Yuri moved that way, speaking. “I’m to leave shortly to meet the coven. I should let you go.”

“Fine, Yuri. I’ll expect a call in a few hours,” his father replied.

Yuri didn’t reply this time because he smelled her before he made it to the door. He looked through the peephole, regardless, and saw her standing outside, her head turned, eyes aimed down the corridor, her mass of dark hair arranged in soft plaits leading to a loose bun at her nape.

She looked as if she was prepared to go on a date, not approach a volatile coven in a battle of magic that might have dire consequences.

Furthermore, he was meeting her and her sister witches. Why she was at the door to his hotel suite, he had no idea.

Except she was Aurora, vexing in a way he liked.

“Good-bye, Father,” he murmured into the phone.

“Until later, Yuri,” his father replied.

Yuri ended the call, then unlocked and opened the door.

Her little, curvaceous body jolted when he did, as if she wasn’t expecting him to answer.

“You’re here, my sweet…why?” he asked as greeting.

“Hey, Yuri,” she returned.

“Hello, Aurora,” he replied, then ordered, “Now, answer my question.”

She looked beyond him and asked, “Aren’t you going to ask me in?”

He had no desire to ask her in. They had important tasks to see to that night. They had no business being in a suite of rooms that included a king-sized bed and two double beds, not to mention two couches.

Nevertheless, it was Aurora, and he had less desire to leave her standing out in the hall. Therefore, he shifted to the side to allow her entry.

She took his invitation and moved in, graceful on another pair of attractive, but ludicrous in the circumstances, high-heeled boots. She wore them with enchanting light gray slacks that hugged her generous heart-shaped ass and a very un-witch-like, stylish periwinkle sweater that did lovely things to her eyes and was woven so loosely, he could see the skintight matching camisole underneath.

He cast aside his reaction to her garments, shut the door, and inquired, “Do you have an assignation after our business tonight?”

She turned to him to give him startled but amused eyes. “An assignation?”

He moved into the suite while flicking his hand her way. “You’re quite fetching, Aurora.” He stopped several feet away from her and crossed his arms on his chest. “More fetching than normal. More, indeed, than need-be considering our business this evening.”

She lifted a hand and lightly touched a tendril of hair he had no doubt was not tucked in her attractive coiffure for the very purpose that it was more appealing curling around the skin in front of her ear. Appealing enough to make him want to touch it, curl his finger around it, and maybe tug it lightly just to see her response.

He tore his attention off the tendril and gave it back to her, prompting, “Aurora?”