head.
Daphanie frowned. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”
He reached up and took her hand in his, carefully pulling it away from his mouth. But he didn’t drop it. His fingers remained curled around hers and sped her heart up by at least twenty beats per minute.
“I mean, that’s not the way this works,” he explained, his voice soft but implacable. “Weren’t you listening inside? You’ve been taken under guard. You’re my responsibility now. Where you go, I go.”
The memory of those huge white wings flashed in Daphanie’s mind and she drew back a few inches. “Are you saying you’re … my Guardian angel?”
His jaw flexed. “ Not angel. Just Guardian.”
“There’s a difference?”
“Of course.”
“And would you care to explain that to—” Daphanie broke off and held up a hand. “No. You know what? I don’t really want to know right now. Right now, all I want is to go home, climb into bed, and pull the covers up over my head. Maybe if I say my prayers and I’m really lucky, I’ll wake up and find out none of this ever really happened.”
Asher just shrugged. “Lead the way.”
“Excuse me?”
“Lead the way.” He took a full step backward so that he no longer crowded her against the wall and swept his hand out before them. “I’ll follow you.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “No you won’t. I said thank you for helping me out in there, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to take you home with me and show you my gratitude. Frankly, it wasn’t that impressive a rescue.”
He rolled his eyes and took her elbow to urge her forward. “I’m not trolling for sexual favors, human. I’m simply informing you of the way things stand. You are my responsibility now, and I intend to see you safely to your home. As I am not currently aware of that location, you are going to have to direct me.”
“I’d be happy to direct you to hell,” she snapped. “There ain’t no way on God’s earth I am telling a total stranger where I live, let alone leading him straight to my front door. I don’t care how many good deeds you think you’ve done me. I don’t know you, and I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“Guardian.”
“Whatever. I don’t need some strange man to protect me from the boogeyman.”
“A bogie would be easier to deal with than D’Abo. They’re vicious, but they’re not very smart. I think D’Abo is more intelligent than he seems.”
Daphanie gritted her jaw until she thought her teeth might snap. “You’re missing my point.”
“No, I’m ignoring your point, because it’s invalid.” He halted at the corner and looked down at her. “If you’re worried that you don’t know my name, it’s Asher. Grayson. But whatever you choose to call me, you are stuck with me. I have declared you under Guard, and myself as your Guardian. That is the end of the story.”
“And if I don’t like this story?”
Again, he shrugged. “Maybe you’ll find it grows on you.”
Daphanie stuffed her hands in her pockets, partly because she was restless and upset and impatient and needed to move something, and partly to keep from wrapping them around Asher’s throat and squeezing.
“Look,” she sighed, tired of fighting. “Like I said, it’s been a really long night. I am perfectly prepared to admit that when it comes to the Others, I don’t know what I’m doing, and you do. I get that. Whatever mistakes I made tonight, I regret, but all I can do is not repeat them. I can’t go back and change them. Agreed?”
“Agreed…”
He sounded suspicious.
“So the only thing you’d be doing by coming with me is making sure I don’t get into any more trouble on the way home, right? But that’s not necessary, because I promise to be a good girl. I’ll go straight to the apartment, I won’t talk to strangers, I won’t pass go and collect two hundred dollars. Fair enough?”
He shook his head. “That’s the least of my concerns. What’s going to happen once you
Daphanie frowned. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”
He reached up and took her hand in his, carefully pulling it away from his mouth. But he didn’t drop it. His fingers remained curled around hers and sped her heart up by at least twenty beats per minute.
“I mean, that’s not the way this works,” he explained, his voice soft but implacable. “Weren’t you listening inside? You’ve been taken under guard. You’re my responsibility now. Where you go, I go.”
The memory of those huge white wings flashed in Daphanie’s mind and she drew back a few inches. “Are you saying you’re … my Guardian angel?”
His jaw flexed. “ Not angel. Just Guardian.”
“There’s a difference?”
“Of course.”
“And would you care to explain that to—” Daphanie broke off and held up a hand. “No. You know what? I don’t really want to know right now. Right now, all I want is to go home, climb into bed, and pull the covers up over my head. Maybe if I say my prayers and I’m really lucky, I’ll wake up and find out none of this ever really happened.”
Asher just shrugged. “Lead the way.”
“Excuse me?”
“Lead the way.” He took a full step backward so that he no longer crowded her against the wall and swept his hand out before them. “I’ll follow you.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “No you won’t. I said thank you for helping me out in there, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to take you home with me and show you my gratitude. Frankly, it wasn’t that impressive a rescue.”
He rolled his eyes and took her elbow to urge her forward. “I’m not trolling for sexual favors, human. I’m simply informing you of the way things stand. You are my responsibility now, and I intend to see you safely to your home. As I am not currently aware of that location, you are going to have to direct me.”
“I’d be happy to direct you to hell,” she snapped. “There ain’t no way on God’s earth I am telling a total stranger where I live, let alone leading him straight to my front door. I don’t care how many good deeds you think you’ve done me. I don’t know you, and I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“Guardian.”
“Whatever. I don’t need some strange man to protect me from the boogeyman.”
“A bogie would be easier to deal with than D’Abo. They’re vicious, but they’re not very smart. I think D’Abo is more intelligent than he seems.”
Daphanie gritted her jaw until she thought her teeth might snap. “You’re missing my point.”
“No, I’m ignoring your point, because it’s invalid.” He halted at the corner and looked down at her. “If you’re worried that you don’t know my name, it’s Asher. Grayson. But whatever you choose to call me, you are stuck with me. I have declared you under Guard, and myself as your Guardian. That is the end of the story.”
“And if I don’t like this story?”
Again, he shrugged. “Maybe you’ll find it grows on you.”
Daphanie stuffed her hands in her pockets, partly because she was restless and upset and impatient and needed to move something, and partly to keep from wrapping them around Asher’s throat and squeezing.
“Look,” she sighed, tired of fighting. “Like I said, it’s been a really long night. I am perfectly prepared to admit that when it comes to the Others, I don’t know what I’m doing, and you do. I get that. Whatever mistakes I made tonight, I regret, but all I can do is not repeat them. I can’t go back and change them. Agreed?”
“Agreed…”
He sounded suspicious.
“So the only thing you’d be doing by coming with me is making sure I don’t get into any more trouble on the way home, right? But that’s not necessary, because I promise to be a good girl. I’ll go straight to the apartment, I won’t talk to strangers, I won’t pass go and collect two hundred dollars. Fair enough?”
He shook his head. “That’s the least of my concerns. What’s going to happen once you
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