Defended By Darkness: Wings, Wands and Soul Bonds Book 2 Read online

  Defended By Darkness

  Wings, Wands and Soul Bonds Book 2

  Terry Bolryder

  Contents

  Author’s Note

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Epilogue

  Also by Terry Bolryder

  Author’s Note

  This fun fantasy romance is book 2 in the Wings, Wands and Soul Bonds series. Every book has a new couple and a happy ending, but reading them in order gives the best experience!

  Here’s book 1:

  Found by Frost (Wings, Wands and Soul Bonds Book 1)

  1

  Eva

  Tuesdays are now officially the worst day of the week.

  I look at the half-full cocktail in front of me, the lime-green liquid rippling slightly as I tap my finger on the stem, trying to figure out the mess that has become my life in just the past twenty-four hours.

  “Can I top you off?” The bartender offers from his side of the wide, aged oak divide between us. He’s young, maybe in his late twenties like me, with an easy expression that’s constantly on his face.

  “No thanks. I’ll let you know when I do,” I reply politely.

  McKinley’s is a fairly nice bar/restaurant on the newer side of town, where startups and rapid growth have turned what was once an old sleeper city into a bustling mini metropolis.

  It’s pretty empty in here, even for a Tuesday night, and the only other person sitting at the bar is an older man in his fifties who seems ready to fall asleep on his beer at any moment.

  “Tough day at work?” the bartender asks as he wipes off glasses, keeping himself busy. His name tag reads “Larry.”

  “Everyone has them.”

  Mine just happened to end with firing my company’s CEO for the second time in six months.

  Last time, it was embezzlement. This one had a penchant for sending nudes to interns.

  Maybe I should move. I hear the weather in Costa Rica is great this time of year.

  “Well, every day is a new day, as they say.” Larry gives me a friendly nod, and I return it as he shuffles to the other end to serve a couple that just came in.

  I polish off the rest of my drink, letting the near-freezing liquid purify my thoughts for a second. The old wood of McKinley’s mixes with the scent of a million different liquors from the cabinets. That and the fresh lime Larry was cutting a minute ago are giving me serious vacation vibes.

  But going to an island won’t fix my problems.

  I can hear the footsteps behind me right before a whiff of too-strong cologne hits me. A second later, someone slides onto the stool next to me, close enough to brush my arm as they do, making the hairs on my neck stand on end from the sudden interruption.

  “Evening. Drinking alone, or would some company be welcome?” The fake friendliness in the man’s voice is only further verified when I glance up at him. Carefully styled blond hair. Wide grin on his mouth that doesn’t reach his eyes. Fancy business suit that screams, “Pay attention to me! I have money.”

  Catch-22. Play nice and hope he goes away? Or take my chances on the wheel of rejection?

  “This seat isn’t taken,” I reply, turning away from him.

  What’s behind door number one?

  “I’m Henry. Henry Rogers. I work at Winsoft.” He extends a hand, and I take it for a moment, regretting it the instant I touch the sweaty palm he just handed me.

  “Eva. Qualtechnics.” Shortest intro ever.

  Henry is unfazed, so at least he’s tenacious.

  “Hey, didn’t you guys move into that big building a few blocks from here a couple months back? Man, I love expansion.”

  The next several minutes go by like molasses as he gives me a detailed history of his work, his degree, and his ambitions in résumé-like fashion.

  “That’s very nice.” I keep my eyes on Larry, watching for an opening. I’ll need another drink if this keeps going.

  “So yeah, I think if I can convince the VP to make that addendum, it’ll be my straight shot up.” I can see Henry smiling to himself out of the corner of my vision, but I avoid eye contact. If I look uninterested, maybe the T-Rex will go hunting elsewhere.

  “Sounds good.”

  “Hey, wanna go somewhere, get something to eat?” Henry asks out of the blue.

  “They have food here,” I reply.

  “Yeah, but there’s this great place just a couple blocks down. I figure we could take a walk, get to know each other better.”

  Not in these heels.

  That and I don’t come here to get picked up by random strangers. It’s just better than going back to an empty apartment where my inbox is full of work and problems I don’t want to think about until tomorrow.

  “Listen, you seem like a nice guy. But I legitimately have had a very, very long day, and—”

  “Yeah, yeah, I get it,” he says, interrupting. “But this place has really good pancakes. The best.” When I glance at him, his smile is quirked to one side. An approximation of suaveness, I suppose.

  I take a deep breath. Please don’t make this harder than it has to be, dear Henry.

  “I’m sorry. Maybe some other time.”

  Henry lets out a huff, and I can tell I should have just rejected him at the start and dealt with his unpleasantness then. “Why not right now? I mean, you’re here all alone. I’m just being nice.” The word ‘nice’ from his mouth makes my skin crawl a little.

  I let out a sigh, deciding to stand my ground at least once today. “Going somewhere I’ve never been to eat a meal I don’t want and spend time with someone I don’t know… well, that may sound like fun for you, but I’m honestly just trying to relax.”

  I can feel Henry’s anger rising as I speak. He’s sitting up a little straighter now, bristling next to me as I turn my back on him, facing away while I wait for his outburst. I’m pleasantly buzzed right now and not in the mood for someone to ruin it.

  “I was just asking you out. You don’t have to be such a—”

  Suddenly, Henry is cut off, and I hear a muffled sound as he’s jerked away by some unknown force.

  There’s shuffling and the sound of the front door of the bar opening and closing, so I assume one of his friends just came in to remove him. It has nothing to do with me, aside from solving my immediate problem.

  Which I would have solved myself if I had to.

  I turn forward on my stool again, glad I can rest my arms while enjoying my drink, and keep my attention on a half-full bottle of Hennessy behind the bar in front of me. At least Mr. Hennessy won’t get the wrong idea.

  I’m only a few sips into my drink before I see a huge dark shape in my peripheral vision sit next to me. The stool creaks beneath him, so he must be big, but at least he had the decency not to rub on my arm while sitting down.

  Still, I’m not going to look over or even acknowledge him th
is time. I don’t need another Henry situation where someone reads things wrong when I pay them even a little attention.

  “Sorry about that guy,” says the man who just sat down. But the sound is so wholly different from any other man’s voice I’ve heard before. Deep and silky, like black satin.

  My ears perk so instantly at the sound I have to force myself to not look this time.

  Remember T-Rexes, Eva. Ignore the T-Rex.

  But the silence bothers me, and I have to reply, even if I don’t turn to look at him. “Sorry for what?”

  “For that man’s behavior. I removed him, so he won’t be bothering you anymore.”

  I take a breath, inhaling what must be the nicest cologne I’ve ever taken in before. Masculine, spicy, and dark but still clean and fresh. Sex in a bottle. Maybe it’s not even cologne.

  “You seem stressed. What’s on your mind?” he asks me while I try to not be too obvious sneaking in another whiff of that scent.

  “Stressed? How so?” I figure I’ll call his bluff about noticing anything about me.

  “You’re here, drinking alone. However, you’re not seeking company, and you seem to be deep in thought about something. Perhaps you need a listening ear.” He sets one arm on the bar, and in my peripheral vision, I can see he’s wearing a blue jacket that accentuates his smooth, olive-toned skin. Big hand too. I can tell he’s looking at me, but there’s no expectation in his voice.

  If the big blur at the edge of my vision is any indicator, the guy is quite tall.

  I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding in.

  If he wants to listen to me babble while I drink, then who am I to stop him?

  “I don’t know. Happen to know any CEOs around who are free agents but not total assholes?” I reply, my mind wandering back to my less immediate but more critical problem at hand than whether or not the dude next to me is gorgeous or not.

  He laughs, the unexpectedly sexy sound sending shivers up my spine.

  “I have no clue what a CEO is, but are they always assholes?”

  Funny. I naturally assume every guy in a suit comes from the corporate rigamarole.

  “Maybe not. Maybe I’m just unlucky.” I take several grains of salt from the edge of my margarita glass and play with it between my fingers.

  “How so?”

  “The last two executive officers we spent weeks hiring both got fired in less than a year. Now the board wants me to find an interim CEO.”

  “Interim CEO?” he asks.

  “To run the company temporarily. Give us a breather while we find someone who is actually qualified this time.”

  “And who isn’t an asshole.” He sounds amused.

  I finally smile for the first time tonight. It’s nice to just talk for a moment. The idea of this sexy, polite stranger next to me is almost more enticing than whatever truth I’ll have to eventually face when I see what he really looks like.

  “It’s good to see you smile,” he says, and I can hear the grin on his face too.

  I imagine he’s missing a row of teeth or something. I don’t want to be disappointed if I look right now.

  “Thanks. Now let me guess. You want my number?”

  He pauses, and when he speaks again, it’s almost confused. “No. I wanted to know what you do at your company that all of these troubles seem to be falling on your shoulders.”

  I blink because I don’t know if I’m relieved or annoyed that he isn’t like every other guy that’s ever approached me in this bar, just striking up a conversation to get to the chase.

  “I’m the CHRO at Qualtechnics. Chief human relations officer. I’m in charge of hiring, corporate policy, management structures. The whole nine yards.”

  “So you get to choose who the new CEO is?”

  I snort out a laugh. “I wish. If the board of directors went with my last recommendation, this might not have happened.” I pause, but when he doesn’t jump in with his own corporate story, I continue. “I go through the applicants, interview them all, bring the best to the front. But ultimately, the board makes a joint decision. Which means they’ll probably just choose whoever tells the funniest jokes and who fits in the best in the boys’ club.”

  “That seems utterly pointless. Having you do all that work to ignore your qualified choice.”

  I like this guy already. I’m getting fired up just talking about it.

  “I know, right? I’ve been with the company almost ten years. I’ve been honest, hardworking, done everything that was asked of me. And then at the end of the day, they dismiss me like my opinion doesn’t even matter.”

  “I certainly would never make that mistake,” he says firmly.

  I’m so involved in the discussion that I forget to not turn and look at him, cocking my head in response to what he said.

  Big mistake.

  2

  Eva

  The image of the nice, tallish, vaguely shaped man that had been in my head is instantly shattered into a million bits by the Adonis of a male specimen sitting next to me.

  If looks could kill, this man has most certainly slain many.

  He’s even taller than I thought, probably six-two or six-three. His shiny, midnight-black hair is short and thick, currently standing up as if he’s been running his hands through it.

  His eyes are dark and long-lashed, his irises like a midnight sky around his pupils.

  He has a perfect, straight jaw and nose and just the right amount of dark stubble on his face to show it off even better.

  Kill me now, Mr. Stranger.

  “I…” My brain jar just fell off the counter I keep it on and crashed all over the floor.

  “My apologies. I never introduced myself. Tanner.” He gives me a polite nod and keeps his gaze forward. Steady.

  “Eva.” I forget what arms and hands are as I just stare. As if looking at him is almost painful, but looking away would be even more painful.

  Thankfully, Tanner just kicks our conversation off where we were, and I spend the next half hour trying to continue talking while not looking over too often or coming off as an absolute creep.

  At some point, I look at my phone clock and realize it’s almost eleven, and I haven’t even reviewed the paperwork I was supposed to before work tomorrow.

  “Crap, how did it get so late?” I say, harried. “I have to head home. Where did the time go?”

  Tanner, who is even more devastatingly handsome now than he was earlier, just smiles politely and stands with me. “Can I help you get a cab?”

  I nod because I’m really not ready to stop looking at him yet. Or talking to him. I’ve never had this reaction to a man before.

  He follows me outside into the frigid cold, and he puts his coat over my shoulders while I wait the next few minutes for my ride.

  It smells exactly like him. I wish I could keep it.

  “I don’t know about you, but I had an amazing evening,” he says, standing right next to me.

  “Really? It was just me talking about work.”

  “I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

  As I look into his eyes, the lights above us brighten his gaze, making his eyes look like starry night skies.

  He wets his lower lip as his eyes dart to my mouth, and I feel my stomach tighten, warmth pooling inside.

  I barely know him, but I’ve never wanted anyone more in my life than I want this man right now.

  He steps closer to me, and instinctively, I wrap my hands around his waist, feeling tight muscle beneath his shirt.

  He hasn’t even touched me yet, but my body is begging for him.

  “May I?” he asks, and I nod as he reaches up to push a stray strand of my hair behind my ear. The touch is electric, and his palm rests right beneath my left ear, teasing my skin.

  Please, oh please, don’t stop, Tanner.

  “You are just… amazing.” He inches closer. Every centimeter of distance makes my heart race faster.

  I can’t even explain what this is between
us. Just pure animal attraction?

  Something more, but I just don’t understand it yet?

  Just as his lips brush over mine, I meet him the last little bit, our lips crashing together gently. His hand is still on my neck, his other teasing the side of my hip, pulling us tighter as warmth fills my core. I can feel my heartbeat pulsing in my chest as it races with the intensity of the moment.

  Tanner just holds me, our mouths enmeshed, his lips warm on mine.

  Suddenly, there’s a honk behind me, and all too soon, the moment between us is over as he pulls away, looking me over one more time before he turns to wave at my ride.

  The driver looks upset, and I’m honestly not sure how long we were just kissing there on the sidewalk.

  Time seems to have no meaning around him.

  “I guess this is my ride,” I say balefully.

  Tanner strides forward and opens the passenger door for me. I hand him back his jacket as he motions for me to get in.

  “I suppose I’ll see you around, as they say,” he says.

  Wait, what?

  “Oh, shouldn’t I get your number or email address or something?” I ask as I sit down, the death glare from the driver pressuring me to go faster.

  Tanner leans over me, just smiling, a certainty in his smile that my mind and body do not share right now.

  “Don’t worry. I promise we’ll meet again. Very soon.” He looks me over one last time, making my body ache for what it can’t have once more.

  “But seriously, how do you plan to do that?”

  “Close the door, miss, please,” the driver barks at me.