“Yes.” An unabashed response. “I have one progeny in my line.”

“And did you enjoy the process of fornicating?” He preferred the term fucking, but Caro seemed to favor formal terms.

She scrunched her nose. “Enjoyment is for humans.”

“Is it?” He slid his leg upward, and her breathing quickened. “I find the act very pleasing.”

She swallowed. “What are you doing?”

“Seducing you,” he admitted as he stroked the waistband of her pants.

“To what purpose?” she asked, her voice just above a whisper.

“Pleasure, angel. And perhaps a bit of intrigue to see if I can’t evoke a reaction from you in the process.”

Her blue eyes glinted with reproach. “That bears no practical reasoning whatsoever.”

“Not everything is based on practicality, sweetheart.” He slid his hand beneath her blouse to explore the bare skin beneath. “Some experiences are based on sensation.”

He pressed his palm to her side and ventured higher, slowly. Goose bumps sprouted along the way, indicating she wasn’t nearly as averse to his touch as she pretended to be.

“Stoicism is the result of avoiding emotion, but our bodies speak for us.” He traced the underwire of her bra with his thumb and smiled when her cheeks flushed in response. “Do you feel warm, angel?”

“I—” She cleared her throat. Twice. “I fail to see the relevance of what you’re doing.”

Sethios trailed his fingers higher to find her pebbled nipple and rolled it through the fabric. “What if I offered you something useful?” he asked as he continued taunting her breast. “Would that put your mind at ease?”

She swallowed again as her gaze deepened to a midnight blue. He doubted she recognized the reaction, but he did. Arousal.

Mmm, it seemed Seraphim could indeed feel.

He would be exploring that discovery to the fullest once she conceded.

“Wh-what could you possibly offer?” Her words lacked the punch she obviously meant to deliver. It pleased him immensely.

“I know Osiris’s home location,” he replied. “And I think you’ll find there are very few of us with that information.”

She trembled as he removed his hand to venture south. He wanted to test the limits of her desire.

“That’s not useful,” she argued, even as she arched subtly into him.

Oh, what he wouldn’t give to be inside her head right now. The debate had to be amusing.

“No?” he asked as his fingers popped the button on her jeans and drew down the zipper. “How long do you plan to roam Earth, angel? Because Osiris doesn’t frequent the Arcadia often. He only visited this evening for a Conclave, which I assume is why your council sent you tonight.”

She fought to hold his gaze as he traced the seam of her panties. Silk. An interesting choice for a Seraphim.

“When is the next Conclave?” she asked on an exhale. Such a sultry tone bemoaning sex. How could she not hear it?

Sethios explored lower, to the damp juncture between her thighs. “Oh, angel, you’re not even providing a challenge.”