Godforsaken: Book 1 (Shade of Light) (9 page)

“It's in the past, now.” Samael lifted his
hand and took off his sunglasses. His irresistible green eyes met
Lily’s. She bit her lips and felt a jolt go through her whole body.
“But regardless, it doesn’t justify me letting you go home alone
that late at night. That wasn’t like me.”

“No, I don't think it would be, either.”
Lily muttered without realizing what she was talking about. Her
mind was full of Samael’s charm, and all she wanted was to find
herself in his arms again.

“Might I ask you to have a walk with me?”
Samael made a step toward her. He was now so close that Lily could
smell his scent. It was like a drug for her, his smell ran through
her nose and dried out her mind. Lily nodded helplessly.

Samael pointed the way and paced slowly down
the roadside. Lily followed tilting her head down and staring
awkwardly at the ground. She needed a little time to recover from
his sudden closeness.

“Listen, Lily, I’ve come here to ask you to
give me a chance,” he began.

“What for?” Lily asked quickly,
wonderingly.

“To start everything anew. I know that our
first meeting wasn’t what you might have expected, you aren’t like
any of the girls I’ve met before.”

“Yeah, I guess you're more used to the girls
who throw themselves into your bed as soon as you cast off the
cover,” Lily supposed, rapidly imagining herself sharing the same
bed with Samael. She shook her head in puzzlement, struggling to
let that thought go.

Where the hell are these thoughts coming
from?

“And you think that you wouldn’t?” He
hissed, but Lily didn’t hear him. A cool grin spread over his face,
and he leered down at her smugly. “Let’s leave my ex-girlfriends
and your ex-boyfriends behind,” he offered, taking her soft hand
into his. He grinned again with a smile which made Lily’s heart
hammer faster than usual. Her lips yearned for him.

“Where do you want to take me, Samael?” Lily
asked, her voice hushed.

“You know my name?” He said it suddenly, but
didn’t seem surprised.

“I saw you on the news yesterday,” Lily
replied honestly. “They said you dissolved the agreement with the
Russian magnate–”

“Vitali,” Samael laughed dismally. “Don’t
worry, he’s definitely an asshole.”

“And then my friend said that you are the
owner of the club where we met,” she said, remembering Mike's
words.

“Your friend was right,” Samael remarked. He
pulled his arm off of her. “What else did your friend say about
me?”

“Nothing, just that,” Lily peered up at his
face and bit her lip, fighting back her desire to devour his. She
wondered whether this man realized what he was doing to her at that
moment.

“Which friend are we talking about? Your
friend just now didn’t just recognize me,” Samael remembered.

“Who? Nancy?”

“I suppose. She pretended as if she didn’t
know me, and as if she had no idea why I came here.”

“She knows you, but she didn’t know why you
came here,” Lily smiled warily.

“Did she? Maybe she thought I have a brother
or a sister at this college?”

He definitely knew or heard
something,
Lily thought. Samael had just used the same words
Lily had told Nancy when they had noticed him standing by the
gates. Could it be a coincidence?

“I thought it might be something like that,”
Lily confessed, staring at him wonderingly.

Samael just chortled and tilted his
head.

They continued on, but Lily still didn’t
know where he was taking her. But she knew the handsome man beside
her had a mystery within him. Maybe the life he was living – having
a lot of money, going to a lot of parties, meeting a lot of
important people – gave him such a good impression of her. While
she was wondering, Samael’s cell phone rang and he picked it up,
leaving her alone with her thoughts for a little while.

By the time Samael was busy talking on the
phone, Lily had a chance to compose herself and return to earth. At
that moment she realized that passerby were staring at them
curiously, like they were two angels or aliens walking quietly
along the roadside. Lily felt girls’ envious looks on her and at
that moment she felt happy, almost smug that she had been seen in
such esteemed company.

“Okay, tell them to wait for me tomorrow
morning.” Samael's voice sounded rougher talking on the phone. Lily
guessed the other speaker must be one of his assistants. “I have a
very important meeting right now. Don’t contact me for another two
hours.” With that, he hung up without saying good-bye or anything
else.

Lily gawked at him from behind, feeling a
flutter in her stomach because Samael had just declined his meeting
for her. Was she so important to him?

Samael shoved the cell phone into his pocket
and faced Lily with a happy jolt in his eyes. A strange but
pleasant warmth seized her.

“Sorry about that,” he muttered, then
indicated a small restaurant opposite the street. “I’d like to
invite you to have lunch with me.” He looked down and took her hand
into his gently. “Shall we?” He whispered.

Lily’s heart was hammering, and she wondered
whether Samael felt her blood pounding in the hand he was holding.
However, she nodded in reply and saw a satisfied little grin on his
face.

They crossed the street holding each other’s
hands. Lily didn’t bother to look at the street and cars around
her, Samael could walk her right into a car crash right now and
she'd still trust him. But fortunately, they passed through without
incident and strolled into the restaurant.

Seeing the young couple, the waitress placed
them in one of the quiet corners. The restaurant was indeed small,
with only seven tables, but the atmosphere was comfortable. The
walls were dim, and the music was low and soothing.

Samael looked satisfied. Although Lily
didn’t want much for lunch, Samael insisted on ordering several
dishes. The waitress smiled at both of them and whipped away with
their order.

“What kinds of drinks do you like?” Samael
asked, examining the menu.

“Usually I don’t drink,” Lily admitted.
Samael raised his eyes at her, looking astonished. “That’s why I
got drunk from two or three glasses that evening in the club,” Lily
added quickly.

“I see,” Samael replied mildly, burying his
gaze in the menu again. “Don’t you want one glass of red wine? I’ve
found a good one here.”

“Oh, no, please,” Lily stopped him. “I have
to go back to study.”

“Of course,” Samael lowered the menu on the
table and fixed his eyes on her. “I almost forgot you were a
student.”

“Yes, I am.”

“And what do you study now?”

“Marketing,” Lily replied shortly.

“Becoming a marketer is your dream?” Samael
thought aloud.

“I don’t know. But I have to make a living,
don't I?” Lily explained.

What was happening? She breathed in and out
deeply. It was like there wasn't enough air in the restaurant.
Samael’s narrowed eyes were locked on hers. He looked at her like
he wanted to crumple onto her and run his lips over her naked body.
Lily’s hands began shaking like a leaf in a high wind. The same
desire she had had in the club possessed her.

“Do you like the way you make money?” Lily
tried to gather herself and averted her eyes from him.

“When you make big money like I do, you
don’t know whether you like your job or not,” Samael sighed deeply.
“You just need more.” His eyes became sad, and the light in them
died away for some seconds. “I guess I hate it sometimes. But,
unlike me you’ve got many different options.”

“Maybe, but I like what I study.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Samael’s face split
into a wicked grin, and his eyes shone again.

They stared into each other’s eyes for a
little while, until the waitress interrupted them by placing their
order on the table. As soon as she was gone, Samael pointed the
fork at her.

“Come on. You have to eat to have enough
strength for studying,” he said half-jocularly.

Lily wondered whether he knew that the only
thing she wanted to taste was him, Samael. She longed to taste his
lips and skin, to inhale his scent and get lost in his arms.

“Is everything alright?” Samael brought her
back from her imagination.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Lily murmured and rapidly
picked up her fork.

She began eating the meat Samael had ordered
for her, watching him out of the corner of her eye. She still
couldn’t believe that this handsome, wealthy man was sitting in
front of her.

He broke the silence. “What do you
think?”

“What?” Lily peered at him in confusion.

“Do you like it?” He gestured at the meal
before them.

“Yes, it’s delicious. Thank you.”

“No, the pleasure is mine,” Samael put his
fork on the plate and looked at her surreptitiously. “I’m so glad
you’re with me now.”

Lily exhaled. Her wit woke up unexpectedly,
like a cold breeze had just hit her in the face.

“I don’t understand,” she said under her
breath incredulously.

“What?” Samael's surprise sounded
forced.

“Why are you here?” Lily eyed out the window
collecting her thoughts. “There are so many more beautiful girls
who would suit you better than someone like me–”

“How do you know who suits me?” Samael
asked, cutting her off. Lily gazed into his eyes. She opened her
mouth to say something, then closed it again. Samael exhaled,
calming himself down. “Why do you think that you're a worse option
than someone else?”

“I didn’t say that.” Lily tried to object,
but Samael silenced her with a gesture.

“But that's what you meant. I came here
because I wanted to see you, nobody else,” Samael began to explain.
“I wanted to see your eyes, to smell your scent and spend some time
with you. You’re right,” Samael looked down at Lily’s hand on the
table, “there might be many girls eager to be in your place now,
but I am not interested in them. I want you.”

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Lily
sounded more confident now. “In that case, you came here because I
refused you, didn’t you?”

“No, Lily, you precisely misunderstood me,”
Samael's hand approached hers.

“Don’t touch me.” The words escaped her
mouth when she pulled her hand back, although a second later she
regretted them. She did want him to touch her, after all. “Do you
think I'm just going to be one of your toys?” Her voice slowed
down, then. Although she knew exactly what she had to say, she
still stuttered. “Because you're so rich, do you think that you can
just buy me–”

“Lily, stop.” Samael sounded angry now, his
green eyes seemed to darken, like a sunny and clear sky had filled
with black and furious clouds. “What are you talking about? Do you
really think I’m following you because I couldn’t get between your
legs? Like I've found a new game which I have to play and win in
order to maintain my confidence?”

“I don’t know, Samael,” Lily spoke gingerly,
her voice was getting quieter with every word. “I just can’t
understand why someone as influential and handsome as you is
interested in an ordinary girl like me.”

Samael heaved a silent sigh, hiding his
furious expression from her. He swiveled around in his chair and
stared out the window.

“I feel as if you’re different, Lily,”
Samael spoke reasonably and slowly now. “I’m tired of seeing the
same people for so many centuries–”

“Centuries?” Lily asked in surprise. Samael
turned around and met her widened eyes, demanding his answer.
“What’s that supposed to mean, Samael?”

“Not important.” Samael's hand stretched to
hers again and she felt a flutter in her stomach. This time Lily
was unable to pull her hand back. His touch awoke in Lily the
desire to forget everything, and internally she begged him to take
her into his arms. “It’s unbelievable, but I’m alone. Yes, I have
so much, but I’m still alone.”

“Why are you so sure that it’s me who's
supposed to be beside you?” Lily whispered.

“I’m not sure. But I want to give it a try,”
Samael replied honestly. He took his glass of wine and took a sip.
“I know how you feel about me,” he resumed, lowering the glass onto
the table. “I know how I feel about you. We could be together and
understand each other without exchanging a word, because words are
useless when you’re with me. Therefore we have more trouble when we
speak, like just a minute ago,” Samael smiled under his breath.

Lily dropped her eyes to his touch. She put
her other hand on his, but said nothing back.

“That moment we were in my car that night, I
couldn’t believe that it was real,” Samael went on. His voice was
like a drug to Lily, filling her head with lightness. For a split
second it seemed to her that she could listen to him forever. His
voice was hypnotizing her. “You told me nothing about you, I didn’t
know your name, and nonetheless, I felt as if I had known you my
whole life. I felt I had been waiting exactly for you. Everything –
your scent, the taste of your skin – it's been killing me. I
couldn’t sleep at night after you left me.”

“Me too,” Lily confessed abruptly. She
looked into his eyes nervously but went on. “I dreamed only about
you, I couldn’t free my mind of you for days.”

“You see? There is something around us,”
Samael put in, sounding cheerful. “We should figure out what it is,
don’t you think?”

Looking into Lily’s eyes it was clear she
was delighted to give it a try. After lunch, Samael walked her back
to the college, holding her hand all the way.

Life for Lily looked so different when
Samael was there beside her. The trees surrounding them seemed more
vivid, the sun was warmer, the air was fresher. Lily wanted to run
and cry out with the happiness housed in her soul. There was not
sadness in her blue eyes anymore, they were gleaming every time she
looked at him.