiety makes it hard to breathe. Paul was like this, too. Spoiling me, making me feel special. Except now I see it for the red flags it was. I don't want to think Bones is doing the same thing, but an insidious voice keeps whispering: why would Bones be with someone like me? I have nothing to offer except being able to clean, my body, and my untrained abilities as a supposed siphon.

I rub my palms down my thighs over the garnet red knee length shirt dress I'd paired with a long sleeve tan cardigan and narrow black belt. I feel plain compared to every single other woman I've met while with the Knights of Hades. Especially all of the pretty women at the party with the motorcycle club.

It's impossible to miss other women's reactions to him. The women who aren't intimidated by his grim tattoos, massive size, and biker attitude, are more than obvious with their attraction. I can understand it. On the outside, Bones is the official definition of the dictionary's listing of bad-boy. All he'd have to do is curl a finger at one of those women and they'd be reeled in by his magnetism.

Which begs the question: why is Bones wasting his time with me?

I look over at him again and grimace. Two young ladies, both wearing the state's college sweaters, have moved closer to where Bones stands and idly looks at his phone. I don't have the same sense of hearing that Bones has as a demon, but I don't need it to know what they're whispering to each other. Their furtive looks at him and their attempts to hide their giggles make it plain they're both into him.

Jealousy fumes through me, making me want to give a Bones-like snarl as I tell them to back the fuck off.

Finally one of them, a brunette wearing a purple version of the college hoodie, crosses the distance between her friend and Bones. She's taller than me, coming up to just past his shoulder, and stands with a confidence I would have envied in high school. Let's be honest, I envy her self-confidence right now.

Bones raises his head to listen to her, putting away his phone and sliding both hands in his front jeans pockets. He appears to be listening to whatever she's saying as she plays with a strand of her long hair before tucking it flirtatiously behind an ear.

The urge to snarl as she steps even closer to him evolves into a desire to step between them and shove her away in a possessive rage.

The vendor calls out an order number as she sets out two white cardboard take out containers on the metal shelf at the pick up window. Bones steps away from the young woman to pick up the order while she's clearly talking. I purse my lips with barely restrained smugness as the collegiate seems surprised that he left so abruptly. I'm familiar enough with him and the other Knights of Hades by now that I'm confident he didn't bother excusing himself. The demons I'm coming to know don't bother with social niceties. The first few times it happened to me, I was surprised and thought I'd done something to upset them. Only to be confused when they returned and expected whatever conversation to continue as if nothing happened.

By the time he's turning around, carefully balancing what he ordered for us in his massive hand, the woman has already rejoined her friend. He grabs a fat stack of napkins from the dispenser by the condiments and moves back in my direction. I feel the moment his eyes find me, shivering at the sensation. I imagine it's what it's like to be caught in the sights of a jaguar stalking through the jungle. He keeps his gaze honed on me as he leaves the gravel courtyard where the food truck was and strides across the grass.

When Bones is about ten feet away, he halts and tilts his head. I can't read his expression as he studies me. I pat my hair, wondering if I had leaves or blades of grass in it. I'd left it loose, since he commented that he thought it beautiful.

"I should shoot you."

I gape, mouth parting in confusion. "Wh-what?"

He cracks a smile, the illusion of multiple rows of teeth doing nothing to diminish his sincerity. His warm eyes are bright with humor as he moves and lowers himself next to me. The fact that the food containers don't even wobble fills me with envy. I -might- have attempted to sit down with two containers balanced in both hands. Maybe.

Bones sets the food down and shucks off his vest and lays it behind us. He's wearing a white short-sleeve tee that hugs his body until I swear I can count the ridges of his abs through the material. I can't even allow myself to look at his forearms because they are obscene. Forearms should not be as sexy as his are. He rolls so he's on his side facing me, propping himself up on one of those lewd forearms and explains while he sets out the food. "Pictures, little mate," he teases with affection. My heart pitter patters at the endearment I was just tangling myself up over. "Photography is a hobby I picked up over the years. Started out as part of intel gathering for Cerberus Securities, but I enjoyed it. I usually focus on landscapes."

I think of the gorgeous prints in his apartment's living room, leaning forward to help open the boxes. My mouth is watering at the smells. "The photos at your place?"

"Yeah. Those are my favorites so far." He pauses, and the weight of the silence has me looking up from where I'd been checking out the selection. "I think I'd absolutely replace them with photos of you. Especially if you aren't wearing anything."

I slap his hand away from where he's tugging at my dress's hem. "Behave!" I reprimand in a scandalized whisper but I can't hide my smile. Or control the heat in my control at posing naked for him.

With a low laugh, he tugs at my dress again. "Are you sure that's what you want me to do?"

"Ugh!" I fan my face, hating how easily he makes me blush. "Just tell me about the options you decided on already."

He takes pity on me and accepts the change of subject. "The cart is one of my favorites in the city. Good ole comfort food." He points to each one as he names them, "Smoked brisket with southern macaroni and cheese, which just means it has some jalape?os in it. Beer battered chicken strips and jo jos, cajun shrimp and grits, and last but never least, one slice each of key lime pie and sweet potato pie. You pick first."

My mouth waters at the selection. I love everything he'd picked and I haven't had any of them for so long. Deciding to live wild, "I'll start with the key lime pie." I look between us and then laugh before asking, noticing a wild glint in his eyes, "Did you forget forks and spoons?"

He snags a shrimp between two fingers and tilts his head back, dropping it into his open mouth. He shoots me a grin. "Who needs forks?"

"I do." I'm trying not to laugh and failing as I stand up, brushing any grass off my back side. "I'm surprised you remembered napkins! I'll be right back."

"I'm not a total animal!" Bones' declaration follows me as I hurry across the green to the food truck. Each time I leave Bones, I feel a little bit more confident on my own. I'm still grinning like a fool as I wait for the gentleman blocking the plastic ware to move. It's only a moment before he turns.

"Oh, sorry for being in the way--wait. Sloan?"

I was readying to dismiss his apology when I looked up to see a face I hadn't seen in over a decade. My guts turn to ice and I'm dizzy. It's impossible. There's no way. "Paul?"