Summon Toren(31)

The male slowly stretched out his hand as if it were a concealed weapon. “Josephus is my given name.”

Toren shook his hand wanting so badly to weigh his filth. If he had to guess by Samantha’s judgment, the human had enough evil in him to form a cruel, diabolical dictator capable of mass deaths. Toren released him and met Samantha’s glare. She clearly didn’t like him showing an inkling of kindness to Mr. Josephus. He leaned and kissed her on the forehead. “I think she looks beautiful.”

Toren held his breath, hoping she caught on. One look in her eyes, he realized did she ever. She gave him a sweet smile and patted his face softly. “You are so sweet.” She leaned up and kissed him on the lips. Toren took full advantage of the divine gift, slipping his arms around her slender waist and pulling her body to his, wrecking her effort to keep it light. Pushing her lips open with his, he kissed her like she deserved to be kissed, sliding his tongue along hers with a hunger that startled him.

“Get a room,” the human muttered as he exited through the screen door.

She shoved him and broke the kiss with a gasp, glanced at Joe’s retreating back before whirling around to slap Toren across the face.

Toren groaned at the stinging feeling, closing his eyes from the pain of needing her so badly. Father help him. If his future was going to be full of that feeling, he'd need all his angelic strength to bear it.

“You!” she gasped like somebody hyperventilating, “had better not…do that shit again.” She wiped her mouth with a trembling hand and stormed into the house, slamming the door behind her.

Toren couldn’t stop his ear to ear grin at recalling the sweet moan she’d given when his tongue met hers. That was clear indication that she’d liked it. And that made him feel like he’d all but won the war.

He followed her into the house and looked around the small kitchen, where Kassie bent over at the oven. She straightened and wiped her hands on her worn flowered apron and eyed him from head to foot then up again. He smiled at her and the suspicious glare in her eyes melted away. She pointed up. “What on earth did you do to that girl, I haven’t seen her in that much of a hurry since she was seven years old, runnin from trouble she got caught in.” She held a steady eye on him and it suddenly seemed respectful to glance away.

“I just said she was beautiful.”

Her loud snicker followed a brief moment of silence. “Well that explains it.”

He met her lit up steel blue gaze. “And I kissed her.”

She sucked in her breath and a huge smile bloomed on her face. “Ohhhh my word.” She nodded eagerly and shooed him. “Well go on and go check on her, stairs are right there. Get.” She shoved him and Toren followed her orders.

Toren found his way fairly easy but she wasn’t in either of the two bedrooms so he went to the only closed door. He stood next to it and listened, his mercury nearly boiling when her soft sobs reached his ears.

The door sat ajar a scant inch and he couldn't resist looking. She was fussing over her hair, hating the reflection in the mirror. Toren’s chest tightened. She examined the bald spot on her head and another sob escaped as she tried to fix the surrounding hair so that it hid it better. Toren released a breath, his body hurting with her pain, and his need to erase it.

The door jerked open and Toren froze. He’d been too immersed in feeling her needs to even pick up on the fact that she was done whining about what couldn’t be changed. “I was…”

She stood there with her hands on her hips, those sky blue eyes narrowed and bright on him, head shaking in yet another disappointment. “Didn’t I tell you to leave me—”

“Kassie asked me to check on you.”

Her mouth snapped shut and she stepped aside and held her hand toward the bathroom. “I’m guessing you’d want to take a shower. Everything you need is in there.” He noticed her tone had taken on a nicer edge by a millisecond degree. It was better than nothing.

“Thank you.”

She hardened her gaze. “Do you always have to act like a delicate daisy?”

He stared at her lips. “No. I can be hard for you.”

Her anger dissolved and she swallowed. Probably because Toren couldn’t keep his desire for her out of the words. He realized what he’d actually said and how it sounded.

“I didn’t…”

“Sure you didn’t.” She stormed past him. “I’ll be downstairs watching the news and figuring out what the weather is going to do, then we need to get ready and tour the ranch if the weather permits. I need to see how many head we lost.”

Her voice rose harder as she descended the stairs.