Rogue Darkness by Dianne Duvall

“I heard that!” Kayla called without looking back.

They chuckled.

“So, what are we doing tonight?” Becca asked as they strolled away from the dorm.

“Going to my favorite restaurant.” Technically, it was a restaurant and bar that was popular with the college crowd. But Becca was too young to drink legally.

“One of the network’s?”

The network owned and operated a few restaurants that immortals and their Seconds could frequent without worrying about their differences or conversations drawing attention from humans.

“Nope.”

Becca smiled. “Good. All the eyes watching me are starting to get on my nerves.”

“Well, it’s just you and me tonight.”

And they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The bar was bustling with students determined to blow off steam after a long week. The food was excellent. The music rocked. And Becca seemed to enjoy herself as the night went on, though she didn’t let loose enough to flirt with any of the guys who hit on her. Even the most charming of them received cold shoulders.

“Are you dating someone, Becca?” Nicole asked, wondering why her friend kept shutting down everyone who approached her. Immortal Guardians were notorious gossips, so Nicole was pretty sure someone would’ve mentioned it if Becca had a boyfriend.

“Not right now, no.”

Nicole smiled. “Are Nick and Kayla chasing away all the guys?”

She laughed. “No. I’ve just been too busy studying my ass off to do anything else.”

Nicole grunted. “I know what that’s like.”

“What about you?” Becca studied her curiously. “Are you dating anyone?”

“No.”

“I’ve heard being a Second can make it pretty hard to have relationships.”

“It does.” So did lusting after the immortal she was supposed to be guarding.

“That sucks.”

Before Nicole could respond, a deep voice spoke behind her. “Hey, babe. Sorry I’m late.” A British accent colored his words.

Becca’s eyes widened as they focused on someone behind her.

Nicole turned to see what had grabbed her attention… and gaped.

Sean strode toward her, a smile on his handsome face.

A very different Sean.

His combat blacks were gone, replaced by worn, faded blue jeans that molded themselves to muscled thighs. A white Henley T-shirt hugged eight-pack abs. Atop that, he wore a dark gray shirt, unbuttoned, with the long sleeves pushed back to his elbows. Dark tattoos now whorled and swirled up his muscled forearms. A watch adorned one wrist. Three black string bracelets circled the other. And his hair…

He had shorn his raven hair close to his head on the sides. The rest of his thick, wavy locks looked like he’d finger-combed them back from his face and sported so many pale golden streaks that he looked blond. A tattoo similar to those on his arms crept up one side of his neck, accenting his firm jaw.

Holy hell.

Butterflies fluttered in her belly.

Stopping beside her chair, Sean grinned down at her, looking jaw-droppingly gorgeous… a description that ended up being more accurate than she’d realized.

Tucking a finger beneath her chin, he closed her gaping mouth, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Nicole’s heart began to slam against her ribs.

What was happening?



The stunned look on Nicole’s beautiful face was absolutely priceless. Sean couldn’t wipe the grin off his own. But his little plan almost backfired when the simple kiss he delivered heated his blood and nearly caused his eyes to glow.

His heart thumped harder as he straightened and glanced over at Becca, whose eyes danced with mirth.

“Looks like I missed dinner,” Sean said with a faux British accent. “But I’m up for whatever comes next.”

“I’ll bet you are,” Becca said with a gleeful grin.

Nicole made a choking sound and reached for her beer. “What are you doing here?” she asked after taking a hardy swig. “I thought you had to work late.”

“I’m bunking off. So what would you two lovely ladies like to do tonight now that I’m free?”

Loosing a sigh of regret, Nicole rose. “Nothing actually. Becca’s had a long week, so we were just about to head back to the dorm.”

“Great. I’ll come with.”

Nicole started to set her beer down but fumbled it, spilling most of what remained on her shirt.

Becca hastily grabbed some napkins and shoved them toward her. But Nicole had already accomplished what she’d meant to do. She now reeked of alcohol.

Impressive. That had seemed one hundred percent real. Nicole could act. If she hadn’t told him earlier that she’d planned to do it, he would’ve thought it an accident.

She scrubbed at her shirt for a few seconds, then gave up and tossed the napkins on the table. “Ready?”

Becca smiled. “I think you may have had too much to drink.”

“Nah, I’m fine,” Nicole insisted with a smile. When she turned away from the table, she staggered and seemed to lose her balance.

“Woah.” Sean clasped one of her arms to steady her. “No way am I letting you get behind the wheel. Let me drive you both home.”

“Hell no,” Nicole grumbled. “You keep driving on the wrong side of the road. We’re just gonna walk back to campus.”