Read Online Heavenly Lover by Sharon Hamilton - Free Book Online Page B

the sidewalk that shone from the morning rain. Wetness in the air melded with the smell of fresh hot coffee and griddlecakes. Even the smell of wet pavement was pleasant. I will miss this when I return. It never rained in Heaven; it misted.
    She tapped her nails against the green and white-checkered plastic cloth that covered the little table as she searched the crowd for a familiar face from one of her previous missions. It could happen. But no, not today.
    She felt alone in spite of the people surrounding her. She dipped her tongue into the soft whipped cream piled atop the steaming chocolate drink warming her hands. It was considered dangerous for angels to taste things, as that could lead to eating, which could eliminate an angel’s powers of invisibility. Yielding to temptation made angels visible. It wasn’t forbidden, just not advised. Eating was an aphrodisiac—at least, the way many humans ate was. The hunger inside them had nothing to do with their stomachs. This was a dangerous experience for an angel and could lead to a fall from grace.
    But the scent of warm chocolate was one of her all-time favorites. Ignoring the danger and repeated warnings, she savored the way the sweetness caressed her tongue.
    “That is just one of the sexiest things on the planet.” Josh had slipped in so quickly she hadn’t seen him.
    Startled, Claire jolted, spilling a little of the warm mixture. She felt trapped in her human form, but remained seated and set the messy mug down. A small dollop of the whipped cream stuck to the tip of her nose. She reached up to dust it off but Josh stopped her.
    “Ah, love. You’ve messed your face. I can help.” He rubbed it off with his forefinger, then put the tip of his finger in his mouth. His eyes danced with an unearthly fire. “Very sweet, very sweet indeed.”
    Claire’s heart pounded so hard surely Josh could hear it. Bound by the rules, she couldn’t just disappear without people noticing: she was caught. Josh tilted his head to the side, squinting, as if he enjoyed watching her squirm. She had no choice but to talk to him.
    “So now that we’ve met, what lovely name do I call you, or do I get to pick one?” His velvety smooth voice washed over her face and made her ears tingle.
    Claire focused on her mug of chocolate, remaining mute.
    “You know that when we turn a Guardian, we get to choose their name? Surely they taught you that in school?” The words rolled easily off his tongue.
    Claire was confused and Josh saw it. She knew he had something to do with that, that his breath carried with it something that made her feel things…
    She became distracted with his mouth…
    Keep calm.
    So this was something else they hadn’t taught her. Fear began to rise, pressing cool fingers all the way up her spine one vertebrae at a time.
    Deep breathing. Keep on your feet.
    “No?” he persisted. “I can see they didn’t. But maybe they don’t know.”
    “And I’m not turned,” she spat out.
    “Ah, lovely. She speaks. The angel talks to me.” Josh consumed her with a warm smile that sent a thin erotic cover over her whole body.
    “I said, I am not turned,” Claire insisted, despite the tingle down her spine. The mental erotic caress was not unpleasant, but the circumstances were.
    “Not yet, my lovely. Not yet.” Josh’s voice purred. “You’re much prettier than I thought. Most of you are too vanilla. I’m partial to redheads, but you probably already know that, if you’ve snooped in Daniel’s dreams at all.” He leaned into the table, whispering, “How’d you like Audray? Did they have you panting in the middle of the night, hmmm?”
    “I’ve seen it before.”
    “Of course you have,” Josh said. He straightened up and chuckled. “You guys never get in the game. Human life is just a spectator sport—something you can go home and gossip about with your friends.”
    “I don’t share your cynical view of human life. Didn’t they teach that to you in the