For The Love Of An Angel

DAMIAN

"Angel."

The sound of his name in his deep voice had sent a rippling shock through my body and I'd had to step out of the kitchen for a moment to calm my heart.

Why the hell did he have this effect on me? And so soon? Earlier outside, when I'd chased and caught him, I was going to punch his face, throw him against the wall a bit more, show him just how much he'd pissed me off by breaking into my garden.

But when he'd opened his eyes properly and looked at me ...

Another shiver ran through my body.

Get a fucking grip.

Shaking my head at myself, I ran a hand down my face.

Leaving Sarah in the kitchen with him was a fucking stupid move. We had no idea who he really was, other than he was obviously homeless. A street rat. And I'd left Sarah alone with him.

Fuck.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed off of the hallway wall I had been leaning against and walked back towards the kitchen.

Stopping at the kitchen doorway, I watched Sarah fuss over the young man. Angel was sitting at the kitchen island, his dirty blonde hair falling in his eyes, even as he gave it an absentminded sweep with his hand. The thin material of his coat showed off his lean frame, and the dirt on his face hid most of his features.

What the hell was Sarah thinking, letting this guy into our house? How did he even break in here in the first place? I'd paid a security company only a few weeks ago to ensure that there was no way someone could break in, or scale the wall, or find any sort of weakness.

Yet, this young man had managed just that.

Either he was a fucking genius, or I needed to find a better security firm.

Angel's hands were fidgeting in his lap, his bag tucked in between them. His eyes darted nervously around the kitchen.

Was he looking for me?

Of course he was. He wanted to make sure I wasn't anywhere near him. The way he looked at me when I'd threatened him a few moments ago ...

Heaving a sigh, I watched as Angel tentatively reached over for the cup of hot chocolate that Sarah had placed in front of him on the kitchen island. He dropped his gaze to the cup in front of him, his fingers wrapping around to hold the mug firmly. He leaned over and breathed in, almost as if he was breathing in the aroma of the hot drink, causing a small smile to play across his lips. He swiped at his hair once more, sweeping it off of his forehead and he scrunched his nose a little as he brought the cup to his lips.

A funny tickle skittered through my stomach and I frowned, folding my arms across my chest. My heart wanted to beat a little faster once more and I shifted against the doorframe.

He didn't belong here. No matter that my body seemed to think differently.

Sarah glanced over her shoulder, her eyes meeting mine. She cocked a brow, challenging me to say something.

I should be the one challenging her. Why did she bring this street rat into my house? She thought we could help him. How? By giving him food that he would probably end up selling for something else? Yeah, I wasn't stupid. I knew that money wasn't the only currency amongst street rats.

Staring back at Sarah, it was hard to keep eye contact with her as my gaze wanted to drift over to Angel, to watch him as he took another deep breath over the top of the hot chocolate mug.

Shit.

Sarah cast Angel a quick glance before she came walking towards me. Snagging my arm in her hand, she dragged me out of the kitchen, stopping just as soon as we were in the hall.