She turned the doorknob and stepped out into the living room, nearly tripping over a bag of clothes in front of the door. She snatched it up and backed into the bathroom to get dressed. New clothes kept appearing out of nowhere—like magic.

When she emerged the second time, Kai was sitting on the sofa, talking on his phone. From the half of the conversation that she could hear, it sounded like the commandos were on the other end. Kai turned to look over the back of the sofa. He met her eyes and waved her over. She approached, encouraged by the fond look in his eyes and by the scent of hot blueberry pancakes.

“Check in with the other Magic Council members present for the Games. So far, the vampires have only gone after Blackbrooke, but that doesn’t mean he’s their only target. They all need extra security,” Kai spoke into the phone.

He looked up at Sera and pointed at the breakfast tray on the coffee table. In addition to a stack of blueberry pancakes—lightly dusted with powdered sugar—there was a large glass of milk. Mmm.

“Look, I don’t care what they claim, Callum,” Kai said impatiently. “The fact is that a magic hate group is in possession of a magical artifact that can control vampires. They are using this power here, in New York, to target a prestigious member of the Magic Council. They aren’t just going to give up. And Sera is far too busy jumping through Duncan Blackbrooke’s Magic Games hoops to save his ass again, let alone babysit the entire Magic Council contingent here. Tell my esteemed colleagues that they can either get some added security or get dead.”

As Sera sat down next to him, she could hear the buzz of one of the commandos speaking.

“Yes, you can quote me on that,” Kai said and hung up the phone. He set it on the table, then turned toward her. “Good morning, Sera. I ordered you some breakfast while you were in the shower.”

A warm flush spread across her cheeks as she remembered the thoughts that had necessitated the shower. “Thanks,” she said. “I love pancakes.”

“I know.” The look in his eyes made her blush again, as though he were saying, “I know what else you like.”

She grabbed the plate, focusing on the pancakes. Her tunnel-vision defense hadn’t held up long last night, but maybe it would work this time. As she slid the fork into the first pancake, Kai leaned over to kiss her on her head. She jumped a little, and the fork tumbled from her fingers, bouncing against the plush white carpet. She stared down at the blueberry-stained spot and groaned.

“You look forlorn,” Kai said.

“Between the bloody towels and the blueberry carpet stains, the hotel manager is going to blow a fuse.” She cringed, imagining hotel manager parts and pieces raining down on the lobby. “Do you have any idea how many monsters I have to kill before I can pay off those damages?”

“It’s just a few towels and a tiny stain, Sera.”

“And the mutilated remains of the hotel manager.”

“I wasn’t aware that he was dead,” he said drily.

“He will be after he sees this mess.”

“Is it possible that you’re overreacting?”

She wiped down her fork, then cut into the pancakes. “I’d never admit to that.” She ate her way through the first pancake, then, realizing she was being rude, held out her fork to Kai.

He shook his head. “I already ate.”

“What did you have?”

“A roll with salami.”

Of course. “No sheep? Or goats?” she added with a smile.

“The kitchen was fresh out of grass-fed quadrupeds.”

She snorted, and milk shot out of her nose. Thankfully, it didn’t get on him. “Sorry,” she muttered, patting her face with a napkin. “Geez, that was really attractive.”

“You’re always attractive,” he told her. “Even with milk shooting out of your nose.” He leaned down to kiss her on the head again, watching her closely the whole time, like he was afraid she’d bolt.

“Still here,” she told him with a smile.

“I was…concerned,” he said. “The last time I kissed you, you dropped a fork and proceeded to plan out the murder of the hotel manager.”

“Hey, I didn’t plan his murder,” she protested, dipping a piece of pancake in some milk that had spilled onto her plate. “I only said he’d explode when he saw the mess I’d made. And I didn’t drop the fork because you kissed me.”

His dark brows lifted. “Oh?”

“I dropped it because you kissed me while I was thinking salacious thoughts, and I, uh, felt guilty about that.”

He studied her face for a moment, then said, “Tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“I want to hear more about these salacious thoughts. Was I naked? Were you? And what were we doing?”

“We’re always naked in my thoughts. And doing, um, things.”

He lifted his hand to her neck, caressing the sensitive skin. It slid down, tracing her collarbone, then disappeared beneath her top. His fingers kissed her breasts, his lips tickled her jaw.

“Like this?” he whispered, his words grazing her ear. Her skin tingled with goosebumps.

“For instance.”

She tried to concentrate, to think through the fog clouding her mind, but he was making that impossible. His hand stroked the inside of her thigh.

“I liked it when you were wearing a skirt,” he said, his voice strained.