there was more to a story. Course, I was also a terrible liar.
“A friend?” he inquired.
Not able to continue on, I stopped jogging and faced him, irritation seeping into my gut as I fought to catch my breath. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you it’s rude to put your nose in other people’s business?”
Knight also stopped jogging, that same smile still hanging from his lips. “Can’t recall that she did.”
I crossed my arms against my chest, trying to ward off the cold night air and wished I’d worn something over my sports bra. Maybe my annoyance with Knight would be enough to keep me warm. “Let’s cut the crap, Knight, what are you doing here?”
“I need your help.”
That could mean many things but due to the fact that I’d promised Knight I’d be available to work as a consultant whenever he had a tough Netherworld case, the playing field was narrowed. “What do you need my help for?” I asked, watching Blue arch his back and pee against a bush. He still hadn’t mastered the art of lifting one leg but I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to teach him.
“There’s a case that’s been baffling us all.”
Before I decided to hear anymore, I turned around and started walking back toward my apartment, rolling my arms in big circles. No use in discussing ANC business while we were standing in the middle of the road. Knight was beside me momentarily and threw me another disarmingly handsome smile. With his black hair, blue eyes and tan complexion, immense height and broad build, he looked like a God. And, boy, wouldn’t he have loved to know that.
“Let’s talk about it in my apartment,” I started.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
“Don’t get any ideas,” I grumbled, watching Blue scout the bushes and trees before us. I never took him on a leash because we never met anyone on our five am excursions. Guess I couldn’t say that anymore.
“Dulce, I’ve been getting ideas where you’re concerned since we met,” Knight said, his voice heavy.
“Well, keep them to yourself,” I snapped. I’d already made up my mind not to get involved with Knight.
“Why do you fight your attraction to me?” His tone wasn’t clipped or otherwise pointing to a hurt self esteem. Course, he was never anything other than sure, and his infallible confidence was one of his character traits that bothered me the most. I mean, didn’t everyone succumb to self doubt once in a while? Ha, not if you were a Loki who answered to the name of Knight.
“Who said I’m attracted to you?” I insisted, wishing I could wipe the cocky and proud smile right off his mouth.
“No point in denying it; I’m fully aware of your real feelings for me.”
I laughed, but it was an acidic sound because I was suddenly worried that he could sense it. Even though I’d pledged never to develop feelings for him, I couldn’t deny the fact that I was attracted to Knight and always had been. But, I tempered that attraction by keeping him at arm’s length.
As a rule, I didn’t get involved with men. Now, before you question that statement—I also didn’t get involved with women—I just didn’t get involved period. After a pretty crappy breakup two years earlier, my heart still hadn’t fully mended and Knight was the type of man who would break it again, into tiny little shards that would be impossible to glue back together. If he ever got the chance, that is.
“Hmm…” I started, really not knowing what else to say. Even though as a fairy, I had the innate ability to detect creatures just by looking at them, Knight had thrown me for a loop from day one. Course, the reason had been that I’d never come into contact with one of his kind before—a Loki. Furthermore, the unfortunate thing about Knight’s being a Loki was I had no clue what his powers were. Unlike my ability to create magic from fairy dust, Knight’s abilities weren’t quite so straight forward. I’d actually been keeping a list of the types of powers he’d demonstrated so far. Guess I could add attraction detector to the mix. Unless he was full of it…
“You just know?” I asked doubtfully. “What, is that another of your Loki character traits?”
“Nope,” he said in a self-satisfied sort of way. “It’s just Vander instinct, one hundred percent.”
“Well, your Vander instinct is confused by your Vander cockiness,” I snapped.