Page 67 of Protected in Darkness
Perfidious gripped it firmly, giving it a gentle shake. “Jim.”
“Nice to meet you, Jim.”
He felt more than saw the female who joined on his other side. Her scent intrigued him, had him turning, coming face-to-face with a beauty that defied all. For a second, he was captivated by her, unable to look away. Long blond hair, vivid amethyst eyes, the face of an angel. Though she wasn’t a celestial being, he sensed what she truly was.
Fae.
Her shy smile had Perfidious turning toward her.
“I’m Jim and this is Elizabeth. You would be?”
“Asmia.” She nodded kindly. “Nice to meet you both.”
“Please, join us,” Elizabeth urged. “Jim here seems to be shifting our luck.”
Asmia glanced over at him, her gaze sweeping his face as though attempting to see through the outer shell to the inside. He felt the mental push, her attempt to get inside his head, then saw the frown of disappointment that tugged that generous mouth downward.
“Drinks?”
His attention was pulled in another direction, this time to the black-haired waitress as she neared, leaning in to take the drink order of the male on the end. Perfidious stared as she jotted down Asmia’s request for a glass of wine.
When those green eyes met his, he held them for a moment. “Where’s Penelope? Isn’t she on the schedule tonight?”
The waitress studied his face. “Not tonight, no. She has Thursdays off.”
Ah. Good to know.
While the dealer went through the process of shuffling the cards with the machine, Perfidious pulled out his cell phone, shot a text to Seraphina. Something told him tonight would be the perfect time to eliminate the human once and for all. Though he enjoyed the game, he wasn’t one to overlook an opportunity when it presented itself, and truth be told, he wasn’t all that fond of the desert.
Although Asmia was certainly bringing him around.
“Can I get you something to drink?” the waitress offered, her tone clipped, as though he was holding her up.
“Scotch on the rocks,” he said, not caring what she brought him.
She offered a fake smile, moved to Elizabeth before gliding over to the next table.
The dealer was waiting for him to place his bet, so Perfidious forced his attention back to the table.
“What brings you to Vegas?” he asked Asmia as he situated his chips. “Business or pleasure?”
“Pleasure,” she said, the word coming out as a purr. He didn’t think it was intentional, but it drew his attention all the same. “And you?”
“Like Elizabeth, I’m here for business.”
Asmia’s gaze swung over to the brunette, then back to her cards.
This evening was turning out far better than he’d expected. Perfidious had only come to gauge the situation, to get another glimpse of Penelope. Instead, he was getting something far better.
“How do you know Penelope?” Asmia asked, her perfect eyebrows lowered.
He studied her momentarily. “She was here last night. I found myself quite taken by her.”
Asmia maintained her composure, turned her attention back to the table, but he couldn’t decipher what she was thinking.
“Do you know her?”
Asmia nodded, kept her attention forward. “You could say she’s a friend.”
