Sentinel Lost (Mind Sweeper Series Book 5) (39 page)

“What else could it mean?”

“I think when Dalton touched you, he shared a part of his angel essence with you. That’s why your eyes are the color they are now. And if that’s the case, then you are part angel, part demon,
and
part human.
You
might be the worlds coming together again.”

“Good Lord, Nicholas, put a little pressure on me, why don’t you?”

“That’s not my intention. I just want you to keep it in mind. You’re special, Kyle. There is definitely more to come in your future.”

My nerves danced along my spinal column. “Did you have another flash about me?”

“No.”

“I’m surprised you’ve shared even this much.”

He shrugged. “Things have changed for all of us. And they’re going to get even more interesting as we bring the realm demons to earth.”

* * *

I stood next to Doc and Misha drinking a glass of wine to try and calm down from my earlier talk with Nicholas.

The hall was packed. Appetizers were heaped across large buffet tables. And it was the primo stuff, too, no mini hotdogs on toothpicks for this crowd. Tony’s restaurant had catered some of the food…stuffed ravioli, meatballs, all my favorites. A bar ran along the back wall serving all types of drinks, and on the dance floor couples swayed to the music.

“Boris sure knows how to throw a party.”

“Are you surprised?” Doc asked while she studied the scene as well.

“No. It was good of him to do it.”

“Father wanted to thank everyone,” Misha said.

Doc nodded. “Everyone’s been working so hard to get the new demon immigration process in place it was time to blow off a little steam. I can’t believe the first set of demons will be arriving next week.”

A lump clogged my throat. “I know. The first group may be small, but it will be a test run before we increase the numbers. Aleksei’s been doing a great job running everything.”

“I was surprised when you suggested him,” she said.

“I knew we needed someone who would be able to lead the project and not take no for an answer.”

“That’s Aleksei,” Misha mumbled.

Doc squeezed my hand. “You did a good job, Kyle.”

Her praise made me uncomfortable, so I hunted for a way to change the subject. “I can’t believe you talked me into wearing this dress again.” I frowned down at my burgundy dress and heels.

Doc smiled. “It’s a special occasion that calls for a special dress.”

“Well, the trip to the beauty salon certainly wasn’t necessary.”

“I don’t agree, I think your new hairstyle and the color suit you.”

I reached up and touched my hair. I’d been growing it out from its pixie cut over the last couple of months. Now it was long enough for the hairdresser to cut it in what she called a “messy style.” I could run my fingers through it and go. Which was good, since it was about all the patience I had for my hair. She’d dyed it black again, with a few burgundy highlights to match the dress.

I took another sip of wine, my gaze moving to the dancers. Jean Luc and Talia swirled around the floor like they’d been dancing together for years.

“I should have known Jean Luc would be a good dancer.”

Doc chuckled. “He’s too sexy not to be.”

“Don’t let Talia hear you say that.”

“Believe me, she knows.”

I glanced over at Doc. “How’s it going with Jason?”

She frowned. “It isn’t going anywhere with Jason. Even though he’s back on the team, he’s closed himself off to our friendship.”

“I’m sorry, Sabrina. Maybe it’s just a matter of time. I never thought he would forgive me, but he did.”

Misha frowned. “Do you want me to talk to him?”

Doc shook her head quickly. “No, Misha. Please don’t.” She turned to me. “What about you and Dalton?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean how are things going with you two?”

“We’re just friends. He asked me to let him know how things were going with the demon immigration.”

Doc crossed her arms “It might be where it started months ago, but you can’t tell me it’s not more than that now. You talk to each other and text all the time.”

Misha gushed, “Like Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in
You’ve Got Mail
.”

“It’s more like being around horny teenagers,” Doc argued.

Dalton’s messages and talks had become part of my daily life. Every communication helped me understand the man Dalton had become since last year, but I wasn’t ready to tell her that. “We do not act like teenagers.”

My phone beeped, and Doc and Misha both laughed out loud. I pulled it out of my purse and checked the screen. Of course it was Dalton. I clicked on the message.

Surprise.

I read it again, my befuddled brain not processing the word. The phone beeped a second time.

Turn around.

I turned slowly. Dalton stood a couple of feet away from me. He wore a dark suit that fit him perfectly. My mouth went dry. Holy crap, my mouth went dry. I didn’t think that happened in real life.
We’re just friends. We’re just friends.

I turned to gauge Doc and Misha’s reactions, but they’d disappeared.

Dalton strode over to me. “Hello.”

I smiled. “Hi. What are you doing here?”

“I was invited. Decided to surprise you.”

“You did. How did you get away from DC?”

“I got the weekend off. This is quite the shindig. Do you want to get something to eat or drink?”

I paused. “Not right now.” My stomach was arguing with the contents now. I didn’t want to risk adding anything else to the mix.

“Have you danced yet?”

“No. I’m not much of a dancer.”

He held out his hand. “Let’s give it a try.”

I looked up into his turquoise eyes, and he winked at me, and I let him lead me onto the dance floor. Within seconds, a slow song replaced the fast-paced music. I glanced over at the DJ. Misha was standing a few steps away from him looking everywhere but at me, so I couldn’t give him the stinkeye. Why did I think there was matchmaking going on here?

Dalton grasped my right hand, and his other hand rested on my lower back. My bare lower back. I shivered at his touch. He pulled me a little closer, and we swayed to the music. The other dancers faded away, and I had one of those surreal, girly Cinderella moments. The song ended way too quickly, and I had to congratulate myself for not stepping on his toes once. He leaned down and spoke in my ear, his breath caressing my neck.
Dial it back, girlfriend.

“I know I just got here,” he murmured, “but would you be okay if we left the party? I need to talk to you.”

“Sure,” I said. But I was feeling far from it.

A few minutes later, we climbed into his SUV, and the smell of roses tickled my nose. Marie apparently had been quite busy tonight. “I’m glad you and your grandmother have been able to hook back up again.”

“How did you—”

I tapped my nose. “Roses. That’s what gave her away last year, too.”

“Right, you told me, I remember now.” He started the car. “Grandma and I have been talking quite a bit lately.”

“Marie’s a talker, all right.”

“She was giving me some advice on the way here.”

I laughed. “Whether you want it or not, right?”

“Yes.”

I wanted to ask him what her advice was about, but I didn’t feel right asking, and he didn’t volunteer. We lapsed into silence until we pulled into his driveway a few minutes later.

“I didn’t realize the hall Boris had rented was so close to your house.”

Dalton’s mouth quirked up at one corner. “Pretty convenient.”

When we entered his house, I had trouble sucking air into my lungs. I hadn’t been here since last year. The living room had boxes piled to the one side. Which was a blatant reminder he was moving away soon. Time to start getting used to it.

He set his keys on the coffee table and pulled off his suit coat before he turned to me. “I wanted you to be the first to know I’ve finished my training. I’m a full-fledged Fed now.”

“That’s great!” my mouth said, but my heart deflated. I gestured to his boxes. “So where are you moving? Chicago?”

He shook his head. “No. Those boxes are from my apartment in Chicago. I’m moving back here. I’m going to be based in the Cleveland office.”

I locked my knees so I didn’t drop to the floor. I blinked a couple of times. My stupid tear ducts were on the verge of overflowing, so I turned away and walked to the fireplace to stare at the picture of Marie he kept there, hoping to pull myself together. “I thought you wanted to live in Chicago.”

“I changed my mind. Come on. I’m hungry. Let’s go into the kitchen.”

“Wait—”

But I found myself standing alone, slack-jawed in the living room. He couldn’t just drop a bomb like that and not answer my questions. No sirree Bob, Jim, Mike, and anyone else who cared to listen.

I stomped into the kitchen and was about to launch a volley of questions, but something else caught my attention. A quart of Mocha Swirl sat on the kitchen counter.

I stared at the ice cream like it was a rattlesnake. Dalton was a vanilla guy all the way. What was going on? All the questions I was going to ask him evaporated, and instead I stammered, “B-but this is my favorite. How did you know?”

He smiled and came closer to me, holding a spoon in each hand. “I asked Doc. She also told me in order to enjoy it in ‘true Kyle fashion’ we had to eat straight from the carton.”

The hard shell I’d erected around my heart since I lost Dalton cracked open. And Talia’s words rushed back to me. “
You’re a fighter. And when someone tells you no, if you want it bad enough, you fight them.
” I wasn’t letting him go this time. I couldn’t.

His hands were full, so I took advantage. I grabbed his face and pulled him down into my version of a sneak-attack kiss.

He froze for a moment until I bit his bottom lip lightly. Spoons clattered to the floor, and he wrapped his arms around my waist and hauled me up against him.

I had forgotten how soft his lips were, and I gasped with delight. Dalton took advantage and slid his tongue inside, and I was gone. Certifiably lost to the sensations of lips and tongue and desire.

I don’t know how long we stood there kissing, but Dalton finally loosened his grip on me and stepped back.

His eyes had darkened, and he ran his fingertips along my lips. “I knew it was going to be good, but that was beyond good.”

I opened my mouth, but he placed his fingers over my lips. “Shh. It’s my turn to talk now. In the past two months, I’ve felt like a whole person again. And as much as I would like to say it has to do with my new job, the truth is, it’s because of you. Every sarcastic text you send me makes me grin. Every conversation makes me want to talk to you again.

“In the past week, I’ve received texts or calls from Misha, Jean Luc, Talia, Jason, Irina, Boris, Sabrina, and Nicholas, all wanting to confirm that I would be coming to the party tonight. Even Doyle, the used car salesman, called to tell me how great you are.”

“Are you telling me you think they threw this elaborate party to set us up?”

“You know your friends and family better than I do, what do you think?”

“Those sneaky supes.”

“I’ve also had several long talks with my grandmother. She explained everything you went through this past year and told me I was being a horse’s ass if I let you go.”

“That’s what she thinks. What do
you
think?”

“I think you are an amazing woman, Kyle McKinley. You have so many people who love you. So let me ask you a question. Do you think you have room for one more? Because the more time I spend with you, the more I fall in love with you.”

I grabbed his face and stared hard into his eyes. “You’ve forgiven me for erasing your memory?”

“You made the monsters go away, Kyle. And you’re still doing that for me. Could you find a way to love me again?”

I rested my forehead to his. “You’ve always chased my monsters away.”

“Then I think that answers my question.”

He kissed me lightly on the lips, and I pulled back, turning so my back was to his chest.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Making sure we aren’t disturbed for a while…Marie, I know you’re around here somewhere, so show yourself.”

Marie appeared in front of us, smiling.

“Go back to the party and tell everyone their plan worked.”

She chuckled. “About daggone time.”

“I should have never introduced you to Jean Luc and Misha. Now leave us alone for a while, Marie, and tell everyone else I love them, but I will hurt them if they contact either of us tonight. Got it?”

Marie faded from the room. “Yes, ma’am.”

“You are a smart woman.” Dalton turned me in his arms, stroking his hand down my bare back. “This dress drives me crazy. And your hair is beautiful.”

“You scowled at me the night I wore it to the bar.”