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I groaned and shook the thoughts from my head, desperately trying to ignore the painful hard-on that image gave me. This was supposed to be a romantic gesture, not a way to seduce her into my bed—yet.
I breezed my way down to the kitchen and distracted myself by making Astrid something to eat. I finished before she completed her bath, but I didn’t mind. It gave me time to take a breath and play the guitar. With Carrie only needing a session once a week, Tyr and Fen being my only frequent sessions, and no outside clients, I’d found myself with more time to myself. Any other time, I’d go out for hikes or call up my buddies to go out riding, but that didn’t appeal to me these days.
I needed something calm that didn’t take me too far away from Astrid. And something that grabbed her attention. Dad made sure I knew one instrument.“Serenade your señorita, Diego. You’ll never lose.”
I sure as hell hoped he was right. Astrid listened to me play all the time in the past. Even if she had something to do, she took time to sit down and enjoy what I played.
My fingers plucked the strings and my hand slid along the guitar neck. I fell into the sound, everything around me slipping away. My mind traveled, following the music where it went through flashes of images and events—memories, I assumed, even if some I didn’t recognize. I didn’t pause to think on any of them, allowing the music to travel until my hands finally stilled.
A moment after sitting in silence, I looked up to find Astrid standing in her doorway. She leaned against the doorframe, her hair pulled up in a messy bun with a few strands hanging free to frame her face, and her hand fingering the chain of the necklace I gave her.
“How long have you been there?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Long enough.”
My gaze traveled down her body. She wore that teasing gamer crop top and the matching short shorts, instead of just panties. My eyes flicked back up to meet hers. She didn’t flinch.
“Like what you see?” she asked.
“Absolutely.”
She pushed off the doorframe and sauntered over. The hypnotic sway of her hips and bounce of her breasts, barely held in by her shirt and tempting a wardrobe malfunction, captured my attention.
She halted at the couch and glanced around at the setup I’d created. “What is all this?”
Resting my guitar on its stand, I gestured to the plate of mozzarella sticks and mug of hot cocoa waiting on the coffee table. “I made you food. Come sit down.”
Her eyes lit up, and she squealed. I laughed as she did a little happy dance and rushed over to the plate. Astrid plopped down next to me and bit into the breaded cheese stick. It wasn’t warm like I’d wanted, but she clearly didn’t care.
I watched her, noting how much better she looked already, if still tired. “How are you feeling?”
She smiled. “That bath really hit the spot. Between it and my accelerated healing, which is still weird to me, I’m only just feeling fatigued.”
Astrid lifted her mug and sipped the hot cocoa. “You avoided my question.”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “I didn’t. Just prioritized.”
She gave me a long look that had me chuckling. “This is my way of contributing—of holding up my promise.”
Astrid cocked her head. “What do you mean?”
I shrugged. “I can’t help you with this training. I can’t use the force or shoot laser beams out of my eyes.”
She giggled and sipped a little more of her drink.
“I won’t be able to fight the big evils in the world with you. I’m just an ordinary mortal man.” I gestured to the comfortable lounging setup I’d created with soft lights, pillows, and blankets. “So, I’ll help in a way I can. I can give you what you need to relax and heal. I’ll make your favorite treats, queue up your favorite movies or games, and make sure you take care of yourself. I’ll do whatever normal, mundane thing you need.”
Astrid set her mug down and framed my face with her hands. Her soul-piercing eyes stared into mine and then she pressed her forehead against mine. “Thank you. This is exactly what I needed.”
I closed my eyes and breathed in, enjoying this simple closeness. “I haveLord of the Ringsqueued up for us to watch. As much as playing some games would be fun, I figured it was best to do something calming.”
She pulled away. “Extended edition?”
I smirked. “Of course.”
Astrid smiled and then touched the necklace. “Before we do, I have to ask, how does this fit in with all this?”
“It doesn’t.” I couldn’t stop myself from sliding the back of my finger along her hand before pinching the pendant between my fingers. “This is an unrelated gift. I was waiting for the best time to give it, when you caught me with it.”
