“But you will trust me again, Annabelle. You will want me again, and we will be together. I will behave. You’ll see.”
His arrogance should have rubbed her the wrong way, but knowing he wanted her so much, that he was willing to do anything to be with her, was more an aphrodisiac than a deterrent. And if anyone possessed the strength to pull himself from the brink of satisfaction, or from anything, for that matter, it was Zacharel. From now on, he would control himself.
Maybe his faith-filled words had worked.
“I’m not sure why we want each other,” she grumbled.
“Nor am I, but the fact remains that we do want each other.”
“Maybe I’m just shallow. You’re quite pretty.”
“For now, that will do.”
Infuriating man. Couldn’t take an insult the way she intended. With a sigh, Annabelle wrapped her arms around his neck. “All right, I’ll leave with you.”
Satisfaction dominated his expression, as he anchored her against the strength of his body and shot into the air.
“Wait! My packages,” she said when she realized he was not heading back to the cave.
“I do not want to risk going back and encountering more demons. We’ll buy you new things.”
Another shopping trip? “That kinda sounds like a bribe.”
“Whatever it takes.”
She almost laughed. Almost. “Two can play that game. Expect to spend thousands—without a reward.”
“As long as we buy cookies as well as clothing, I’m fine with that.”
Cookies. Sneaky angel, he’d just had to go there, hadn’t he, reminding her of his enjoyment, his sensual delight.
He said, “Time for your bath. Hold your breath,” and swooped down, diving into a clear lake before she could demand to know why.
Icy water instantly enveloped her, colder even than his wings, making her gasp and choke and shiver. Just when she thought she could take no more, he glided out and back into the clouds.
The fact that he soared so effortlessly, despite the waterlogged state of his wings, spoke of his amazing strength. “Little more…warning next…time,” she said between coughing fits.
“My apologies. How much more time would you like?”
“A hour, maybe. Possibly two.” Though no amount of time could prepare her for such a frigid dipping.
“Very well. But I must admit, taking care of a female is more difficult than even I imagined.”
“Hey! I am not high maintenance. I’m spunky.”
His gaze met hers for a protracted second. “To a man who has spent centuries seeing to only his own needs, you are indeed high maintenance, but I’m finding I do not mind maintaining you.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
ZACHAREL CONSIDERED HIS options. Demons had found Annabelle in the clouds. They’d found her in the cave. Clearly, keeping her underground wasn’t the answer any more than keeping her in the heavens had been. So that left…what?
Knocking her out? No one had attacked her while she had slept. Or…wait. “How long were you in the institution before the demons found you?”
“A month, maybe.”
A month. Her scent and allure must have been masked by the people surrounding her. People, then. People were not a threat but a key.
With that in mind, he flew her to a busy hotel for humans on the outskirts of New Zealand. Obtaining a room wasn’t difficult. He simply misted her through the walls until spying what he wanted: an unoccupied space, with guests on either side, above and below.
“Shower. Warm up,” he told her, then left to procure food and clothing. More than the impromptu bath, she’d had to deal with his declining temperature.