Angel of Fire - the Breath of Immortality - Book One #Wattys2014

Finding Balance

Chapter 14 - Finding Balance

“Thomas?” I yelled impatiently, taking long angry strides in the soft gloom that comes when you close the barn doors in daylight. “Where are you?” My voice sounded harsh, even to me.

“What's got you so riled up?” Thomas said, calmly appearing at my side. In contrast, his voice held a deep, honeyed smoothness. He wore an almost identical outfit to the one I'd first seen him in, except this time instead of jeans he wore a pair of skin tight black leather pants.

Only bikers wore more leather, but not by much.

Unable to stop pacing, my breath started coming in ragged pants. Terrified of losing control, it took me two tries to get the words out. Even then, I still had trouble.

Voice squeezed tight, I choked, “I just sent a dish flying and destroyed a wall.”

Thomas positioned himself so that, suddenly, he stood directly in my path. I hadn't even seen the movement, until I crashed right into him. It felt like hitting a brick wall, but the impact to my body worked like a charm. I no longer  felt the need to pace back and forth like a caged tiger.

The overwhelming anger still raging in my veins felt more like a volcano about to errupt. The pressure didn't just continue to build, it exploded in a skin-tingling rush of energy that not only took my breath away, but felt like it took a piece of my soul with it. I knew that couldn't happen too many more times and be very healthy.

“Chaos,” Thomas began, voice soothing. “You need to calm down.”

“Don't tell me to calm down!” I yelled. Overhead, boards that made up the roof above the loft started to snap in half, raining down dust and debris. I barely noticed, pointing an unsteady finger in his face. “Why does everyone think I need to calm down? If you even think about saying those words to me again, you're fired as my Guardian Angel.”

Searching my face, Thomas drew in a trembling breath. “I was afraid something like this would happen.”

I was vaguely aware of the sound of his voice, but I was painfully more aware of his closeness. My gaze traveled slowly down the entire length of his body, then back up, even more slowly. When I eventually reached his eyes, his gaze was too direct, too intense. My heart began to beat uncontrollably as a rush of heat filled both my cheeks. They burned with something close to shame.

“What's happening to me?” I whispered, mouth gone dry.

Thomas reached out, hands cupping either side of my face. I tensed so completely that my breath hitched in my throat. I had to swallow my pulse just to keep from choking. As he pressed his hands against my cheeks, it felt like my heart actually skipped a beat or two, before it slowed down to another rhythm that wasn't my own.

I felt my knees start to go weak and yearned to be even closer to him. I half expected him to pull me hard against his body, but he didn't have to. For some strange reason, I could no longer feel my feet, and it's more like I collapsed against him. In one swift motion his hands slid behind my back, pressing me tightly against his body. Then, instead of catching me in mid air, we both fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

“I'm so sorry,” I mumbled. My brief attempt to stand failed. I winced when I realized I was pinned to the ground.

“No, I'm the one who should be sorry for letting you fall,” Thomas admitted, repositioning himself until he leaned so far over me that our faces nearly touched. Staring deep into his hazel eyes, the weight of his gaze pressed against my soul like a pent up storm needing release.