Page 56 of Princess of Bael

That wasn’t exactly how my cuff worked, but his idea held merit. “The Dark Provenance would bend over backward to meet with an Archangel.”

They were notoriously enamored with the heavenly beings. And anyone who appeared not so excited to meet Ezra would stick out.

Just as someone trying too hard would also be noticed.

I slowly started nodding. “It’s a good place to start.” And it put all our potential suspects in one room.

Only the guilty party would know our true intention of being there, and that person might give himself or herself away.

Or better yet, he or she may refuse to attend, I thought.

It was a long shot, but we had an extensive list that would take forever to work through. This would cut down our time spent on the initial review and narrow down our suspects.

Except…I frowned. “Will the Nephilim believe I’m your mate?”

Because if they didn’t, I would be the one standing out in the crowd.

Which would make observing them very difficult.

“Nephilim don’t really like demons, even Halflings,” I continued as Ezra studied me. “They may not even let me in the building.”

“They will if I tell them you’re with me.”

“Maybe. But then they’ll all just wonder why I’m there. They can’t sense mating bonds, and we don’t exactly look like we’re mated.”

He arched a brow. “How do mated couples look?”

“I don’t know. More sensual?” I guessed, thinking back on the few demon mates that I knew. “For starters, they actually like each other.” Most of the time, anyway. Some of them bickered, but their fights always carried a palpable sexual undertone. Like they knew as soon as they solved the conflict, they’d end up fucking. Or maybe fucking while continuing to argue.

But maybe angel mates were different.

“Is it typical for angel mates not to touch?” I wondered out loud. “I guess we’re not a normal couple anyway, given that we hate each other and I’m half-Archdemon and you’re an Archangel. However, that’ll just draw more attention, right?”

I blew out a breath and closed my eyes.

Maybe I can ask Zip for a favor?The little Orsini Devil enjoyed surveillance missions. He accepted cookies as bribes, making him cheap.

But I doubted—

Warm knuckles caressed my cheek, halting my thoughts and causing me to inhale sharply. Ezra’s woodsy scent surrounded me in an intoxicating cloud of masculinity and grace.

“I don’t hate you, Kayla,” he whispered, his hand finding my hip as his opposite palm cupped my jaw. Heat swirled around me, his body seeming to set mine on fire as he pulled me into him. “And there are ways to intensify the sensuality of our bond, too.”

I swallowed, my eyes opening to find him standing far too close. “Ezra…”

“Kayla,” he returned, his silky voice holding a promise I didn’t want to accept, a need I didn’t want to hear, a curiosity I didn’t want to share. But I could almost taste him, his lips mere inches from mine.

We’d kissed once.

When he’d fed me his blood.

The memory haunted my dreams, always evolving into something explicit and ending with me losing myself to the passion of Ezra’s touch.

Only to wake and find myself alone.

Those were both my favorite and most hated moments.

I whispered his name again, my need to push him away disappearing behind a fantastical part of my mind that craved my mate. Desired his touch. Yearned formore.