Kiss of an Angel by Janelle Denison Read Free Book Online

a daughter, but you’re not married?”
    “No.”
    The word was spoken with such finality, Caitlan automatically thought the worst. “Did your wife die?”
    His gaze cut to hers, a sardonic smile on his lips. “No, she left me for something better and more exciting.”
    Caitlan’s cheeks grew warm. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
    “Don’t be,” he replied, bitterness seeping into his deep voice. “It was for the best. She’s been gone almost ten years.”
    His tone was cold and harsh and didn’t welcome further scrutiny of his ex-wife. Casting a glance at the chiseled lines of his profile, she noticed the grim set of his mouth and the deep furrow of his brow. Both belied his attempt to remain unconcerned about the topic. “Don’t you ever get ... lonely? I mean, not having a wife and all?”
    “No. I have Laura.”
    His pace picked up, forcing Caitlan to quicken hers to stay by his side. “That’s not what I meant.”
    “The only thing I miss is a warm body to share my nights with.
Sex
, Caitlan.” His jaw hardened and he shot her a scathing look. “Other than that, I don’t have any use for a wife. And my personal life is really none of your business.”
    She glanced away. He was right, of course. Meddling in his affairs wasn’t on her heavenly agenda, yet she found it odd he didn’t want the intimacy and love that flowed between a man and a woman. Such emotion seemed to be the ultimate aspiration of most mortals.
    An arctic gust kicked up, slicing through the warm sunshine to maliciously steal the warmth from their bodies. She shivered and watched J.T. flip the collar of his jacket around his neck to ward off the brisk breeze. Shoulders hunched, he tucked his hands into the lined pockets. The wind tugged at his hair, tousling the thick strands around his bent head. He seemed so much the loner, suddenly distant and remote, yet the glimpses of sincerity she’d seen told her he was a compassionate man who deserved the love of a good woman.
    “I’ve never met anyone who didn’t want to share his life with someone,” she said quietly, more to herself than to him.
    He heard her and met her gaze. “The person I wanted to share my life with died, Caitlan. I’ve never wanted anyone but her.” The desolation in his eyes made his words that much more profound.
    Instinctively, Caitlan knew the woman he spoke of was his eternal soulmate. But didn’t J.T. realize he could find another to love while waiting for the woman of his heart? He only needed to allow himself the emotion to live out his years happily. “You could still be happy with someone else—”
    Slicing a hand through the air, he cut her off, slanting her a look of disgust. “Don’t tell me you’re one or those females who believes in fairy tales and happily-ever-after.”
    “Well, yes, I believe everyone has a soulmate, and what’s more—”
    He interrupted her again. “I hate to be the one to burst the bubble you’ve been living in, little girl, but Cinderella and Prince Charming only exist in books. And ‘soulmates’ went out with the seventies.”
    His subtle insult made her bristle. “I’m hardly a little girl.”
    Stride slowing to a leisurely pace, he slid his gaze over her, lazily, thoroughly, making her feel as though he’d physically caressed the length of her with his hands. Heat suffused her body, making it difficult to put one foot in front of the other without wondering if her legs would hold out or turn to mush. She felt as if she was melting, which was ridiculous, considering the windchill factor. By the time he finished his inspection and had the good manners to lift his gaze from the vicinity of her breasts, she knew she was in big trouble.
    “Pardon me, Ms. Daniels,” he replied in a silky drawl that stroked over her senses and tickled her belly. “You’re absolutely right. I take that back. You’re very much a woman. Built quite nicely, I might add.” A wicked, unrepentant grin curved his lips. “However, your