Steal the Light (Thieves #1)(14)

“You mean a normal life.”

“Yes, a normal life where you don’t have to worry about demons or the police or any of this. I want you to be far away from this world.”

“And if I don’t want that?”

“Of course you do,” Daniel replied stubbornly. “You’ll see. You’ll find someone, and this will all seem like a bad dream.”

I’d had enough. “It’s good to know you have it all planned out, Danny. Now leave. I need to get dressed because the white knight who is going to sweep me off my feet and take me away to tract housing in suburbia should be here any moment. God forbid he finds me in jeans and a T-shirt.”

Daniel crossed the room and opened the door but couldn’t resist one parting shot. “It’s for the best. You’ll see.”

I sank onto my bed and told myself he wasn’t worth crying over. I’d done all the crying over Daniel Donovan I was going to do in this lifetime. My pride asserted itself suddenly. There was no way I was walking out there and letting him know I was hurt.

I slipped on my dress and found it to be an excellent form of armor. The jersey hugged my body in all the right places. The V of the bodice was deep and showed more of my ample cleavage than I normally would, but I had to admit the girls looked damn good. The bra Sarah had forced me to buy pushed them to the perfect place.

I slipped into the stilettos and admired the way they made my legs look. It had been forever since I dressed up and now I realized I needed this. No matter what Daniel said, there was power in transformation. I was determined to enjoy myself. If Daniel no longer wanted me, then it was far past time to get my butt out there and discover someone who did.

“You look beautiful, girl.” My father was waiting as I closed the bedroom door behind me. “You’re going to make such a lovely corpse when the demon murders ya.”

“Thanks, Pop.” It was likely the most optimism I would get out of him.

“OMG.” Sarah clapped her hands together. “You look so freaking hot. He’s not going to know what hit him. I told you that dress was perfect.”

Daniel walked up to me, and there was something in his eyes. He smiled almost sadly. “You don’t look beautiful, Zoey. You are beautiful. He’s a lucky man, your date.”

“Thank you,” I managed.

A knock at the door saved me from further emotional turmoil. I really hadn’t meant for everyone I knew to greet my blind date. He was going to take one look at this group and run for the hills no matter how great my boobs looked. I was about to yell at everyone to hide in the bedroom when Sarah swung the door open wide.

There was no further discussion as the entire room went silent and stared at the man who stood in the doorway. He managed a smile that told me he was used to such a reception. The whole room was quiet for a moment until Daniel chose to break the silence.

“Oh, hell, no.”





Chapter Five





He was gorgeous. I mean past gorgeous, and moving on to god-like, fall-to-my-knees beauty. And he was shining. He was tall and dark and everything good in the world and my heart opened to him.

I’m pretty sure I actually drooled.

There was nothing in the world except him. He was everything I could ever have wanted, and he was standing right there. All I’d had to do was reach out and take him. I was just about to do that when Daniel stopped me in my tracks.

“Oh, hell, no.” It was the most human thing to come out of his mouth in years, and I managed to turn away from the gorgeous, shining man in the doorway long enough to look to him. I was shocked out of my madness by the sight of Daniel. His normally dispassionate face was suddenly full of indignation.

“If you think there is any way in hell I’m letting you walk out that door with him, you are so wrong,” Daniel said, sarcasm dripping from his mouth.

“Hello,” the shining man said, his voice just as sexy as his glorious, lean body. “I’m looking for Zoey.”

“I’m Zoey!” I actually held my hand up so there could be no way he could mistake who I was.

Sarah frowned. “I’m Sarah. You don’t want her.”

I was about to argue with that statement, but Daniel took me by the shoulders, forcing me to look only at him. “He’s not human. Can I ask you a serious question, Zoey? Do you know any humans? You should try it sometime. We live on a planet with like three billion of them. They’re everywhere. But when you decide to jump back into the dating pool, can you be troubled to find one? No, you have to pick some idiot Fae who can’t handle his magic.”

“You don’t know he can’t handle his magic.” I knew there was no way the lovely, shining man meant to be so very lovely and shining, but I was determined not to let Daniel win this one.

“He’s glowing like a firefly, Z,” Daniel pointed out.

I would have started in on Daniel if Sarah hadn’t chosen that moment to take the term “jump his bones” literally.

“See.” Daniel pointed to the doorway. “This is what happens when people don’t respect magic. I’m surprised he managed to make it here without being torn apart by rabid females.”

I turned to see the my sweet friend mauling the hell out of our guest. She was trying to pull his shirt over his head, and I caught a glimpse of what looked to be a spectacular six-pack. And all that hotness was supposed to be mine. Mine, damn it.