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It still bothered me that it took me being jailed by the demon hunters for seven years to see Jack as he truly was. I frowned as I studied my clothes nearly forgetting what I’d been doing. That’s how upset I still was over marrying a man who loved his ambitions more than me. But what could I do to change the past? Nothing. There was nothing I could do.

Finally, I snapped out of my mental funk and pulled something out of my duffle to sleep in. “Do ya think Rasmus has the same integrity problems as Jack?”

“Time will tell us that answer. All I can see for now is that his personal wounds made him an easy scapegoat. It would not surprise me to learn your ex-husband paid one of those demonesses to put a compulsion on your ponytail guy. It also makes me wonder if Jack is in league with them, despite what his fellow hunter believes.”

“I wondered the same,” I said. “And please stop talking about Rasmus like he’s my problem. He’s not ‘my’ anything. I barely know the man. Plus, he compared me to hiswifeon the way to dinner tonight. Add in him potentially fathering a demon baby, and the man’s a hot mess. I’m not rolling into bed with him simply to irritate Jack nor because he looks like a god chiseled the muscles on his body.”

Conn chuckled. “You should have seen your face next to his man parts today. That was priceless. You looked so pained. It was the most fun I’ve had in years. I’m so glad you’re back, Aran.”

I snorted as Conn continued to laugh and describe my embarrassment in even more poetic terms. Running my hands over every inch of Rasmus was going to make it difficult to sleep tonight. I kept thinking about all the parts of him I’d wanted to touch more but hadn’t dared. Conn reminding me over and over wasn’t helping me forget.

Celibacy was a problem for people with magick, and my pent-up situation was getting worse. Repressed sexual energy too often morphed into explosive spells and dangerous magick being accidentally used.

At least my physical misery cheered Conn up. I suppose there was something good about that.

ChapterThirteen

Katie went to the basement, saw the cage was open, and naturally assumed Rasmus had become a guest. When I wandered into the dining area, he was at her table drinking coffee and listening to her stories. Their shared laughter grated on my nerves.

“Good morning,” he said, saluting me with his coffee cup.

“I reserve judgement on the day until I’ve had a cup of coffee. I’m glad to see my wards failed to alert me ya left the cage.”

Katie giggled. “That’s my fault. Is he dangerous? Should I have left him in there?”

Rasmus hid a grin in his coffee cup. I narrowed my eyes before I glared at him. “He’s not as dangerous as he used to be. We’ve come to an understanding.”

I pulled out a chair. Katie made soothing sounds as she slid the coffee in front of me. “There you go, sweetie. It’s not an Irish cuppa because I know ya drink high-caffeine sludge like the regular humans now.”

“Blasphemer,” I said, sipping off the top of the steam. “Being beautiful doesn’t excuse ya.”

Rasmus turned to smile at Katie. He even showed her all his teeth, which were as perfect as the rest of him.

I sipped and pretended not to care. Well, I didn’t care. But after the restless night I spent tossing and turning over the feel of his abs under my fingers, I wasn’t feeling friendly toward him this morning.

“Aran’s better once she gets the first cup down,” he said to Katie who giggled in return.

Watching them was worse than watching the giggling barista flirt with Conn.

“Will your roommate be joining us?” Katie asked in her singsong way.

“Conn was in the shower when I came down. We’re leaving as soon as we can.”

“Don’t leave because of the fairies. I’d rather have your company than theirs.”

I was sullen and silent as a smiling Katie left to fetch our breakfast.

“What fairies?” Rasmus asked.

Katie made excellent coffee. Half a cup down and I was already feeling awake. “She has a fairy family coming to stay here. This house is her bed-and-breakfast business. Back in Ireland, we called this kind of place an inn. Katie’s an innkeeper.”

“What kind of magickal is she?”

“I can’t discuss her powers. She was Conn’s friend long before I knew either of them existed. Both of us protect her privacy.”

“Is she a witch like you?”

“No and stop guessing. Ya don’t have her kind her in America. She’s not a demon.”