her a thousand years ago. A time when he hadn’t been as hardened or as cynical. “If either of us was looking for a long-term relationship, I’d agree with you. But we’re not, are we?”
She shook her head. Sadness flicked through her eyes before she chased it away with a smile. “You’re a bad boy through and through, and pure temptation.” She slid her arms around his waist. “Yet you’ve always treated me with nothing but respect and gentleness, in spite of that tough image you project.” Her smile grew wider. “It’s a good thing I like bad boys.”
As he started to bend toward her again, her phone buzzed. She jumped in surprise and brushed against a small ironwork wall hanging. With a cry she jerked to one side, her hand coming up to cover her upper arm. Tears swam in her eyes and she bit her lip.
“What happened?” Finn took her arm in a gentle grip and moved her hand. A patch of skin the size of a man’s wallet was reddened with small blisters. Damned if it didn’t look like a burn. He looked at the wall hanging and backed carefully out of the alcove, drawing her with him. “What the hell?”
“It’s iron,” she said. She took a deep breath and held it a moment, clearly trying to work through the pain. “I should have paid more attention. Fey are allergic to iron. I’ll be all right in a minute or so.”
He felt like an unobservant idiot. He knew how deadly iron could be to the fey. Why hadn’t he checked before he’d maneuvered her into the alcove? As usual, he’d had only himself in mind. He held her arm lightly. Even as he looked at it, the red faded and most of the blisters healed. He bent and placed his lips lightly against her skin. Her indrawn breath brought his head up. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
Her soft throat moved with her swallow. “No,” she whispered.
He started to move back to her mouth but his phone beeped, signaling he’d received a text message.
Keira let Finn take a few steps back so he could check his phone. Her arm throbbed with lingering pain that quickly faded. She needed the space, too. She felt overheated, and not just from his kisses, though he was a great kisser. When he’d placed his mouth on her arm, it had been with such tenderness that he’d stolen her breath. She’d seen many sides of this demon—determination, arousal, playfulness, aggravation. Never had she seen this level of gentleness from him.
It made her want to believe he could be more than his demon, that he could be more than what the thousands of years of working for Lucifer had programmed him to be. Was she being naïve? While she was doing her best to overcome her own baser nature, trying to be a better person and atone for her numerous past wrongs, Finn had never expressed a desire to be anything other than what he was.
While his attention was on his cell, she quickly checked hers and saw she had a text message. She hoped it was from Javier, because all this waiting around was making her crazy. With a couple of clicks she had the message on the screen. It was from Javier, letting her know that the next group meeting was in an hour. He’d supplied the address with a promise that in the next few minutes she’d get the special quick response code that would permit her admittance. She tucked her phone into her purse as Finn put his cell back into his pocket and looked at her.
Regret and what looked like anticipation warred in Finn’s eyes. “I’ve gotta go,” he said.
“Something for Lucifer?”
He gave a nod. “Yeah. It’s always work with him.” His smile was forced, which Keira understood. From what he’d told her, the only time his boss got in touch with him was when he wanted something, and that seemed to be all the time. But there was an underlying note to his tone that made her think he wasn’t telling the whole truth. Since she didn’t use her empathic abilities on friends, she resisted the urge to reach out with her senses to read his emotions. She’d have to trust that he wasn’t lying to her.
Though she suspected he was. Or, at least, he wasn’t telling her everything. She didn’t have time to pursue it now though. She had a meeting to get to.
His gaze slid