Brynne’s breath halted in her lungs. The woman was beautiful. Flame-red waves bounced as she walked, her beaming smile trained fully on Zael. She raised her hand in greeting to him.

He knew her. His answering smile conveyed recognition, affection. The way he opened his arms to her then enfolded her within them seemed to say that Zael felt something more than simple affection for this woman.

Brynne reflexively stepped back from the window, feeling awkward and intrusive.

Feeling stung.

She watched from within the shadows of her room as Zael and the woman finally released each other from their unrushed embrace, then began a leisurely walk together in the gardens.

Apparently, the Atlantean had no shortage of fawning admirers among the Order.

He certainly didn’t need Brynne feeding his oversized ego any more than she already had.

With an unimpressed roll of her eyes, she pivoted away from the window. Although she’d come back to her room to relax, she knew if she stayed in there now she’d only be tempted back to the window eventually to look some more for Zael and his smitten female companion.

Instead, Brynne took her time showering, then slipped into her fresh clothes. She couldn’t deny that she was still rankled by her reaction to Zael and the other woman, but the suds and warm water had washed away most of her indignation’s edge.

She hoped the vast collection of books in the library next door would be enough to keep her mind distracted from any further thoughts of Zael for the rest of the day. With her damp hair falling in loose waves down her back, she padded out of her suite and into the adjacent room.

With any luck, Zael would not only be finished chatting up his pretty friend, but also be gone from Order headquarters long before Brynne had to leave her cozy third floor sanctuary.

Resolved to stay where she was until Tavia or someone else came to drag her out, Brynne perused the bookcases. Everything from contemporary novels and classics, to history and biographies, foreign language novels and poetry filled the beautiful old wood shelves. She browsed several different titles, flipping through the pages with preoccupied disinterest.

Wondering who Zael’s companion was and trying not to imagine how many other beautiful women the Atlantean probably had wrapped around his finger.

Not to mention other parts of his anatomy.

A female’s laughter sounded somewhere near the far end of the hallway. The warm, happy sound snapped Brynne’s head up from the tenth or twentieth book she’d taken from the shelf and replaced.

She didn’t recognize the woman’s pleasant voice.

But she did recognize Zael’s. “I enjoyed our walk, Dylan. I hope we can find time to talk some more while I’m here.”

A sharp, bitter emotion stabbed Brynne at the sincerity she heard in his tone.

“I never dreamed we’d have this chance to reconnect and spend time together like this,” the woman said. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me, Zael.”

“To me as well.”

Ugh, please. Brynne’s unwilling jealousy morphed into alarm an instant later when she realized the pair was coming her way up the corridor.

Too late to make a smooth escape now, she was trapped where she stood. Or faced with the even less attractive option of attempting to sneak out to the passageway ahead of them and slip back into her suite. They were too close for that already, mere steps from the library’s open door.

Instead, Brynne snatched the nearest novel off the shelf then hurried to take a seat in a high-backed wing chair, curled into it as if she’d been there for hours.

She made it barely in time to see Zael and the copper-tressed beauty pause right outside the library. He’d at least put his shirt back on since Brynne saw him outside, but the gauzy white linen was unbuttoned halfway down his bronzed chest, the sleeves rolled up to bare his tanned forearms and the leather thong that rode on his wrist.

“Here’s your guest room,” his companion announced as she opened the door directly across the hall. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.”

At his smile and polite nod, she went up on her toes and kissed his cheek. She pivoted and started walking away, with Zael’s bright blue eyes tender on her.

Brynne tore her gaze away, rooting her focus on the book she held open in front of her face. As much as she hoped—fervently prayed—he wouldn’t notice her there, she knew she couldn’t possibly be so fortunate.

“Brynne,” he said, surprise in his deep voice. “I didn’t realize you were in here.”

Obviously. She glanced up from her book as if she was equally unaware of him. “Hmm? I’m sorry, I was reading and not paying any attention. What did you say?”

He smirked knowingly. Damn him. “I said, I didn’t realize Dylan and I had an audience just now.”

Dylan and him. He said it with a familiarity that grated more than she wanted to acknowledge.

“You had no such thing.” To demonstrate, she held up her book. “I came in here to relax and read for a while. If you hadn’t interrupted me just now, I might not have even noticed you were there.”

Zael stepped inside, uninvited. “Engrossing stuff, is it?”

She started to reply, but the citrusy, ocean scent of him hit her senses like a drug and she couldn’t find her voice. His skin radiated heat that made her cheeks flush and her own skin feel too warm and tight on her body.

He leaned over the side of her chair, until his face was nearly level with hers. His arched brow and slow grin tugged her core, made her breath dry up in her lungs.

“Broody billionaires and red rooms of pain?” Zael chuckled. “I wouldn’t have guessed that was your particular kink, but I have to admit I’m intrigued.”

Brynne glanced at the cover and felt her face ignite. She set the book down on the side table next to the chair and folded her arms tightly across her chest. “I imagine all it takes to intrigue you is a warm pulse and a vagina.”

He stared at her shamelessly. “It’s definitely a good start.”

“You’re unbelievable.” On a huff, she stood up and walked away from him.

“Hey. Wait,” he said. He didn’t let her get far before she suddenly found him standing right in front of her, blocking her path. He frowned. “It was a joke, Brynne. Don’t tell me you’re still upset with me because of the other night?”

“I’m not upset. I’m simply not interested.”