“I’ve got to stop by headquarters.” Callum’s voice rumbled from behind me as he placed a kiss along my bare neck, his fingers tangling in my hair.
“Stay.” The word was muffled beneath the blankets as I scooted further into his body, feeling his hands trace along my skin.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” His reply came in a rumble as the mattress shifted, and I stifled a protesting plea. I felt a rush of cool air assault my skin as the covers were moved, and this time a frustrated noise slipped from my lips.
“Don’t go,” I protested in vain, my hands reaching out only to grab at empty sheets. Peeking out from under the covers, I nestled further into the bed, watching as Callum stood in the middle of the bedroom. The room was still far too dark, and aquick glance toward the open expanse of the bedroom window showed that it was not yet dawn, with the moon still high in the sky. I studied the sleeping Quarter, watching how the moon lit up Aurum before I snuggled back into the covers.
I turned my attention back toward the male currently disrupting my sleep schedule. My eyes traced over the expanse of muscles rippling as he began pulling on a pair of combat pants, strapping a gun to the holster on his thigh. My mouth was more than likely half open as I stared at him, admiring the combination of shirtless male and combat pants.
“I can feel you watching me.” His voice was a husky drawl as he glanced over toward the bed I was lying in and heat washed across my cheeks. I pushed up onto my elbows, the blankets shifting down at the movement as cool air washed over me.
“What else am I to do?” I shot back, still not taking my eyes off him as he pulled a shirt on, the sleeves clinging to his upper arms as he moved back toward the bed.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” he replied, leaning over to kiss me. The scent of amber and leather surrounded me, his lips claiming mine as heat coursed through me. Then he was pulling back and heading out the door.
Heading to the Guild at an ungodly hour of the morning.
An hour meant for sleeping . . . notspy-related activities.
I flopped back down, letting the blankets cocoon around me as sleep claimed me once more.
I stoodin Callum’s kitchen, wearing an oversized pilaeria shirt—the wordsAurelite Guardsprinted across the front of the material as it hung off my shoulder. I still couldn’t believe thatthiswas where he lived as I looked around the space. Theceilings were far too high, with windows on every wall, letting in plenty of natural light. Callum had informed me yesterday that the windows were tinted, allowing him to see out but no one could see into the space, so I felt entirely comfortable wearingjusta T-shirt as I walked around.
I could see angels flying through the sky as the suns began to rise higher in the air. His kitchen was a work of art I never imagined I would stand inside. The countertops were luxuriously smooth marble, and the faucets and sink were a tarnished gold color. Even the cabinets lining the space were a soft oak, which nicely complemented the space. It screamed subtle wealth, but then again, I supposed his entirepenthousehome did. It was the type of luxury I would have never dared to dream of living along The Wall of Solis Quarter.
My thoughts briefly flashed back to yesterday, glimpses of The Wall crumbling before my eyes, watching the Quarter I’d called home for so long burn up in flames. I wanted to feel bad about the Quarter being destroyed . . . but I couldn’t bring myself to. I felt nothing but relief and gratitude at finally being able to live a life outside of Lucanus’s control, outside of The Wall.
Rummaging through Callum’s cabinets, I began searching for food . . . food and caffeine. I was finally rewarded as I found a loaf of bread and coffee beans, a grin sliding over my lips as I reached up toward the items on the top shelf . . . only, I couldn’t reach them.
This entire stars-damned apartment had been made for someone . . . well, someone taller than me, that was for sure. I stood on my tiptoes, trying and failing to reach the source of my morning pick-me-up.
A slight sigh of frustration escaped my lips as I glanced around the kitchen. No ladder, no chair in sight. Icouldstand on the counter, but after a quick assessment of the distance in the kitchen, I called my wings to the surface. The golden featherssparkled in the morning light, tugging a smile to my lips as I admired the new color of my wings. Giving a light flutter, I lifted off the ground, careful my wings didn’t brush against anything, until I was hovering a good foot and a half higher in the air, easily reaching the items I’d been searching for.
“Well . . .” A low drawl sounded from behind me, and a startled noise escaped my lips. “If this isn’t a sight to come back home to.”
I whirled around in surprise, dropping the loaf of bread I’d been reaching for as my wings hit the cabinets and a burst of pain tore through my wing.
Shit.
The bag of coffee beans slipped through my fingers next as I tried to catch the loaf of bread while stabilizing myself. Except, instead, I wreaked havoc in the space, and another curse slipped from my lips as I retracted my wings and tumbled back to the ground, hearing the beans splatter across the marbled floors of the kitchen.
Strong arms wrapped around me as I collided with the floor, and when I finally looked up, I found Callum biting back a laugh.
I punched him as I bent down to pick up the bread I’d been wanting, ignoring the hundreds of coffee beans that now littered his previously clean floor. “I’ll have you know, this is your fault.”
“My fault?” The words came from his lips, accompanied by a rumble of laughter. “How in Aurelia is thismyfault?”
I gestured toward the coffee beans all around me on his floor. “If you hadn’t startled me, I wouldn’t have dropped anything.”
He started to interrupt, but I covered his mouth before he could speak, his eyes lighting with amusement. “And. . . if you didn’t insist on keeping important food items on the top shelf in your own home, then I wouldn’t have struggled to reach themin the first place. Who in the stars keeps important items on thetopshelf? Everyone knows that items used daily should be on the most accessible shelves.”
This time, he laughed aloud, a deep chuckle that had me fighting back a grin as I mock-glared at the male before me.
“Well,” he replied. “I would like to start by offering a formal apology for keeping the coffee on such a high shelf. Although, I feel so inclined to say that there are grounds alreadyinthe machine, so you could make yourself coffee if needed.”
“W-What?” The word was a slight squeak from my lips as I whirled toward the machine at his comment, my eyes narrowing as I came to the conclusion that he was indeed telling the truth. My cheeks began to heat as I spun back toward him.
“Well, noteveryonewould know that.”
