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She’d trained them to respond appropriately to the emotional reactions of the clients to enhance and deepen the experience for both of them Because that increased the quality of the nourishment for theh it required enormous spellwork to keep those interactions safe, she didn’t mind it While she knew they viewed her as their protector, like a tribal priestess, they also had fun, played together They were bonded, as close to a family as was possible for their kind

The way her life had been, she didn’t spend a lot of ti what she couldn’t have She was thankful for the abilities to have what she did She hadn’t waited for those abilities to come to her, either She’d honed the on they and knowledge Inertia was an indulgence she couldn’t afford in her world Later today, she would find a quiet space to do that spellwork to check for weaknesses, not because anything was aers of coht be a new danger on the horizon besides

For now, though, she was sleeping with a cop, so she felt like she could take an hour to enjoy brunch Picking a plate off the sidebar, she chose a few things she liked Chocolate-dipped strawberries, fresh peach preserves in a fragrant marinade poured over a fluffy biscuit

Mikhael had pushed out the chair at the head of the table so he could prop his foot on it, resting the paper against his bent knee His shoes were tucked under the chair, so he’d re his feet on the furniture He hadthe lord of a s Because they were his, he wasn’t abusive of the service fro on the chair where he had his foot braced, she sat down on his toes, drawing up her feet, sown so it pooled around her ankles and slid across the arch of his foot, nearly covering it She considered following the same track with a caress of that ankle, the calf beneath the cuff of the jeans He’d shaved Earlier thissandpaper brush of his jaw as he kissed the bumps of her spine She’d liked that, but she also liked the sharp, clean aristocratic look now

Vaguely she re at hera sharp-bladed knife that looked like it could gut a se moved sht about doing that for hi that lethal blade near his throat, his eyes tracking her, hands sliding over her hips, up to her breasts…

He continued reading his article without acknowledging her Not entirely perfect s on her plate, she picked up a juicy blueberry Flicked it with precision so it hit hiht it in ait aside, he lifted his gaze to her Everything froht came back when she met that look Every detail, every touch, every cry that he’d torn froether, the journey they’d taken, and that he very ain Perhaps even on this table in the next thirty seconds

All her body could say was a fervent, alelical yes Amen and hallelujah

"I wouldn’t advise doing that again," he said

She looked at the dozen blueberries on her plate, then back at hie a lady when she coht before"

"My apologies GoodHow did you sleep?"

She felt the impossible--her cheeks warmed Now that she’d arrived and they had more confidence to be their usual selves, her staff had increased the voluht several fascinated stares froistered her reaction It wasn’t her fault Thefrom every syllable he spoke "I slept just fine, thank you And you?"

"The bed was too short But the co personality on us another night, I’er bed One that you’ll have all to yourself" There She’d made it clear any future interactions were by her invitation only If he was gone tonight, it wouldn’tback to normal, the way it should be

He didn’t respond to that stateht black, and he’d gone for their strongest Coloested he was a heavy eater, but not on the sweet side He went for the salts: bacon, eggs, toast, no preserves She liked a s

"Surprised to see Isaac here this ," he noted