When he broke it, he whispered, “Good luck zapping something.”

To which I replied, “Whatever.”

To which he delivered his kill shot, giving him the win.

He did it with his eyes to my mouth, still whispering. “Regardless of the extraneous shit and the centuries I had to wait to get what was mine, destiny fuckin’ loves me.”

As completely awesome as that was, still, I was me, so I shared, “That’s the sweet part I’m pretending doesn’t work.”

His eyes came to mine. “Keep it up, pussycat. I like tangy Lilah.”

“Let go of me so I can be annoyed somewhere else,” I ordered, though what I meant was so he’d stop turning me on.

“So full of shit,” he replied.

He knew what I meant, but of course he would. He could smell it.

I pretended that wasn’t the case too and told him, “I’m almost at my quota of bickering for the day so you need to let me go so I can save some up for later, seeing as I’m gonna need it.”

Abel kept smiling, this time doing it giving my hand and head a squeeze. Then he let me go.

Without looking at the other men, I stomped out, Leah and Sonia on my heels, so I could try to see if I could zap something.

I couldn’t. But I knew this already.

I still tried, though not for very long, since it was a lot more fun to go out and watch Sonia talk to bunnies.

Chapter Sixteen

Let the Day Begin

Abel

Abel woke and did it because he felt Delilah getting agitated.

He opened his eyes, feeling her body tucked to his, back to front, his arm draped around her waist.

He tightened his hold and opened his mouth to say something to wake her when her words of three days before came to him about trying to get in her head during a dream.

He closed his mouth and his eyes, tipping his head forward to rest his forehead against her crown. He made his attempt, using his abilities to control her mind by telling her to let him in her dream.

He got nothing. She simply shifted in his arms as she normally did when she was having a dream.

He’d never tried to control anyone’s mind while they were sleeping, so he tried a different tack.

As a test, he ordered her to find his hand and hold it.

Instantly, she did, but she did this still asleep.

And still dreaming.

That meant he could get to her. He just needed to keep trying.

“Bao bei, let me in,” he whispered, curling his fingers around hers and repeating his words to her mind.

Nothing.

Let me in your dream, he again ordered.

Her movements became more agitated but whatever was going on in her head was not his to have.