the brakes and the accelerator as he eased their way home, keeping everything as smooth as possible. When he pulled up to her building, he hated to wake her.
He was still staring at her, the engine running, the heater blowing warmth on them both, when her lids fluttered open. Her eyes, sleepy and contented, a little confused, focused on him.
“Hi,” she said.
Syn reached over and brushed her cheek with his fingertip. “Hello, beautiful female.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Everything.”
Syn had never been a gentlemale. But he shut off the engine and all but bolted around the front of her car to open her door. Extending his palm to her, he drew her out as if he were in a tuxedo and she in a ball gown, and he escorted her all the way to her door like the building she lived in was a castle.
He even opened the way into her apartment for her, pretending to use the key that was on the ring even though he freed the dead bolt with his mind.
But he stopped on the threshold. “I’m going to leave you here.”
“Okay.” She stepped inside and turned around. “Would it look desperate if I asked when I can see you again?”
Behind her, he eyed the couch they’d had sex on the night before, and decided they needed to test out those cushions again. Also her bed. The floor. Her shower.
Those kitchen counters.
“It’s not desperate at all,” he murmured as he refocused on her face. “Because I was just going to ask you the same thing.”
“Tomorrow night? After work?”
“Yes. I will come to you here—”
“Oh, shoot. The bus isn’t running this late. We need to take you downtown—”
“It’s okay. I left my car parked around back.”
“All right. Good.” She glanced down for a second, to where his shitkickers and her much smaller boots were nearly toe to toe. “Are you sure you’re okay, you know, after we—”
By way of answer, he pulled her against him and covered her mouth with his own. Kissing her deeply, he bent her back so that she gripped his shoulders. When they were both breathless, he released her lips.
“Does it feel like anything’s wrong with me?” he drawled.
Jo shook her head. “No… not at all.”
“Until tomorrow.” Syn had to force himself to separate their bodies and let go of her. “Shut your door and lock up. I won’t leave until I hear that dead bolt go back where it belongs.”
“You’re so protective.”
“Of you? You better believe it.”
Jo’s smile made him feel like a wealthy male, a curious state given that he had never cared about the material before. Then again, money and assets were not the true way of judging whether someone was rich.
Before she disappeared into her apartment, Jo rose up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. And then she closed her door.
A split second later, he heard the shift and clunk of that bolt hitting home.
Turning away, Syn whistled under his breath as he set about his departure. In spite of his colossal set of blue balls, he skipped his way by the mailboxes and all but twinkle-toed his way out into the night.
Amazing what the right female will do for a guy.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Sister mine.
The entities had agreed to meet upon neutral ground, in their usual place at which to congress, the grand and gracious Caldwell Public Library. Second floor. Marble colonnade that led into the rare books section where one needed proof of identity and a master’s to gain entrance.
If one were human, that was. If one were not? If one were substance made of air, sound captured within silence, light that cast no shadow and darkness that did?
Well, then you went wherever the hell you wanted to.
Brother mine.
As the Scribe Virgin communicated her greeting, she regarded her sibling with reserve. There were conclusions she came unto, but she kept them free of her thoughts. The pair of them were, as many twins were, connected on a deep level, and there were things he mustn’t know.
The Omega floated around before her, hovering above the white and black marble floor, the shadow which was his essence spilling out from under robes that had previously always sparkled with cleanliness, but were now stained and torn.
She was surprised at the sadness she felt over his disintegration. How fare thee, Brother?
You know the answer to that. The Omega stopped, the draping that covered his features moving around to face her. Why must we always meet here?