Page 41 of Air of Seduction

I nod. “I did.”

Chapter 24

Payton

I want to throw myself at Ronan and kiss him until we’re both hot and breathless. He clearly paid attention to me at breakfast yesterday, even though I thought he didn’t. And he remembered. To me that’s the most romantic thing a man can do.

However, I don’t act on my urge to kiss him. It doesn’t feel right with Olivia present. She wouldn’t object, but it might make her feel awkward, and I can’t do that to her after what she’s been through.

“Take a seat.” I smile at Ronan before swinging my gaze to Olivia. “I’m hungry, and this both looks and smells good.” Along with the grilled tomatoes, he’s brought hash browns, grilled sausages, fried eggs, black pudding, and baked beans. And of course, toast.

We all take a seat. I end up sitting next to Ronan with Olivia directly across from me. She hasn’t said much since the man arrived, but there’s a gentle smile on her face.

“So, you’re not going to serve me then?” Ronan lifts an eyebrow at me with a half-smile on his lips.

I chuckle. “No. I think you can handle it yourself now, since I don’t have to serve you my revenge.”

He chuckles back at me. “I redeemed myself then?”

“You did. English breakfast with all the bells and whistles. It’s my favorite breakfast, and particularly when I don’t have to cook it myself.” I turn to smile at my best friend. “It remains tobe seen whether it can compare to Olivia’s version, though. She’s a fantastic cook.”

Her smile widens. “Thank you. It’s a pleasure to cook for you, because you’re always so full of praise.”

I fill my plate with food, strangely ravenous this early in the morning. But then I haven’t slept much, so perhaps my body is a bit confused.

“Payton mentioned that you are elementals. What does that mean exactly?”

I lift my head to see Olivia studying Ronan’s face.

He gives her a smile. “Each one of us is tied to one of the four elements, air, water, earth, and fire. I’m tied to the air, which means I can pull energy from the air around me to sustain my body. This”—he points at the food on his plate—“isn’t necessary for me to live. I can live off the air alone. But since I enjoy food and have no problem digesting it, I choose not to.”

“That’s fascinating.” My best friend tilts her head to the side. “There are a lot more supernaturals in this world than I’m aware of, aren’t there?”

“Yes.” Ronan nods. “But please keep it to yourself. No offense, but humans in general couldn’t handle knowing there are species in the world far more powerful than they are. They would want to conquer us. And that wouldn’t end well for anyone.”

Olivia nods. “I think you’re right. We’re used to being the superior species on this rock, and finding out about people like you will cause a lot of hackles to rise. We might have come a bit further with regard to accepting diversity, but we’re not nearly there yet. And that’s among our own species.”

I don’t say anything. I have been subjected to people’s judgment more times than I can count just because of my skincolor. People can be cruel, and adding more species to the mix won’t make it any better.

A hand brushes against my thigh, making me pause with the fork halfway between the plate and my mouth. When I turn my head, there’s a warm smile on Ronan’s face. “How’s the food? Does it stack up to Olivia’s?”

I know what he’s doing. Somehow, he picked up on what I was thinking and is trying to take my mind off it. It’s not the first time he’s purposely changed the subject to make me feel better.

Smiling, I shake my head. “Nothing compares to Olivia’s food, but you should give my compliments to the kitchen anyway, because it’s close, and that’s saying something.”

My best friend chuckles. “This is better than my food by far, but Payton will never admit that. Please give them my compliments as well.”

“I’ll make sure to do that.” His hand lands on my thigh and squeezes, causing heat to flow over my skin.

Glancing at his plate, I notice it’s already empty. How he managed to put it all away that quickly, I have no idea, but he did, leaving his hand empty to remind me of how desperately I want to kiss him again.

“If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go and lie down for a bit.” Olivia’s voice pulls my gaze back to her. There’s a soft smile on her face, but the dark circles under her eyes are evidence of her exhaustion.

“Do that. I’ll check on you later.”

She nods before silently disappearing into her room.

“How long are you going to be playing with that?”