returned his attention to her mouth and kissed her so deeply, she stopped thinking entirely. His hands traveled over her, pausing here and there, gripping her tight. Her body heated inside and out.
She mirrored his touches, exploring warm skin under soaked cotton and smooth, curving muscle. When he squeezed her, she squeezed him in return. His feathers rubbed against her arms, but she retained enough mental clarity to resist snuggling against them. Unless he clearly invited otherwise, she didn’t dare, lest the moment fall to ruin.
He smoothed his hands over her backside and pulled her hips against his. The contours of the apex of his thighs left little doubt how far ahead of the kiss he was thinking.
Of course, thinking and acting were two very different things. The intensity of the rain lessened a degree, making the buildings beyond the garden more visible. If demons really did have sharper vision than humans, she and Kes had just given anyone looking out over the garden quite the show. And where was that fire-eyed bodyguard?
Kestrel eased back, but his hands remained on her arms. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m just wondering if we’re on exhibition.”
“Most definitely.”
Oh, great.
“Is that such a bad thing?”
At his teasing tone, she couldn’t help but smile. “Well…”
“Sorry,” he said. “I’m not shy.”
“Indeed not.”
“We should get back to the tower.”
“Yeah.”
He stayed right where he was and leaned in for another kiss. However, at the exact moment their lips connected, lightning illuminated their surroundings, followed a split second later by thunder that vibrated in her chest.
Her inner wimp took over. Inviting death by screaming at the gates of a demon colony? Easy. Dealing with lightning? She’d rather crawl under a rock.
Actually, clinging to an archangel was a considerable improvement over the rock option, though it still made her a wimp.
“On second thought, the tower is out for the time being.” Kes glanced toward the stone buildings ahead of them on the garden path. “How about we make a run for warm food and a fire?”
She shook her head. “We need to stay here. The lightning.”
“You’re cold.”
“Not really.” She rested her head against his chest.
He chuckled, a self-satisfied sound. “Be that as it may, we’re going. It’s safer inside.”
“But—”
Kes’s arms tightened and he ran with her out from under the pavilion. In a second, they were flying fast but low enough that his wings brushed the flowering bushes on the down stroke, scattering pink, red, and white petals.
They landed on a patio next to a stone building covered with wild grapevines and Kes led her through a recessed entry. Demon fire lanterns filled the dim foyer with an amber ambiance, and muted voices drifted from farther inside the building. As the door shut behind them, she relaxed and placed a hand over her pounding heart.
“There,” he said. “Much faster than walking.”
“You have rose petals in your feathers.”
He shook out his wings as if she’d told him he had bugs. Water shot everywhere. Droplets hit the lanterns and sizzled.
“It was cute.” She folded her arms. “Would have made a great close-up picture, too.”
“ Cute? ”
“Look at that,” an unfamiliar voice said, “a drowned archangel. Drowned human, too.”
Saffron turned. A demon in a chef’s coat stood in the archway that appeared to lead into a dining room.
“Nice,” the demon said. His gaze traveled down her body.
Oh, damn! Her soaked white pants provided a clear view of her panties! Why hadn’t she chosen jeans? Brilliance, thy name is Saffron.
Kestrel cleared his throat, stepped forward, and extended his wing in front of her body.
The demon held up his palms. “Hey, a guy of any species can’t not look at someone so…”
“Could we get some towels, please?”
“Yeah, sure.” The demon grinned, seemingly unfazed by the glowering archangel.
She mirrored his touches, exploring warm skin under soaked cotton and smooth, curving muscle. When he squeezed her, she squeezed him in return. His feathers rubbed against her arms, but she retained enough mental clarity to resist snuggling against them. Unless he clearly invited otherwise, she didn’t dare, lest the moment fall to ruin.
He smoothed his hands over her backside and pulled her hips against his. The contours of the apex of his thighs left little doubt how far ahead of the kiss he was thinking.
Of course, thinking and acting were two very different things. The intensity of the rain lessened a degree, making the buildings beyond the garden more visible. If demons really did have sharper vision than humans, she and Kes had just given anyone looking out over the garden quite the show. And where was that fire-eyed bodyguard?
Kestrel eased back, but his hands remained on her arms. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m just wondering if we’re on exhibition.”
“Most definitely.”
Oh, great.
“Is that such a bad thing?”
At his teasing tone, she couldn’t help but smile. “Well…”
“Sorry,” he said. “I’m not shy.”
“Indeed not.”
“We should get back to the tower.”
“Yeah.”
He stayed right where he was and leaned in for another kiss. However, at the exact moment their lips connected, lightning illuminated their surroundings, followed a split second later by thunder that vibrated in her chest.
Her inner wimp took over. Inviting death by screaming at the gates of a demon colony? Easy. Dealing with lightning? She’d rather crawl under a rock.
Actually, clinging to an archangel was a considerable improvement over the rock option, though it still made her a wimp.
“On second thought, the tower is out for the time being.” Kes glanced toward the stone buildings ahead of them on the garden path. “How about we make a run for warm food and a fire?”
She shook her head. “We need to stay here. The lightning.”
“You’re cold.”
“Not really.” She rested her head against his chest.
He chuckled, a self-satisfied sound. “Be that as it may, we’re going. It’s safer inside.”
“But—”
Kes’s arms tightened and he ran with her out from under the pavilion. In a second, they were flying fast but low enough that his wings brushed the flowering bushes on the down stroke, scattering pink, red, and white petals.
They landed on a patio next to a stone building covered with wild grapevines and Kes led her through a recessed entry. Demon fire lanterns filled the dim foyer with an amber ambiance, and muted voices drifted from farther inside the building. As the door shut behind them, she relaxed and placed a hand over her pounding heart.
“There,” he said. “Much faster than walking.”
“You have rose petals in your feathers.”
He shook out his wings as if she’d told him he had bugs. Water shot everywhere. Droplets hit the lanterns and sizzled.
“It was cute.” She folded her arms. “Would have made a great close-up picture, too.”
“ Cute? ”
“Look at that,” an unfamiliar voice said, “a drowned archangel. Drowned human, too.”
Saffron turned. A demon in a chef’s coat stood in the archway that appeared to lead into a dining room.
“Nice,” the demon said. His gaze traveled down her body.
Oh, damn! Her soaked white pants provided a clear view of her panties! Why hadn’t she chosen jeans? Brilliance, thy name is Saffron.
Kestrel cleared his throat, stepped forward, and extended his wing in front of her body.
The demon held up his palms. “Hey, a guy of any species can’t not look at someone so…”
“Could we get some towels, please?”
“Yeah, sure.” The demon grinned, seemingly unfazed by the glowering archangel.
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