Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
There he sits at the head of my table. His head is bent, and his long locks hide his face as he stuffs bread into the broth before him and then into his mouth.
That sensual mouth that felt so nice against mine. I lift my hand to touch my gloss-painted lips. They still tingle from his warmth.
Slowly, he lifts his head slightly and pushes his hair from his face to look at me through his lashes. He looks both dangerous and sexy as he does so. I have no doubt this man is a warrior where he’s from.
He drops the remaining piece of bread back onto the plate at his side. His mouth opens as his eyes roll over me from head to toe.
He lifts to stand. Again, I marvel at his height and strong body. His sleeveless shirt fit against his muscled chest. The leather pants he wears are loose enough for battle but fit snug enough to showcase his strong thighs. His gaze is intense when he lifts his eyes back to mine.
“Come sit with me,” he says as he moves to pull out the chair beside him.
My cheeks warm. I stumble forward a few steps but stop and wrap my tail around my middle. I bite my lip.
“I didn’t come to disturb you. You can eat alone if that’s what you wish for,” I say.
“There is plenty of food here. I’m sure you need to eat. You used a lot of energy to save me.”
I continue to chew my lip as I move closer. I wince as my hooves make noise against the wood floors. I wish I could hide them somehow.
“Thank you,” I murmur when I reach the chair and release my tail to take the offered seat.
“You’re welcome.”
He returns to his seat. However, he doesn’t start to eat again. Instead, he watches me. His eyes fall to my breasts, but he quickly shakes his head and lifts his gaze back to my face.
“How is your shoulder?” I blurt out to fill the silence.
“I don’t feel a thing.” He looks down at his shoulder. “It has healed. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Thank you for not leaving me in the forest to escape.”
“It isn’t my way,” he says, setting those intense eyes on mine.
I look away from his penetrating gaze and reach for the bread as Bach and Dinesh place a bowl of soup in front of me. My cheeks heat as Dinesh gapes at me with an open mouth. I know he’s going to say something with his smart mouth.
“Holy shit,” he breathes.
“What he means to say is you look lovely tonight,” Bach says.
I shift in my seat uncomfortably. I don’t like having all this attention on me. I reach for my hood but realize it’s not there.
“You do look lovely.”
“Thank you, Argon? I heard your father call you that.”
“Yes, that’s my name.”
I frown. “It’s nice to meet you?”
He gives a small chuckle. “Yes, Blaise. I think it is nice to meet you. Interesting, at the very least.”
I turn to my bread and soup, and he returns to his. Silence falls once again. That is until I lift my bowl and slurp down the rest of my soup. Ms. Posh clears her throat in the distance and I blanch.
Quickly, I place the bowl down and peek at Argon to find him watching me with a smile at the corners of his lips. Without taking his eyes off me, he lifts his bowl and slurps down the rest of his broth.
“That was delicious,” he says once he places the bowl down. “Can I carve some of the meat for you?”
I stare at him as if I’ve lost my voice. I’ve been nothing but terrible to this man. I’ve imprisoned him and his father. Yet he’s kind to me.
“Why are you so gentle with me?”
“You’re a lady. Ladies should always be treated with respect,” he replies.
I want to laugh in his face. I’m a beast. Not a lady. I haven’t been a lady in… I don’t remember how long at the moment.
I lower my head. “Yes, thank you. I would like it if you would carve the meat.”
He proceeds to fill both our plates with meat and vegetables. I’m starving from the altercation in the woods and healing him. When I realize I’m eating like a slob, I look up to find a smile on his lips. He nods for me to continue as he tears into a drumstick. I smile back and return to my food.
“I saw your copy of Frankenstein. I used to read that as a boy,” he says after a while.
I blink at him. Frankenstein is one of my favorites. I remember I’d been reading it before his father tried to steal the rose.
“Yes, I love that book. Do you still like to read?”
“I love to read,” he says and his eyes light up. “I will read anything I can get my hands on. These days, I’ve been reading up on the history of my people.”