Sins of the Innocent - Jamie McGuire Page 0,24

all the twenty-somethings and a few others. “Eden,” he said, the slightest hint of desperation in his voice, “eating alone gets old.”

I peeked over at the women in the corner, excited whispers filling the space between them. They thought they were witnessing a breakup when the choices that would lead to the end of the world were being made right in front of them.

I grabbed him back, and he stood, unrelenting.

“Don’t make me rip off your arm. It might upset your groupies.”

Levi glanced over, sending the women into a frenzy of giggles and hushed delight. “I could take one of them to dinner, I guess.”

“Or all of them,” I said with disdain.

One half of Levi’s mouth curled up. “I just … want to spend time with you—no manipulation, no agenda. It’s not a strategy, Eden. I just want to eat and see your face across the table. Yours. That’s it.”

“It’s hard to believe you would betray your father … that, for whatever reason, you’ve chosen to help me even if I did hear it from a reliable source,” I said, feeling my resolve melting, fully aware that I was succumbing to his charm.

“The more time we spend together, the closer you’ll be to the answer.” He tugged on my fingers. “C’mon. I want pasta. There’s a place down the street from your mom’s office.”

“Pasta,” I said, only barely resisting.

“Yeah. That’s your favorite place, too. Don’t pretend it’s not.”

“Capriccio?” I asked.

He nodded.

“And you know that because … you’ve been stalking me all year.”

He looked around, not even a hint of apology on his face. “Exactly.”

“I’m not really dressed for Capriccio,” I said, looking down at my all-black ensemble. From sunglasses to ballet flats, I looked like a one-woman funeral procession.

“I can’t imagine by whose standards. I think you’re stunning.”

I tried not to let his words affect me, tucking my hair behind one ear. “Okay,” I said. “And I won’t use the dagger if you make any sudden moves. I’ll stab those pretty blue eyes with a fork.”

He pulled me the few feet toward him, holding my fist to his chest. He looked down on me, and I swallowed, feeling the inherent magnetism running through his veins, a perfect mixture of temptation and intrigue that could only be passed down from the Prince of Darkness. It was crushing and enthralling at the same time.

I kept my chin level but looked up at him with my eyes. The women in the corner were swooning all over themselves.

He grinned. “Is that a compliment, Ryel?”

I clenched my teeth, trying not to release the ridiculous girlish squeal building and rising in my chest. “If the threat of imminent death flatters you, sure.”

He leaned down, close enough to kiss me if he wanted … if I wanted. His scent burned my lungs. The smell turned into a sweet perfume I longed for. It was probably the most alarming twist of all.

“Death is a fair trade for an evening with you.” His voice was quiet and smooth. He oozed confidence but allowed just enough uncertainty and hope to tug at my human vulnerabilities.

To say that I was inexperienced with men was a gross understatement, but I was not inexperienced with reality, and he was laying the charm on thick, even for the spawn of Satan.

“Oh, you’re good,” I said, struggling to remain impervious. “But I know what you’re doing. Flattery will get you nowhere.”

“On the contrary, love, flattery gets us everywhere.”

He smiled and pulled on my hand, leading me out of the café to the Audi parked outside. The summer sun was hanging above the horizon, falling closer to the edge every second.

I clicked my seat belt, and Levi chuckled.

“What?” I asked.

He pointed to the seat belt.

“It’s a habit,” I said, mildly offended.

Levi leaned over, stopping just inches from my face, and a click sounded as he pressed the button to release the buckle. The belt slowly retracted, dragging along my shirt.

“I’m not human, Eden. You don’t have to pretend around me.”

Sometime after he settled back into the passenger seat, I remembered how to breathe. I pulled away from the curb and drove the few minutes to downtown where Capriccio sat nestled between two quaint shops, shaded beneath a pinstriped awning bearing the restaurant’s name. I had been here many times with my parents, with my uncles and aunt, most of them half-divine.

Now, I was walking in with the offspring of the man who had wanted me dead since the moment I was conceived. One word from Levi,