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“So you’re a Mr. Fancy Pants?” She hooked her arm in his, and he stiffened at the unexpected physical touch. “Oops,” she whispered, jerking it back. “Sorry, I need to learn boundaries.”

He mentally stumbled for what was appropriate to say. “I’m not accustomed to… touch,” he said, remembering to be honest with her. She was the first female that wasn’t…her.“But I don’t mind it. From you.”

Her curious look slowly melted as she hooked her arm back in his. “Well, that fixed that,” she said softly, filling him with her giggle that felt like tiny angel wings made of glass.

Kaos opened the back entrance where a sleek black sedan waited, engine humming with a suited man holding the rear door open.

Kaos gave a nod of acknowledgment to him then allowed her to enter first.

She slid in with a soft gasp, hands smoothing her dress as Kaos followed and settled beside her. Fredrick shut the door gently, circled to the driver’s side and climbed in.

The car pulled forward and a few seconds later, the partition separating them lowered halfway, revealing a clean-shaven host with calm eyes in the rearview mirror.

“Good evening, Mr. King. Ms. Jaxi. Any preference on where you'd like to dine tonight?”

Kaos hesitated. He glanced at Jaxi, who lit up at the question but waited for him to answer.

He looked back at the mirror. “Recommend something,” he said.

The driver nodded once. “There’s a private rooftop bistro about ten minutes from here. Quiet. Romantic. Secure.”

Kaos gave the barest nod. “Yes. That will do.”

The partition began to rise again.

Jaxi leaned toward him slightly, grinning. “A rooftop bistro? You really are Mr. Fancy Pants.” Her eyes sparkled with something soft. “And romantic? Is that part of the mission, or are you improvising?”

He turned his head slightly, his voice low. “Improvising. Poorly.”

She chuckled, hooking her arm in his again. “I think you’re doing pretty good.”

Kaos drew in a breath, filling himself with her scent. She’d added something to her skin. Something soft and floral, like her skin and dress. “You smell like…”

“Crap,” she gasped. “Is it too strong?”

He looked at her and their gazes locked in the darkness. “A bouquet of sin,” he finished quietly.

She didn’t gasp or laugh this time. She lowered her gaze then looked out her window. “And you smell like… an angel of redemption.”

Kaos studied her profile, his instincts to touch her becoming sharp. “I’m not an angel,” he said, sneaking in the confession. He realized he wanted her to know the truth about him. About all of him.

She returned her face to his, filled with her smile. “You are,” she assured lightly, as if her belief made it so. “An angel who needs to learn how to live a little.”

Kaos stared at her. “I’m trying.”

Jaxi bumped her shoulder lightly against his. “And I’m here for it.” She patted his hand on his thigh. “I’ll see that you learn to fly.”

Kaos let the moment breathe until her eyes left him for the window. “I’ve only ever guarded one woman before you.”

Her face returned, brows lifted. “Seriously?”

He nodded once.

She leaned forward slightly. “Okay, now I’m curious. Was she royalty? A criminal? Some kind of cosmic VIP?”

Kaos’s hand slowly curled into a fist on his thigh as he sorted through various descriptions. “She was a special girl.”A lot like you.“She was bonded to me. But my presence became a threat.”

Jaxi’s brows lifted slightly. “Bonded? Like…”