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“Valen?”
The form rose from the chair and crossed toward the bed with liquid grace. “I’m here,” he murmured in soft tones.
Peri pushed herself into a seated position, leaning against the headboard. She should have been terrified to realize she wasalone and vulnerable in a room with a member of the Cabal. Instead, she was annoyed by the knowledge that she had to look like a hot mess with her tangled hair and a trace of drool clinging to her chin.
What the hell was wrong with her?
Shoving her curls out of her face, she wiped her chin and glared at the approaching male.
“Were you watching me sleep?” she demanded.
There was a whisper of power and a soft pool of light pushed against the darkness. Of course, he looked perfect. His golden hair lay smoothly against his head and his eyes glowed with a brilliant silver shimmer. Even his clothes fit him with groan-worthy perfection. The charcoal-gray sweater was snug against the broad shoulders and tapered to his slender waist, while the dark slacks clung to the long length of his legs. And then there was his power…
It smashed against her like waves during high tide, wrapping around her and threatening to tug her under. The sensation wasn’t frightening. Just the opposite. Each stroke of power was unnervingly erotic.
Dammit. It should be illegal to be so painfully glorious, she grumpily decided.
“Why would I watch you sleep?” he inquired as he halted next to the bed. “That would be—”
“Creepy.” She interrupted whatever he was going to say.
With an arched brow, he nodded toward the bedside table where a tray was arranged next to the carved-wood lamp.
“I brought you dinner.”
Oh. Peri felt color stain her cheeks, but she didn’t apologize for her implication he was some sort of stalker. Not when he was regarding her with a knowing expression. As if he was aware of her seething attraction as well as her reluctance to admit she found him indecently irresistible.
She grabbed the tray and placed it on her lap. Her stomach rumbled in approval as she gazed down at the sandwich piled high with corned beef and Swiss cheese, and the plate of fresh, crisp veggies with a container of hummus. It’s exactly what she would have ordered if she’d been at her favorite deli. Could Gabriel read her mind?
With a shrug, she dug into the meal, unashamedly shoving the food into her mouth.
“What time is it?” she asked between bites.
“Almost seven.”
Peri reached for the bottle of water, dredging up the memory of returning to Gabriel’s private lair. She’d managed to stumble her way to this bedroom and strip off her clothes to pull on her nightgown before tumbling onto the mattress and passing out.
“I can’t believe I slept so long,” she muttered.
“You were tired.”
Peri nodded, polishing off the last of the sandwich. “Tia drained more of my magic than I realized.”
He studied her with his smoldering silver gaze, but thankfully didn’t point out that it was more likely the emotional toll of returning to her mother’s cabin that had exhausted her. Instead, he leaned forward to grab the tray that was now empty except for a few crumbs.
“Allow me.”
Peri watched as he set the tray back on the nightstand before he settled on the edge of the bed, his hip pressing against her upper thigh. She jerked as a chill seeped through the covers, sharply reminding her that Valen wasn’t just another man. He was a formidable creature who ruled the demon world.
Wariness feathered down her spine, but Peri stubbornly refused to acknowledge the instinctive warning. It was too late to fear what Valen might do to her if she pressed too hard. She’d spent her life flouting authority. She was too old to change now.
“Dinner in bed and served by an esteemed member of the Cabal,” she drawled. “I’m honored.”
“Doubtful.” His eyes darkened to smoke as he braced his hand on the mattress and leaned toward her. “And how do you know I’m esteemed?”
Peri’s mouth went dry, her heart lurching and sputtering as if it had forgotten how to beat.
“You wouldn’t be in your position if you weren’t.” Her voice was thankfully steady, although there was no hiding the erratic thump of her pulse. Not from a vampire. “I’m assuming the Cabal has some sort of seniority system to divvy up the world?”
