Page 10 of Shadows of Nightshade
Damen smirked and tossed the clipboard over his shoulder before he leaned against the door frame. “That would be me,” he said, crossing his arms. “But I’m not sure I know who you are, or why you’re at my home. However, I’m tempted to compromise my morals and find out.”
There was an intensity in his eyes despite his playful words. I had a feeling he was sizing me up. “Very tempted,” he repeated. “But as cute as you are, I don’t take bribes for grades and—”
“I’m not one of your students,” I interrupted. I didn’t need him to get the wrong idea. Plus, really, this was his home? I would have to reserve judgment. I couldn’t say anything rude. We were practicallyfamily, after all. Considering that I one day might be this man’s sister-in-law.
“Is that so?” Damen perked, and he leaned toward me, closing the distance between us as his gaze hooded. “Then how can I help you, baby girl?” His voice deepened into a seductive purr.
Or at least, I imagined he’d thought so.
Baby girl?It was a terrible nickname, but even so, I found it hard to breathe under the weight of his attention.
Was he flirting? I wasn’t sure. Something about his presence—his intense demeanor—made it hard to think.
Still, I held my ground. I had a mission. The semi-prepared speech I had mentally repeated to myself spilled from my lips. “Hello, Damen, my name is Bianca Brosnan. I’m Finn’s friend. I was looking for you earlier at Dr. Stephens’s office because I need your help with—”
“Hold on.” Damen held up his hand and stood straight as he stopped me mid-sentence. He was gazing at me with confusion and something else that left me slightly offended.
“What?” I couldn’t imagine what could be wrong.
His lips thinned. “Finn really has a friend?”
Why were people shocked by this? Finn wasn’t all that mean.
At least not to me.
I leveled my deadliest glare at him, ready to defend Finn. “Yes, Finn has a friend! In fact, I’m hisbest friend. We’ve been friends for ten years.”
If anything, my admission confounded Damen even more. But before he had a chance to respond, another man joined us in the doorway.
This newcomer was slightly shorter than Damen. However, he was also broader and more muscular. He had an angular face and dark chocolate hair that curled away from his eyes. The windblown style accentuated the pure goodness that seemed to pour from his features, as did his expressive brown eyes.
“Who’s this?” he asked, and the sound of his slightly accented voice soothed away the edges of my nerves.
Damen remained subdued and did not remove his attention from me as he answered the other man. “This is Bianca. Apparently, she is Finn’s best friend.”
The other man stepped backward as he gasped. “Finn has a friend?”
“I know,” Damen replied dryly, then reiterated, “A best friend.”
“Stop it!” I was glowering at them. I’d leave if they were going to be this way. “Don’t make fun of him.”
No wonder Finn didn’t talk to his brother. The haunting had moved down on the list of priorities. If the ghost hurt me because I’d chosen honor over help, then it was a necessary price to pay.
The brown-haired newcomer seemed to read my intentions. Before I had a chance to move, he stepped through the doorway and grabbed my hand. “I’m sorry.”
I tensed, startled by his unexpected action. This was worse than being stalked on the street by Titus—worse than even my fear of the unknown.
Touch.
“It’s not often that Finn… befriends a person,” he continued. Despite myself, and even though it didn’t make any sense, I felt the tension melt away under the onslaught of his soothing voice. It was impossible to remain guarded in his presence. “We didn’t mean to make fun of him—or you. Please, forgive us.”
Damen scoffed, but the other man ignored him.
“With that out of the way, let’s get better acquainted.” He smiled. “We’ll pretend that none of this happened. I am Miles Montrone. And you are…?”
There was something odd going on—something I couldn’t quite explain. Normally I’d be out of my mind in terror, but I felt no threat from this man.
I could trust this Miles person. He seemed sincere.
