Free Knight-in-Arms - Demons: (BWWM Interracial Paranormal Billionaire Shifter Romance Part Three) by Athena Dore Page A

but that had been in a large dining room and being a guest in someone else’s home, she hadn’t felt completely comfortable.
     
    Now, in the more intimate and relaxed setting of the balcony, it felt domestic somehow, almost like they were a married couple. She was even starting to feel a bit less self-conscious about him seeing her wearing a scarf on her head. The whole situation felt like a good kind of strange. She wanted to get used to it.
     
    He picked up an envelope which had been brought up for him with breakfast. It was black, like the one she’d seen at Roseford. His eyes darkened. It was only for a moment but it was definitely there.
     
    “What’s wrong?” she asked.
     
    Xavier looked surprised.
     
    “Nothing” he said, putting the envelope down, unopened.
     
    Rochelle began to doubt herself. Now she was only eighty percent sure of what she’d seen. He rested his hand on hers and caressed it softly with his thumb. Sixty percent.
     
    “So, we’re off to Florence today” he said, smiling at her. Thirty. And thirty wasn’t sure at all.
     
    “I can’t wait” she said. After being in awe of Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of Sistine Chapel and seeing the glossy marble contours of his Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica, when they had visited the Vatican, she was eager to look at more of his work. Photographs or documentaries really didn’t do justice to the large scale he worked on, or his genius with sculptures.
     
    After breakfast, she went into the bathroom to have a shower while Xavier took his medication. She was squeamish when it came to needles and hated seeing him inject himself.
     
    Eventually, they switched rooms. She heard the running of the shower as she put on her outfit for Florence – a dress with a nice, summery feel. It wasn’t quite summer yet but it was very warm – much, much warmer than England. She twirled in the mirror. It should be illegal to be this happy. And to look this good.
     
    Perhaps Rochelle might have been more concerned if she’d seen Xavier in the bathroom. He gripped the thick basin of the marble sink in both hands and looked at his frosted reflection in the mirror. In the blur, he looked normal. However, the condensation on the glass masked the scowl on his face. His breathing was heavy and vicious. He hung his head. A low growl rumbled through his throat. His biceps flexed and he clenched the sink tighter and tighter. Until it cracked.
     
    When they arrived in Florence, Rochelle wanted to go everywhere and do everything. She was almost as excitable as Mindy. She was all about the Renaissance.
     
    They checked in at their hotel, had lunch and enjoyed the rest of the day looking around some of the galleries, and the shops on the Ponte Vecchio. Rochelle had been looking forward to visiting the Uffizi Gallery and seeing Michelangelo’s David. Once again she was struck by the scale. He was like a 4-metre tall giant.
     
    “Let’s take a picture so we can see the height difference!” she said.
     
    She found someone to take the picture. Xavier stepped reluctantly into the frame. He hated having his picture taken.
     
    “You should have smiled” said Rochelle, “You look like a sulking child”.
     
    In the picture, Rochelle looked as happy as she felt. She knew she was going to enjoy Florence – possibly more than Rome.
     
    *              *              *
     
    They were in the Coliseum. The large, broken arches rose into the grey sky, as though forming the ribcage of a giant skeleton. Crows flew overhead, their dark silhouettes contrasting with the clouds as they circled like vultures.
     
    Xavier turned to Rochelle and kissed her. She put her arms round him. His wings sprouted. He kissed her more ferociously, more savagely, pushing her to the ground.
     
    Then, he pulled away and slashed at her. Blood splashed across his face and seeped from the wound onto the stones beneath her. It trickled down her intestines as