“You…cheater,” she growled between kisses.

“Not cheating.” He sucked on her lower lip. “Just really motivated.”

She stared into his dilated eyes. “Are you drunk?”

“I absorbed a lot of your magic, so yes, I really am.”

“My magic makes you drunk?”

He stilled, looking at her seriously. “You have no idea what your magic does to me, Sera.” His voice was deep, husky. His mouth dipped to her neck, his hot breath teasing her skin. “It penetrates me.”

He pulled her up, tugging at her top. She was already pulling his shirt over his head. Her tongue traced down his chest, tasting his hot, salty skin.

“You shatter my defenses, Sera. Every last one of them.” His fingers slid under the waistband of her jeans. As they dipped beneath her panties, feeling her, his low groan melted into hers.

His pocket buzzed.

“Phone,” she breathed against his lips.

“Ignore it.”

It buzzed again.

“Are you going to get that?” she asked, pulling off his pants.

“No.” He unhooked her bra. His mouth closed over her nipple. A sharp, white-hot surge of pleasure pierced her.

The pants on the ground kept buzzing.

“Someone really wants to talk to you,” she said, pushing her body against him as he removed the last of her clothes.

“If it’s important, they’ll call me.”

His phone rang. Kai growled.

Sera managed a chuckle. “Well, you did ask for it.”

He reached down and grabbed his phone. “This had better be good,” he growled.

Someone was talking rapidly on the other end. It sounded like Tony.

Kai’s face turned serious, even as he began tracing teasing circles across her chest. “We’ll be there in three hours.” He hung up.

“Trouble?” she asked.

“Tony says we may have an informant, someone in Alden’s inner circle who wants to defect. He’ll be coming to the office in five hours.”

“So what’s in three hours?”

“We have a dinner date with the guys and Riley.”

“Oh, right. I’d forgotten about that. We keep putting it off.”

He gave her a look that was half amused, half exasperated.

“Hey, it wasn’t my fault,” she said.

“Last Friday it was centaurs. The week before it was vampires. I don’t even remember what it was the week before that.”

“Nymphs,” she told him.

The look he shot her this time was at least seventy percent exasperation.

“What can I say? Friday nights are all-you-can-eat supernatural madness in San Francisco. Lots of fire to put out, lots of monsters to kill. And you know these things always happen when you least want them.”

“Who ever wants bickering nymphs?”

Sera laughed. “Are you serious? Like basically the entire male population, that’s who.”

He shrugged his massive shoulders. “Too much hair-pulling and panty-throwing.”

Sera choked on her tongue.

“I like my woman a bit more genteel.”

“And here I was thinking it was my big sword that got your attention.”

Kai’s mouth quirked up. “Isn’t that my line?”

She snorted. “You did not just say that.”

“I most certainly did.” His eyes smoldered with wicked intentions. “Perhaps you need a reminder.” His hand settled on the small of her back.

A small moan escaped her lips as he pulled her roughly against him. “Three hours, you say? That should be plenty of time.”

“It will do. For now.” He kissed her with savage passion, then pulled away, leaving her breathless, aching. “Right now, you’re all mine.”

“Unless there’s a monster emergency.”

“Sweetheart, soon enough there won’t be any room in your thoughts for monsters,” he promised.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Bonds

AS SERA ENTERED her house with Kai, a dozen delicious smells welcomed her home. Fried potatoes, crusted with butter. Sweet corn and carrots. Freshly baked bread. Grilled steaks. Garlic. Ketchup. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation.

Kai chuckled. “Let’s get you something to eat to replenish all those calories you burned.” From the look in his eyes, he wasn’t just talking about their battle on the beach.

They slipped off their shoes, then headed into the dining room. Riley and the commandos were already there, loading up the table with steaming platters.

“Hey, warrior princess, you have sand in your hair,” Dal commented, giving her hair a gentle tug as he passed her with a basket of rolls.

She grabbed one of them. “I know. We were training on the beach.”

“I bet that’s not all they were doing on the beach,” commented Callum.

Sera tried not to blush.

“Let’s not talk about it,” said Riley. “I don’t need any images to burn from my mind.”

The commandos laughed. Kai took her hand, giving her a relaxed smile. Sera’s heart did a little flutter, then her stomach growled again.

“Wow, this all looks amazing,” she declared as she sat. “So good, in fact, that I might even forgive the absence of pizza.”

“There are a few mini pizzas in the oven,” Riley told her.

A warm, content feeling filled Sera. What could be better than an evening with good friends and good food?