will let you rest and return tomorrow.”
Serenity caught his wrist before he could move away. He looked down at it and then into her eyes.
She swallowed.
“Where will you go?” She released him and looked out across the rooftops. “Do you have friends here?”
“No.” He moved closer to her again, until he was almost touching her and she could feel his power radiating against hers.
He was strong. His power was far more potent than hers was and she didn’t doubt that he could be a deadly destructive force if he put his mind to it, but for some reason that didn’t scare her. He hadn’t given her a reason to fear him, only to trust him and feel safe around him, and the closer he was to her, the more she felt that way.
Serenity turned and plastered a smile on her face to cover her nerves. “You can stay here.”
A single dark eyebrow rose at the suggestion.
“I have a couch you could sleep on, and some blankets, and it’s better than being alone, right?”
His gaze raked over her again, giving her the impression that he was thinking of sleeping somewhere other than the couch, and then the passion that had been surfacing in his eyes melted away to reveal a feeling that surprised her. It looked a lot like relief or perhaps loneliness. She reached out and touched his forearm, placing her hand on the black leather cuff that protected it, and tried to pinpoint the emotion using her power.
Apollyon frowned and took her hand. The sudden skin-on-skin contact boosted her senses and the feeling came through loud and clear. She stared at him as he toyed with her fingers, his attention fixed on them.
Loneliness.
“The couch sounds good.” He lowered her hand. “I have not slept in a long time.”
“You don’t sleep?” She lifted the latch on the French windows of her balcony and walked into the dark room. When she bumped into the old wooden kitchen table, she snapped her fingers and the lights came on. She looked back at Apollyon where he stood near the door, his gaze scanning her kitchen and dining room. It wasn’t much. The white walls needed a new coat to make them vibrant again and there was a stack of washing in the sink of the compact kitchen.
“Not when I am on duty, unless I am given leave to.” Apollyon stepped forwards into the dining room and Serenity mulled over what he had said as she crossed the room to the open wooden door and went through into the living room. “I only sleep when on Earth. It has been centuries since I was last here.”
“And I called you.” She hadn’t forgotten that. He had been surprised, and so had she. She snapped her fingers again, using her power to turn on the lamp in the corner of the living room behind the television. She pointed to the cream couch. “I’ll get some blankets.”
Serenity felt his gaze on her as she walked away, into her bedroom. The door was to the right of the television, directly in front of the couch. If she left it open, she would be able to see him while he slept. She grabbed one of the pillows from her double bed and then took a thick dark red blanket from the bottom of her wooden wardrobe to the right of the door.
Apollyon was sitting on the couch when she walked back out. He smiled when she handed him the blanket.
“I tend to wake early. I’ll try to be quiet if you’re sleeping.” She lingered near the low coffee table in front of the couch.
“Thank you.” Apollyon nodded. “Goodnight, Serenity.”
She smiled at the sound of her name on his tongue, spoken with warmth.
“Goodnight, Apollyon.”
He smiled back at her.
Serenity took herself into her room and shut the door, pressing her back to it and closing her eyes.
How was she supposed to sleep with him in the next room?
It was going to be impossible.
CHAPTER 5
S erenity opened the bedroom door a crack and peered through. The lights in the living room were off but the moon had moved around, shining through the windows to her right beyond the television. She slowly
Serenity caught his wrist before he could move away. He looked down at it and then into her eyes.
She swallowed.
“Where will you go?” She released him and looked out across the rooftops. “Do you have friends here?”
“No.” He moved closer to her again, until he was almost touching her and she could feel his power radiating against hers.
He was strong. His power was far more potent than hers was and she didn’t doubt that he could be a deadly destructive force if he put his mind to it, but for some reason that didn’t scare her. He hadn’t given her a reason to fear him, only to trust him and feel safe around him, and the closer he was to her, the more she felt that way.
Serenity turned and plastered a smile on her face to cover her nerves. “You can stay here.”
A single dark eyebrow rose at the suggestion.
“I have a couch you could sleep on, and some blankets, and it’s better than being alone, right?”
His gaze raked over her again, giving her the impression that he was thinking of sleeping somewhere other than the couch, and then the passion that had been surfacing in his eyes melted away to reveal a feeling that surprised her. It looked a lot like relief or perhaps loneliness. She reached out and touched his forearm, placing her hand on the black leather cuff that protected it, and tried to pinpoint the emotion using her power.
Apollyon frowned and took her hand. The sudden skin-on-skin contact boosted her senses and the feeling came through loud and clear. She stared at him as he toyed with her fingers, his attention fixed on them.
Loneliness.
“The couch sounds good.” He lowered her hand. “I have not slept in a long time.”
“You don’t sleep?” She lifted the latch on the French windows of her balcony and walked into the dark room. When she bumped into the old wooden kitchen table, she snapped her fingers and the lights came on. She looked back at Apollyon where he stood near the door, his gaze scanning her kitchen and dining room. It wasn’t much. The white walls needed a new coat to make them vibrant again and there was a stack of washing in the sink of the compact kitchen.
“Not when I am on duty, unless I am given leave to.” Apollyon stepped forwards into the dining room and Serenity mulled over what he had said as she crossed the room to the open wooden door and went through into the living room. “I only sleep when on Earth. It has been centuries since I was last here.”
“And I called you.” She hadn’t forgotten that. He had been surprised, and so had she. She snapped her fingers again, using her power to turn on the lamp in the corner of the living room behind the television. She pointed to the cream couch. “I’ll get some blankets.”
Serenity felt his gaze on her as she walked away, into her bedroom. The door was to the right of the television, directly in front of the couch. If she left it open, she would be able to see him while he slept. She grabbed one of the pillows from her double bed and then took a thick dark red blanket from the bottom of her wooden wardrobe to the right of the door.
Apollyon was sitting on the couch when she walked back out. He smiled when she handed him the blanket.
“I tend to wake early. I’ll try to be quiet if you’re sleeping.” She lingered near the low coffee table in front of the couch.
“Thank you.” Apollyon nodded. “Goodnight, Serenity.”
She smiled at the sound of her name on his tongue, spoken with warmth.
“Goodnight, Apollyon.”
He smiled back at her.
Serenity took herself into her room and shut the door, pressing her back to it and closing her eyes.
How was she supposed to sleep with him in the next room?
It was going to be impossible.
CHAPTER 5
S erenity opened the bedroom door a crack and peered through. The lights in the living room were off but the moon had moved around, shining through the windows to her right beyond the television. She slowly
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