Page 13 of Revelations

“Kael.” She hated the way her voice sounded like an old school marm scolding a class of miscreants, but damn him for not being as enraged as she was about being trapped.

He turned away from the painting with a sly grin. “Well, I certainly intend to take advantage of that shower. Care to join me?” His eyebrows arched underneath the thick lock of deep auburn hair that hung over his forehead, almost covering his eyes. When she failed to answer, he shrugged before strolling into the bathroom.

What. The. Hell?

Greylyn was so flummoxed by his behavior, that she stood staring at the closed bathroom door. Sounds of running water reached her ears, along with whistling, before the heavy downpour from the shower drowned out all other sounds.

A few minutes later, he reemerged with a towel draped low over his hips. “Oops! Forgot to see about a change of clothes before jumping in. Excuse me.” He rummaged through the antique mahogany wardrobe. “Wow, they pegged my sizes and everything,” he exclaimed before pulling out a pair of black jeans and a white button-down shirt. “Versace. Nice.”

Heat crept up her neck as she pivoted away to avoid staring at his half-naked physique, the way his perfect V-shaped torso veered from a broad, smooth chest to an eight-pack all the way down to…

Cut it out, Grey!

Once she heard the bathroom door click shut again, she began pacing like a caged bull, searching for something to throw or throttle. An image of her hands around his throat flashed in her mind, followed quickly by another image of her hands sliding down his naked torso to graze the top of the towel.

Stubbing her toe on the dresser, she stifled a yelp by shoving her fist into her mouth. “Damn him!”

After a few decorative pillows soundlessly hit the wall, her fingers itched for something to truly break. Without the loud shattering of something to echo around the room, her need for violence to combat her internal chaos just was not satisfied. She searched for something more fragile.

Perched on one of the nightstands was a ceramic replica of Michelangelo’sDavid. Raising it above her head, Greylyn stopped just as her wrist flicked back to throw.

Dammit!

She placed the figurine back on the dresser and resumed pacing. Breaking things was not the answer, although it would feel good. Instead, she took three deep, cleansing breaths and imagined a shimmering light descending on her, flowing from the top of her head all the way through to her feet before growing roots to ground herself into the earth—even if it was pearly white marble underneath her.

As the light touched every cell of her being, her muscles relaxed, and the pent-up tension and frustration ebbed away. It was a temporary measure at best, but at least it could keep her from destroying the room like a drugged-out rock star.

There was no clock; nothing electronic flashing the time, but it had to have been a solid thirty minutes before the sound of running water stopped, replaced by humming. By that time, Greylyn had given up pacing in favor of a comfy ottoman. She refused to consider going anywhere near the bed.

Moments later, Kael strutted out of the bathroom with the snug jeans low on his hips, the shirt slung over his left shoulder. Her newfound peace shattered at the sight of him. Droplets still clung to his wavy hair, dripping onto the marble floor. With a sharp intake of breath, Greylyn struggled to not gape at the way in which his pectorals and ab muscles rippled as he tugged on the shirt.

“You have to try that shower. The water pressure is amazing. And the steam…it’s heaven.”

“Yeah, like you’d know,” she retorted before forcing herself to look away. She directed her attention instead to rummage through the well-stocked wardrobe of designer everything, with nothing too casual to select from.

Apparently, Simone did not favor faded jeans or yoga pants, and there was definitely no sign of plain t-shirts or a hoodie, so she decided on an ivory silk tank top with spaghetti straps and khaki linen pants. At least the items were clean and did not stink of stale beer.

Satisfied, she stalked into the bathroom, unceremoniously slamming the door so hard that it rattled the vases on a nearby console table.

The jacuzzi called to her, but somehow taking advantage of all the frills that were offered by their host did not sit right with her. After a quick fifteen-minute shower—just enough time to scrub out the dried blood from her hair and brush her teeth—Greylyn rejoined Kael in the bedroom.

He lounged on the king-sized bed in the midst of the rose petals as if he were on a vacation with his bare feet dangling over the edge. All the pillows that she hadthrown earlier surrounded him.

Her fingers twitched for the ceramicDavidstatuette.

He invitingly patted a spot beside him. His wicked grin spoke volumes of what was going through his mind. Before she could think up a lame excuse that she preferred to stand, the sound of the doorknob turning caught her attention.

Somehow, Claude knew that they were ready. He probably had a camera watching their every move. She had been so flustered being alone with Kaelthat she had noteven thought to check for surveillance. All that time while he’d luxuriated in the shower and she hadn’t even looked for a hidden camera or speaker. That was a basic guardian angel surveillance detection lesson. Greylyn fought the urge to slap her own palm against her forehead.

Their host had also changed clothes. Faded skinny jeans outlined Claude’s lower physique, leaving little to the imagination. A thin white silk shirt opened from the collar down to just between his pectoral muscles, revealing a smooth chest.

“Ready, my dears? Or would you like some more time alone?”

His emphasis on the last word was not overlooked by Greylyn. She exchanged a look with Kael, daring him to say anything.

“Hmmm, I suppose not, then.” Claude’s disappointment was evident in his tone and the way his eyes slowly slid from her to Kael and back again. “Well, let us get started, shall we?”

They were led down a cavernous concrete hallway. The bright lights began to dim the farther that they walked. The vampire’s shiny Bruno Magli penny loafers clicked steadily along as if in tune to a favorite melody. After anotherleft turn down an even darker corridor, Claude paused with a huge grin at two steel double doors. With a flourish, he pushed against the doors and waved them to step inside.

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