“We could test it. Get angry.”
Kat laughed. “Easier said than done.”
He leaned forward with a detached expression, one that made her stomach flutter, but not in a good way. “Think about me taking your sister to bed.”
“Ouch!” Kat flicked her wrist and the ring sailed into the grass.
“Cursed with Mage power,” he whispered, picking it up again.
She rubbed her finger and frowned. “I’ve been angry lots of times while wearing the holster; why didn’t it shock me before?”
“The thick padding on the inside would have protected you from its power. Alex must have inserted a protective layer of special material between your skin and the ring to create a barrier, and I’m assuming you don’t spend much time touching the outer layer. When the gold encircles the finger—like just now—you can access its full power.”
Kat was feeling dizzy from all this Mage talk. “Your old magic confuses me. What would be the benefit of having a ring that shocks a person when they’re mad?”
“For you it might be a shock, but for a Mage, it’s a source of energy that strengthens their abilities. I don’t know; I’m only guessing. Mage magic has always confounded me. If this is what Vlad is searching for, then it must be far more powerful than we can sense.”
“Maybe it’s just sentimental and his Mage daddy gave it to him.”
Prince closed his hand into a tight fist. “If that’s true, then this trinket will be what gives us an advantage. Now that we have what he wants, we can bargain.”
She tried to take it, but Prince moved his arm out of reach and she scowled. “You can’t justgiveit to him! In the real world, each side is conspiring how to get what they want without giving up what they have. That’s what scares me, Charming. He’s got my fatherandsister. If I give him this ring, he’s not going to set them free. We have to find him before he flees the city.”
Prince began to slowly unbutton his shirt, stripping out of it and folding it on the grass with the ring on top.
An ancient heat coursed through her veins; her desire for him was insatiable. “What are you up to, Charming?”
“Don’t take off the bra,” he said, slowly unbuttoning her jeans. “Your temper makes me want to feel that fire against me. We need something to do while we’re waiting, and I have an excellent suggestion for how to cool you down.”
Kat threw back her head, his breath skating across her hips and stomach, unraveling her from inside out. “I always did like a man with a plan.”
CHAPTER13
After hours of lovemaking, Prince had eagerly wrapped his arms around Kat and placed kisses on her forehead, cheeks, and mouth. This time there had been more tenderness between them, and it enriched their intimacy that much more. While she showered upstairs, he checked with Russell for a status update. There had been no new findings, which made him uneasy as he knew Kat was growing impatient and might slip out to hunt down Vlad by herself.
Uncertain of where the day might take him, he changed into a pair of black pants and a dark grey shirt. Prince’s wardrobe wasn’t just suits, but also long-sleeve cotton shirts and casual dress shirts. He preferred button-ups or a cotton shirt beneath a suit jacket. Today’s choice wasn’t about presentation; he needed to choose clothing that would be practical for chasing and killing an outlaw.
“Make sure you put a good pair of running shoes on your Christmas wish list,” Kat said, glancing down at his leather shoes. She reached up and removed the white towel from her head, shaking out long strands of wet hair. “Now I don’t feel like an exhumed body. I think next time we should use a bed… like normal people.”
Prince stirred with amusement because there was no question, despite her little quips, that Kat liked the wildness of their lovemaking. He watched her open the balcony doors and lean over the railing, sunlight and wind drying her beautiful waves of black hair. A moment later, she sneezed and headed back inside.
“Something’s floating around in the air.”
“Yes, it certainly is,” he mused, watching how she took command of any room she was in. Her absence made Prince consider how vacant his life had been without her. Not just a womanlikeher, but Kat.
Water soaked through her grey shirt, and she looked between them with a melancholy grin. “We match.” Her smile withered as she sat on his lap, resting her head against his chest. “Do you think we’ll still like each other when this is all over?”
Prince kissed the top of her head. “I think there’s a possibility.”
“We collided in a twist of fate, and maybe the only thing holding us together is your personal interest in finding my father.”
He rested his chin on her head and sighed, his voice falling to a soft murmur. “My personal interest is you.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I like you, Charming. It’s just that I deal with chaos on a daily basis, and sometimes coming off that adrenaline rush is a cold splash of reality.”
“There you go again with that word I loathe.”
“What word?”
