Chapter 3
THREE
INDIGO
The scent of coffee drifted into the bedroom, its tantalizing aroma telling me to move. I sat up and stretched muscles that were stiff from yesterday's travel.
How long had I slept? A glance at my phone showed it was already past nine. But I had nowhere to be except to find the source of the coffee aroma.
The phone Jeff had given me buzzed. Agent Fairbanks was on the other end issuing an apology about not informing the lodge about the change of plans. I said it was no problem but wondered if he should be sidelined at work, because that was a serious mistake.
I pulled on jeans and a sweater, and when I walked into the kitchen, Riven was flipping pancakes. He wore a soft gray sweater and I focused my attention on it rather than checking out his butt.
“You didn't have to cook.” When I was bundled off to witness protection, I envisioned I’d be looking after myself. Not that I was complaining.
Riven grinned and waved the spatula at me. “Morning. I figured you might be hungry after yesterday.” He jerked his head at the pot of coffee. “Help yourself.”
I padded across the kitchen, aware that we were acting like roommates. But perhaps that was the idea. Creating a safe space for a special guest to take their mind off what had happened to bring them here.
“Sleep okay?” He flipped another pancake onto a growing stack.
“Mmmm,” I mumbled as I sipped my coffee.
Riven suggested a tour of the lodge and surroundings today.
“Is that safe? For me?” Though my boss, or former boss now, wasn’t involved with organized crime, I was wary of being too out in the open, preferring to hide away from prying eyes.
“Your situation is unique, I agree.” His back was to me. “But everyone here has been subjected to a background check.”
The confidence in his voice eased my fears.
After showering, we wandered along the path toward the main building. Riven said they had about twenty guests at the moment and they were people who booked here every Christmas.
“And how many of those are in my... situation?”
Riven gave me a sideways look. “Just you.”
“Lucky me.”
As we approached the main lodge, a man emerged from one of the side buildings. “Riven!” He waved. “Is this… ummm, you know?”
This wasn’t good, and my heart sped up to a gallop. I made myself smaller, as if expecting a bad guy to appear. Or maybe this man was a bad guy. Riven tensed, and I clutched his arm, but he introduced the guy as Russ, the activities coordinator.
He ran his eyes over me as if I was a prized animal. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“You have?” I was supposed to be hiding, not having my presence placed on a billboard with flashing lights and a huge arrow.
But having Riven beside me, his warmth seeping through me, calmed my nerves.
How was the guy so hot? Not just ravishing hot, but hot as in heat? His skin was warm to the touch.
Russ clarified, saying he’s heard they had a new guest. Riven’s smile appeared to be a little forced as he reminded Russ he was supposed to be at the ski slope.
My tour included the restaurant, bar, and a gym. But as Riven talked, I sensed the eyes on me from guests and the staff. But he had said all the guests were regulars, so perhaps their curiosity was because I was the new guy.
The library was the last place on the tour, and being in a room where the walls were lined with books gave me a sense of stepping back in time to the nineteenth century. I wondered if there were ghosts hiding among the old volumes.
As I perused the shelves, Antonia came in. “Sorry to interrupt.” She nodded to me before turning to Riven. “There's a call for you. About that other matter.”
Riven got up. “I need to take this. Will you be okay here for a while?”
“I can manage.”
Running my fingers over the old tomes, I stopped at ones with similar leather covers and symbols on the spines. Curious, I removed one. I flipped the pages, and dust spiraled into the air, making me sneeze. I paused at a series of illustrations showing a man transforming into a wolf.
“Interesting choice.”
I nearly dropped the book. A man with salt-and-pepper hair stood in the doorway.
“I'm sorry, I was just—” I fumbled the book and it slipped from my fingers, but he caught it. Wow! Maybe he’d been a former Olympian because his reflexes were super speedy.
“No need to apologize. I'm Lionel Morris, the lodge owner.” He extended his hand. “And you must be Indigo.”
“Word travels fast around here.” I kept my voice even, not wanting to squeak. But after being reassured by Riven that I was protected, everyone knowing about me was unsettling, and something about this man’s presence made me wary.
“This is a small community, as I'm sure Riven has mentioned.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “My nephew has been looking after you, so I hope everything is to your satisfaction.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
Riven strode in, and I had never been more pleased to see someone.
“Uncle.” He glanced at me. “Everything okay?”
“We’ve just been having a little chat.” Lionel moved to the door. “Enjoy the rest of your stay, Indigo.”
When the door closed, Riven said, “My uncle can be kind of intense.”
That was an understatement, as I still had goosebumps.
I asked if I could borrow a book, and he agreed but steered me clear of the one I’d been looking at earlier, saying it wasn’t to be removed from the room.
The rest of the day was spent eating food Riven cooked, reading, and drinking hot chocolate, also made by Riven. If he ever gave up personal security, he could be a chef.
Late in the afternoon, he went for a run, and when he returned, he’d changed and his hair was damp.
I was a little disappointed he hadn’t showered here, when I could have listened to the water streaming onto the tiles and conjured an image of him naked.
My cheeks flamed, and I buried my face in the book, begging the universe not to let him see me blush.
I was foolish, thinking of Riven like that. Nothing would come of my infatuation. Maybe that was too strong a word, but him being a sweet, gorgeous package and taking care of me was a recipe for me falling for him hard.
Riven suggested we eat dinner in the lodge restaurant. Perhaps he was tiring of cooking for me already. But I agreed, and as we walked along the slippery path, we brushed against one another. There was a sharp intake of breath from him, and he reared away.
I put my head down, refusing to look at my companion.
Not because I was in danger of giving him my heart, when there was no us and no possible future for an us.
But was it such a hardship protecting me?
We’d been getting along so well, and I’d caught him looking at me when I was reading or pouring myself a drink.
My radar must be faulty because I thought we had a special connection. And I’d touched him before.
He apologized, saying I’d taken him by surprise, and he took my hand, saying the path was uneven. I couldn’t figure him out. One minute he was my best friend, and the next… Well, it was my own fault, wanting more than he was probably willing to give. To him, I was a job.
We reached the lodge, and Riven escorted me into the restaurant. Freshly caught venison was tonight’s special. I’d never eaten venison, but it melted in my mouth, and accompanied by a glass of wine and the warmth from the fire, it eased my worries about my situation and Riven.
“Do you get many people like me staying here?” I dabbed at my mouth with a napkin.
“Your situation is unique.” It wasn’t the first time he’d said that.
“But what makes me so special?”
“Your case requires discretion.”
Hmmm, but everyone staying here, staff and guests, probably knew who I was. This wasn’t how witsec worked in the movies. I couldn’t get my head around it.
Riven’s voice broke into my thoughts. “The lodge is especially designed to keep our special guests hidden from the rest of the world. Everyone on this piece of land has been vetted.”
We were going round and round, me wondering if this was where I was supposed to be and him assuring me it was.
After the meal, we strolled back to the cabin. It was a clear night, and there was no snowfall, but a howl punctuated the night’s stillness. I clung to Riven, forgetting that he had reared away from physical contact earlier.
“Is that a wolf?” I shivered because we were surrounded by ancient forests. There were wild animals who roamed those woods, maybe more dangerous than any bad guys.
He put an arm around me, the heat from his body lighting a fire in mine. “Yes, but they won't bother us. They're talking to each other.”
“What are they saying?” That was a joke, but Riven's thoughtful expression suggested he was considering my question. He put his gloved hand over mine.
“That depends.” He peered up at the stars and then at me. “Sometimes they're establishing territory or calling the pack together. And other times…” He paused. “They're looking for their mate.”
“Oh.” I wasn’t sure if that was sweet or sad. What if they’d found their mate but that wolf wasn’t interested or had found another mate?