“No. I found a backpack at the door this morning with a note from Aba. Said he thought I might need clothes. Not that I was complaining…”
She snorted. “You need them. We’re going to the castle,” she reminded him. “It’s enough that the girls got an eyeful of your sexy butt last night.”
Nate shot her a smirk, and it made her want to bite his lickable lips, but that would lead them back to bed, and there were things she had to tell him before they left for the castle.
She crossed to the sink for a drink of water. But he blocked her, cupped her nape, and kissed her slow and deep, tasting of coffee and her man…then he let her go.
Ely grasped the counter, so sure her shaky knees would take her down. And tried to recall what she was going to do. But her mind remained blank.
“Here.” Nate set a steaming mug of coffee for her on the counter.
“Have a little mercy,” she grumbled, trailing around the isle and plopping on the stool.
His eyes gleamed with amusement, and she wrinkled her nose. He laughed, the light sound soothing her soul. Man, if she didn’t reel it in, she’d be a constant drooling mess around him, and he’d enjoy it.
Sighing, she took a deep gulp of the steaming, fragrant brew to kickstart her foggy brain and boost her defenses against his devastating magnetism, and she nearly suffered third-degree burns for her effort. Gah.
From a plate piled with tempting toasted sandwiches, she selected a grilled chicken and mayo. “You made this?”
“Yeah. Had time.” He leaned against the opposite counter, mug in one hand, and massaged his temple with the other.
She frowned. “Headache?”
“No…” He slowly shook his head. “Remnants of a dream from last night. Images of a child. A face I can’t seem to place…”
“Don’t push it. Whatever it is will reveal itself, I’m sure.”
“Probably…” He exhaled deeply. “So, a meet and greet with the rest of the castle inhabitants today?”
“Yes.” She bit into the crunchy sandwich, almost moaning around the delicious chicken and mayo snack. “Oh, I’ll need to move my stuff to the boathouse. What about your things?”
“I’ll get them this evening.”
Right, then she grimaced. “And I have to get back to work tonight.”
He watched her over the brim of his mug as he sipped, brow lowering.
“You know I’m a Guardian, right?”
“And I’m a mechanic,” he countered.
And he was.
He crossed to the isle, picked up a sandwich, and took a bite. “I’ve been thinking,” he murmured, in between bites. “I’ve always helped Aba at the workshop, so I’ll continue working there, but at nights now. We can meet up when you’re done with patrol and head back here.”
She swallowed the last of her toast, and felt his resolution like a warm glow deep within her. “Oh, I’d like that.”
Ely wrapped her fingers around the warmth of the ceramic mug, remembering then what else she wanted to tell him, but she wasn’t sure how he’d take it.
“Nate,” she began as he made quick inroads into demolishing his sandwich. “There’s something you should know.”
“About what?” He picked up his coffee.
“Your sire’s friend, Pangur?”
“Yeah?”
“He was behind the demons who attacked Aba at the garage.”
