Love in the WINGS by Delia Latham Page A

smokescreen of perfection. Risk failure, if that’s what was needed to make him malleable in God’s hands.
    He started to push himself away from the desk, set on walking out of his comfort zone, through the reception area and into David’s office. But a colorful little Easter egg popped up on the bottom right corner of his monitor. Corbin waited, and the egg cracked open to reveal a tiny scroll, which quickly unrolled itself so that he could read its “secret,” which of course he already knew: “Mail time!”
    “Saved by the mail,” Corbin muttered, and then clicked on his inbox. Several messages awaited his attention, but the only one that mattered to him at the moment was the latest, which was from Aria. He hadn’t even heard her arrive.
    “Good morning, Corbin,” her message read, and Corbin found himself smiling a little, hearing her soft Texas drawl as he read the words on his screen. “Hey, about that sheet music you left on my desk...” The smile tugged itself up a notch. What excuse would she have for not using it? He’d never met a woman more determined to prove she neither needed nor wanted anyone’s help with her ministry—least of all his.
    His eyes widened with the next words. “I like it. Came up with a couple ideas for an arrangement, but sure would like to know what you think of it.” Corbin reached up to rub his eyes, fairly certain his internal tug-of-war had blurred his vision. But when he peeked at the message again, there it was. Aria was asking for his opinion. “I’m practicing with the praise team tomorrow night. Any chance of you joining us?”
    Corbin grinned. Not a chance of keeping me away. He typed his reply, hit send, then leaned back in his chair and looked around.
    Having been jerked out of his deep pondering, he breathed in the rich aroma of French roast. Aria had to have walked right past his office to get that pot going. He cast a quick glance out the door, and sure enough, the lights were on in the reception area. Neither he nor David had bothered to turn them on this morning, and with that realization, Corbin frowned. Were both of them so wrapped up in their internal darkness that they weren’t functioning in the Light? The thought shamed him.
    Help him through his darkness, Corbin Bishop, as Aria has helped you through yours.
    He set his jaw and hauled in a massive breath.
    “I will, Lord. I will. Right now.”
    He stopped at the coffee station on his way to David’s office, filled two cups with the hot liquid, added a splash of half and half to his, then stood staring uncertainly at the other cup.
    “He takes one sugar. No cream.”
    He spun around to find Aria leaning against the opposite wall. The warm smile on her full lips turned his stomach into a whirligig, but he ignored it and narrowed his eyes. “How did you know what I was thinking?”
    “I’m good at reading minds.” She hiked one gorgeous, wing-shaped eyebrow and cocked her head to the side, sending the sunset fall of her hair spilling over her shoulder.
    He blinked. “Your hair’s down.”
    “It is?” She gasped and reached up with one hand to touch the silky strands. Her dark caramel eyes widened, and mischief danced in their depths. “Oh, no, it really is! I should be ashamed of myself, coming to work in such a state.”
    Corbin chuckled and busied his hands adding sugar to David’s coffee. What he wanted to do was march over there and bury both hands in that thick cascade of rich color. Then he’d use that leverage to tug her head backward and lift her chin for his kiss…
    The spoon he’d used to stir David’s coffee fell from his fingers and clattered to the floor. Tiny spots of dark liquid shone like amber eyes, staring accusingly up into his own. Warmth flooded his neck and cheeks as he grabbed for a paper towel.
    Aria beat him to it. “I’ll get it.” She wiped away all evidence of his blunder with a couple of quick strokes, then dropped the spoon into the sink and turned to