Jeremy (Broken Angel #4) Read Free Page B

Naomi’s voice.
    “Naomi! I . . . uh . . .”
    His voice drifted the moment he saw her, and he forgot what he was going to say. She stood at the edge of the room, the white curtains fluttering behind her. Pale blue eyes held his, and all he thought about was drowning in them forever. Then her eyes drifted down to the pillow in his hand.
    Horrified, he tossed it on the bed and quickly moved to distance himself from it. How was he going to explain this?
    Bear dashed in between his feet, barking, and his foot accidentally landed on the tip of her tail. She yelped, running to Naomi’s side.
    “Sorry, Bear.”
    Bear looked from him to Naomi, then hunched low on the ground, making her look even smaller, and growled. It was as if Bear knew what he was thinking and was protecting Naomi for Lash.
    “Knock it off, Bear. What’s gotten into you?” Naomi reached down, rubbing the dog’s little head.
    “It’s my fault. I thought I saw . . . then the pillow . . . I made a mistake. I shouldn’t be here.” He took a step toward the window, wondering how he was going to move her out of the way without touching her.
    “Please don’t go.”
    He paused, taking in glistening eyes gazing at him with sisterly love and nothing more.
    “Lash and I are worried about you,” she said.
    No. He groaned. Lash was with her. With all this daydreaming nonsense, he hadn’t seen his brother come inside. He scanned the room in a panic. It’d taken him so long to win back his brother’s trust. He didn’t want to lose it again. Why did he even come here? And why couldn’t he leave?
    “Lash, I didn’t . . .”
    “He’s not here. He’s with Uri and Rachel. I told him I wanted to speak to you alone,” she said.
    He sighed, thankful Lash hadn’t caught him acting like a lovesick fool over his wife.
    “You won’t tell him I was here, will you?” The thought of her arms and legs twined around him flashed through his mind and he quickly looked down, shoving the images away. He couldn’t even look at her now without thinking about those dreams. The pull to her was too intense.
    “I won’t.”
    “Good.” He flicked his wings open, focusing on the small, empty space beside her. There was just enough space for him to squeeze by without making any contact. He rushed forward.
    “Jeremy, please. Tell me what’s wrong.” She grasped his thick bicep, stopping him.
    He flinched. He wasn’t a stranger to pain. He knew what it felt like to burn cell by cell from when he had been in the Lake of Fire, but nothing was as painful as her touch. The shock of it ran from the tips of his fingers straight through his arms and into his chest.
    “I can’t do this.” His voice was a hoarse whisper.
    “Do what?”
    Hold you. Worship you. Love you.
    He couldn’t answer the question, not the way he wanted to. He had to leave, but the delicate touch of her hand on his arm held him to her like a thousand chains. Wisps of hair hit against her beautiful face, calling to his heart.
    Look away.
    Sapphire eyes darkened as they locked with hers. Her warm breath hit against his rough cheek.
    Step away.
    He moved closer. His dark lashes lowered as his eyes drifted down to her pink lips.
    Just one kiss. One embrace.
    Bear barked.
    He stilled, stunned by what he’d almost done, his heart heavy because he hadn’t. He looked down at Bear, grateful she saw what Naomi obviously couldn’t or refused to see.
    “I can’t,” he said, pulling away from her grasp.
    “Please, Jeremy. Let me help you. Just talk to me. You can tell me anything. You’re my—”
    “Stop!” Pained eyes flicked to hers before she could say the word that would kill him. “Don’t ask me what’s wrong. You have no right to ask.”
    The second her face fell, he wished he could take the words back. The façade of the happy-go-lucky archangel he’d carefully built was cracking. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold it together.
    Then, when her face transformed from hurt to anger