He set the tray on the low table near the plush reading chair. “Go ahead. I’ll wait.”
I hurried into the bedroom and opened the walk-in closet. My breath caught. The Abyss had stocked it with an entire wardrobe of clothes I’d love to wear. Most of which my father would think were much too casual to wear outside the privacy of our home.
Soft sweaters, leggings, T-shirts, comfortable yet elegant dresses in jeweled tones, and even a few pieces of delicate lingerie that made my cheeks flush hotter. Everything looked like it had been chosen with care to suit my tastes.
I quickly pulled on a soft pair of black panties and a bra I found in a drawer of the dresser lining part of one wall. Then I tugged on a soft charcoal sweater and black leggings, grateful for the simple comfort.
When I returned to the living area, Kastiel was still standing near the table. His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer than necessary, the heat in his eyes banked but not gone.
“Better?” he asked, a faint hint of amusement threading through his rough voice.
“Much,” I admitted, sitting down across from the tray. The scent of fresh coffee and warm pastries made my stomach rumble. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do this.”
He shrugged, but his eyes stayed on me. “You need to eat. The incomplete bond and suppression of your aura are draining you more than you realize.”
“You’re probably right.” I wasn’t used to someone making sure I had what I needed, but I liked knowing he’d taken the time to personally deliver breakfast. “Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.” The mischievous gleam in his eyes made him look almost boyish. “But I brought more than enough for two.”
“Well played.” I gestured toward the chair on the other side of the table. “Please join me. It would be a shame for your ploy to go to waste.”
“Is it really a ploy if I volunteered the information?” he asked as he sat across from me.
I considered my answer as I poured myself a cup of coffee and added some cream. “It still could be, like an elaborate double bluff sort of thing.”
“Fair point,” he conceded.
“But I appreciate the thought you put into this.”
His deep chuckle filled the air, and I tried to ignore how aware I was of his presence. My aura wanted to reach for him even as I fought to keep it locked down. Sparks flickered faintly along my fingertips before I clenched my hands around the mug.
Kastiel watched the small display. “You’re still fighting it.”
“I have to.” I stared into my mug. “Being near you makes everything harder. The pull is constant now, and my aura keepstrying to answer. I’m terrified that if I let go even a little, I’ll make you want something you wouldn’t choose on your own.”
“You haven’t given your aura the chance to snare me, but I’m still here,” he pointed out as he poured himself a mug. I absently noted that he took it with cream only, just like me. “If you insist upon seeing me as a potential victim of your supernatural allure, you have to know that I’d be a very willing one.”
His words should have comforted me. Instead, they only made the tug stronger. I took a sip of coffee to hide how badly my hands wanted to reach across the table.
“The Abyss left me another book this morning,” I murmured, changing the subject. “I finished the first one because I couldn’t sleep. It knew exactly what I’d want to read next.”
A faint smile touched his scarred mouth. “Even The Abyss knows how special you are.”
“What do you mean?”
“Its magic isn’t normally this in tune with someone new,” he explained. “The clothes and furnishings, sure. But personal touches like the books mean it’s being more attentive than usual.”
I glanced around the suite again, noting the subtle changes from the night before. There was a black vase with a bunch of red dahlias on the table in front of the couch—my favorite flower. “It feels like it’s trying to take care of me. I’m not used to that.”
“You should get used to it.” The protective edge to his voice was unmistakable. “You’re not alone here anymore.”
The mate bond flared again, sending another soft spark dancing along my collarbone. I quickly pulled it back, but not before Kastiel’s eyes tracked the movement, heat flickering in their depths once more.
“You keep saying stuff like that.” I looked down at my coffee, cheeks warming. “If you’re not careful, I’ll start to believe it. So you’d better mean them.”
“I get that it might take you a while to believe this, but you can trust me, little spark.” He leaned forward. “You’re mine to protect now, and the bond isn’t something I can ignore any more than you can. It’s not just duty, Isolde. It’s you.”
The simple honesty in his words made my breath catch. The fear in my chest eased just a little, replaced by something far more dangerous—the growing desire to stop fighting the pull and let myself lean into it.
