Sweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy #2)(33)

“Hey, Kope?” No answer. My hearing nudged around his room until it found muffled music, like a radio that had been overturned. I homed my hearing on the music and could barely make out that it was classical, instrumental. My heart sped up as I called his name again. Still no answer. I couldn’t imagine that he’d fallen asleep. He would have told me if he was going somewhere. I listened in his bathroom and also down the hall to the ice machine. Nothing. Picking up both our room keys, I hurried the short distance down the hall and knocked lightly on his door. Still nothing.

I gripped the hilt in its leather case in one hand, and with the other hand I swiped the room key and quietly pushed the door open. Taking a timid step inside the dim room, I propped the door open with my foot. What I saw on the floor in front of the bed made me flush with prickly heat.

Kope was fine. He was meditating. He wore earbuds blaring classical music. I should have left right then, but I was struck still by the sight of him in such a private moment. He was down on his knees, sitting back on his heels, head bowed in reverence. He wore navy running pants but no socks and no shirt. The triceps in his arms bulged and his rounded back was a brown mass of muscle.

The thing that made it hard for me to breathe was the way he completely submitted himself as a humble offering on the floor like that. To see a big, strong man down on his knees, devoid of selfish pride, meditating with his whole being was enough to make a woman weep with admiration.

I’d been staring far too long. When I took a step backward his head whipped up and our eyes collided. He tore the earbuds out with a startled expression in his light eyes.

I was so busted.

“S-sorry,” I said. I ducked away and shut the door, drawing jagged breaths. Behind me I heard Kope open his door and rush out. When I turned, my eyes must have bugged at the sight of his body because he took one glance down at his bare chest and bolted into the room to put on a shirt. I waited, heart pounding with foolish embarrassment, until he returned to the hall.

“Is anything the matter?” he asked.

“No. I’m so sorry. I just, I thought something might’ve happened when you didn’t answer me.”

He relaxed. “I should have warned you. It’s the only time I block my hearing. I did not mean to frighten you.”

“It’s okay,” I whispered. “Do you, um, think you could come in for just a minute when you have time? I want to ask you something.” I held up the hilt to show him what it was about.

“I will join you now.” He followed me into my room.

We sat in two armchairs facing each other across a small desk. I took a deep breath and willed my heart rate to slow as visions of half-naked Kopano danced in my head. I didn’t like him like that, but it was hard not to be affected by such a sight. Okay, he’s waiting for you to say something, Anna. Get it together. I cleared my throat.

“Do you mind holding the hilt for me today? I won’t be able to in this outfit.”

He answered without hesitation. “I would be honored to carry it.”

“Thanks. And there’s something else I was wondering . . . it’s kind of strange. Would you mind taking out the hilt and holding it?”

I handed him the hilt in its case. He glanced at me with curiosity but trusted me without question, opening the pouch and taking out the hilt. He held it in his gentle hands, lifting to inspect it with awe.

“Do you feel anything?” I asked.

His expression was quizzical when he asked, “In what way?”

“Physically. Does it kind of zap your skin?”

His brow furrowed. “No.”

“Oh.” I sagged a little. “I thought you might be able to wield it, too.”

“Anna . . .” He eased the hilt back into its carrier. “I had many years of indulgence before my life was changed.”

It was hard to imagine Kope as anything less than completely controlled.

“I guess I knew that,” I said, “but I thought since you’d been, you know, redeemed and all . . .”

He gave me a small smile and stood, sliding the hilt into his pocket. “Perhaps the Sword of Righteousness is not as forgiving as its Creator.”

I followed him to the door, until he turned abruptly and I halted just before crashing into him.

“Anna . . .” His eyes looked a little wild. I took a small step back.

“Yeah?” I asked.

He never took his eyes from me. “Do you still speak with Kaidan?”

I dropped my eyes and shook my head, frazzled by the question. “He won’t talk to me.”

“But you still love him.”

I swallowed hard and nodded, meeting his solemn eyes again.

He was quiet for a long pause before he said, “I am going to take a walk, but I have my phone. I will see you at twelve thirty.”

He closed the door behind him, and I leaned my forehead against it for a while, wondering why things had to be so complicated.

A check of the clock showed I still had half an hour. I walked to the window and opened the curtains. Melbourne was beautiful. It was strange to see Christmas decorations lining the streets on a sunny summer day. After a few minutes my eyes landed on a familiar face among the people walking.

Kope. Sweet Kope. I wanted him to be happy.

He pulled out his cell phone, and unease curled inside me. I wondered who he was calling. He glanced up toward my window and I quickly backed away to stay hidden. Then, in a moment of nosiness and paranoia, I pushed my hearing and sight through the glass, down to where Kope had stopped in a small pavilion.