Page 21 of Guarded (Hopeless Blessed #3)

His knuckles turned white on the steering wheel as he muttered an oath under his breath. “Prepare to see me on my very best behaviour.”

I turned my face towards the window to hide my grin. It faded as the ramifications of the exchange hit me. What was I doing? I shouldn’t be flirting with Jeremiah. It wasn’t fair, not when we were meant to just be friends.

It was just…it felt so easy. Natural.

Also, it had been a fucking age since I’d had sex.

So long, in fact, that I half wondered if I’d even be able to bottom.

I hadn’t even bothered with my dildo since moving in with the Seraphim.

The walls here were thinner than at Juniper, and the Seraphim were also far more likely to tease the fuck out of me if they ever heard me getting myself off that way.

It was fine. I was vers, preferring to top as often as I bottomed. Not that I’d had many opportunities with Lyle. Topping him had only happened once in a blue moon, if all the stars had aligned and the birds were singing. Which was fine. That was his preference.

But it was another sign that we weren’t meant to be together. Our needs didn’t align in a way that was conducive to a long-term relationship.

I just wished I’d seen it earlier.

“What did you mean though, about not being able to see the lace?”

Jeremiah’s question pulled me from my thoughts. “Oh, I thought maybe that’s why I could smell smoke. Because at the restaurant you…”

“Set my surroundings on fire because I got so excited when I realised how prettily you’d wrapped your cock up?” Jeremiah said drily. “It’s okay. You can laugh.”

His words had me adjusting myself in my trousers instead of laughing. My mouth went dry at the idea that he thought it’d be pretty .

Suddenly, I was desperate to show him. Nothing seemed quite as important as strutting in front of him, showing off every lacy scrap I owned and getting his opinion on all of them .

“Now you’ve mentioned it, I can smell it too.” He sighed. “Fucking Nox.”

“What does Nox have to do with anything?”

“He borrowed my car back while he and Micah were being dramatic.” He pulled out of a junction, barely looking at the oncoming traffic.

I didn’t worry. Even if Jeremiah didn’t have the same reflexes and sensory capabilities as me, I suspected he wouldn’t let me come to any harm.

Not even for something like a car accident, which we’d both walk away from with nary a scratch.

“It took me a few months to get the story out of Nox, but it turns out he set my car alight to get Micah’s attention. ”

A strangled laugh escaped me. “He did what ?”

“Yep.” Jeremiah shook his head and chuckled. “Thought it was a bit over the top when he told me, but now…”

His words trailed off, but my mind completed the sentence for him. He didn’t think it was over the top now, because he’d do something similar if that was what it took to get my attention.

I didn’t know how I felt about that.

“Obviously your car survived,” I said, trying to get the conversation back on track. Before all the things we were leaving unsaid derailed us completely.

“Yeah, he knew I’d gut him if he ruined it, so he used his powers to keep the flames contained. Guess he wasn’t as careful with the smoke.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t notice it until I pointed out.”

“You forget, I grew up in Hell. Smoke is more prevalent down there than oxygen.” His lips thinned, but he changed the subject before I could comment. “This baby was the first thing I acquired when I came topside.”

My eyes narrowed. “Acquired?”

“Demon, remember?” Jeremiah pulled the car up on a busy high street.

It was one I was familiar with. Ez and I had come here to browse art a few months back.

I’d been meaning to return and actually purchase some, but time kept getting away from me.

“Don’t worry though—I don’t think the manufacturer is hurting for cash. ”

“Ah. So, you don’t just reserve your thievery for historical sites.”

Jeremiah barked a laugh as he effortlessly parallel parked. “Fuck no. Given the CEO recently got off on tax evasion charges, I don’t feel a shred of guilt about stealing this from him.”

“Your brain is fascinating.”

He gave me a toothy grin. “Not as fascinating as the rest of me. Wait there.”

Ducking out of the car, he walked around to my side. I took those few seconds to glare at my crotch. Stop thinking about what else is fascinating about him.

Sadly, my cock took as much notice as the rest of me, which is to say, absolutely none. Once again, I was grateful I hadn’t gone for the skinny jeans I’d been eyeing.

Jeremiah opened my door and extended his hand. I took it, willing the butterflies in my stomach to curl up and die.

“Did you even know how to drive it when you stole it?”

“Nope,” Jeremiah laughed, leading me around the car. My hand was still clasped in his and I felt no urge to withdraw it. “If we’re being technical about it, Nox stole it for me, and Darius taught me to drive.”

“You must’ve picked it up fast.”

“Faster than flying, that’s for sure.” He gave a small shudder. “Do angels get thrown off cliffs to teach them how to use their wings?”

I gaped at him in horror. “Fuck no. That’s barbaric. Who would do that to a child? ”

There was no humour in the smile Jeremiah gave me. “Demons.”

He went to withdraw his hand, but I tightened my grip to stop him, and without giving it any thought, I laced my fingers through his. For the first time since the Parthenon, I felt at peace. “I’m sorry you went through that, Jeremiah.”

“Don’t be.” His voice was hoarser than earlier, eyes fixed on our interlocked fingers. “If you start apologising for everything I experienced, we’ll never have time to discuss anything else.”

God, how that made my chest ache. Made me want to steal Jeremiah away and keep him safe from everything that could ever hurt him.

Strangely, it was that thought that brought me back to reality. That behaviour was exactly what he didn’t want. Jeremiah prized his freedom over everything else.

I’d be doing him a dishonour by treating him that way.

“Where are we going?” I asked. I should have pulled my hand free. I knew that.

But I didn’t.

“Just up here.” Jeremiah inclined his head and we walked in that direction. “I may have asked for a little advice for today.”

“Oh?”

“Nox wasn’t much help,” he said as he stopped in front of a familiar shopfront, “but he asked the others and Ezekiel said you’d like this.”

I stared up at the art gallery. The butterflies were back, spilling outwards from my stomach until my whole body was tingling.

“I thought maybe we could go in and choose a few pieces for your suite at the compound,” he continued. “But if you don’t think that’s a good idea, we can go somewhere else.”

There was so much hope shining in his eyes that it was almost blinding. “Do you like art?”

He chewed on his lip for a moment. I had to physically stop myself from pulling it out from between his teeth and soothing it with my mouth. “I’m not sure, to be honest. It’s not like Hell has much on display. Nothing you want to spend time looking at, anyway.”

I flinched at that. It was all too easy to imagine the horrors Lucifer would choose to adorn his walls with.

“I’d like to learn about it though,” he said earnestly. “If you don’t mind teaching me?”

“Sure,” I said slowly. “But why? You might not even like it.”

“Oh, I will.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because you do,” he said simply. “If you like it, I will too.”

Hope. Excitement. Lust. They swelled within me until I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t look at anything except the beautiful demon before me.“It’s that easy?”

His eyes softened. “It is if we let it be.”