Kassian turned to look at her. She could barely stand on her own at the moment and she was hell-bent on doing it again no matter what he said. She sure as hell wasn’t obedient and biddable. He wanted her so much he felt like a ticking time bomb with a faulty detonator. But at the moment she looked so small, lost, and tired; she looked so damned tired. Connecting with the boy had drained her; yet she stayed upright by sheer will and volunteered to come back for more. He gave himself a mental kick in the ass. If he was feeling blindsided by all of the recent changes in his life, what about Kat? Given the things she’d seen and learned over the past few days, most women would have run away screaming; but he’d known from the moment he met her that she wasn’t most women. She absorbed everything she learned, processed it, and then sat there gazing at him with those amazing silver eyes, trusting him. She believed in him when he wasn’t sure he believed in himself. He wanted to be what she needed. He pulled her against him, pressing his lips to her hair. He’d forgotten that he could actually be sensitive, yet another surprise. He could tell himself that he was in charge, but he would move heaven and earth to make her happy. He was going to have to learn how to compromise. That should be interesting.
“Well, I think you’ve done enough for today, anyway,” he allowed noncommittally. “Estelle, you know how to find me if you need me.” He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, then turned and led Kat out of the building.
The drive back to the apartment was conducted mostly in silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. They pulled into the underground parking garage and he clicked off the ignition, turning to look at her.
“You okay?” he asked gently, resting a hand on her jean clad thigh. He swore he could feel the heat from her skin through the worn denim, burning his palm like a brand.
Yeah,” she smiled back, “just incredibly tired.”
Kassian climbed out of the car and came around to open her door and pull her to her feet. He grabbed her duffle from the back and tucked her into his side, leading her toward the elevator.
“You’re awfully quiet,” he whispered into her hair.
“I’m thinking.” She smiled up at him. He didn’t doubt that for a minute. He wondered if anyone had ever had to process as much unexpected and bizarre information in such a short time in the history of the world.
“About?”
“Right now, I’m thinking those M&Ms didn’t really do it for me, and you haven’t eaten all day either…pizza?”
“Sounds good to me, but I thought you could cook?” he teased.
“I can cook when there’s something to cook.” She groused. “Your kitchen is like Old Mother Hubbard’s cupboard. Even scrounging up that omelet was a challenge.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right…we’ll make a list later and I’ll send someone shopping.”
“You send someone to do your grocery shopping? That is just wrong on so many levels, McAllister,” she laughed. “What about specials, sales, impulse buying? You don’t know what you’re missing!”
“Hmmm…well, I do, actually. Been there, done that…and you’re forgetting senior citizens, coupon clippers, long lines, and whining kids…nope, sending an assistant.” He poked a finger at himself. “Billionaire, remember?”
She shook her head. “You’re a spoiled brat! I’ll help you make a list, but you and I are going shopping, so prepare yourself.”
“I think I’d rather take on a hundred animorti singlehandedly,” he shuddered with a grin as the elevator opened on the top floor outside the apartment door.
“Yeah, well don’t let it worry you, McAllister, you may be the warrior in this scenario, but I have a few talents of my own. I’ll protect you from the big, bad grannies and their nasty shopping carts when the time comes,” she laughed. “For now, go order the pizza.”
Chapter 12
Kassian punched in the number for the pizza delivery while Kat took her duffle and dropped it, along with her computer bag, inside the bedroom door. Alec arrived before the pizza did and practically beamed when he saw she was back. Kassian called back and ordered a second pie and a couple of dozen wings when it turned out Luca wasn’t far behind. He greeted Kat with an affectionate hug. They made short work of the food, the three men nursing beers, while Kat settled for the tail end of a bottle of cranberry juice she found in the fridge.
“I thought alcohol didn’t affect Earthbounds,” she remarked to no one in particular.
“It doesn’t; but who doesn’t enjoy the taste of a cold beer with their pizza?” Alec laughed.
“Me.” She clinked her glass against his bottle with a smile.
Kassian offered no response other than to haul her across his lap and wrap his arms around her. She snuggled against him, stifling a yawn. She was reasonably sure she had never had such a long day in her life, and it was catching up with her despite her best efforts. She felt like she could fall asleep and spend the rest of the night exactly where she was. Kassian pressed his lips to her hair.
“Can I assume that you’ve given up on the idea of using Kat as bait to draw Rapier out?” Luca drawled. Kat’s eyes snapped open.
Kassian’s face darkened dangerously. “That was never a serious consideration, Luca, and you know it,” he muttered quietly.
“Bait? You planned to use me as bait?”
“Not exactly,” Kassian replied uncomfortably with an evil look at Luca whose smirk had become more pronounced. “The morning after I brought you home, Luca and I vaguely discussed that Rapier was unlikely to go back into hiding as long as he thought I had something to lose.”
Kat struggled to a sitting position and pushed her heavy mass of hair out of her eyes. “Really?” she replied slowly looking from one to the other. “You know, McAllister, the idea might have some merit. I mean, I know that you wouldn’t let him actually get his hands on me, and maybe it would help to get this thing over and done with once and for all.”
“No,” replied all three men in one emphatic voice.
Kat shrugged and slumped back against Kassian with an enormous yawn. “Only trying to help.”
“I was busting his balls, Kat. Putting you in danger won’t help anyone,” Luca said firmly. “It’s not even a consideration…end of story.”
“Go to sleep, Kat.”
“It would be incredibly rude of me.”
“No one will mind if you go to sleep, Kat,” he said aloud. “You’re exhausted and the boys were just leaving. Weren’t you boys? I’ll catch up with you later.”
“And Mom always said you were the subtle one,” Alec laughed. “Kass, why don’t you take a night off? Luca and I can head out and sniff around to see if we come up with anything. We’ll call you if anything goes down.”
“I don’t know, I think I should go with you,” Kassian began slowly. Kat snuggled closer. “Yeah, okay…thanks. But make sure you call if anything looks promising.”
“Agreed,” Luca said. “C’mon, Alec, we aren’t going to accomplish anything sitting around here eating pizza and nursing our beer guts.”
Kat was too tired to stir, but she sent a quiet laugh across the common pathway to all three of them; if there was anyone on the planet less in danger of acquiring beer guts it was them. She had never been in the company of three more perfect specimens of masculinity in her life.
“Night, Luca.”
“Notte, Katrina. Mac, unless we come up with anything, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Alec can crash at my place tonight.”
“Only if you put sigils up, my brother,” Kassian warned. “You may not give a damn about your own ass, but you will protect Alec’s.”
“Whatever,” Luca agreed. But Kat hadn’t missed the exchange.
“Wait a minute…” she murmured, struggling to sit up. “Do you mean that you don’t protect yourself at home? Are you trying to get yourself killed when something snap, crackle, pops in on you while you’re sleeping? After all of the lectures I’ve had to endure about my safety, I think a little self-preservation shoul
d be in order on your end, too!”
Her voice was getting louder and more agitated by the minute.
“I think all in all I’ve done a pretty good job of dealing with all of this and staying relatively calm, but I swear to God if something happens to one of you, I won’t be calm, and if something happens because of arrogance or stupidity, I won’t only be upset, I will be totally pissed, so be forewarned. Luca, you will put those sigils up and keep them up whether Alec is there or not, do you understand me?”
Luca didn’t meet her eyes; he was busy staring at her hands.
“Luca, are you hearing me?” she demanded hotly. Golden sparks were spewing from Kat’s fingertips like sparkers on a birthday cake.
“Sure, cara, the sigils…whatever you want, kiddo,” he replied mildly. “Kat, can you take a deep breath before you set the sofa on fire?”
“Damn!” As tired as she was, she hopped up quickly, her eyes roving worriedly over Kassian to make sure that he hadn’t gotten burned.
“Apparently, her ability to manifest her powers is tied to her emotions,” Luca observed dryly.
“Gee, ya think, Captain Obvious?” Kat groused sarcastically. “What’s the big deal anyway? You all do that blue light special thing, right?” She felt like a bug under a microscope the way they were all looking at her. She self-consciously shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans.
“True,” Luca shrugged. “But ours is controlled. Then again, we’ve been doing it longer. We’ll work on it.”
Luca dropped a kiss on her head and gave her an affectionate squeeze, admonished her to get some rest, then he and Alec left while Kassian busied himself clearing up the remnants of the impromptu pizza party. Kat dragged herself into the bedroom to change.
Kassian had stretched out on the sofa and was clicking through the channels when Kat came back into the living room. He shifted over to make room for her. As exhausted as she was, she still felt a bit too restless and distracted to get comfortable.
“I was thinking maybe I’d soak in the tub for a while to relax. Do you mind?”
Kassian’s brows went up. “Sure, baby, whatever you want. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, maybe a little antsy, I guess. It’s been a long day.” She offered him a small half smile.
****
Kassian felt a twinge of guilt when he decided to stay home rather than go out hunting with Luca and Alec. But when he compared the thrill of the hunt with the warm weight of Kat dozing against his side, he realized that for the first time in as long as he could remember, something seemed more important to him than personally being the one to kill Rapier. Luca and Alec were perfectly capable. But now, looking at Kat, the guilt he felt earlier was minuscule in comparison. There were dark smudges under her clear, gray eyes, and a slight tremor in her hands. He’d been contemplating seduction. She was dead on her feet. Dealing with the boy had wiped out what little she’d had left after dealing with everything else she’d been handed today. He knew she fully intended to volunteer at the shelter. He thought it might be better to wait until another time to tell her that he was never letting her do that again. She didn’t realize how fragile she really was. It was a good thing she had him to remind her.
Kassian unfolded his long frame from the couch and strode toward the bedroom, scooping her off of her feet as he went by. He set her down on the bed and continued on into the bathroom. He turned the faucet on full blast and cranked up the heat. When the water reached the level of the jets, he turned those on and then rummaged around in the cabinet beneath the sink until he located an extra bottle of shower gel. Women liked that stuff, right? He shook a generous portion into the tub, where it immediately began to fizz and foam. He hit a couple of buttons on the wall and the soothing sounds of Mozart wafted through the steamy space. With a wave of his hand, the scented candles in the wall sconces burst into flame. He stacked a bath sheet and a pile of thick, soft towels on the side of the tub. Satisfied, he returned to the bedroom where he found Kat curled in a ball on the bed, already sound asleep. A soothing warmth uncurled deep within his very bone marrow at the realization that she actually wanted to be here, with him, even knowing who and what he was. He’d never expected to find peace, aside from finally making Rapier pay. He sure hadn’t expected to find it in a silver eyed nymph of a woman. She made him want things he hadn’t allowed himself to want in more years than he could count. Her poetry had resonated deep within his soul before he’d ever known her, and now that he did, he felt a vague stirring of anger at everyone and anyone who had ever caused her to feel that she deserved less than everything. She shifted in her sleep and something sharp and profound twisted in his gut. He wanted nothing more than to curl himself around her and hold her against him for the rest of the night...or forever. But that was him being a selfish bastard, again. He sat carefully on the side of the bed and gently stroked her hair away from her face. Merely looking at her gave him a feeling of peace he hadn’t known in generations, if ever. He bent to press his lips to the tender spot where her neck met her shoulder and she stirred awake. Her heavy lashes lifted slowly, and he was nearly undone by the look of unconscious invitation in her eyes as they met his.
“I ran you a bath if you’re still up for it?” He smiled gently, taking her hand and pulling her into a sitting position. She let out a sexy little moan and stretched like a contented kitten. Kassian’s nostrils flared and he felt his body’s immediate response. Okay, down boy, that was not what she needed right now! He pulled her to her feet and then grabbed his thick terry robe from the closet before pushing her before him into the bathroom. Because he always took showers he’d misjudged how quickly the tub would fill. A few minutes longer and the water would have been pouring over the sides. As it was, he was afraid Kat might disappear under the mound of foam once she got in. He dropped the robe next to the towels and quickly switched off the jets with a muffled curse, swiping ineffectually at the fluffy, white clouds of fragrant bubbles clinging to his chest. Kat bit her lip and giggled.
“Guess maybe I used too much of that stuff,” he muttered.
“Well, I’m not sure it was meant to be used in a Jacuzzi,” she smiled. “Kassian McAllister, this is quite possibly the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
Kassian felt the heat rise into his face. Sweet was not a description that he was used to hearing in reference to himself. If Luca could see him now he’d never live it down. Big tough guy, yeah right! Well, maybe in the boardroom or in a fight, but apparently not here with Kat. Then again, here with Kat, maybe he didn’t need to be.
“Well, I’ll get lost so you can relax. Be careful not to fall asleep in here…I probably wouldn’t be able to find you in all…this.” He waved his arms vaguely toward the marshmallow-y mounds of white froth.
“You’re probably right,” she agreed and stood on tip toe to plant a kiss on his jaw, brushing away a clump of bubbles from his cheek. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome…yell if you need anything.” Kassian closed the door with a soft click and went back into the bedroom. He stripped out of his damp shirt and tossed it over the chair. He stretched out on the bed and hit the remote that raised the flat screen from behind the chest of drawers. Keeping the volume muted, he flicked mindlessly through the channels wanting to be nearby in case Kat called out.
****
Kat slowly pulled off her clothes and dropped them in a heap in front of the vanity. She twisted her hair into a towel on top of her head and slipped into the hot water with a contented sigh, rolling another towel behind her neck. Her heart was so full she thought it might burst. A big, sword-packing, evil-slaying, angel warrior had run her a bubble bath, complete with soft music and candlelight. She’d always been an independent girl who took care of herself, by necessity if not by choice. Maybe being pampered really was all it was cracked up to be, at least once in a while, especially by Kassian McAllister. Intellectually, she knew there was a side of him that was cold, calculating, and lethal; that w
as who he needed to be to function as a Defensori. But the side he shared with her, the one that touched her, was selfless, thoughtful, and gentle. She hadn’t felt this safe and cared for in a long time.
Damn, what a day! She’d found out more about herself in the last twenty-four hours than she had in the last twenty-four years. She wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about some of it yet, but helping the child at the center had been incredibly rewarding, at least. Maybe her abilities didn’t have to be such a curse, after all. She’d prayed her entire life that one day she would simply wake up normal. In this world, she was normal. She indulged in a jaw-cracking yawn and slid further down in the hot, soothing water until it reached her chin. She couldn’t remember the last time a bath had felt this good. She closed her eyes and sighed.
“Kat, wake up!” The command entered her mind with the sharp crack of a bullet and her eyes flew open. They immediately began to tear and burn from the soap suds covering her face. Kassian burst into the bathroom, right as she emerged from the mountain of bubbles, covered with foam, sputtering and swiping at her eyes. Her hair had tumbled from the towel and fell loosely around her shoulders, skimming the tops of her breasts where they disappeared into the suds. Feeling the blood rush into her cheeks, she glanced in his direction, very, very ill at ease to find him standing in the doorway. She probably looked like a drowned rat.
“Thanks for waking me up,” she mumbled, eyes down, face flaming. “I think I’d better get out now.” Kassian leaned forward and picked up the enormous bath sheet and held it open for her.
Undiscovered Angel Page 17
