Page 74 of Seduced By Moonlight

“Oh, awesome.”

“While you freshen up, I’ll duck downstairs and get you some coffee. Give me about ten minutes and I’ll be back. How does that sound?”

“Like heaven. Thanks.”

Ward made a quick pit stop by his room, brushed his own teeth, then hurried downstairs to the kitchen. Since he was there, he grabbed himself some coffee as well. After fixing two to-go cups, he rushed back to Kayden’s room.

He found Kayden at the window. He could smell the toothpaste Kayden had used to brush his teeth.

“The view from here is one of the best in the castle,” Ward began, hoping to ease into conversation casually as he moved toward the window. He gestured toward the landscape outside. And his damn tail wrapped around Kayden’s thigh.

Kayden looked down.

“Sorry.”

“It seems to like me.”

“It does.” Ward sighed as his tail finally let go of Kayden.

Kayden glanced outside. “It’s beautiful.”

You’re beautiful.“So how are you really?” Ward asked instead, handing Kayden his coffee.

“I’m good. Really,” Kayden responded, turning away from the window. He took a seat and Ward followed him. “The headache’s mostly gone, thanks to Celine. Still a bit groggy, though.”

Ward nodded, his eyes never leaving Kayden as he rubbed his temple lightly.

Kayden took a sip of his coffee, and his eyes widened. “Oh my God, this is good.”

“I’ll tell Manny. He’s the chef here.”

“Is he the one who made the doughnuts that night?”

Ward chuckled. “He was, actually.”

“Lucky you. He’s good.”

“Yes, he is.” Ward cleared his throat. He was sitting close enough to Kayden that he could smell his natural scent. It wasa combination of fresh-cut grass, blooming flowers, the salty scent of the ocean, sunscreen, ripe fruits like citrus, and berries.

Summer. It reminded him of summer.And he loved it.

“I’m glad you stayed,” Ward finally said. The words felt… well, heavy, and loaded with meaning he wasn’t fully ready to explore.

“So am I,” Kayden replied softly, taking a bigger gulp of his coffee. “But most of my crew did not stay.”

“I know. Before I came to see you, I spoke to Celine. I wish they had, but I understand their reluctance. But let them know that if they change their mind, they are certainly welcome back,” Ward said.

“I will. Did Celine tell you that Mika and Lance stayed?”

“She did.”

Silence fell between them for a moment. Was it Ward’s imagination or had Kayden scooted a little closer toward him? It still surprised him Kayden didn’t seem to mind that Ward was in his true form. He never reacted.

Well, that wasn’t necessarily true. Kayden reacted—it just wasn’t a negative response. Ward could certainly hear when Kayden’s heart rate kicked up slightly whenever he was around. And it wasn’t from fear.

“I hated having to leave you like that, but I didn’t have a choice, unfortunately. When the sun rises, we turn to stone. There’s no getting around it.”

“I know that. I didn’t blame you for leaving. There’s really not anything you can do about stopping a bodily function.”

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