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We step inside together and he shuts the door behind us. “The painters arrived after the rainy season for some detail painting inside. They finished yesterday. It’s now done.”
I stand and look around with awe. It really is a beautiful home. There's a huge expansive front room with a large stone fireplace that is so big I can step inside. And there’s a couch and chairs around it and I can see a gorgeous kitchen and then a dining area to the side and a wall of two story windows. All of this is in one large open area.
“It’s so sunny in here…” I yawn.
He takes a step closer, looking deep into my eyes. “You look tired. You need to rest.”
Suddenly another wave of exhaustion hits me hard, causing me to rub at my eyes. “I guess I am. I thought I was doing great but I do feel tired.” Then my stomach growls with hunger.
“I need to feed you. Later I will show you the house and answer all your questions. I can even give you a tour of the grounds and you can meet our prized pyrotaurs and riding beasts.”
“That would be lovely.”
“But right now, what you need is to eat and rest. You’ve been through a lot and had many cuts and bruises.” He frowns when he looks at me. “Very specific-looking bruises.”
I nod and turn away. I'm not ready to tell him exactly where those bruises came from, because then I'd have to tell him everything else. And at this moment, all I want is to keep him safe. The mafia cannot know that I’m here because they’ll be indiscriminate in their killing when they swoop in to take me out. The less he knows the better. The word cannot get out that a human is staying on the Flagstone Fire Ranch. If I’m to stay here safely, while not bringing my troubles on these kind males, then they must never know about the hit on me, or who my former employers were and where I came from. These are my troubles. Mine alone.
“You're not going to tell me?”
“No. It's for your own good. The less you know about me, the better.”
“You keep saying that,” he says.
“Because it's true.”
“You don't think I can protect you?”
“I think you're biting off more than you can chew and you don't understand what's happening and you need to trust me when I say that it's best for you not to know.”
“It's my job to protect you,” he growls.
I place my hands on my hips. “But I need to protect you too.”
We both exchange stubborn looks, then he says, “I'm going to take you upstairs and show you your room. While you get cleaned up, I'm going to bring you something to eat.”
“Oh, you don't have to do that. I can make myself something later. I know how to get back to the barracks and I can find the food dispenser.”
“You just finished stumbling through the wildlands by yourself and somehow made it through that last rainstorm. And almost got eaten by a hungry locat. I know how hard that was for you. I feel better knowing you've medically been tended to, but you are not walking all the way over to the barracks to use the food dispenser. I will do that for you. Let’s go.”
I nod because it’s true. I am fading fast.
The thought of a shower and a change of clothes sounds wonderful considering I'm still wearing my filthy shirt and shoes from two days ago. Everything on me is still damp and splattered with dirt and bits of blood. My face and hands are washed, but my hair is a matted, springy mess. “I must look a mess and I'm sure I smell terrible.”
He inhales and smiles down at me. “You smell like the outdoors. Like wind and rain.”
I gaze up at his noble features because it's amazing how he doesn't look as terrible as the other Hyrrokin I’ve met. In fact, his crooked nose looks proud. His fangs are sexy. Each glimpse of his forked tongue does it for me. And his bare chest and muscular arms look like a work of art.
He ushers me forward, his large hand on the small of my back, directly up the stairs. “Later, when you're feeling better, I'll give you a proper tour. I’m taking you to a guest room upstairs that is next to mine. I want you close to make sure if you need anything at night it won't be difficult for you to come and wake me, or if you feel scared or hear something I could always help and explain what that is. Understood?”
“Yes,” I respond, wondering why I like the feel of his hand on my back.
“But you will have your own room that you can lock from the inside if you choose. And again, this arrangement is simply you working here as my employee until I can piece together the mystery of who hurt you and wants to cause you harm. Then I can finally get you the protection you need so you can feel safe.”
I can't help but grin because he's teasing me now. “Understood.”
When we reach the landing at the top of the stairs, he takes my hand and leads me down a long hall, past many other closed doors. The windows show gorgeous views of a meadow and mountains in the distance. I glance at his face because I don’t think the fact that he’s holding my hand is calculated. He seems to be doing this automatically, which is nice. I enjoy holding his hand too.
And then finally, he stops, lets go of my hand and gestures towards two different doors. “That is my room and this one is yours.”
