He reached for her hand, and a jolt of energy shot through her.

Why did that always happen when he touched her? She considered asking him, but he’d probably have thought she was nuts. Instead, she let him lead her back to his home. Their home for the time being. Living with Damian would be weird, even if they weren’t sharing a bedroom. But part of her was relieved she wouldn’t have to be by herself. She’d depended on Jared for so long, she didn’t know how to be alone.

But she would not be dependent on Damian. She had no delusions of making a life with him. Not like she did with Jared. Hell, with the way Damian was hot one minute and cold the next, she couldn’t tell if he liked her or hated her. She wondered if he even knew.

“There’s so much color here. Why does everyone wear white? And why are all the buildings white? Seems like you’d take advantage of all the beauty and make your stuff more colorful.”

He shrugged. “You can’t beat natural beauty, so why even try? White is simple and pure. The way our lives are supposed to be.” He let out a cynical laugh.

“But you can wear anything you want. Any designer is yours with just a thought. It’s a dream come true.” She grinned as she closed her eyes and changed her outfit. The buzzing, tickling sensation against her skin made her shiver.

He chuckled. “I guess when you can have anything—create it with your mind—acquiring material things isn’t that important.”

“Hmm... Well, I love nice clothes. It’s not against the rules for me to wear colors is it?”

“No. I don’t know anyone else who does it, but you’ve never been one to follow the crowd.”

“You wear blue jeans.”

His smirk flattened as he looked down at his own clothes and raised one shoulder in a dismissive shrug. “I like to do things my way.”

“I can tell.”

They continued to walk hand-in-hand until they reached a familiar meadow. She recognized the field as the one she saw outside Damian’s window. A moment later, his home came into view—a simple white structure as plain on the outside as it was on the inside. Even in its bareness, though, the home felt like just that—a home.

“Here we are.” He opened the door for her and followed her in. “Let me make you a room, and then we can get started.” He waved his hand in front of the wall, and a door appeared, identical to the one farther down.

He made it look so easy. With some practice, maybe she’d be able to make her own home someday with flower beds and a picket fence. She could still have her dream home here in the Angelic Realm. Maybe even her dream life.

“This is just temporary. Once you’re trained you’ll get your own place.” His serious expression made her smile.

“Of course.”

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Several moments passed in silence as he focused on building her room. When he finally opened his eyes, he motioned for her to go inside.

“There you go. But it’s just temporary.”

“You already said that.”

He blew out a hard breath and swallowed. She padded past him into her new room. The walls were white, as she expected, but her breath caught at the splash of color he created. A queen-size bed sat in the center of the room and was covered in a luxurious lavender duvet. Matching sheer curtains draped across the bright window, and a bouquet of pink and purple tulips sat on the bedside table.

“What do you think?” His breath against her ear made her jump.

She spun around to face him and found herself inches from his body. An electric charge danced between them, drawing her even closer.

“It’s perfect.” And it was. The gesture was so sweet, her heart jumped into her throat. He knew lavender was her favorite color. The flowers, the color, everything about the room was so her. He knew her. Sure, he’d been watching her her entire life, but he hadn’t simply observed. How could he possibly hate her if he’d taken the time to know her so well? The simple act of designing her room so perfectly revealed a tenderness in him she’d never seen before.

She gazed into his eyes and felt like she would drown in them. His intoxicating scent drew her in. The warmth of his body held her. She couldn’t help herself. She inched forward, her mouth so close to his she could feel his rapid breaths against her lips. When he didn’t pull away, she kissed him.

Their lips met, and the rest of the world slipped away. Fire shot through her limbs as his tongue slipped inside her mouth. His hands came up to cup her face, his touch ever so tender. She slipped her hands behind his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. The passion inside her flared to life, and she pressed her body to his.

He inhaled deeply and slid his hands into her hair. His tongue traced the contours of her lips, his warm breath tickling her skin. He tasted like cinnamon, and she leaned into him, drinking in all she could of the exquisite Angel.

The feel of his sculpted muscles against her chest made her knees weak, and she stumbled into the wall when he jerked out of their embrace. Anger fumed from his body as he clenched his fists and paced her bedroom.

“That shouldn’t have happened. It was a mistake.” He spoke through clenched teeth, his eyes trained on the floor. He wouldn’t even look at her.

“I’m sorry. I...I don’t know what came over me. I just...”

“It won’t happen again.” His steely gaze met hers for a split second before he disappeared.

Great. Smooth move, April.

She plopped onto the edge of her bed and put her head in her hands. What the hell was she thinking?

She’d kissed him.

He did one sweet thing for her, and she’d lost control and kissed him. And what a kiss. Embers still burned in her core from the passion that surged through her body. She’d never felt anything like it. The way he touched her...like she was fragile. Precious. She’d never seen that side of him, and it left her wanting more.

Get it under control, girl. He’s not for you.

Hopefully they could forget the kiss ever happened and get on with her training. She needed to get far, far away from him before she lost more than her human life. She would not lose her heart.

Past the meadow and over the rolling hills, Damian found solace in the stillness. The golden sun warmed his skin as he stretched out on the soft grass. He knew April could find him with a simple thought, but he prayed she wouldn’t. He needed to be alone. As far away from her as possible, so he could sort out the emotional mess he’d made of his heart.

How could he have let that happen? He should’ve known better than to make her room like that. He knew she’d love it. He knew it would melt her heart just a little. And deep down, that’s what he wanted, wasn’t it? Deep down, he wanted her to like him.

Was he insane? April was a giver, and plenty of men were happy to take. She’d never been with a man who showered her with the tenderness and affection she deserved. And that was a shame.

But he shouldn’t be the one giving it to her. She was his Charge. Nothing good ever came from an Angel falling for his Charge. Not in his opinion anyway.

He’d have to be more careful, before he got in over his head. He was already in it deep enough.

But Lord, she tasted good. Like honey and vanilla. The way her body reacted to his touch made his cock swell. The way she pressed against him. How she gasped when he returned the kiss. The passion was driving him to go back and drown himself in her essence.

But he wouldn’t. He couldn’t. He didn’t spend that many years building a fortress around his heart to have it torn down by a pretty face.

Who was he kidding? She was so much more than that, and he knew it. The question was, would he be able to get out of this with his heart intact, or would April tear him to shreds like Juliet did so long ago?

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