Free Soul Surrender by Katana Collins Page B

instinctually. Jules took note of the contact, his eyes quickly flitting to my hip, then back to my face and Damien’s. “Maybe there’s something in Lucien’s office that will explain where he was summoned.”
    A low growl rumbled in Damien’s chest. The sort of grumble that most people wouldn’t even notice. Except Damien was surrounded by a bunch of angels and demons with exceptional hearing. His arm darted out to my waist once more with a possessiveness that made me both want to slap him and tear his clothes off. “Then it will be your job to keep her safe.”
    Jules’s smile was placating. The succession of rapid blinks he fired off were directed right to Damien and as close to giving the middle finger as he’d ever gotten. “I think I can manage.”
    â€œYou sure about that?” Damien’s chest was pure steel beneath his button-down cotton shirt, and it tensed even more with the question. “If memory serves, you didn’t do such a great job when she was an angel.”
    While I didn’t necessarily disagree with Damien’s statement, his tone was irksome, like a cat being petted in the opposite direction of its fur. I pulled from his grip.
    Julian’s smile dropped, and for a second I saw a flash of sadness. “Let’s leave it to Monica, then, shall we?” His aquamarine eyes landed on me, sparkling brighter than any gem. “Would you prefer to stay at the café all day tomorrow? Or come with me and be useful?”
    â€œOh, ouch, babe. He just said you weren’t useful.”
    â€œStop it, Damien.” I wrenched my arm from his grasp. “Just, stop.” I walked to Julian’s side but didn’t touch him.
    One corner of Jules’s mouth lifted into a smirk as he slid a gaze in my direction. He crossed two arms over his chest, and his heather gray T-shirt wrinkled beneath his tanned arms.
    â€œI’m not going to sit around all day and do absolutely nothing while the rest of you put your lives on the line.”
    â€œWe’re all just worried for you. You’ve already got a target on your forehead. We’re just trying to avoid a second one on your chest,” Kayce offered.
    Damien rolled his eyes, and two palms slapped against his thighs in defeat. “Fine. Jesus. Stop being so dramatic. Can we go home now?” He held a hand out to me—as if I would simply take it and fall into his bed after all this. I did a mental eye roll. Men are such morons sometimes.
    â€œGreat,” I said sharply. “Glad that’s settled.”
    Kayce nodded a good-bye and teleported home, leaving Julian, Damien, . . . and me.
    â€œC’mon, babe.”
    â€œWhy don’t I just meet up with you later?”
    A pause hummed between us. Julian’s snicker finally broke the silence. I snapped a glare to him, and he immediately backed up a couple of steps. “I’ll give you two a minute,” he said, humor flashing in those angelic eyes of his. Fucking angels.
    With Julian no longer hovering, Damien closed in, his large hands immediately pulling me toward him. They curled around my waist, and the heat from his molten-hot body warmed my flesh. “What’s the matter?” Damien played the tough guy well, but beneath that exterior was pure cream in the center. He was soft. Sweet. And I wanted to lick every bit of that cream from him.
    I crunched my shoulders to my ears in that way girls do when they want to talk about something but pretend they don’t. His thumbs circled my hip bone, pushing the hem of my shirt up and revealing a bit of velvety skin.
    â€œDon’t like me playing the part of protector?” Damien raised an eyebrow; his lips were pouty and petal smooth.
    I lowered my voice hoping to Hell that Jules wasn’t eavesdropping. Oh, who was I kidding? Angels were nosy little fuckers. “I just thought I’d go home. It’s been a long