Free Timeless (Pandora Book 1) by Kali Argent Page B

to give herself the illusion of privacy in her tiny, one-bedroom apartment. Curling up on the end of her plum-colored, suede sofa, Charli draped the matching throw blanket over her legs and dialed.
    Sage, answered on the second ring, raising her voice over the sound of metallic clanging in the background. “Charli, I was just about to call. I’m not going to be able to make it to brunch. One of the pipes in the kitchen burst this morning, and the plumber is still here.”
    “That’s actually why I was calling. None of my pipes exploded, but something came up, and I won’t be able to make it, either.” She couldn’t resist teasing her friend a little. “Is the plumber cute?”
    Sage huffed at her. “He’s old enough to be my dad with a beer belly and a lot of hair, just not on his head.”
    They both laughed before turning the conversation to inconsequential things, like the recent storm and rescheduling their brunch date. “Next weekend is good for me.” Charli mentally scrolled through her rather unimpressive social schedule. “How about Sunday? Same time?”
    “I don’t work Sundays, so I’m free and clear. I’ll pencil you in,” Sage teased. “So, you never did say what came up. Why did you need to cancel today?”
    While Charli searched for a plausible excuse that didn’t involve demons or time-traveling aliens, the bathroom door creaked open. Light spilled into the small alcove that separated her living room from the bedroom and bathroom, and Charli leaned over the arm of the sofa, intending to signal Vane to be quiet while she spoke with Sage. The last thing she needed was to have to explain the presence of a man in her apartment.
    Her jaw dropped, and all coherent thought vanished when Vane stepped through the doorway with only a towel slung low on his hips. Water dripped from the ends of his damp hair, trickling down his bronzed chest and between the grooves of his cobblestone abs.  Steam wafted from the open bathroom, bringing to her the scent of sugar and vanilla. She’d used that soap a thousand times, and never once had she found the perfume of it so intoxicating.
    “Charli? Hello?”
    Charli fumbled the phone, cursing when she nearly dropped it. “Uh, Sage, I’m going to have to call you back.” Then she disconnected the call without waiting for a response. “Hi,” she said when Vane arched an eyebrow at her. “Good shower?”
    “Yes.” He held his clothes in one hand and his boots in the other. “Your bathing room is very small, though.”
    “Is that what you call it on Nekron? A bathing room? We just call it a bathroom. Which is kind of silly when you think about it.” Charli’s gaze traveled to Vane’s thigh where it stuck out from the slit in the towel. “I mean, I guess it’s a room with a bath, so maybe that makes sense. What about powder rooms, though?”
    “Charlotte,” Vane interrupted with a huff. “Is there somewhere I can change without twisting myself into a knot?”
    Flicking her wrist, she motioned to the other side of the alcove to indicate her bedroom door. “You can use my room.” She’d cleaned during the night when she’d been too restless to sleep, so there shouldn’t be anything embarrassing for him to find. “Are you leaving again?”
    He dipped his head. “I have to find the Morph.”
    Sighing when Vane disappeared into her bedroom, Charli threw the blanket back and jumped up from the sofa. “He’s going to get himself killed,” she muttered as he passed by Xavian who still sat on the barstool at the counter. “I need more coffee. Do you want coffee?”
    “He’s a soldier,” Xavian said in placating tones. “Give him some credit.”
    “I don’t doubt his abilities.” Bringing her steaming mug to the counter, she slid onto the seat beside Xavian and lowered her voice. “He didn’t sleep at all last night, and I don’t think he slept much the night before that, either. He’s running on caffeine and determination.”
    “Trust me,