Page 57 of Unmasking the Fallen Angel

I laughed and took the glass she offered.

The water tasted wonderfully ordinary, cold enough to make my teeth ache. I drank half of it before setting the glass aside.

Over the next hour, the trembling in my legs subsided, and the ache in my shoulders settled into something I could tolerate. I stood and walked across the loft several times, discovering that my balance was unchanged but my stamina was nowhere near what it had been.

Everly watched without fussing, although she stayed near enough to offer a hand when I reached for the sofa.

When I finally pulled my T-shirt back on, she came to stand behind me.

Her fingers touched the bare skin at the back of my neck before sliding down beneath the collar. I felt her explore the smooth muscles where my wings had once joined my body.

"Does it hurt here?"

"A little. Nothing serious."

She rested her palm between my shoulder blades.

"I'll miss them," she admitted.

I turned toward her.

"So will I."

She looked up at me with an expression that held no regret, only tenderness.

"They were extraordinary. But I think I might enjoy having you all to myself without worrying about where thirteen feet of feathers are going to fit."

I caught her around the waist and pulled her close.

"That's a practical consideration from a woman who fell in love with a fallen angel."

"Apparently my judgment isn't always as conservative as my wardrobe suggests."

I laughed and kissed her.

Everly slipped her arms around my neck, meeting me with an enthusiasm that made the lingering soreness in my shoulders far less interesting.

When we separated, she kept her forehead resting against mine.