With a thought, he repaired the cracks in the balustrade, then did the same with his mental shields. Without her there, it was easier to fix. And those fleeting emotions faded.
Once more in control, Lore glanced around the empty courtyard then conjured a punching bag suspended from a thick branch of the lone tree.
Nia needed to tone her muscles, become stronger, and wield her sword with more power.
Satisfied, he headed inside. His heightened senses picked up faint music, drawing him to the kitchen. The aroma of something…cooking permeated the place.
Nia stood near the stove, humming and flipping whatever she had in a pan. Music emitted from her cell on the table. He watched her for a second, then lowered the volume with his mind. She glanced back and frowned.
“There is food,” he reminded her, nodding to the fridge.
“Yeah, but I wanted a toasted sandwich. Your friend Hedori was kind enough to stock the fridge with what I could use.”
Hedori wasn’t a friend, but it mattered not.
She set the plate with golden-brown triangles on the table and switched off her cell.
With a graceful movement so intrinsic to her, she glided over to the fridge and got out a soda. Back at the table, she sat, picked up a sandwich, and bit into it. “Hmm, this tastessooogood.”
His body twitched. Did she even know what she was doing to him?
Her gaze lifted to his as he pulled out a chair and sat opposite her. “Darn!” She put her food down, jumped up, and got another plate from the shelf. She slid the other half of her sandwich onto it and pushed the plate to him. “Here.”
“I don’t eat?—”
“Yes, you said. Try it.”
He glanced at the food in front of him, then at the female who had no idea she’d disrupted his very foundation with their kiss.
About to push the sandwich back to her since she didn’t have another, Lore found himself picking up the snack. Frowning, he lifted the top part of the piping hot triangle, trying to figure out what its filling was, and found a squishy, red-seeded circle, a slice of something pink, and a sticky, gooey yellow substance holding it all together.
“It’s a ham and cheese sandwich with tomato.”
He looked up and fell straight into her tantalizing smile.
“It doesn’t bite.Youhave to bite and eat it. Oh, boy…” She sighed. “To be eaten, especially when it’s done right…”
His brow furrowed, and her eyes glinted with provocative laughter. “Maaan…” she hummed as she chewed, causing his entire body to go into a slow burn. “If you ever want to know, I’ll tell you, or maybe I’ll show you how… If you’re nice.”
By the dark stars!He might not have understood what she spoke of at first, but he sure knew now. His blood heated and seemed to gather in the one part of him he’d never given more than a cursory thought to.
His groin throbbed.
Jaw clenched, he dropped the sandwich back on the plate.
He was an angel, an ancient being. This foolishness would pass. But he had to set things straight.
“Nia?” He waited until she met his eyes. He pushed the uneaten food aside, clasped his hands on the table, and for the second time in a matter of minutes, was at a loss for words.
He said it anyway, tone flat, “What happened at the river?—”
“Oh, you mean when you asked me to kiss you?” she added helpfully, her teasing expression fading. He could read nothing from her. Even her thoughts were shut off.
“Yes.” He cleared his throat. “It was a misstep on my part. It won’t happen again.” There, that should reassure her that he had no ulterior motive, no matter the betrayal of his body.
“I see.” She set her food aside and wiped her hands on a kitchen towel. “So, you kissed me because you were…bored? Wait. You were curious? You wanted to see how a human would react to an angelic being giving her a scrap of attention?” Her eyes blazed like wildfire.
“You are upset, and I regret that.”
