“Gabriel.This has to be his fault, somehow. I'm going to track him down, pluck out his angel feathers, and stuff a pillow with them.”

“But his eyes say what he can’t. I see it, clear as day, even if she doesn’t. He’d give up his wings for her. All she’d have to do is ask.”

“I try to pretend his shoulder touching mine isn’t causing totally unrelated parts of me to tingle.”

“She gets to the bottom of the stairs, and I lift her off the ground and kiss her. As I lower her back to her feet she says, ‘Mmm, nice. That’s gonna score you some points with the parents.’ I look into the stands and see her parents standing there, slack-jawed, Dad with a camera perched, forgotten, in his hand. And Grandpa is laughing. ‘So what’s the plan?’ ‘I’m working on it. But I’m pretty sure it doesn’t include molesting me in front of them.”

“Sii la mia schiava d’amore,” I purr.Her expression is guarded. “What did you say?”An amused smile pulls at my lips. “I’ll never tell.” Somehow, I don’t think she’d agree to be my love slave anyway.”

“I'm literally too hot to handle.”

“You speak Italian," she says, unconvinced."Si.""Say something." "Sii la mia schiava d'amore," I purr.Her expression is guarded. "What did you say?" An amuse smile pulls at my lips. "I'll never tell." Somehow I don't think she'd agree to be my love slave anyway.”