Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The fresh scent of coffee roused me in the morning.
Sleepily, I opened my eyes and immediately squinted. Sunlight blazed through my chambers’ curtains, and I wondered what time it was. Groggily, I pushed to sitting. Long hair cascaded around me, falling across my eyes and disrupting my view.
I shoved it out of the way and searched for the clock. I finally found one near the window. Grumbling, I wasn’t surprised that it was already after eight. It was much later than I’d planned on leaving, but after a night like last night, I decided to cut myself some slack.
Yawning, I stretched again, then realized the coffee I’d detected was due to a steaming mug of the delicious brew waiting on my bedside table.
Steam rose from it, so I knew it was either an enchanted cup that didn’t allow the coffee to cool, or someone had just delivered it. I glanced around, wondering if the inn staff magically transported coffee to every traveler’s bedroom chambers each morning, or if someone had—
My eyes widened, and I immediately rushed from my bed to the open adjoining doors Kole and I shared. I hadn’t heard him come in last night. I had no idea if he returned, if he was safe too, if—
I barreled into his chambers.
And promptly stopped.
Kole sat in a chair near his bed, drinking coffee, and he was shirtless.
If he was at all surprised that I burst into his chambers, uninvited, with only my pajamas still adorning me, he hid it completely. And if he was at all embarrassed to be caught in a semi-state of undress, he hid that too.
But I couldn’t.
Mouth dropping, I soaked up the muscles piled upon muscles that graced his chest. He looked smooth, hard, and surprisingly, no scars were in sight. The warrior was built like a slabbed wall, cut of angular granite, molded into the beautiful hard-rock specimen that depicted a perfect fae male.
And he was staring at me, his eyes slightly hooded, his only outward reaction, as he calmly sipped his coffee.
I, however, was not nearly as skilled in the art of complete-and-total-devoid-of-emotion-upon-one’s-face, so I could only imagine the expression I wore.
“Good morning,” he finally offered, his voice so deep a shiver rolled through me.
“Um, morning.”
“Did you get your coffee?”
I gaped. “You brought that to me?”
He shrugged. “I went down the street to get a cup. I thought you might want one too.”
“And you delivered it, just now?”
“I did. Sorry if I woke you.”
“No, you didn’t. That’s not what I . . . I mean—” I snapped my mouth closed. The concern I’d felt at him being out during the night vanished now that I knew he was well, and quite frankly, I was at a loss to explain my dashing into his private chambers. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, and don’t worry. I kept my eyes closed the entire time I delivered it, just in case you were—” He cut himself off, and even though his expression remained blank, his throat bobbed.
“Shirtless too?” I quipped, and despite the fact that I’d just woken up, a teasing smile twisted my lips.
He grunted, but I could have sworn that amusement lit his eyes as he took another sip of his drink.
I fiddled with the hem of my nightshirt, and he tracked the movements over the rim of his cup. Another roll of his throat came.
“Did, uh, or rather, were there any more of those creatures roaming the Wood last night?”
He shook his head. “Thankfully, no. The Wood remains clear.”
“And the traveling restrictions have been lifted?”
“They have. A dillemsill wasn’t sent to you because I knew I could tell you this morning.”
I nodded and released a sigh of relief. “That’s good. Have there been many sightings in the areas around here? I’m heading into the Wildland Mountains today, and well—” My hands twisted into my pajama top anew.
Kole glanced at my chest, and I realized the swell of my breasts was visible due to my fidgeting.
Kole stood in a flash and turned away, giving me his back. Muscles tightened and rippled along his shoulders. “It would be wise to reconsider your travels. It would be safest if you returned home,” he said over his shoulder.
Words once again failed me, because, Stars Above, the male was built. I marveled as I took in his broad shoulders, tapered waist, and muscled thighs. In his breeches, even his toned backside was as taut as a bowstring.
Everything in me tightened. “Your sword.”
He slowly turned, but his gaze stayed trained above my head. “What?”
“Your sword isn’t on your back. I wondered if you ever took it off.”
“I just told you it would be wise if you went home, and your reply was to comment on my sword?”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him that his comment could be misconstrued in so many ways, especially after his impressive erection last night, but somehow, I managed to restrain myself. “Sorry, I did hear you, but I have to go where the Stone is, which means I’m going north.”
“How do you know the Stone is north?”
An ancient book and my seekerill told me. I shrugged. “I don’t know for certain, but that’s where I believe it is.”
A heavy frown descended over his face, and unable to help myself, I lifted a finger. “You’re doing it again.”
His frown turned into a scowl. “Doing what?”
“Showing emotion.”
He sighed, and his glower disappeared. “You seem to have that effect on me.”
A flush worked up my neck, and his gaze dipped, just for the merest second, to my attire again. While my pajamas weren’t excessively revealing, they also didn’t leave much to the imagination.
A sudden flare of magic came from his wrist, the same flare I’d detected before, and I couldn’t help but wonder what aspect of his magic it was.
Jaw tightening, he looked away. “You should go.”
“Oh. Right. Sorry. Thank you again for the coffee.” Embarrassment flamed through me at his sharp dismissal, and I fled back to my chambers.
Once on my side, I turned to close my door, thinking the warrior would be where I left him, but Kole had moved.
And he was in a position that awarded him a clear view of me retreating.
Our eyes locked for the briefest moment, and I could have sworn that a glow filled his.
I quickly closed my door, and alone again, I sagged against the hard frame and shook my head. The strange pull he had on me and my illicit responses to him needed to stop.
Uncle Timith.
Uncle Timith.
That’s why you’re here.
I checked the adjoining door again, just to ensure it was truly locked, then I began to hastily pack my things.
The Wishing Stone was waiting to be found, and with any luck, I would find it today.