Iszak (The Dragon's Mate Book 2), page 3
“There is a small bedroom and a bathroom through that door.” He pointed toward the door at the back. “If you would like to freshen up you’re more than welcome to.”
He turned away from her and gave the stew a stir. With any luck she would go to the bathroom and he would get a reprieve from her intoxicating presence for a few moments. The soft, sweet scent of her, mixed with the smell of cold and snow, was a blend that drew him more than the finest of perfumes. He mentally crossed his fingers that she was not hunter's bait. His hands itched to stroke the silk of her hair to see if it would feel as soft and smooth under his hand as it looked.
“Is there only one bedroom?”
He glanced at her as she worried the ruby red flesh of her bottom lip and the brief thought of what they would feel like under his went through his mind. He shook it off. He’d only just met her and there as a distinct possibility that she was from a family of dragon hunters. He needed to rein in this attraction to her until he knew if it was safe to indulge it.
“Yes. You can sleep in the bedroom and I will take the couch. Do you want me to help you take your things to the bedroom?” He needed to get away from her before the picture of her in the bed he’d slept in last night overwhelmed his common sense.
He went to her small suitcase and duffle bag. Her eyes latched onto the case, and the hair stirred on the back of his neck. He recalled her indecision about taking it out of the car and that would not have been necessary for a bag that held only clothes. He had a feeling, however indistinct, that the answer to what she was lay hidden inside the case. It would only take a moment when she wasn’t in the room to find out if the instincts inside him that screamed of her danger to him were correct.
“I don’t want to impose. I can sleep on the sofa.”
“I wouldn’t feel right about that. The bedroom is this way and you can wash up in the bathroom before dinner.” He turned and walked toward the bedroom with her soft footsteps behind him. The bedroom was small, with only a double bed and a dresser crowded inside. With the two of them in here in such close proximity, with a bed so close, thoughts went careening through his head that he could not act upon until he was certain she was not who he thought she was.
He set her bags down and turned back to the door. He needed to get out of here. Her allure was too strong and he needed to put some distance between them. “I’ll leave you to freshen up.”
He walked out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him, as if by doing that he could shut out the thoughts that were clamoring in his head. There had to be a reasonable explanation for why he was having these thoughts and feelings. It had been centuries since he’d been with a woman and this was a reaction to being in close proximity to one who wasn’t spoken for. He was certain that she didn’t have anyone significant in her life, because what man would let his woman travel alone on a night like this.
He busied himself with warming up dinner while he waited for her to return from the bedroom. When she came out he would go back in there under the guise of washing up and investigate what was in that case. With any luck it would be toiletries and cosmetics and he would feel like a fool that he’d let his paranoia make him invade her privacy.
He got two bowls out of the cupboard and filled them with the steaming stew. The door opened behind him and he tensed.
“Dinner smells good.” She came forward as he turned to set the steaming bowls on the table. She was just as lovely as she’d been when she went into the bathroom. He didn't know what he expected, but there had been some hope inside him that the spell she’d cast over him had broken somehow. It hadn’t.
“Please, sit down and eat while it’s hot. I’m going to wash up but don’t feel like you have to wait for me.” He went toward the entrance to the bedroom before she had a moment to say anything. He needed to know what was in that case. Before his attraction to her overwhelmed his common sense.
She didn’t look like a threat, but he was certain that the dragons who’d perished centuries ago hadn’t thought so either when face with the temptation of a Robillard woman. Perhaps he was being ridiculous, but he needed to know for sure and instinct told him that the case was the answer.
He went through the bedroom and closed the door so that it was only open by the tiniest of slivers. He didn’t want to raise her suspicions by closing the door tightly but he didn’t want her to catch him in the act of rummaging through her things.
The case sat on top of the dresser and he moved over to it. He wrestled with his abhorrence of invading her privacy. He was probably being ridiculous to cast such suspicion upon her. She was a lone female, caught up in a storm and she more than likely had nothing to do with an ancient dragon hunting family.
He couldn’t falter. He had to know for certain. There was a risk that she carried the Robillard legacy. There were dragon hunters in this time. His brother’s mate, Lyssa, had an ex boyfriend, Kevin, who claimed to be a dragon hunter when he’d tried to kill Andor. Iszak wished he’d learned the bastards last name, but it was too late for that now. Kevin was dead at the hands of Iszak’s brother and wouldn’t be causing any more problems for Lyssa or Andor.
He took a deep breath and flicked open the metal tabs holding the case shut. He hesitated for one more second. Did he really want to do this? Invade her privacy on a suspicion that was most likely useless paranoia?
He’d already gone this far, he might as well go all the way. He flipped the lid open and he stared at the contents as the muscle worked in his jaw. Nestled inside the case was a small crossbow, one that could easily be wielded by a woman. What was a lone woman doing out in the middle of a blizzard with such a weapon if she was not part of a dragon hunting family? A gun would be much more sensible as a weapon of self-defense. No one carried a crossbow for casual protection, it was a hunter’s weapon.
The bolts for the bow were stored alongside it and there were five neatly lined up in a row. The tips were made of dull looking metal that looked much older than the wooden shafts. He put his index finger on the end of one bolt and the burning sensation on his skin gave him all the answers he needed.
The bolts were tipped with dragon forged iron and the only creature that necessitated the use of such ammunition was a dragon. Self-defense was not the purpose of this weapon.
He drew his hand away as he cursed under his breath. Apparently the dragon hunting branch of the Robillard family was alive and well. He closed the case and snapped the metal tabs in place. He walked into the bathroom to wash his hands to rid them of the lingering sensation of the iron on his skin.
If he was smart, he would kick her out of the cabin and let her fend for herself in the snow. She brought too much risk with her to keep her in his presence for long. If she discovered what he was, not only would he be putting himself at risk, but his brother and Lyssa as well.
Of course, evicting her from the cabin could rouse her suspicions too. He needed to think clearly. Unless Rickman was a double agent for the Robillard family, there was no way that she would know he was a dragon unless he let something slip. She could very well be what she appeared to be, a woman lost in the snow that coincidence had thrown in his path.
He gripped the edge of the sink and hung his head for a moment. His conscience would not let him throw her out in the blizzard, where she would surely freeze to death, no matter what family she came from. She had done nothing to him, and would do nothing to him unless he revealed his true nature. He was not the kind of man who would leave a defenseless woman to fend for herself on a night like this. She could stay tonight and he would send her on her way tomorrow.
Disappointment settled inside him for a second and he turned away from the sink . She was not the woman fate intended for him to be with, the crossbow in the bedroom told him that. One slip would be all it took for her to realize what he was and for her to try to end his life. He would have no choice but to kill her and he didn’t want to do that. It was going to be a long night and he would spend it on the couch sleeping with one eye open.
3
Julia groaned as an annoying buzz sounded next to her ear, drawing her out of the warm cocoon of sleep. It took a second to realize that it was her phone, vibrating underneath her pillow and she pulled it out from under it. Who the hell would be calling her at this hour, and why didn’t she recognize the bedroom she was in?
The thought sent her into full wakefulness as the events of the day before came rushing back to her. A glance at her phone showed it was her father and unfortunately she would not be able to avoid his call. He would keep trying until he had an answer.
“Hi Dad.” She cleared her throat to push away the rusty sound sleep lent to her voice. “What’s up?”
“Have you had a chance to look for your brother?”
Jesus, even if she was where he thought she was, did he think she was going to hunt for Kevin at this time in the morning?
“I’m not in Waldron Valley. The weather was too bad yesterday and I had to make a detour.”
“Where the hell are you?”
Julia sighed. There wasn’t a single note of concern in her father’s voice, only impatience. She shouldn’t be surprised, and in a way she wasn’t, but there was a tiny stab of hurt that he didn’t appear to care as much for her as he did for Kevin.
“I’m at Grandma’s cottage.” The lie slipped past her lips quite easily. There was no point in getting into it with her father about staying with a stranger. She was sure that Gerard Robillard would rather she was buried in a ditch somewhere than shacked up with a strange man. “Listen, I just woke up. I’ll check and see what the weather’s like and if I can go to Waldron Valley today I will. I’ll call you when I get there.”
She ended the call and rolled back over in bed, pulling the blankets up over her head. She closed her eyes and tried to recapture her sleep but it was no good. Guilt and a sense of familial responsibility nagged at her and she flopped over onto her back, staring at the ceiling. She should get up and see if she was going to be imposing on her taciturn host any longer. She hoped not, since he wasn’t exactly the friendliest man she'd ever met.
A quick trip to the bathroom was all she let herself have before she pulled her clothes on and got ready to face the day. The tantalizing smell of bacon and coffee had been wafting into the bedroom for several minutes. At least she wouldn’t have to wake up host up in her search for food. In order to eat she only needed to endure his rather inhospitable company. She didn’t know what she’d done yesterday, but their dinner together had passed in a silence that was painful and she’d escaped to the bedroom soon after that. The man was obviously used to his own company and she left him to it.
She turned the knob on the bedroom door and opened it. Hopefully his mood was just an aberration, otherwise she was going to be in for an unpleasant breakfast. She put on her best smile and walked into the cabin’s main room.
The smell of frying bacon and coffee was much stronger now that she was in the same room with it and her stomach rumbled. At least he didn’t appear intent on letting her starve.
She didn’t say anything as she walked close, her sock feet making no noise on the wood floor. His stern behavior certainly hadn’t detracted from his attractiveness. He was tall with broad shoulders that tapered down to a trim waist. She’d always been a sucker for a broad back and she cleared her throat before she could start thinking about what it would be like to stroke her hands down his naked back. Once he knew she was there, she was certain that he would be the same grumpy individual he’d been last night and his attractiveness would take a nose dive.
He turned around, with a spatula in his hand and his hair standing up in black spikes all over his head. Her mouth went dry. He looked approachable in the cool morning light coming through the window and her mind gave her a flash of what it would be like to have him in her life. Would this be the sort of domestic scene that would greet her every morning?
“Breakfast will be ready in a minute. There’s coffee.” He turned his attention back to the stove and she closed her eyes for a minute. His voice was a deep rumble that stroked over her. It was too bad he appeared to be a man of few words, because she could listen to that voice for hours. “Cups are in the cupboard.”
He may not be looking at her, but he seemed to be aware that she was not making a move. What was wrong with her? She couldn’t stand here all day, staring at his back.
She walked over to the line of cupboards and the first one she opened had mugs inside. She hadn’t had her coffee yet, that was why her thoughts were all over the place. Once she had her caffeine fix, she’d be back to her usual self.
She looked around for the coffee maker but couldn’t see it anywhere. The smell of coffee had to be coming from somewhere and when she turned to ask him, she spied an old fashioned coffee pot on the stove. She went over to him and poured herself a cup. This was what she needed. She would have clarity as soon as she took her first sip.
Her eyes closed with the first sip of scalding coffee and when she opened them again, she glanced at him, certain that she would see him as he really was and not as some beautiful god her imagination wanted him to be. Unfortunately the coffee wasn’t a magic potion that would eliminate whatever it was about him that drew her. He looked over at her and her face burned when he raised an eyebrow at her staring.
“Is there something wrong with the coffee?”
“No, the coffee is fine. Thank you so much for making it. As a matter of fact, I need to thank you for everything you’ve done. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come along yesterday.”
She clamped her mouth shut. Jesus, she was babbling like an idiot. What would it take to get it through her head that no matter how broad his back was, no matter what his deep voice did for her or how much she wanted to brush away the lock of hair that had fallen on his forehead, she was not in the market for a man. There was already a man in her life, her father and his secret obsession. A boyfriend was out of the question because there was no way she could be honest with him about the craziness she brought with her.
“You can sit and enjoy your coffee. I’ll bring the food once it’s ready.” He had a weird look on his face, as if she was standing too close and he didn’t like it. No wonder. As far as he knew, she was the kind of idiot who got herself stranded in the middle of a snow storm and couldn’t seem to make herself shut up.
She needed to get a grip. She wouldn’t be burdening him with her strangeness beyond breakfast. Even if he asked her to stay longer, which he certainly would not, she had a job to do for her father. The sooner she got it done the sooner she could get back to her normal life.
She sat in the chair she’d occupied during dinner the night before and focused on drinking her coffee. Of their own accord, her eyes drifted toward him as he moved about making breakfast. She sighed quietly into her coffee mug. It was too bad she wasn’t looking for a man, because he was a fine specimen. She shoved the notion aside.
“When do you think I can get out of here?” She set her mug down with a thump as she blurted out the first thing she could think of to distract herself from wondering what he looked like without his shirt on.
“As soon as the roads are passable I would assume.” He didn’t look at her when he spoke and his voice had a clipped tone. Was she talking too much? All she’d done was ask a question, so what was his problem?
“Have the roads been plowed?” She took another sip of her coffee and he glanced over his shoulder at her. She smiled at him and he quickly turned back to the task at hand.
“I don’t know.” He went to the cupboard and pulled down a couple of plates. He put them on the counter with a thunk and opened the drawer with a little more force than necessary, making the cutlery rattle.
Whether she’d offended him somehow or his disposition was naturally unfriendly, she didn't know. He was definitely not boyfriend material, even if she was looking, since she walked on eggshells enough with her father’s mood swings. She didn’t want to do it with another man.
“Do you need some help?” She felt weird sitting here while he did everything. She wasn’t used to being waited on, and while it was nice, she felt like she should be doing something to help.
“Just stay where you are.”
Her eyes widened and she stared at him. He didn’t need to bite her head off, she’d only offered to help. There had been a bug up his ass from the moment she’d walked in this morning and for the life of her she couldn’t figure out what had caused it.
Maybe staying here was a bad idea. She didn’t want to impose on someone who clearly didn’t want her here.
“I don’t know what I did to offend you but it’s obvious that you regret letting me stay here.” She stood and shoved her chair back. Whatever his problem was with her he wouldn’t have to put up with it any longer. She was leaving if she had to walk all the way to Waldron Valley. “I’ll get out of your hair.”
“Just sit down and wait for your breakfast.” He scowled at her and when she turned around. To think she thought he was attractive. He might be a good looking man but his personality sucked.
“I’m not hungry.” She went to the bedroom and grabbed her duffle bag and the crossbow case. There was no way she was going to stay where she wasn’t wanted.
She went back out to the main room and marched to the door. It was better this way. She shoved her feet in her boots and pulled on her coat. She had a life she needed to get on with and she didn’t need to waste any more of it on a grump like him. If he wanted to growl like an ugly bear, let him do it by himself.
Once she was dressed to go outside she put her hand on the door knob and glanced at him. He crossed his arms over his chest and the corner of his mouth twitched. Was he laughing at her?
