“I’ll see you later, Maxie.” He hesitates, then raises a palm between us in a halting gesture. “Don’t—don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. I’ll meet you back here before dawn.”
Lysandra smiles as Nick runs after her up the stairs, and I roll my eyes. Rest. Right.
I sit at the bar, my fingers curled loosely around my mug. To Herbert, it looks as though I’ve just been ditched by my brother and his lover—but I’m not alone.
The cook-slash-bartender heads for the kitchen with our dishes.
“Well… I know what those two will be doing, that’s for sure,” E whispers, and a quiet laugh rumbles through me.
He’s close enough that I can feel the heat of him, and the steady press of his hand at my waist draws a shaky breath out of my lungs.
After the snake, I nearly didn’t make it here at all… The thought of a quiet room, of being alone with him after a day like this, stirs something reckless in me.
I lean back and feel him solid behind me. The heat of his body brings me back to this morning in the tent, to all he promised to do to me when we were alone.
“Me, I’mactuallytired,” I whisper, closing my eyes.
“You almost died today.”
“And you still won’t tell me what happened?” I ask, half-teasing.
“Nope. Take it up with your brother.”
Nick still owes me an explanation, but I couldn’t bring myself to cock-block him.
I thank Herbert for the stew and ask for the spare room key.
The burly bartender hands it over without question. “Night, hun.”
“Oh.” I hesitate before walking off. “Can I get another bowl? I can eat it upstairs, if that’s alright. It was delicious.”
Herbert chuckles. “Found yer appetite, did ye?” He throws his rag over his shoulder and comes back a minute later with a fresh bowl of stew and a piece of rye sticking out of the side. “Enjoy it, hun. Do you need help carrying ye stuff upstairs?”
“I’m okay. Thank you.”
I thank him again for the extra portion and head for the stairs with all my things. To my relief, my assigned room is on the opposite side of Lysandra’s, either by chance or by design.
I fumble with the key while E holds the stew, freeing me to open the door for us.
“Thank you. I was famished, and now I get to eat you for dessert,” he says.
There’s a joy to him, a lightness I’ve rarely heard, and I follow him inside the room, feeling both elated and nervous.
Whatever happens, I’m never going to sleep tonight.
Chapter 34
The Shadow of Your Love
MAX
The tavern room is barely more than a box. It’s made of four pale plank walls, a low ceiling, and a narrow bed tucked in the corner. The mattress is thin, stuffed with uneven straw, but the ticking is clean, and the seams are still tight. A fresh sheet and folded duvet lay neatly on top.
I close the door behind me and take it all in. It’s bare necessities only, but a welcome reprieve. After today, this place feels like an oasis. Small and safe andours.
A desk-like table stands beneath the window, holding a basin of water, a few folded rags, and a bar of soap. A dented bucket waits by the door.
“Not as fancy or romantic as a man would hope, but hey, it’s our first weekend away together,” E jokes, the floorboards creaking under his weight.
