IN THE SHADOWS OF ANGELS

Sliding from the bed, she padded quietly across the room, the ghost cat close at her heels. At least she wasn’t totally alone. The cat sat beside the door and stared at her expectantly. Biting her lip, Ella placed her hand on the door latch, Maggie’s words filtering through her mind. Don’t venture out at night. She glanced at the cat, who swished his tail. Nothing could be worse than her last misadventure, which ended with an unexpected kiss. Opening the door slowly, she winced when the hinges squeaked, and paused before edging through the partially open door.  

“Hello Ella.” 

Startled at the calm male voice, Ella sucked in a breath, her eyes wide as she stared at Luke. The ghost cat arched its back, shooting back into the room with a screech. Ella clutched the door, ready to follow the cat. She’d been caught doing the one thing that seemed taboo in the castle—leaving her room at night. Instead of fleeing to cower under her bedcovers, she faced Luke’s galvanizing stare. 

He relaxed back in the wooden chair, his hands clasped behind his head, an ankle crossed over a knee. He raised a questioning brow. “What are you doing?” 

“Me?” she demanded. “What are you doing sitting outside my bedroom?” Whether her voice shook from surprise or because he sat there with his shirt unbuttoned to his stomach, she didn’t know. 

He sat forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “You should be quivering in your sheets after your ordeal.” 

“I don’t quiver,” she replied, drawing courage from the millions of heroines across the globe. If they could stand up to their hero counterparts, then so could she. 

“I shall remember that.” 

“Do you plan to sit outside my room every night? Be careful or I might start thinking you like me.” 

His sudden grin brought an immediate softening to his features. “I am contemplating chaining you to my bed to stop you wandering at night.” 

The thought of Luke chaining her to his bed thrilled her. Imagine not being able to move as his fingers roamed all over her body. Ella cleared her throat, shifting her weight. Now, her groin throbbed uncomfortably. Sighing, she crossed her arms, resisting his magnetic pull, and forced a frown to her brow. 

“Have I annoyed you, Miss Ella?” 

“No.” 

“Of course not. You are all sugar and spice.” 

“I’ve got a bad temper,” Ella warned half seriously. 

“I like a ferocious woman.”