The image of Zayne in nothing but a paper sack immediately formed in my thoughts, and I felt my cheeks flush. I hated myself for even putting that into the universe.

“You don’t blend in, either,” he said, and my chin jerked in his direction.

“Because I reek like I imagine a moldy butt smells?”

Zayne laughed, a deep rumbling sound that created interesting little flutters in the pit of my stomach. “No,” he said, stopping at a busy intersection. “Because you’re beautiful, Trin. You have this thing. It’s this spark from within. A light. There isn’t a single person out here that can’t see that.”

9

I was waiting for Zayne in the center of the mats, sitting cross-legged, and, instead of stretching, I was daydreaming about a different life where it was okay for Zayne to tell me I was beautiful. Granted, this spark or light he was claiming everyone and their mother could see probably was my grace and not my stunning physical attributes.

“I have an idea,” Zayne announced as he strolled out of the bedroom.

My gaze dropped to Zayne’s hand. He held a strip of black material. I raised my brows. “Should I be worried?”

“Only a little.” He grinned, lifting the material.

When I realized he was holding a tie, I started to ask for more detail, but the buzzer on the intercom went off. “Expecting anyone?”

“No.” Zayne jogged to the doors. “Hello?”

“It’s me, your new best friend forever.” The all-too-familiar voice floated through the speaker.

“What in the Hell?” Zayne muttered.

“Is that who I think it is?” I rose onto my knees.

“If you’re thinking it’s Roth,” he replied with a sigh, “then you’d be correct.”

“Are you ignoring me?” Roth’s voice came through the speaker once more. “If so, I’m going to have a sads.”

My lips twitched at that. I guessed Roth’s parting words the day before exemplified the demonic talent of making a normal statement sound like something a serial killer would utter.

A moment later, I felt the warning of Roth’s arrival, and then the elevator doors opened.

“Yo,” I heard Roth say, but from where I was sitting, I couldn’t see much of him.

“Two days in a row?” Zayne said. “To what do we owe the honor?”

Roth chuckled. “I’m bored. That’s the honor.”

“And you decided to come here?”

“I was in the neighborhood, so, yep.” The Crown Prince strolled through Zayne’s living room like it was a common, everyday occurrence. As he drew closer, I saw that he was slurping something from a white foam cup. There were red letters on the drink, but I couldn’t make them out. Roth spotted me and grinned. “Hey there, Angel Face, you look like you’re praying. I hope I’m interrupting.”

Angel Face? “Sorry to disappoint but no.”