Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
“So it’s a really good thing I got my Grandma’s will when I did,” I told him as he finished off the huge bowl of soup I had given him. We were sitting at the dining room table and I had been right—the big, heavy chair was his.
“Maybe that’s why you got the invitation to come to Hidden Hollow when you did.” Rath sounded thoughtful.
“Invitation?” I frowned. “But I only got her will. Well, that and the iron key that opened the mysterious fiery door that appeared in my apartment.”
“The door was the invitation,” Rath explained. “People with magical powers often find themselves drawn into Hidden Hollow that way, when their need is greatest. Sometimes they don’t even know they have magic—like you—until they get here.”
“Well, I might never have gone through the door if it wasn’t for Sebastian,” I said, deciding to leave the question of if I had magic or not to the side. “He ran right through and I had to follow him.”
“Yet another reason to be good to your familiar,” Rath rumbled, smiling. “Remind me to get him more cat treats.”
“No, don’t—he’ll get fat!” I laughed.
Behind us, Sebastian made an indignant sound something like, “Mmmroowrrf!” and we both laughed.
“Sorry, Sebastian—I know I can’t talk about you getting fat when I need to lose some weight myself,” I said to him.
“No, don’t do that.” Rath’s face was suddenly serious.
“Huh? Don’t do what?” I asked, turning back to him.
“Don’t lose your curves.” He looked me up and down, his golden eyes warm and interested. “That would be a damn shame.”
“Oh, do…do Orcs like curvy women, then?” I asked, a bit breathlessly.
“This Orc certainly does,” he growled and for a moment I saw a flash of something primal in his gaze. Maybe it was the same way his father had looked at his mother when he carried her off, thrown over his shoulder like the spoils of war.
Just imagining Rath doing that to me sent a shiver of desire through my whole body. I could feel my nipples getting tight as he held my eyes with his own for a long moment.
Again I wondered if he might kiss me. But just then the timer went off and it was time to take the pie out of the oven.
“Excuse me,” I murmured. “The pie. Don’t want to let it burn.”
“No, don’t do that.” Rath gathered the dishes and put them in the sink as I pulled the perfectly baked apple pie out of the oven. The crust was flaky and brown and shimmering with sugar crystals and the air was suddenly filled with the spicy-sweet scent.
“Mmmm!” Rath murmured, inhaling deeply. “Magical! That smells just like the pies your Grandma made!”
“No eating it yet,” I cautioned him. “It has to cool a while first.”
He laughed.
“That’s exactly what your Grandma always used to say. What should we do while we wait?”
“Well…I need to change clothes.” I was still wearing my oversized t-shirt and yoga pants. “And then, if you don’t mind, could I go ahead and get your Wi-Fi password so I can get my laptop set up? I have a couple of web design gigs I need to work on soon.”
“Do you like web design?” he asked, clearly curious.
I shrugged.
“I mean, it’s all right I guess. It pays the bills. What I’d really like to do is bake all day.” I nodded at the pie cooling on the counter. “It’s my favorite thing to do.”
“I know for a fact that Celia at The Lost Lamb is looking for some help,” Rath told me. “I can introduce you if you want. I bet she’d be glad to have you—she’s been overrun lately.”
I bit my lip.
“Let me think about it, okay? I don’t know her so it would be almost impossible for me to talk to her. And that would be really awkward.”
He gave me a sympathetic look.
“I can imagine how hard it must be. I’m just glad you’re able to talk to me. Do you know why you are?”
I shook my head.
“No idea. Usually it takes me weeks if not months to talk to a new person. And even then I have to start out texting and then progress slowly to FaceTime and zoom meetings before I can even think about getting together face-to-face.”
“Face-to-face, hmm?” he murmured, taking a step closer to me. He was looming over me because he was so tall, but I didn’t feel at all threatened. I did feel shy, though. When he cupped my cheek and leaned closer I could feel myself blushing. I wanted him to kiss me badly…but I had a sudden attack of nerves.
“I…I’d better go get changed and get my laptop,” I said breathlessly. “Um, excuse me.”
“No problem.” He stepped back, clearly giving me room. “I’ll be here.”
“Be right back,” I blurted and hurried out of the kitchen.