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Dante made a great fire. Hunkering down in front of it, she wrapped her arms around her knees. She hadn’t realized how cold she’d become. She flinched when he dropped his shirt around her shoulders. “You’re shivering,” he observed with a shrug when she glanced up at him.
“Thanks.” The gesture warmed her more than the fire, and the shirt carried his distinctive scent. It was warm and clean and spicy, with sunshine woven into the mix.
“You’re good at building fires,” she commented as the flames rose higher. “Did you inherit that skill from your mother’s side of the family?”
Dante stillness chilled her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“I don’t think you know what you mean.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” she insisted. “I’m just interested. We all inherit something from our forebears.”
“I build fires to keep me warm,” Dante told her with a long level look.
“Well, I apologize. I know it’s not for me to ask questions.”
“Why not?” he demanded. “It’s never stopped you in the past. My best guess is that you’d like to know everything about me.”
“But not so I can gossip about you.” She matched his level stare. “I’m honestly just interested, and that’s all. I know, I know,” she said as Dante settled back on his haunches. “I shouldn’t be questioning the boss.”
“And if I weren’t your boss?”
“I wouldn’t be here.” She shrugged.
Her reward was a burn of amusement in Dante’s eyes. It called her a liar as clearly as if he’d said the words.
“So why were you crying last night?” he demanded.
Would he be dismissive if she discussed her father with him? She couldn’t bear that. If he blamed her father for his current predicament, she couldn’t bear that either and doubted she could sit quietly by and say nothing. She chose the coward’s way out. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“And I don’t want to talk about my life either,” Dante said pointedly.
Checkmate, she thought as he held her stare steady in his.
Chapter Four
“Remind me to buy you some new underwear,” Dante commented dryly as they mounted up.
“Get off my case,” Rose warned. She felt looser with him now they’d spent some time together.
“Harassment?” he suggested. He laughed. “Try telling that to the tribunal on Isla Celeste.”
“The tribunal being the Blood and Thunder team?”
“If you’re not up to life here, you can always go home.”
“Admit defeat? Not an option.”
“Why am I not surprise?”
“You’re getting to know me?”
They shared a look that warmed her. “I’m a working woman, not an ornament to be displayed.”
“Clearly,” Dante agreed as they cantered alongside each other. “But you could be both.”
“Not this side of sanity,” Rose exclaimed, urging Lucifer forward. “You’re a couple of centuries behind the times,” she called back.
