“Hot tea with lemon.” Her voice came out in a low rasp. He rose to go into the kitchen, but she laid a hand on his arm. “Let me.”

“No way. Sit here and rest.”

Sarafina leaned her head on the armrest of the couch and closed her eyes. Suddenly, she was really glad that he’d insisted on getting the drink for her. Her head was pounding.

Soon she felt the press of a warm ceramic mug into her hand. She opened her eyes and saw Theo sinking into a nearby chair. “That’s lemon verbena tea. Mira is always dropping it off for me even though I never drink it.”

She took a sip and let the warmth fill the aching empty place in the center of her.

It was funny how before she’d known she possessed magick, that place between her breasts had seemed like any other part of her body. She’d never given it much thought. But now that she knew she was a witch, when the seat of her power was damaged, it was the only part of her body that mattered.

“There are two pieces of good news. First is that you’ve learned your lesson and won’t ever do this again.”

Sarafina rolled her eyes at his high-handed comment and the tone he’d delivered it in. God, she couldn’t wait until she could speak freely again; she had a lot to say. Did he even know how infuriating he could be? He seemed completely oblivious.

“Second is that you’re a strong witch and should recover quickly.”

Well, now, that was good news.

Once her tea was mostly gone, she let her eyelids drift closed once more. Theo groaned in the chair next to her, an oddly sexual sound that made her come out of her half sleep with a spike of awareness. One day she’d love to make him groan that way using her hands, tongue, and teeth. The thought made her shiver.

It was incredible how one minute the man was pissing her off and the next she wanted to jump his bones.

There was something about him that flipped her switches, that was for sure. Maybe it was simply the challenge of bringing a man that big and that bad to his knees sexually. Maybe if she ever scratched that particular itch, she wouldn’t be so attracted to him anymore.

Nah, he’d be like crack. One taste and she’d be addicted.

There was also something nice about having a man as big and as bad as Theo watching over her while she drowsed, vulnerable and injured, on the couch. The knowledge that Theo would protect her if Bai decided to return warmed her inside as surely as the tea.

In his presence, she felt safe. Despite everything, she trusted Theo completely, no matter how annoying he could be sometimes.