Angel Fire Read Online Free PDF Page B

around me and I closed my eyes, just drinking in the solid warmth of him. There were no words to explain what I felt for Alex; for how grateful I was that, even with everything that had happened, we somehow still had each other.
    Finally I cleared my throat, fingering the damp patch on the collar of his T-shirt. “I got you all wet.”
    “Don’t worry, I’m waterproof.” He squeezed my hand. “Come on, we’d better get going. We’ve still got all of New Mexico to get across.”
    “No, wait,” I said. “There’s something I want to do first.” And rising up on my tiptoes, I twined my arms around his neck and pressed close against him, kissing him deeply.
    I felt his heartbeat leap against mine, and caught my breath as his hands slipped into the back pockets of my jeans, pulling me closer still. The soft-rough heat of his mouth; the feel of his hair as I stroked my fingers through it...I never wanted this to end. But finally, softly, we drew apart.
    “Wow,” murmured Alex. He nuzzled at my neck. “What was that for?”
    “Well, A , because I wanted to, and B... ” I stopped. “ B , to say thank you. I don’t know if it would even have occurred to me to search psychically for Mom, after what I saw on TV. I would have spent the rest of my life just...thinking she was gone.” My chest clenched; I couldn’t say any more.
    Alex rested his hand on my cheek. His eyes looked darker than usual – a stormy grey that melted me. “We’re a team,” he said quietly. “Always, remember?” Then he grinned. “Hey, do I get to say ‘You’re welcome’ now?”
    I managed a casual shrug as my pulse skipped. “You know, I think you should. It’s good to be polite.”
    He put his arms around me. “Polite’s my middle name.”
    “I thought it was James.”
    “Yeah, ‘Polite James’. My parents had weird taste in names.” He lowered his head to mine again, then both of us jumped as the doorknob rattled.
    “Hey,” came a man’s voice. “Is anyone in there?”
    I stifled my laughter against Alex’s chest. “Be out in a minute,” he called.
    “What’s he going to think when we both come out?” I whispered.
    “Well, the truth, obviously. Two wild teenagers, making out in a bathroom.” He gave me a quick kiss, and we pulled apart.
    I went over to the sink and hastily splashed cool water on my face. In the mirror, my short hair was like an explosion from the wind and the crying. And it still looked very red. I held back a sigh as I tried to smooth it down, wishing I’d asked Alex to buy a hairbrush.
    “You know what, I think that colour makes your eyes look greener,” said Alex suddenly.
    I looked up in surprise. “Really?”
    He nodded, studying me. “It really does. They look a lot more...vivid now, or something.” He touched a spiky lock of my hair, his finger stroking gently through it. “You look beautiful, Willow.”
    He meant it; I could tell. I smiled. “So, you think you can get used to me as a redhead?”
    “Hmm, tough call. Yeah, I think I can deal with it.” Alex dropped a kiss on my nose, then closed his eyes. I felt the slight shift as he lifted his consciousness up through his chakra points, until it was hovering somewhere over his crown.
    “Okay, the parking lot’s clear of angels, at least,” he said after a second. “What about you, do you sense anything?”
    I’d already been checking, relaxing my mind and imagining the service-station forecourt. No particular feelings came. “I think we’re all right.”
    We left the bathroom holding hands. My cheeks were burning.
    “Sorry,” said Alex to the man waiting outside. He didn’t sound sorry; I could tell he was trying not to laugh. The man shook his head and didn’t answer, disappearing inside and banging the door.
    “He thinks I’m a floozie,” I said as we started back to the bike. It was almost dark now; the town’s street lamps were casting soft pools of light up and down the main road. Happiness that Mom was